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birding-aus MID-NORTH COAST (NSW) TRIP - 11TH TO 14TH JUNE 1999

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Subject: birding-aus MID-NORTH COAST (NSW) TRIP - 11TH TO 14TH JUNE 1999
From: "EDWIN VELLA" <>
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 19:19:15 +1000

Spent this June Long weekend on NSW ’s mid north coast, centred mainly around Coffs Harbour which is about 530 km north of Sydney or around 7 hours drive ex-traffic from Sydney . This trip was primarily for bushwalking (about 20 km walked in total), sight seeing (as I have never explored the NSW north coast past Port Macquarie before), relaxing and offcourse some birding (though the objective was not really to find new birds and I saw nothing new, but interesting ones). Some interesting birds were seen in the following places :

DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK (about an hour west of Coffs Harbour) - excellent and fairly lengthy views of very cooperative Noisy Pittas, Bassian Thrushs, Pale-yellow Robin, Logrunners, Paradise Riflebirds along the Wonga Walk from the Glade picnic area (lots of Wonga Pigeons were flushed from this trail). The Wonga walk goes though superb Sub-tropical rainforest with large Yellow Carrabeens, Large Figs and Bangalow Palms everywhere. Great views of the surrounding rainforest and hills were had from the Skywalk lookout, providing a good vantage point for passing pigeons, Riflebirds and Bowerbirds. Heard an Owlet Nightjar here. Also went on the Rosewood trail from the Never Never picnic area where I saw a male Superb Lyrebird call and do its display as it perched on a fallen log within 5 metres away (amazing !!!). This trails goes through mainly Warm Temperate rainforest and is dominated by Coachwoods, Rosewoods and Tree ferns. This was my first trip to the Dorrigo area, and this area looks just like a sub-tropical counterpart of the Atherton Tablelands in northern QLD with its patches of remnant rainforest and cleared agricultural land surrounding. The area also abounds with water falls. We saw the fabulous Dangar Falls only 3km north of the Dorrigo township (a must see if you are in the area and have not seen the falls). A beautiful area indeed.

MOONEE BEACH (about 10 km north of Coffs Harbour) - Here there were Eucalypts in flower everywhere and to my amazement, among the hundreds of Rainbow and Scaley-breasted Lorikeets, I saw about 30 Swift Parrots feeding mainly on the blossoms of Forest Red Gums (a record sheet will be submitted to Simon/David). At the moment, there is abundant flowering all along the northern coast. Also, at dusk, in the remnant Littoral Rainforest (on the southern part of the nature reserve) a Noisy Pitta and Logrunners were heard.

WOOLGOOLGA FLORA RESERVE (in Wedding Bells State Forest, about 20 km north of Coffs Harbour) - Here were lots of fruit pigeons, in particular, Wompoo Fruit-doves which were quite common (8 were seen together and squabbling over a fruiting tree), Pale-yellow Robins and Logrunners. Blue-faced Honeyeaters were in the township nearby.

SOUTH-WEST ROCKS - HATHEAD AREA (between Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour) - many Spangled Drongos along the Macleay River and in the heathlands along the coast, Brahminy Kites, an Osprey and Southern Emu-wren also in the heaths.

A brief visit was also made to Stuart Point in the hope of finding Mangrove Honeyeaters but none were seen. However lots of Whistling Kites, Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea-eagles were circling about the estuary.

The weather over the long weekend was a blessing for this time of year, and this trip an enjoyable one.

Edwin

 

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