This should be of interest to some COG members.
In days gone by COG used regularly to visit BGNR.
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Dolby
Subject: Trip report: Barren Grounds NR & Budderoo NP
Hi all,
I've just written up a trip report for Barren Grounds and a few other
reserves nearby. Any feedback welcomed, and any corrections can easily
updated, so also welcomed. To see the report with images, have look on my
trip report website at
http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com.au . Hope you like it.
Cheers,
Tim Dolby
BARREN GROUNDS NATURE RESERVE
If you're visiting Wollongong or Nowra, or birdwatching around Jervis Bay
and Booderee National Park, it's essential to check out Barren Grounds
Nature Reserve and Budderoo National Park. I've been there a few times, most
recently in February 2015, dropping into the reserve after twitching the
White-rumped Sandpiper, a vagrant American wader that somehow turned Lake
Wollumboola.
Approximately 2000 ha, Barren Grounds was originally gazetted a fauna
reserve in 1956 to protect the habitat of the endangered Eastern Bristlebird
and Eastern Ground Parrot. In 1967, it formally became Barren Grounds Nature
Reserve; while in 2009 it was declared an Important Birds Area by Birdlife
International. It's also one of only four large areas of heathland on the
NSW south-coast, the others being Royal National Park, Jervis Bay National
Park and Nadgee Nature Reserve. It was once managed under lease by the RAOU
(Birdlife Australia) and had an operating bird observatory that consisted of
a visitor information centre, wardens house and accommodation.
Barren Grounds sits on the south-easterly spur of the Illawarra Range, and
is almost completely encircled by rocky cliffs at the top of Jamberoo Pass.
Testament to this, just after World War 11, a flying fox (a suspended
cable-and-pulley system) located at the end of the Flying Fox Pass walk was
used to transport timber from the valley below up the escarpment to the
entrance of the reserve. At the time, it was easier to do this than drive up
and down the extremely steep slopes to the reserve.
Barren Grounds habitat-type is formally classified as a 'hanging swamp
plateau'. This is because 1) it contains large areas of heath and swamp in
an elevated position, being approximately 600 m above sea level, and 2) it
has high levels of rainfall. The weather at Barren Grounds is unpredictable,
to say the least. Typically, when visiting, the whole plateau is often
shrouded in swirling mists with drizzle. The roadside advice given when
driving up the escarpment to the reserve is to turn on your headlights, even
during the day. Despite this, in fact because of this, it's a wonderful
place. This is because you can see some rare birds with relative ease. It's
a time capsule, like Conan Doyle's Lost World, a hanging garden on top of an
ancient escarpment!
Getting There & Camping Options
The entrance to Barren Grounds is 19 km west of Kiama off the Jamberoo
Mountain Rd. Facilities are basic, there's a picnic shelter, toilet and
barbecues.
Being a nature reserve there's no camping allowed in Barren Grounds. However
walk in / bush camping is permitted nearby in Budderoo National Park and
Macquarie Pass National Park If you do plan to bush camp, probably the best
spot is along the Budderoo Track, driving down about 500 m or so - perhaps
camping just after the gate. There are formal camping areas nearby in Morton
National Park, Seven Mile Beach National Park, the Bendeela area in Kangaroo
Valley, Carrington Falls Reserve and there's a number of privately operated
camping areas.
Barren Grounds Unique Habitat
The flora of the Barren Grounds heathlands has an unmistakable Gondwandan
heritage, with virtually every common species belonging to
southern-hemisphere families and orders. Australian heathlands are amongst
the richest in plant species in the world. For instance, 500 species of
plant have been recorded in the reserve.
It sits on an exposed coastal sandstone plateau with shallow and moderately
damp sandy soils. These soils are low in nutrients, particularly those vital
for plant growth, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and magnesium. The
unproductiveness of the soils has largely protected the heath from
agricultural development. However, far from being barren - as the name
suggests - it is a spectacular environment! Its biodiversity is testament
to Australian native plants adaptability to poor soils. Plants we have all
come to love, such as the nectar-rich Heath Banksia (Banksia ericifolia) or
the beautiful Christmas Bell (Blandfordia nobilis). Our native wildlife also
loves them, the birds, mammals and insects. As birdwatchers and natural
historians we really appreciate that.
Hanging swamp plateaus is a habitat unique to New South Wales. Furthermore,
it is a fragile landscape with some of Australia’s most distinctive and
inspirational coastal and mountain scenery. In such a habitat, fire is an
important component of the environment, significantly influencing vegetation
patterns. Discussed below, fire is particularly important for the ongoing
survival of species such as the Eastern Ground Parrot.
Trees
From what I can see, the main trees around the reserve are Red Bloodwood
(Corymbia gummifera), Silver-top Ash (Eucalyptus sieberi), Heart-leaved
Stringybark (E. camfieldii), Yellow-top Ash (E. luehmanniana), Sydney Blue
Gum (E. saligna) and Port Jackson Mallee (E. obstans). That's a nice
selection gums.
Smaller trees include Dwarf Apple (Angophora hispida), Scrub Sheoak
(Allocasuarina distyla), Stiff-leaf Wattle (Acacia obtusifolia), Coast
Wattle (A. longifolia), Finger Hakea (Hakea dactyloides), Dagger Hakea (H.
teretifolia), Scented Paperbark (Melaleuca squarrosa) and tea-trees such
Flaky-barked Tea Tree (Leptospermum trinervium), Pink Tea Tree
(L.squarrosum) and Round Leaf Tea Tree (L. rotundifolium).
Significantly there's a wonderful variety of Banksia, including Heath
Banksia (Banksia ericifolia), Old Man Manksia (B. serrata) and Dwarf Banksia
(B. oblongifolia) and Swamp Banksia (B. paludosa). These are all an
important food source for honeyeaters such as the Tawny-crowed Honeyeater,
and possums such as the Eastern Pygmy Possum.
There is also a couple of Grasstree, Spear Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea
resinifera) and Grass Tree (X. resinosa), both used as nest sites for birds
such as Golden Whistler and Grey Shrike-thrush.
Shrubs & Flowers
Ah the heath. A jewel in any birders crown! Heath being heath, there are
spectacular shrubs and flowers, particularly in spring, when the wildflowers
burst with colour. Some for the most spectacular and best known are the
Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa), Broad-leafed Drumstick (Isopogon
anemonifolius), Native Fuchsia (Epacris longiflora), Common Fringe-lily
(Thysanotus tuberosus) and, of course, the wonderful Christmas Bells
(Blandfordia nobilis).
But these are only part of the story, with the variety and beauty
continuing. Others include Egg and Bacon Pea (Dillwynia floribunda), another
Egg and Bacon Pea (D. retorta), Wreath Bush Pea (Pultenaea tuberculata),
Dwarfed Darwinia (Darwinia diminuta), Coral Heath (Epacris microphylla),
Blunt-leaf Heath (E. obtusifolia), Red Spider Flower (Grevillea oleoides),
Green Spider Flower (G. sphacelata), Small-leaved White Beard (Leucopogon
microphyllus), Lance-leaved Geebung (Persoonia lanceolata), Coneseed
(Conospermum taxifolium), Lesser Flannel Flower (Actinotus minor), Wallum
Dampiera (Dampiera stricta), Wallum Goodenia (Goodenia stelligera), Fairy
Aprons (Utricularia dichotom) and Austral Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes
sinensis). Now that is a diverse list.
All these flowering plants produce copious amounts of pollen and nectar that
attract a diverse array of nectar-feeding birds, which also feed on insects
drawn in by the abundance of wildflowers. Like most heathland areas, a good
time for birding is the early morning when there is plenty of nectar on the
heath.
Rushes, Sedges, Grasses, Ferns and Sundews
Native rushes, grasses and sedges include Sheath Rush (Cyathochaeta
diandra), Wiry Panic (Entolasia stricta), Common Rapier-sedge (Lepidosperma
filiforme), Stiff Rapier-sedge (L. neesii), Slender Twine Rush (Leptocarpus
tenax), Ptilothrix (Ptilothrix deusta) and, of course, Button Grass
(Gymnoshoenus sphaerocephalus), which has a preference for wetter areas. All
good food for birds such as Eastern Ground Parrot and Beautiful Firetail.
Pouched Coral Fern (Gleichenia dicarpa) is common in the reserve. In places,
such as along the sides of the walking tracks, it is the dominated ground
cover. Here it forms tangled thickets, good habitat for Eastern Bristlebird.
Its tangled roots are also important for the prevention of erosion along the
reserves tracks. Pouched Coral Fern is considered a 'pioneer species'. These
are hardy species that first colonize previously disrupted or damaged
ecosystems, a process that begins the chain of ecological succession that
leads to a more biodiverse steady-state ecosystem. So, obviously, Pouched
Coral Fern is a very an important plant at Barren Grounds.
Sundews, such as Shield Sundew (Drosera peltata) and the intriguing Forked
Sundew (Drosera binata), do what Sundew do - trap and eat insects for extra
nutrients. Forked Sundew is known for its ability to become a large
insect-catching "bush".
Barren Grounds Birds and Where to See Them
With around 180 different species of birds, Barren Grounds was declared a
special reserve because of the presence of two endangered species, the
Eastern Bristlebird and Eastern Ground Parrot. It's also particularly good
for seeing other heathland specialists such as Beautiful Firetail, Southern
Emu-wren and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. While more generalist birds in the
reserve include Superb Lyrebird, Pilotbird, Rock Warbler, Brown Cuckoo-Dove,
Topknot Pigeon, Black-faced Monarch, Eastern Whipbird, Painted Button-quail,
Brown Quail, Bassian Thrush, Red-browed Treecreeper, Variegated Fairy-wren,
Large-billed and Yellow-throated Scrubwren.
Fourteen species of honeyeaters have been recorded including Crescent,
Lewin's, Fuscous, White-cheeked, Scarlet and White-eared Honeyeater. It's
also good for parrots and cockatoo: these include Gang-gang Cockatoo,
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian King
Parrot, Crimson and Eastern Rosella, Turquiose Parrot (uncommon) and, of
course, Eastern Ground Parrot.
Interesting raptors to look out for include Peregrine Falcon, Grey Goshawk,
Collared Sparrowhawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle and there's a chance of Pacific
Baza - near the southern most distribution for this species. While
nightbirds include Powerful Owl, Southern Boobook and Eastern Barn Owl.
There's also a chance of seeing uncommon species such as Lewin's Rail,
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Australian Logrunner (in rainforest areas) and
Turquoise Parrot.
Park Entrance
Immediately after entering the reserve, there is a house on your right. Stop
just before here and check the forest on your left and look out for
Pilotbird (listen for their penetrating call), Beautiful Firetail and,
occasionally, Lewin’s Rail, also occur here, especially early in the
morning.
Griffith Trail
The best bird walk in the reserve is undoubtedly the Griffiths Trail, an 8
km loop that begins at the picnic ground. It's the main walk in the reserve,
with a couple of tributaries. Being a loop, you can start your walk at
either end. I started at the western end. Here it heads out to a natural
stone bridge, and then loops back to the picnic area via Saddleback Trig.
The Griffiths Trail traverses through a range of vegetation communities,
including heath and some nice tall eucalyptus forests.
Eastern Bristlebird, Eastern Ground Parrot, Southern Emu-wren, Beautiful
Firetail and Tawny and White-eared Honeyeater inhabit the heath along the
western branch of the Griffith Trail, particularly the section between the
car park and natural stone bridge.
A good spot to look for Eastern Bristlebird is immediately after you pass
the old bird observatory and the Service Track (mentioned below),
particularly in the next 200 m or so. When I visited in February 2015, there
were two pairs close to each other in the scrub on the left / east side of
the trail. This section of trail (and this time of year) must surely be the
best place in Australia to see this normally elusive species.
Eastern Bristlebird are predominantly a ground-feeding insectivore. Like
fantails and flycatchers, they use their bristles to assist them in catching
insects, hence the name. They like to utilize the ecotone between tall dense
heath that borders the Griffith Trail and the adjacent woodland. So look for
them scurrying on the ground, or just above it. To find them, listen for
their high-pitched melodious call (onomatopoeically described Graham Pizzy
as a silvery sweet bijou). Outside of breeding season you more like to hear
their sharp alarm zeet zeet call, which I reckon sounds somewhat similar to
the alarm call given by New Holland Honeyeater. It was mostly raining when I
was there. However this was fortunate, as the birds came out to drink, and
hunt for insects, in the puddles along the Griffith Track.
To me, it seems so strange that at Howe Flat and Nadgee Eastern Bristlebird
are so elusive, so hard to see. However, at Barren Grounds, they run across
tracks and drink from puddles out in the open. For instance, after several
hours of birding along the Griffith Trail, I had seen at least eight
different birds, all with some ease. In fact, at one spot I asked a bird if
he could please give me a better views. To which, he replied "yes". Or at
least that's what I thought he said. He certainly jumped out into the open
and said "hi" or, being slightly anthropomorphic, perhaps he was telling me
"bugger off". Whatever the case, late February is clearly a good time to see
them. It's after the breeding seasons, they have lost their sense of
territoriality, and there is a whole bunch of young birds running around
wanting to impress.
Despite this, research by people such as Jack Baker (a former Vice President
of Birdlife Australia), has shown that population densities of Eastern
Bristlebird are low compared to those of other heathland birds. At Barren
Grounds, there's a maximum densities of about 4 birds per 10 hectares. With
a total world population of less than 2500 birds, it's estimated that
approximately 600 live at Barren Grounds and the adjacent Budderoo National
Park (discussed below).
Eastern Bristlebird were once distributed in discrete pockets from the
Conondale Ranges in south-east Queensland along the coast and adjacent
ranges to Marlo in eastern Victoria. Only a few remaining populations are
known. Two near Brisbane, several near Wollongong and two adjacent to the
NSW-Victoria border at Cape Howe (at Nadgee Nature Reserve and Howe Flat).
Around Wollongong - aside from Eastern Bristlebird being present at Barren
Grounds and Budderoo - they have been records at Fitzroy Falls and the
Upper Kangaroo Valley (15 km w of Barren Ground), and at Red Rocks and
Cambewarra Range Nature Reserves (5 km s-e) (where there's also a small
population of Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby). The good news about this is that
it tells us that there is some dispersion of Eastern Bristlebird through
suitable corridor habitat.
Continuing along the Griffith Trail, another good spot for Eastern
Bristlebird is where the Cooks Nose Lookout Walk branches west from the
Griffith Trail. It is approximately 1.5 km from the car park. This is also a
good spot for Beautiful Firetail, which tend to feed on the grasses growing
on the side of the track and will often allow you to approach within about 5
m. I also saw several Brown Quail here.
Half way along the Griffith Trail loop, you come to a natural Stone Bridge
that crosses Lamonds Creek. It is approximately 2 km from the car park. This
is an interesting place, with the water flows immediately under the rocks.
Eastern Bristlebird inhabit the scrub around the bridge, for instance I saw
an Eastern Bristlebird in the shrubs immediately behind the Stone Bridge
sign. The woodlands section beyond the Stone Bridge is probably the most
reliable place for see Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. With a similar habitat
preference to Eastern Bristlebird, they like the ecotone edge of forest and
woodland clearings.
Around the Stone Bridge, in the forested section along the walk, is probably
the best place for forest birds such as Superb Lyrebird, Brush Bronzewing,
Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Gang-Gang Cockatoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Satin Bowerbird,
Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Monarch, and Leaden and Satin Flycatcher,
although many use more than one habitat within the reserve. So, as usual,
always keep your eyes and ears open. Nightbirds such as Southern Boobook and
Powerful Owl use the forests to hunt, while Eastern Barn Owl tend to hawk
over the heathland.
Towards the eastern end of the Griffith Trail, the Illawarra Lookout
provides superb views of the Illawarra coast and hinterland (remembering you
can always start the Griffith Trail from the eastern end). The forest around
the lookout is a good spot for Pilotbird. While the heath and woodlands
between the lookout and picnic ground is another reliable spot for Eastern
Bristlebird.
Service Track
At the beginning of the western section of the Griffith Trail, near the old
bird observatory, there is a fire trail - it is sign-posted 'Service Track
only'. This trail leads west down to Redbank Gully Creek, and is
approximately 1 km return. The low-lying heath along this trail is good for
Eastern Ground Parrot; listen at dawn and dusk for their distinctive
resonating call.
Eastern Ground Parrot are present in reasonable numbers at Barren Ground,
with recent surveys regularly recording between 20 to 40 parrots. Recent
indicates fire management is particular important when dealing with
populations of Eastern Ground Parrot. They tend to occur in heath growth 1
to 20 years post fire, with their population stabilizing after ten years.
After about 10 years, in optimum habitat (like Barren Grounds) their
approximate densities is about 3 birds per 10 hectares. Typically, for their
survival, it's important to have a mosaic of fire ages in a given region,
spanning between 0-30 years.
Luck. Much of birding is just luck, and, when looking for Ground Parrot, you
need quite a bit of luck. Luckily for me, I flushed a Eastern Ground Parrot
from the trail about a third of the way down. Again, luckily, it re-landed
on the track about 100 feet further down.
The Eastern Ground Parrot is clearly a highly elusive bird, with a
preference for knee-high heath and sedgelands. Getting a decent view is
always hard, with most my encounters simply a fleeting glimpse of the birds
backside as it flies away. If flushed, Eastern Ground Parrot take off
rapidly, fly some 2 m above ground level and then glide down into cover at a
shallow angle.
So, luckily for me, the birds re-landed on the track and I was able to get
some excellent views and some nice images. After seeing the bird, I meet a
group of birders who'd not seen Ground Parrot before, despite many attempts.
I explained where I'd seen the bird, so they rushed down to see it. When I
saw them again kater, they explained they had dipped. Despite standing in
the rain for several hours, and in the exact spot where I saw the bird.
Luck.
Fortunately, I've seen Eastern Ground Parrot at quite a few places in
Australia: in the heathland in Croajingolong (Vic), at Jervis Bay (NSW) near
Strahan (Tas), and in the Great Sandy National Park (Qld). So that's every
state that they occur in Australia. Now I can add Barren Grounds to that
list. From here, I reckon I need to join one of the Friends of the Western
Ground Parrot survey groups and look Western Ground Parrot in WA. Wish me
luck.
Kangaroo Ridge Walk
If you have time, or the will, walk the 20 km Kangaroo Ridge Walk. It's a
long grassy open track that travels over undulating heath country. Keep a
look out for Eastern Ground Parrot and Brown Quail feeding on the track, and
look for Beautiful Firetail, and Southern Emu-wren in the adjacent heath.
This walk is probably the best in the reserve for raptors, such as Grey
Goshawk, Brown Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk. Once at the edge of the
Illawarra Escarpment the views of the Berry district are fantastic. Here,
there is a chance of seeing Peregrine Falcon, which nests on the cliffs near
here. It's worth noting that the Kangaroo Ridge Walk can be very wet and
muddy after rain which, unsurprisingly, happens quite a bit at Barren
Grounds.
Herbarium Walk
In spring, when the wildflowers are blooming, the Herbarium Walk - it's
about a 1.5km loop - is particularly good for honeyeaters such as Crescent,
Lewin's, New Holland, Yellow-faced, White-cheeked and White-eared, and,
occasionally, Fuscous and Scarlet.
Other Wildlife at Barren Grounds
Thirty species of native mammals have been recorded in Barren Grounds. Most
occur in the woodland area, with moist forest patches. The reserves lists
includes Common Wombat, Sugar Glider, Eastern Pygmy Possum, Common Ringtail
Possum, Brown Antechinus, Long-nosed Bandicoot, Bush Rat, Grey-headed Flying
Fox and, in rainforest areas, Greater Glider. Rarer and endangered mammals
include Spotted-tailed (Tiger) Quoll, Long-nosed Potoroo and Common
Bent-wing Bat.
If you get a chance to do some spotlighting, the best time to see Long-nosed
Potoroo is just after dusk. This is when they begin to feed: to find them,
look for the broad, conical shaped digging holes, where they dig for
underground fungus, roots, and small insects. Also on the ground, look for
Long-nosed Bandicoot. Superficially similar to the Long-nosed Potoroo,
Long-nosed Bandicoot are paler in colour, have a shorter tail, and its
muzzle is much longer.
Eastern Pygmy Possum prefer the heathland, being particularly fond of
Banksia flowers. Sugar Glider prefer wooded areas, gliding between trees as
much as 50 feet. Listen out carefully for their soft yapping calls.
Information about reptiles and amphibians in Barren Grounds is limited when
compared to the birds and mammals. 12 lizards have been recorded, including
the Lace Monitor and Eastern Water Dragon, while there are 11 species of
snake, Swamp Snake, Green Tree Snake, Red-bellied Black Snake and
Copperhead, while Broad-headed Snake may occur. Being very swampy, frogs are
well-represented, with 14 species including three that are threatened - the
Giant Burrowing Frog, Giant Barred Frog and the spectacular-looking
Red-crowned Toadlet. In terms of butterflies, when I was there, the
beautiful Swordgrass Brown was common in the heath.
BUDDEROO NATIONAL PARK
If you don’t see Eastern Bristlebird and Ground Parrot at Barren Grounds,
continue 3 km west along the Jamberoo Mountain Rd to the Budderoo Track in
Budderoo National Park. Little survey work has been carried out for Eastern
Bristlebird, but they appear to me to be more numerous in Budderoo than
Barren Grounds, possibly because of the greater amount of woodland.
The Budderoo Track traverses excellent areas of heath, and mixed Eucalyptus
and Banksia woodlands. A particularly spot to look is 300 m from road, where
there is a fence-line and gate. The heath here is a little lower than at
Barren Grounds, and consequently birds can be easier to see. Other birds to
look for along the trail include Bassian Thrush, Southern Emu-wren,
White-eared, Crescent and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Beautiful Firetail and
in woodland areas further along the track, Gang-gang Cockatoo and Red-browed
Treecreeper.
In Budderoo National Park, at the base of the escarpment, it may be worth
visiting the Minnamurra Falls. It's a great place to see Superb Lyrebird -
when I was there, they were foraging around the car park. There are a couple
of walks that pass through rainforest, where birds such as Satin Bowerbird,
Yellow-throated and Large-billed Scrubwren, Rose Robin, Bassian Thrush,
Brown Gerygone, Lewin’s Honeyeater occur while, in summer, you might see
Brown Cuckoo-Dove and Topknot Pigeon.
Now the bad news about Minnamurra Falls. It's worth noting that the walks
are only opens between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, not particularly good hours for
a visiting birdwatcher. Pity. Indeed, the last time I visited I arrived in
the car park at 8:45 am i.e. fifteen minutes early. One of the park rangers
approached and asked me to leave. I politely explained that I'll just wait
by my car, and have some breakfast, "I'm birdwatcher, I can look at the
birds around the car park. Wow, look at that Lyrebird". The ranger then
insisted I leave, and if I didn't he will get some other rangers and force
me to leave, perhaps even call the police. What! This was extraordinary!
Arrested for being 15 minutes early in a national park car park. What kind
of madness is this? After about 10 minutes of lively debate, I headed out of
the car park - about five minutes before walks officially opened.
As I was leaving, a groups of cyclist arrived. Interested to see what would
happen, I waited at the park entrance. Sure enough, the rangers asked them
to leave! As they rode past me, one of them said "They're crazy!" .
Yep, they clearly are. What's was more confounding about this was, by the
time the cyclist actually left, it was just after 9 am and the park walks
were therefore open. Something is clearly going wrong with park management
of the Minnamurra Falls! So, the moral of this story is, if visiting
Minnamurra Falls, visit with caution. Or you might get yourself arrested for
being slightly early.
BIRDING SITES NEARBY
In terms of seeing rainforest birds, and it's too early or late to visit
Minnamurra Falls (or you just want to avoid the place), fortunately there
are a few of good areas of rainforest relatively nearby
Cascade Rainforest Walk
The Cascade Rainforest Walk is remnant section of sub-tropical rainforest
located in the Macquarie Pass National Park. It starts at the picnic area at
the foot of Macquarie Pass and follows a creek for 1 km to the Cascades,
where there is a 20 m waterfall.
The trees along the walk are fabulous. These include rainforest species such
as Lily Pilly (Syzygium smithii), Jackwood (Cryptocarya glaucescens),
Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), Turpentine (Syncarpia
glomulifera), Cabbage-tree Palm (Livistona australis), Giant Stinging Tree
(Dendrocnide excelsa), Beefwood (Grevillea striata) and Small-leaved Fig
(Ficus obliqua).
The area of rainforests is one of the most southerly strongholds for a
number of birds that depend upon fruit of these rainforest tree for their
diet. These include birds such as Green Catbird, Emerald Dove, Brown
Cuckoo-Dove, Topknot Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon, Logrunner, Channel-billed
Cuckoo, Australasian Figbird, Yellow-throated Scrubwren and Spectacled
Monarch. Some of the other birds you might see along the walk include Superb
Lyrebird, Olive-backed Oriole, Crescent and Lewin's Honeyeater, Black-faced
Monarch, Leaden Flycatcher, Rose Robin, Large-billed Scrubwren, Bassian
Thrush and Brown Gerygone. There are also records of Red-whiskered Bulbul.
Threatened mammals in the park include Tiger Quoll and Long-nosed Potoroo -
so it may be worth doing some nighttime mammal-watching.
Robertson Nature Reserve
Located near the edge of the Illawarra Escarpment, the Robertson Nature
Reserve is a small reserve, approximately 5 hectares in size. To get there,
from the main street of Robertson, turn south at the intersection near the
hotel, cross the railway line, then turn left at the T-intersection. The
reserve is a little way along on the right. Robertson Nature Reserve
protects a remnant area of 'Yarrawa Brush'. Brush, in this sense, is the
name given to a forest with a dense understorey. Originally Yarrawa Brush
covered 2500 hectares of the eastern part of the Highlands. Apart for
isolated pockets of scrub, only this 5 hectare portion remains of the
original rainforest.
The high rainfall and heavy mists create a micro-climate particularly suited
to birds who like cool, temperate rainforests. Despite its size, it can be
very birdy. After a short walk along the 600 m track, I recorded Brown
Cuckoo Dove, Wonga Pigeon, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Satin Bowerbird, Lewin's
and Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Large-billed and Yellow-throated Scrubwren,
Brown Gerygone, Rufous Fantail, Black-faced Monarch and Bassian Thrush, to
name a few. If visiting at night, keep an eye open for Tigor Quoll, which
are said to inhabit the reserve.
Aside from the birds, the reserve is worth visiting just for the plant. For
instance, you can see a lot of trees with the word 'wood' in their name:
Featherwood (Polyosma cunninghamii), Possumwood (Quintinia sieberi),
Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum), Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and
Pinkwood (Eucryphia moorei). Other trees include Sassafras (Doryphora
sassafras), Lillypilly (Acmena Smithii), Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona
australis) and Pencil Cedar (Polyscias murrayi). The ground cover is a
mixture of shrubs such as Orange Thorn (Pittosporum multiflorum) and Soft
Tree Fern (Dicksonia antartica).
As can be seen by the image below, vines are a prominent feature of the
Yarrawa Brush - clearly responsible for how it got its name. You could visit
the reserve just to 'twitch' vines Do people do that? Here's a list of some
you may see: Wonga Vine (Pandorea pandorana), Anchor Vine (Palmeria
scandens), Common Milk Vine (Marsdenia rostrata), Five-leaf Water Vine
(Cissus hypoglauca), Gum Vine (Aphanopetalum resinosum), Staff Vine
(Celastrus australis) and Pearl Vine (Sarcopetalum harveyanum.
Fitzroy Falls
Finally, it's worth dropping into Fitzroy Falls, located in the
north-eastern section of Morton National Park. The falls is situated where
Yarrunga Creek plunges from a sandstone escarpment into the valley below.
There's good range of plant communities such as rainforest, dry eucalypt
forests, and plateaus of wet sedge and heathland. And, if you want to camp,
there's a campground at Gambells Rest.
There are several good walks starting at Fitzroy Falls. Birds to look for
along the East Rim Track (6.7 km return) include Pilotbird, Superb Lyrebird,
Gang-gang Cockatoo, Topknot Pigeon, Green Catbird, Crescent Honeyeater,
Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Varied Sittella, Crested Shrike-tit, Rose Robin,
and Satin Bowerbird. Similar birds occur along the West Rim Track, it's
about 4 km return. Along this walk, a steep staircase leads down to a cool
ferny gully known as the Grotto. Rockwarbler feed along the rocky stream
just before the Grotto. Southern Emu-wren and Beautiful Firetail occur in
the heathland areas along the Redhill Fire Trail (7 km return). It starts
near the Twin Falls Lookout, located on the West Rim Track. Back at the
Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre, Bassian Thrush occurs around the car park.
Cheers,
Tim Dolby
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