I think that this may be of
interest to someone.
Brown Treecreepers typically inhabit open woodland and are generally at
highest density in semi-arid habitat. I have found several in probably unusual
forest habitat. I did a trip from Buchan (eastern Victoria) to Jindabyne (SE
NSW) along the road through Suggan Buggan, on 21 to 22 May 2001. Brown Treecreepers were prominent among the birds at Suggan Buggan and I
saw several others after that, along the road towards the NSW border. They
behaved in their usual way, foraging on fallen timber and rocks and admittedly
were in the more open spaces and in small areas of box & stringybark
woodland, however the prevaling habitat there is forest. There were no
White-throated Treecreepers noticed at Suggan Buggan, although that species was
at Candlebark Cottage.
For anyone contemplating this trip,
it is approx 180 km, requiring at least the best part of a day (in winter,
though less in summer) to traverse and appreciate and do some birding. It is a
mostly narrow, very windy dirt road (unsuitable for caravans), requiring slow
driving. There are no facilities (some camping sites and small settlements). The
rewards are historic sites, lovely scenery and bush habitat, partly along the
snowy river. I stayed overnight at the
quaint Candlebark Cottage, Eagle Lodge, Wulgulmerang, about 15 km south of
Suggan Buggan.
Philip
