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THE 59th NSW GOULD LEAGUE BIRD
STUDY CAMP AT DAIRY FLAT, WODENBONG NSW 2-11 OCTOBER 2001
The 59th Gould League Bird Study camp
was held at Dairy Flat 28 23 01 S, 152 42 52 E, a working dairy farm property
located in the shadow of Mt Lindsey, 47 km NW of Kyogle and 8 kms east of
Woodenbong in north-eastern NSW. The Camp was based around the large homestead
now used as a farm stay, and 3 adjoining but seperate cottages. 58 campers were
present, the organiser being John Seale, the housekeeper was Liz Crawford
& the cooks Claire Lindsey and Jos Baumgart.
The 3rd Gould League Camp in 1939 was
held at nearby Lindsey View on Sawpit Creek,
16 kms to the east of Dairy Flat where 36 campers saw 91 species of birds. It
was a bit daunting on this occasion in that during the 1939 camp
World War II was declared, while during this camp, the Americans commenced
bombing Afganistan! The son of one of the local people who helped run the 1939
camp and on whose property the camp was held, Claude Hogan now 89
(and whose photograph appears in the report of that camp) came and joined our
camp for dinner one evening and was able to clearly remember the personalities
and activities of that event.
During our stay visits were made to
the eastern & western sections of Border Ranges National Park, Toonumbar,
Tooloom & Mt Clunie National Parks, Moore Park Nature Reserve, and Iron
Knob, Unumbar, Toonumbar & Mt Lindsey State Forests, many local wetlands and
the villages of Woodenbong, Urbenville, Grevillea, Kooreelah, Wiangaree and
Afterlee. Most of the places mentioned were either rainforests reserves or had
patches of rainforest within their bounds and many were part of the NSW World
Heritage Rainforest Reserves. A spotlighting foray into the Sawpit Creek area
revealed only Barn Owl, Owlet Nightjar and Mountain Possums.
While the bird of the Camp was the
Black-breasted Button-quail we were aware that none had been seen in NSW since
at least 1970s so we were not disappointed that we could not locate any on this
occasion. Other very rare species in the Region are the Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
(no NSW records since 1995), the Eastern Bristlebird, Rufous Scrub-bird and
Albert's Lyrebird. About 3 people had views of an Eastern Bristlebird in Upper
Main Arm Creek although many more heard the bird calling; Albert Lyrebirds were
heard at three sites, mostly in either Mt Lindsey SF and the Border Ranges NP
but no one actually managed to get their binoculars onto one; while several
people heard the Rufous Scrub-bird at The Pinnacles, Border Ranges NP but only
one person was lucky enough to see it! We all dipped on the Fig-Parrot. However
we did mange to see 187 species all up, and everyone had good views of, Emerald
Doves, Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Pale-headed Rosellas, Pale-yellow Robins, Little
Shrike-thrush, Spectacled Monarchs, Spine-tailed Log-runners, Varied Trillers,
Paradise Rifle-birds, Green Catbirds, Regent Bowerbirds. A Black-necked Stork
was found at The Glen Swamp, Woodenbong, a Pink-eared Duck at the Dairy Swamp,
Woodenbong, 200+ Plumed Whistling Ducks were found at Woodenbong Golfcourse
& STW, Buff-banded Rails were at two places and a Baillon's Crake was found
in Unumgar SF.
Other highlights included seeing
Glossy Black Cockatoos & Pacific Bazas at 4 locations, both Little
Corellas & Cockatiels were seen in small flocks and there was a lone
Long-billed Corella with the Little Corellas. Jacanas were found at many of the
wetlands and Painted Button-quails at 3 locations. Both White-browed &
Masked Woodswallows passed over the Antarctic Beech Lookout in Border Ranges NP
on the hot windy day of 5 October; while Fuscous & Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters
were located at Wallaby Creek, within Tooloom NP. Birds seen at the 1939
camp but not seen on this occasion included Stubble Quail, Black Bittern,
Striped Honeyeater & Little Friarbird (although there was a possible report
of the latter). In addition to the birds were saw 6 species of kangaroo, 7
species of snakes, 8 species of Frog, and numerous other reptiles, tortoises.
& mammals.
Five campers were atlassing for the
Birds Australia Bird Atlas, and together with the many stops to and from the
camp, over 100 atlas sheets will be submitted. Many breeding records were
obtained, with 34 species found to be nesting. Seasonal conditions were very dry
throughout and for the first time that I can remember (and my first camp was
1975), it did not rain during the 10 days of camp! A detailed list of birds seen
during the camp is available on request.
Alan Morris
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