NSW Far South Coast Trip Report (based in Tanja)
Tim Dolby
Hi all,
The following is a brief report, with a few notes, and an annotated bird list
(see below; I've also placed this report on http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com).
WHAT A DIFFERENCE five years makes. I've just returned from a 5 week family
holiday to the Far South Coast of NSW farm sitting for family in Tanja. Tanja
is located in an extremely attractive valley that borders the Mimosa Rocks
National Park half way between Tathra and Bermagui. The area contains some
great coastal forests, great beaches and some excellent rainforest.
The Far South of NSW seems to me to be a dramatic (possibly Australia's most
dramatic) example of changes in bird species distribution due to climatic
change. For instance Common Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Topknot Pigeon,
White-headed Pigeon and Australian Figbird were all common during my stay in
Tanja, contrasting markedly with my last visit to Tanja when none of the above
species were common, or even recorded. A similar change in the distribution has
happening in the Far East of Victoria, in national parks such as Croajingolong.
For instance many species that were once considered vagrants to Eastern
Victoria are now seen with some regularity.
During my stay in Tanja I also recorded a single Painted Honeyeater; a bird
that is not yet on the bird list for NSWs Far South Coast. That being said I
would suggest the bird has probably always been a rare visitor (rather than
totally absent) to the coastal southern NSW. However with only a few excellent
birders on the ground, covering such an enormous geographic area, Painted
Honeyeater may have just gone unnoticed. For instance, Barbara Jones made the
comment that there is no comparison between the total number of birders in the
neighboring Canberra district to the Far South Coast of NSW.
It is also interesting to note that Crested Pigeon are common in the Far South
Coast of NSW. Despite this I have yet to find a field guide that actually
recognizes that this species distribution extends to this area. Most (all)
indicate that the south-east tip of Australia is one of the last areas that
Crested Pigeon are not yet found. (Crested Pigeon are also common is Mallacoota
in Victoria.)
If you are in the area some of the good bird areas worth investigating:
MUMBULA FALLS: an excellent spot to see Pilotbird, Black-faced Monarch, Pink
and Rose Robin, Bassian Thrush, Rufous Fantail and Red-browed Treecreeper.
There are usually several large overly friendly Lace Monitor (Goanna) at the
Mumbula Falls picnic ground. It?s also worth having a go on the natural water
slide, which has been used by the local local Yuin people for thousand of
years. Please note that this site is quite a popular site, so get there early
particular during the summer holiday season.
CUTTAGEE LAKE: just south of Bermagui. A good swimming spot and a good place to
see Striated Heron, Eastern Reef Egret and Pied Oystercatcher; there is also a
record of Ground Parrot in this area.
MIMOSA ROCK NATIONAL PARK: an excellent national park dominated by Spotted Gum
and Cabbage Palms. There are also excellent areas of littoral rainforest (with
Rusty Fig and Lilly Pilly and Sassafras) and coastal scrub (dominated by Saw
Banksia, Coast Banksia, Coast Wattle, Drooping She-oak and Giant Honey Myrtle).
Some of the good birding areas in the park:
* MIDDLE BEACH: Azure Kingfisher and Hooded Plover at the lagoon, Powerful Owl
in forest, and sometimes Scarlet Honeyeater.
* BITHRI BEACH: Great beach and good littoral rainforest, good spot to see Pied
Oystercatcher, Eastern Curlew, White-bellied Sea-Eagle. Also good for Golden
Whistler, Topknot Pigeon and Channel-billed Cuckoo. Yellow-throated Scrubwren
and Brown Cuckoo-Dove have also been recorded.
* PICNIC POINT: Good heathland area with Tawny-crowned Honeyeater.
* NELSON LAGOON: good littoral rainforest and good wetland.
* ARAGUNNU: usually Superb Lyrebird in the campground itself, also Variegated
Fairy-wren around boardwalk, and heath bird.
MOGAREEKA INLET: At the mouth of the Bega River. A good place to see Little
Tern and Caspian Tern, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, also Great Egret. In 2002 I saw
a Beach Stone-Curlew at this site. Also White-headed Pigeon can usually been
seen on the powerlines.
TANJA LOCALITY: along Worlands Rd, and the intersection of Dr George Rd. A
possibility of Painted Honeyeater, Black-faced Monarch, Lyrebird,
Channel-billed Cuckoo, Koel, Olive-backed Oriole, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Scarlet
Honeyeater, Satin Bowerbird, Leaden Flycatcher, Powerful Owl, White-throated
Needletail, Dollarbird.
TATHRA: the lookout next to the pub provide a good vantage point for watching
seabirds. The Tathra Wharf can also have some good birds, including
White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Little Tern, Caspian Tern, Australian Gannet,
Short-tailed Shearwater and Shy Albatross etc. I have also seen Flying Fish,
Hammerhead Shark, and some very large Stingray from this Wharf. The walk from
the Kianinny Bay boat ramp into Bournda National Park is also worthwhile, and
the WALLAGOOT LAKE area is good for birds such as Hooded Plover and Little Tern.
BERMAGUI: there is a good wetland in central Bermagui, and a good section of
rainforest. The lookout at the Blue Pools provides excellent seabird viewing.
A bit further afield:
NAROOMA RAINFOREST WALK: excellent temperate rainforest, with massive 300 year
old Spotted Gums. Birds include Black-faced Monarch, Green Catbird, Brown
Cuckoo-Dove, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Scarlet Honeyeater, Rufous
Fantail. Also Figbird are common in the main streets of Narooma.
Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Masked and Sooty Owl has also been recorded in the
area. Speaking from experience, beware of leeches. Wears shoes, rather than
sandals, and take a bit of salt.
MOUNT DROMEDARY OR GULAGA: managed by local Yuin people, although I haven?t had
a chance to walk to the top of this mountain it has some of the best rainforest
in the district. It has bird list similar to Narooma.
MERIMBULA: a very busy, and sometimes quite frustrating, coastal town! Despite
this during summer there are usually large numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit on the
mudflat next to the main street. Also White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
EDEN PELAGIC: good for Albatross (such as Wandering, Royal, Black-browed, Shy
and Yellow-nosed, Salnin?s), Southern and Northern Giant-Petrel, Petrels (such
as Cape, Great-winged, Providence, Flesh-footed, White-chinned), Prion
(Antartic, Slender-billed and Fairy), and Shearwater (Sooty, Wedge-tailed,
Hutton's, Short-tailed, Fluttering, Little, Buller?s), Storm-Petrel (Wilson's
and White-faced), Brown Skua, Jaeger (Artic, Pomarine and Long-tailed) as well
as Common Diving-Petrel and Little Penguin and Black-faced Cormorant in Eden
marina. Mammals such as Australian Fur Seal, Common and Bottlenose Dolphin,
Humpback Whale and sometimes Right Whale, Blue Whale and Killer Whale. Contact
Barbara Jones, email <> for details.
BEN BOYD NP & GREENCAPE: Ground Parrot, Chestnut-rumped Hylacola, Tawny-crowned
Honeyeater, and a southern site for Eastern Bristlebird (although records have
been few in recent years). Glossy Black-Cockatoo in the casuarinas areas. A
good site for Grey Goshawk and good for sea bird watching, at the lighthouse,
such as Black-browed and Shy Albatross, Short-tailed Shearwater, etc. Also
Humpback Whale from the lighthouse between August and October. Masked Owl has
also been recorded in this area.
NADGEE NATURE RESERVE: excellent wilderness area which is a reliable site for
Ground Parrot, Eastern Bristlebird, Brush Bronzewing, Chestnut-rumped Hylacoal,
Hooded Plover and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater.
WHERE TO STAY
There are a number of good bush campgrounds in the area, mainly in Mimosa Rocks
NP. These include Picnic Point, Aragunnu, Middle Beach, Gillards. A bit further
afield there is camping at Bittangabee and Saltwater Creek in Ben Boyd NP and
Hobart Beach in Bournda NP. There is also a good B&B in Tanja called Ngairin.
NSW Far South Coast from Narooma down to Bermagui, Tanja, Tathra, Bega and
Merimbula: 27/12/2007 to 24/01/2008, species: 183, which includes birds seen
prior to 2008. Tim Dolby
1. Little Penguin: (Seen previous to 2008: Tathra, Greencape.)
2. Australasian Grebe: Breeding farm dam top and bottom, Tanja.
3. Hoary-headed Grebe
4. Black-browed Albatross: (Seen previosly from Greencape.)
5. Shy Albatross: At sea, from Blue Lagoons, Bermagui (and seen previosly
from Greencape).
6. Short-tailed Shearwater: At sea, from Blue Lagoons, Bermagui, also
Bithri, Greencape), etc.
7. Australian Pelican
8. Australasian Gannet
9. Little Black Cormorant
10. Great Cormorant
11. Pied Cormorant
12. Little Pied Cormorant: Tanja.
13. Great Egret: Tanja.
14. White-faced Heron: Tanja, top dam.
15. Little Egret
16. Eastern Reef Egret: Numerous locations including Birthi, Wapengo,
Cuttagee, Mogareeka, mainly near rocky outcrops. Also Greencape.
17. Cattle Egret
18. Striated Heron: Cuttagee Lake, south of Bermagu, Tathra.
19. Nankeen Night Heron: Middle Lagoon.
20. Australian White Ibis
21. Straw-necked Ibis
22. Royal Spoonbill: Bega lagoon etc.
23. Yellow-billed Spoonbill: Bega Lagoon etc.
24. Black Swan: Leucistic bird (amoung 100s of dark birds) at Wallaga Lake.
25. Australian Shelduck: Tanja.
26. Australian Wood Duck: Breeding farm dam, Tanja.
27. Grey Teal
28. Chestnut Teal: Breeding farm dam, Tanja.
29. Mallard: Bermagui.
30. Pacific Black Duck: Farm dam, Tanja.
31. Australasian Shoveler
32. Hardhead
33. Black-shouldered Kite: Tanja.
34. Whistling Kite
35. White-bellied Sea-Eagle: Common in all beach areas.
36. Swamp Harrier
37. Grey Goshawk: (Seen in the area previously:Greencape.)
38. Brown Goshawk
39. Collared Sparrowhawk: Dr George Mt, Tanja.
40. Wedge-tailed Eagle: Breeding, Tanja.
41. Little Eagle
42. Nankeen Kestrel
43. Australian Hobby: Tanja.
44. Brown Falcon
45. Peregrine Falcon: Tanja.
46. Stubble Quail: Backpaddock at Tanja.
47. Purple Swamphen: Tanja, bottom dam.
48. Dusky Moorhen
49. Eurasian Coot
50. Pied Oystercatcher: Mogareeka, Bithri, Middle Beach etc.
51. Sooty Oystercatcher: (Seen in the area previously.)
52. Black-winged Stilt: Narooma.
53. Beach Stone-curlew: (Seen previously in 2002 at Mogareeka Inlet, at the
mouth of the Bega River.)
54. Masked Lapwing: Tanja.
55. Red-capped Plover
56. Hooded Plover: Nesting Middle Beach.
57. Bar-tailed Godwit: 100+ birds on the mudflats at Merimbula.
58. Eastern Curlew: Wapengo mudflats.
59. Common Greenshank
60. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
61. Pacific Gull
62. Silver Gull: Tanja.
63. Little Tern: Nesting Mogareeka Inlet at the mouth of the Bega River.
64. Fairy Tern
65. Caspian Tern: Mogareeka.
66. Crested Tern
67. Rock Dove: Bega etc.
68. White-headed Pigeon: Common in Tathra, mainly on powerlines, also Dr
George Mt.
69. Spotted Turtle-Dove: Bega etc.
70. Brown Cuckoo-Dove: Heard Narooma Rainforest Walk.
71. Common Bronzewing: Tanja.
72. Crested Pigeon: Common. Most feild guides, including those published
within last 6 months, do not have the range of Crested Pigeon extending into
the Far South Coast.
73. Wonga Pigeon: Tanja.
74. Topknot Pigeon: Reasonably common, best 12 birds at Tanja.
75. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo: Tanja.
76. Gang-gang Cockatoo: Tanja.
77. Galah: Tanja and Mumbula Falls.
78. Little Corella: One bird at Narooma.
79. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: Bega.
80. Rainbow Lorikeet: Tanja.
81. Musk Lorikeet: Tanja.
82. Little Lorikeet: Tanja.
83. Crimson Rosella: Tanja.
84. Eastern Rosella: Tanja.
85. Australian King-Parrot: Tanja.
86. Brush Cuckoo: Tanja.
87. Fan-tailed Cuckoo: Tanja.
88. Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo: Juvenile being feed by Superb Fairy-wren at
Tanja.
89. Common Koel: Reasonably common, with up to 4 birds at Tanja.
90. Channel-billed Cuckoo: Several very vocal birds at Tanja, also Bithri.
91. Barn Owl: (Seen previously Tanja.)
92. Powerful Owl: (Seen in the area previously: Middle Beach littarol
rainforest.)
93. Southern Boobook: Tanja.
94. Australian Owlet-Nightjar: Tanja.
95. Tawny Frogmouth: Tanja.
96. White-throated Nightjar: Birds regularly seen and heard calling at the
farm in Tanja.
97. White-throated Needletail: Best x 200 Tanja. On several days they drank
from the bottom dam, flying in lined formation down the valley.
98. Azure Kingfisher: Single birds Middle Lagoon, Wapengo Bridge.
99. Laughing Kookaburra: Tanja.
100. Sacred Kingfisher: Tanja.
101. Dollarbird: 4 birds seen in Tanja, also Bega.
102. Superb Lyrebird: Tanja.
103. Skylark: Tanja.
104. Welcome Swallow: Breeding Tanja.
105. Fairy Martin: Wapengo etc.
106. Tree Martin: Tanja.
107. Richard's Pipit: Tanja.
108. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike: Tanja.
109. Cicadabird: Tanja (and previously at Ben Boyd NP.)
110. Bassian Thrush: Mumbula Falls.
111. Common Blackbird: Bega etc
112. Clamorous Reed-Warbler: Tanja bottom dam.
113. Brown Songlark: Tanja vineyard and paddock.
114. Willie Wagtail: Tanja.
115. Grey Fantail: Tanja.
116. Rufous Fantail: Mumbula Falls, Tanja etc.
117. Black-faced Monarch: Seen and heard in most forested gullies in the
district.
118. Leaden Flycatcher: Common at Tanja, etc.
119. Satin Flycatcher: Tanja.
120. Restless Flycatcher: Quite common in most woodland, including Tanja,
Wapengo Bridge.
121. Jacky Winter: Tanja.
122. Scarlet Robin: Tanja.
123. Flame Robin: (Seen in area previously.)
124. Rose Robin: Mumbula Falls.
125. Pink Robin: Mumbula Falls.
126. Eastern Yellow Robin: Tanja.
127. Crested Shrike-tit: Tanja.
128. Golden Whistler: Mumbula Falls, Tanja, etc.
129. Rufous Whistler: Tanja.
130. Grey Shrike-thrush: Tanja.
131. Eastern Whipbird: Tanja.
132. Superb Fairy-wren: Tanja.
133. Variegated Fairy-wren: Tanja and near Aragunnu beach (and seen
previously at Quaratine Bay, Eden).
134. Pilotbird: Mumbula Falls, Tanja.
135. White-browed Scrubwren: Tanja.
136. Large-billed Scrubwren: Narooma Rainforest Walk.
137. Brown Thornbill: Tanja.
138. Yellow-rumped Thornbill: Tanja vineyard, etc.
139. Yellow Thornbill: Dr George Mt.
140. Striated Thornbill: Tanja.
141. Weebill: Tanja.
142. Brown Gerygone: Narooma Rainforest Walk, and Tanja previously.
143. Varied Sittella: Tanja.
144. White-throated Treecreeper: Tanja.
145. Red-browed Treecreeper: Ridge top, Tanja and Mumbula Falls (and
previously at Mt Imlay NP).
146. Mistletoebird: Tanja.
147. Spotted Pardalote: Tanja.
148. Striated Pardalote: Tanja.
149. Silvereye: Tanja.
150. Scarlet Honeyeater: Narooma Rainforest Walk, and previously at Middle
Beach and Bithri littarol rainforest.)
151. Lewin's Honeyeater: Tanja, Mumbula Falls, Narooma Rainforest Walk etc.
152. Yellow-faced Honeyeater: Tanja.
153. White-eared Honeyeater: Tanja.
154. Fuscous Honeyeater: Tanja.
155. White-naped Honeyeater: Tanja.
156. Brown-headed Honeyeater: Tanja.
157. Noisy Friarbird: Tanja.
158. Crescent Honeyeater: Mumbula Falls, Tanja
159. New Holland Honeyeater: Tanja.
160. Tawny-crowned Honeyeater: Picnic Point and previously at Greencape.
161. Painted Honeyeater: Tanja - bird seen and heard in forest along
Warlonds Rd. First record for Bega District & Far South Coast.
162. Eastern Spinebill: Tanja.
163. Bell Miner: Tanja.
164. Noisy Miner: Dr George Mt, Bega Golf Course, etc
165. Red Wattlebird: Tanja.
166. Little Wattlebird: Tanja.
167. Olive-backed Oriole: Tanja.
168. Australian Figbird: Both main streets of Bermugui and Narooma. Also
Tanja.
169. Magpie-lark: Tanja.
170. Dusky Woodswallow: Wapengo Bridge, etc.
171. Grey Butcherbird: Tanja.
172. Australian Magpie: Tanja.
173. Pied Currawong: Tanja.
174. Grey Currawong: Tanja.
175. Green Catbird: Narooma Rainforest Walk
176. Satin Bowerbird: Tanja.
177. Australian Raven: Tanja.
178. Little Raven: Tanja.
179. Common Myna: Bega.
180. Common Starling: Tanja.
181. House Sparrow: Tanja.
182. Red-browed Finch: Tanja.
183. European Goldfinch
Tim Dolby
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
