Jervis Bay & Surrounds Trip Report
For the same report with images see http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com/
A coastal zone with stunning white beaches, reportedly the the whitest in the
world, complex floristic biodiversity which includes rainforest and coastal
heath, and a rich variety of birds - what more could you ask for! I've just
returned from family beach holiday to Jervis Bay (approx 150 km south of
Sydney) on the central south coast of NSW. During the trip I visited a number
of sites in the area including Booderee National Park, the heathland behind
Hyams Beach, Bomaderry Creek Regional Park near Nowra, Berrara and Conjola
National Park.
Bomaderry Creek Regional Park
I'll start with Bomaderry Creek Regional Park, mainly because it was the site I
visited first in the Shoalhaven area. Bomaderry Creek is a really interesting
bushland reserve situation only a couple of km from downtown Nowra. There's a
nice variety of bushland habitats including remnant rainforest, Spotted Gum
bush and what's often described as a 'secret' gorge, with sheer sandstone cliff
faces and rock walls with overhangs and caves. To get to Bomaderry Creek from
Nowra travel north over Shoalhaven River Bridge to 2nd roundabout, about 2 km,
and then turn left into Narang Road. After about 300 metres you come to the
reserves carpark and the Narang Road picnic area on your left .The 6 km gorge
walk (down and back) is spectacular and the birding is really diverse. There's
also a shorter 1km walk also, crossing the creek near the main gorge lookout.
It is perfect habitat for Rockwarbler with Bomaderry holding one of the most
southerly populations of this wonderful little bird. The best place to look is
the areas with sandstone boulders and ledges. I found the best spot for them
was at the clifftop lookout about 500 metres down the south side of the main
walk (just before the 1st loop intersection). Here I found 4 Rockwarbler in the
area just behind the look out; scurrying around on a path that leads up the
hill (sth).The view from the lookout is perfect for birding, giving good view
across the gorge, giving you the chance to check out any birds that may fly up
and down or across the creek. I just sat here and did precisely that for an
hour or so - relaxed, watched birds and enjoyed the view - and the birdlife was
firing.
Aside from the Rockwarbler I recorded Cicadabird, Olive-backed Oriole, Satin
Bowerbird, Black-faced Monarch, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Channel-billed Cuckoo and
along the track wonderful mixed flock made up of Varied Sitella (a somewhat
blended ssp of white- and dark-headed), White-throated Gerygone, Striated
Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, honeyeaters such as Yellow-tufted, Brown-headed
and Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-throated Treecreeper,
Leaden Flycatcher, Rufous Whistler. Also seen was a single Australian Hobby and
the common corvid was Australian Raven. The best spot I found for rainforest
gully birds was an area named Fern Glen (of course), which is about 3/4 of the
way down the south side of the walk. Here I saw 3 scrub wrens in one binocular
field of view - Yellow-throated, Large-billed and White-browed. I just love
Yellow-throated Scrubwren; coming from Victoria it's always a really treat to
see these colorful little birds. Also seen here were Black-faced Monarch, Wonga
and White-headed Pigeon, Brown Gerygone, Eastern Whipbird, Bassian Thrush,
Rufous and Grey Fantail, Azure and Sacred Kingfisher and Scarlet Honeyeater.
Bomaderry Creek also has a healthy population of Yellow-bellied Gliders,
suggesting that it may be a good site for forest owls such as Masked and
Powerful Owl. Copper-tailed Skink and Eastern Water Dragon were also fairly
common along the walk.
Back in Nowra Little Corella was common. Interesting virtually all the
available Australia field guides suggest that Little Corellas are not found on
the NSW south coast, so it seem a review of maps by these texts is necessary.
Dollarbird was also a common street bird.
Another good walk in the area is Ben's Walk. A good place to start is the
Hanging Rock Lookout near the Nowra showgrounds. Like Bomaderry, this walk is a
good place to see Rockwarbler on the clifffaces along the main track. There are
also some nice areas of grassland, where you can find Southern Emu-wren.
Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay National Park
One bird I was particularly targeting in the area was Eastern Bristlebird. This
was a bird I'd seen quite a few times elsewhere, such as in Victoria at Howe
Flat (where it is possibly that states rarest breeding resident bird), however
I hadn't see it at Jervis Bay, said to be easiest place to see this endangered
and highly cryptic species. I found the best spot to find this bird was in the
heathland area at the back of the township Hyams Beach, particularly along
Kallaroo Rd (sometimes called Hyams Rd) - specifically 1km stretch between
Jervis Bay Rd and the township of Hyams Beach.
The coastal heath and scrub in the area is wonderful to look at. The common
heath species are Heath-leaved Banksia (Banksia ericifolia) and Saw Banksia (B.
serrata), Dagger Hakea (Hakea teritifolia), Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium),
Grass Trees (both Xanthorrhoea resinosa and X. australis), Scrub She-Oak
(Allocasuarina distyla) and Coastal Tea tree (L. laevigatum).
The other area which was really productive for Eastern Bristlebird was at the
intersection of Erowal Bay Rd and Jervis Bay Rd. Particularly the walk east
from the corner of the Erowal Bay Rd and Jervis Bay Rd up to the Water Tanks,
about 1.5 kms (thanks Bob Cook for the tip). This track for some reason is
marked down on Google maps as St George Ave - perhaps in anticipation of future
housing development - although it certainly not an avenue but a rough walking
track. Getting onto bristlebird here was relatively straightforward along. Also
seen here was a flock of about 6 Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Beautiful Firetail,
Southern Emu-wren, a distant calling Eastern Koel, and overhead a large flock
of about 50 White-throated Needletail. Honeyeaters were in good numbers, with
Lewin's, White-cheeked, New Holland, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern
Spinebill, and Red and Little Wattlebird all common, and there was also Eastern
Whipbird and Rufous and Golden Whistler.
Booderee National Park
Another good spot for Eastern Bristlebird was the Cape St George Lighthouse, a
ruin at the end of Stony Creek Road. I had a bristlebird run across the road
just before the carpark, and there were several birds calling along the walk
from the carpark to the lighthouse. Also seen here were Variegated Fairy-wren
and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. The lighthouse is also (not surprisingly) an
excellent place for seabird watching. For example I got onto Black-browed
Albatross, a Jaeger (possibly Pomarine), Australasian Gannet, Short-tailed
Shearwater and Crested Tern.
The story of the lighthouse is quite interesting: the reason that it's no
longer used as a lighthouse was because it was erected in the wrong place. For
a start it was not the most easterly point along that part of the coast and
therefore actually caused shipwrecks rather than prevent them! The lighthouse
was later moved to Point Perpendicular on the northern side of Jervis Bay,
which, as you can tell by the name, is the most easterly point.
Another bird I was keen to track down in the area was Ground Parrot. I didn't
get at either Hyams Beach or the Lighthouse, so I tried an area of heath
located on the small road to the Jervis Bay Airport (it the turnoff just before
Wreck Bay Rd, and borders Jervis Bay Rd). My first impression of the heath here
was that it looked perfect for Ground Parrot; in parts it was it was knee high,
similar to the heath at Shipwreck Creek in Croajingolong (Vic), where I see
Ground Parrot regularly. After some struggle I also managed to flush a single
Ground Parrot, tramping for an hour or so through this heath. I also flushed
several Brown Quail. It was also really nice to see a couple of Square-tailed
Kite at Jervis Bay. I saw them at 2 places: one circling above Southern
Mahogany (Eucalyptus botryoides), Blackbutt (E. pilularis) and Bloodwood (E.
gummifera) forest between the information centre and the turnoff to township of
Jervis Bay, and the other much closer to the Princess Hwy, over bushland on
Island Point Rd.
Of interest I also heard a single Eastern Bristlebird in the heathy area near
the start of Cave Beach Rd - the road to the Booderee Botanical Gardens, and
there were areas here that looked perfect for Ground Parrot - such as the
heathland on the northern border of the gardens. I had a bit of a look here,
seeing Brush Bronzewing and Southern Emu-wren, but ran out of time for a decent
look for Ground Parrot. Booderee Botanical Gardens is also worth a visit, with
wide selection of plants and bushland birds. The Gardens are the only
Aboriginal owned botanic gardens in Australia, jointly managed between the
Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and the Australian Government's Director
of National Parks. The area around the Murray Boat ramp is also interesting,
and a walk to Governor Head is worthwhile. Here I recorded White-bellied
Sea-Eagle, and there was an Eastern Reef Egret feeding on the rocks.
Berrara and Conjola National Park
The final area I that I birded in the Shoalhaven area was around the township
of Berrara, the towns where we rented a cabin. Berrara is a very pleasant
township, with excellent beaches, a logon and creek that's surrounded by the
eucalypt forests and coastal vegetation of Conjola National Park and Nature
Reserve. On the beach between Berrara and Bendalong there was a pair of Hooded
Plover. As far as I know this is the northern most breeding population of this
species. There was also Caspian and Crested Tern and Pied Oystercatcher. Around
our actual cabin (located overlooking the lagoon on Berrara Rd) I ended up with
a pretty good bird list. Channel-billed Cuckoo and Eastern Koel were regularly
seen and heard, as were Rainbow Bee-eater and Dollarbird. There were resident
little wattlebird, Eastern Spinebill, Eastern Whipbird, Satin Bowerbird and
Kookaburra. Parrots were doing well in the area including King Parrot, Crimson
Rosella, Rainbow Lorikeet, occasional Musk Lorikeet and Galah. A pleasant
surprise was seeing an Osprey, which circled just above our cabin, as did
occasional White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling and Black Kite (I didn't think I
would see them here) and flocks of about 50 White-throated Needletail. The
creek provided ideal habitat for a variety of water birds including Azure
Kingfisher, Nankeen Night Heron, Great and Little Egret, Chestnut Teal, Great
and Little Pied Cormorant, and White-faced Heron. Other birds included a single
Grey Goshawk, Scarlet Honeyeater, and Sacred Kingfisher.
Finally, while staying at Berrara the NSW ABC news announced that 11 Hooded
Plover had successfully been reared on the NSW south coast - a very fitting
news story considering where I was staying. Thanks to Bob Cook and Charles
Hunter for exchanging information about Jervis Bay, both of whom had just
visited the area before I'd got there.
Cheers,
Tim Dolby
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