Excellent report Tim, with great detail.
From: Tim Dolby <>
To: "" <>
Sent: Wednesday, 4 March 2015, 14:32
Subject: [Birding-Aus] 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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