Sunshine Coast Birds

Birding and other wildlife experiences from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Australia - and from overseas - with scribblings about travel, environmental issues, kayaking, hiking and camping.

Friday 27 October 2017

South-East Oz Part 8 – Regent Honeyeater Ablaze at Capertee + Visit to Werrikimbe

Regent Honeyeater
Following our visit to Kangaroo Valley (see following post) we spent a few days sight-seeing in Canberra before continuing north to spend 2 days with our friend Kathy Haydon in Capertee Valley - a renowned birding hotspot. The valley is essentially a vast canyon floor set amid the spectacular sandstone escarpments along the western fringe of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

Capertee Valley near Glen Davis

Capertee Valley near Glen Davis
We camped in the free camp (complete with hot showers!) in the quaintly deserted former mining township of Glen Davis. We visited Gardens of Stone National Park, Wollemi National Park and Capertee National Park. We birded along the Glen Alice and Glen Davis roads. Many thanks to Dean Ingerwersen and Ross Crates from BirdLife Australia for birding advice on the area.

Ironbark woodland, Capertee National Park
The key photographic target at Capertee was the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater, with the site being a major stronghold for this fast disappearing woodland specialist. I have seen this species on just 3 occasions previously, and looked unsuccessfully for it earlier in the trip west of Armidale.

Regent Honeyeater

Regent Honeyeater
Two groups were encountered at Capertee – an impressive gathering of 8-12 birds in Capertee National Park, including at least 2 juveniles of different ages - indicating successful breeding this season in the area. A further group of 3-4 birds was found along Glen Davis Road.


Regent Honeyeater
In both areas, the birds were feeding primarily on the red flowers of the Mugga Ironbark Eucalyptus sideroxylon – a tree that the bird has a special affinity with. The honeyeaters would periodically fly to feed briefly on the white flowers of other Eucalyptus species. At the Capertee site it was noted that the Regent Honeyeaters were constantly chased by the much more common Noisy Friarbirds.


Regent Honeyeater
The two juvenile birds were both fed by adults during the time we had them under observation. Some adult birds had been banded as researchers are working on the birds at Capertee. At the Glen Davis Road site, no friarbirds were present and the Regent Honeyeaters turned the tables – aggressively chasing White-plumed and smaller honeyeater species out of their feeding tree.


Regent Honeyeater adult & juvenile
Another nice find near the Glen Davis camp were a couple of pairs of Rock Warblers on the slopes above the camp, where Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby was also present.


Rock Warbler
Other birds at Capertee included Brown Treecreeper, White-browed Babbler, Red-capped Robin, Rufous Songlark and Crested Shrike-tit.


Brown Treecreeper

Crested Shrike-tit
Red-capped Robin

White-browed Babbler
Reptiles included Jacky Lizard.


Jacky Lizard
Sections of the main roads have recently been upgraded with 100kmph zones, so vehicles travel at high speed through the valley, taking a substantial toll on the wildlife.


Common Wombat roadkill near Glen Davis
We moved on to Maitland for an overnight stay, then drove high into the mountains for a 3-night stay in the Brushy Mountains Camp in Werrikimbe National Park. A female Flame Robin in the camping round was unexpected.


Flame Robin female
I had hoped to photograph Rufous Scrubbird here but it was not to be. The birds were vocal enough but we were plagued by rain, cold and strong winds. I heard a total of 4 scrubbirds between Spekes Lookout on the Scrubbird Trail and the Brushy Mountains camp; 2 birds along the 3.6km loop trail; 1 bird at the campground; and 4 between Brushy Mountains and the Cockerawombeeba Road turnoff. I managed to see 2 of the Scrubbird Trail birds briefly.


Scrubbird habitat at Werrikimbe
Superb Lyrebird, Bassian Thrush and Olive Whistler were common and the place is worth a visit just for the beautiful camp ground and surrounding forest. 


Brushy Mountains camp
Our final stop was the caravan park at Wooyung near Pottsville on the NSW North Coast, where a feisty Buff-banded Rail was unusually tame. We had been on the road for 52 days, travelling more than 8000km through NSW and Victoria.


Buff-banded Rail

Sunday 15 October 2017

South-East Oz Part 7 – Wombats of Bendeela

Common Wombat grazing
With its stunning scenery and wildlife attractions, it is surprising that the Bendeela Recreation Area in Kangaroo Valley in the NSW Southern  Highlands is not a major tourist attraction. This free camping and picnic reserve operated by WaterNSW is truly delightful.


Juvenile wombat
Here is Wombat Central. I know of nowhere else where this endearing marsupial can be seen in such numbers and with such ease. The wombats emerge from their burrows up to two hours before sunset to graze on the extensive grass lawns of the reserve.



They are utterly oblivious to the human interlopers, wandering and feeding among the tents and caravans. They will bowl through your camping site without giving you a look. They love getting under vehicles and caravans to scratch their backs. At night you can  hear them squeal as they chase each other around, or your van rocks slightly as they have a scratch.


Wombat under caravan
From one point at the western end of the reserve, I counted 25 wombats an hour after sunset. Judging by the area available, there would be at least 100 in the vicinity of the reserve and many more on surrounding properties.


Wombat with mange
Some are suffering a kind of mange, the spread of which may be facilitated by the large population.


Burrows amid revegetation efforts

Wombat burrow
The periphery of the reserve is potted with dozens of burrows. Attempts at revegetation are challenging because new burrows are constantly being dug among newly planted shrubs and trees.


Up close and personal
The animals are so trusting that some idiot in 2015 slaughtered 13 wombats at Bendeela by driving around at night and running them over.

Bendeela Recreation Area
Bendeela

Bendeela

Among the birds here were Superb Lyrebird and a Square-tailed Kite flying over.


Square-tailed Kite









Thursday 12 October 2017

South-East Oz Part 6 - Lakes Entrance to Jervis Bay

Eastern Bristlebird
Following our visit to Terra Bulga (see following post) we headed south-east to Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland, a place I last visited in the mid-1980s to tick a vagrant White Wagtail.


Lakes Entrance
 We had 3 days at this delightful spot, visiting Lake Bunga and Lake Tyers, where a Hooded Plover was present along with a few Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Curlew-Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints. It was annoying that so many people walking their dogs ignored signs making it clear they had to be on leashes..


Hooded Plover
Pacific Gulls were common along the foreshore but nothing else of interest was noted.
We proceeded further east, with the cold blustery weather we have had too much of during this trip resuming after a respite of a few days. 


Pacific Gulls
We called in on Lake Conrad, where a baby Australlian Fur seal on the rocks was nice to see.


Australian Fur Seal

Further east we spent the next night at Mallacoota, where huge numbers of terns were roosting in the estuary at low tide. The great bulk were Crested Terns (2000+) but among them were a sprinkling of about 50 White-fronted Terns.


White-fronted Tern

White-fronted Tern
White-fronted Tern
Small numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits and Red Knots were among the terns.


Red Knots & Bar-tailed Godwits
We crossed the NSW border and travelled north through Eden and Bermagui to the delightful seaside town of Batemans Bay for a 2-day stay. Musk Lorikeets were abundant along the foreshore here. 


Batemans Bay
The waterfowl at the town's Watergarden were most approachable.

Chesnut Teal
Then it was on to the Australian Capital Territory coastal enclave of Jervis Bay, a hotspot for the endangered Eastern Bristlebird. 

Booderee National Park burnt out



We were dismayed to see that a fire last month had devastated much of Booderee National Park; well-known bristlebird sites such as Murrays Beach, Cape St George and the Munyunga Waraga Trail had been burnt out. 




It seemed extraordinary that park authorities had no management regime in place to contain a fire of this magnitude in a site of such importance to the bristlebird and other rare animals such as Eastern Ground Parrot. Once lush wet gullies of sedge and fern were reduced to char.





It seemed extraordinary that park authorities had no management regime in place to contain a fire of this magnitude. Park signs say the habitat is carefully managed with patch control burns, but extensive and destructive fires last month and this time last year paint a different picture. In times of global warming it seems that September is not an appropriate time for control burning.


Under surveillance by the Navy

The rangers told us to look for bristlebirds along the busy Wreck Bay Road which we did, but we were promptly buzzed by a Chinook helicopter from the nearby Australian naval base. They called in security guards who told us the Navy did not like “people with binoculars and cameras”. This seemed somewhat bizarre given we were birdwatching on a public road in a national park, at a time when most of the good tracks were closed due to the above-mentioned fire.


Eastern Bristlebird

Eastern Bristlebird

Two or three bristlebirds were heard and seen briefly along the road and eventually an obliging bird showed well on the main road. The next morning I found a nice pair feeding along a track off Wreck Bay Road. I estimated from calls there were 8-12 birds in this area.

Green Patch Beach, Jervis Bay

Coastal cliffs, Jervis Bay
The beaches (supposedly with the world's whitest sand) and coastal scenery of the national park are nonetheless something to behold.

Humpback Whale calf breaching
An adult and calf Humpback Whale performed nicely off Governor Head, with the calf breaching.

Echidna
A total of 6 Echidnas were encountered.

Glenn & friend, Green Patch
Swamp Wallabies and Eastern Grey Kangaroos were common about the delightful Green Patch camping ground, our base for 3 nights.

Sooty Oystercatcher
Sooty Oystercatcher and White-bellied Sea-Eagle were among the birds about.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle