New England National Park - February 2019

Spot-tailed Quoll

We had a pleasant camp-out by the Styx River, at the entrance to New England National Park, in September 2015. This time we opted for a four-night stay in The Residence, one of two very reasonably priced lodgings operated by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service at Banksia Point, 1km before Pt Lookout in the national park. It's a beautiful spot, with the lodgings set amid a glorious assortment of Nothofagus trees, wet sclerophyll forest and montane heath.

Nothofagus forest, Banksia Point

The Residence, Banksia Point

Our priority was to find a Spot-tailed Quoll. This species is known to visit the lodgings in search of hand-outs but a sighting is by no means guaranteed. Entries in the visitors' book signalled it is not encountered far more often than it is. We looked hard, day and night, but did not see a quoll until the last morning as we were preparing to depart, when a large male appeared on the verandah.

Spot-tailed Quoll

The animal was skittish and soon disappeared under the verandah floorboards. Eventually it reappeared and climbed a few metres to the fork of a tree, where it sat nonchalantly for another half-hour or so, evidently hoping for a feed, until we left. This was a thrill as it's only the third time I've encountered Spot-tailed Quoll in the wild (the other sites being near Boonoo Boonoo in NSW and Mt Bithongabel in Lamington National Park, Queensland).

Spot-tailed Quoll under verandah

Worryingly, however, this quoll had a clearly dislocated lower jaw. How this injury came about is anyone's guess: it could have been injured in a fight with another quoll, hit by a car, or kicked by someone it approached too closely. I've written to the NSW NPWS suggesting they consider veterinary treatment for the animal.

Spot-tailed Quoll

The second stand-out critter for the area was Superb Lyrebird. The lyrebird is common here and largely indifferent to people. In light rain or mist (we had a mix of fine and damp weather) it will patrol the open areas around the lodgings. Two males were displaying near the house during our visit; this would be the beginning of the nesting season. One bird in particular was quite approachable and I managed a short video and a few images of it displaying - something I've tried without success to do in the past.

Superb Lyrebird

Superb Lyrebird display

Superb Lyrebird display

Flame Robin is another nice bird that's quite common in the area. They were about the lodgings and up the road at Pt Lookout.

Flame Robin

Olive Whistler was heard a few times and one bird was seen briefly skulking in the undergrowth. The Pt Lookout area was previously a major site for Rufous Scrubbird, but I'm not aware of any records for many years. During this visit there was not a whisper. It's curious that Olive Whistler has largely disappeared from higher parts of Lamington (Qld) and Border Ranges (NSW) national parks, where they were sympatric with the scrubbird. Yet the scrubbirds are still at these sites – the reverse of the situation in New England National Park.

Olive Whistler

We went downhill from Banksia Point to the Styx River where we were surprised to flush a female Red-chested Buttonquail twice from well-grassed open woodland. Less surprising but always nice to see were a party of Red-browed Treecreepers nearby in a patch of thick forest. Striated Thornbills were foraging in the same area and a couple of Forest Ravens were seen.

Red-browed Treecreeper

Striated Thornbill

Other critters about the lodgings included Bassian Thrush (common), Swamp Wallaby and Eastern Water Skink.

Bassian Thrush

Eastern Water Skink

Swamp Wallaby

On our way home we checked out the delightful Ebor Falls in Guy Fawkes National Park.

Ebor Falls