Around Oz Part 26 - Dryandra Woodland

Rufous Treecreeper

After a pleasant five-day stay in Perth (see last post) we travelled south-east through the Darling Range – seeing our first Grey Currawongs for the trip – to Dryandra Woodland, a wonderful swathe of wandoo woodland famed for its wildflowers, birds and mammals - especially the iconic Numbat.

Grey Currawong

Dryandra Woodland

Dryandra is the largest tract of native vegetation remaining in the the WA western wheatbelt. We settled in for a 3-night stay at the pleasant Congelin Camping Ground: a beautiful, peaceful place - such a contrast with the bustle and hustle of Perth.  Soon, some smart Scarlet Robins were strutting their stuff. Our last night here was the first on the trip where we had a whole camping ground to ourselves.

Scarlet Robin

We did a 22-km drive on our first afternoon along various tracks, travelling 8-15km/ph.  I had seen Numbat here in the early 1990s but we wanted another - and a view better than my last, and of course we looked for birds and other goodies. I's a bit like going on safari in Africa, but numbats - not cheetahs or leopards - are the target.

Elegant Parrot

Rufous Treecreeper, apparently with something edible

No Numbat that first afternoon but nice birds in the wonderful woodlands of Dryandra included Rufous Treecreeper, Western (White-naped) Honeyeater, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater and Elegant Parrot.

Western (White-naped) Honeyeater

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater

We ran into a local enthusiast from the Numbat Society, Sean Van Alphen; apparently, driving around and looking for this marvellous mammal on their days off is something of a past-time for Sean and some other tuned-in folk.

On our second day at Dryandra, we visited the Dryandra Village and did 58km of driving various tracks;  no numbats still but good birds included a pair of Painted Button-quail on the Ochre Trail, Western Thornbill, Red-capped Parrot and better views of Blue-breasted Fairy-wren than we had earlier near Cervantes (see here).

Blue-breasted Fairy-wren: male coming into breeding plumage

Western Thornbill 

Other birds included Brown-headed Honeyeater, Bush Stone-Curlew, Southern Boobook, Grey Currawong, Red-capped Robin, Jacky Winter, Restless Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Inland Thornbill, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo, Dusky Woodswallow, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Grey Shrike-thrush, Carnaby’s Cockatoo, White-browed Babbler, White-browed Scrub-wren  and Weebill.

On our second full day in Dryandra, we spent the morning doing a 9-km hike along some of the reserve’s southern tracks. A Regent Parrot flew over the camp early in the morning before we headed off. We added Varied (Black-capped) Sittella and Western Yellow Robin. We had great but brief views again of Red-capped Parrot, a conspicuously shy bird here.

Western Yellow Robin

Dusky Woodswallow

In the afternoon of our second day I added Western Rosella after driving another 40km along Dryandra's roads, some of which were becoming quite familiar.

Western Rosella

Mammals included a few Western Brush-Wallaby and Western Grey Kangaroo. We were a bit early for the wildflowers – some nice flowers about but not the profusion we had hoped for.

Western Grey Kangaroo

Some tracks skirted colourful canola fields on private farms. The Numbat had been on the verge of extinction - Dryandra once being its only refuge - when a concerted attempt to contain fox numbers bore fruit, and the animal came back from the brink. In the early-1990s, when I saw my Numbat, one Numbat was seen on average during every 10km of driving; by 2012, that had dropped to one every 90km. Apparently feral cat numbers rose after the foxes were put in their place.

Dryandra Woodland

Canola fields adjoining Dryandra

Now, more attention is placed on knocking off cats, and the Numbat appears to again be increasing its population. Still, our total of 120km of driving produced zero Numbats, although I saw two Echidnas – one of my favourites.

Echidna

By the way, Rupert Murdoch once owned Dryandra and was going to turn it into a bauxite mine, but was persuaded by Perth conservationist Vincent Serventy that the woodland should be protected for posterity. A good thing too.

  

Around Australia 2026 Part 7: WA – Dryandra to Denmark

Red-eared Firetail

Following our visit to the Goldfields of WA, we headed west for an overnight stay in Southern Cross, before continuing on to the Dryandra Woodland National Park, one of my favourite destinations in WA. We camped for three nights in the Lions Dryandra Village. Unfortunately cold, windy and rainy conditions put a dampener on things.

Dryandra Village

Dryandra is famous for being a stronghold of the exquisite Numbat, one of Australia's most endearing mammals. The weather notwithstanding, I managed good views of a somewhat distant Numbat foraging late in the morning, a few hundred metres from camp. This was my third encounter with the species. Unfortunately it bolted as soon as it saw me; no pics so I'll make do with these (below) from my last visit to Dryandra a few years ago, not far from this spot.

Echidna was more co-operative, with 2 showing nicely (below).

Western Grey Kangaroo was plentiful. This leucistic female with a pouch young (below) was nice to see.

I had hoped for Red-tailed Phascogale but the weather ruled out a serious effort to find them. Nest boxes set up around the village are being used by the species. I was impressed with how Lions and the village are powering ahead under the stewardship of managers/caretakers Les Westerlund and his wife Julie Cadwallader. They are helping out with crucial conservation/research efforts like the nest boxes and rearing orphaned wildlife. They are busily boosting the village's profile and durability with projects ranging from a new children's playground to hydrology earthworks to boost water flows to the village dam.

Les with a phascogale nest box at Dryandra Village

Wildflowers were in fine form. The plant the woodland is named after, Dryandra, was blooming nicely along with excellent flowering WA Golden Wattle and plenty of ground shrubs.

Glenn with flowering WA Golden Wattle

Greg with flowering Dryandra

Western Yellow Robin showed in the wandoo along with numerous Rufous Treecreepers.

Rufous Treecreeper

Western Yellow Robin

Purple-crowned Lorikeet was likely the commonest species; far more numerous than during previous visits.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet

Bush Stone-Curlew was also all over the place albeit in much smaller numbers.

Bush Stone-Curlew

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo flew about in small flocks.

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

Grey Currawong and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater were common.

Grey Currawong

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater

The wandoo woodlands (below)as usual were a delight to be amongst.

We headed south for a three-night stay in the River Mouth van park outside Denmark, a delightful South Coast town. Our van fronted Wilson's Inlet, with Denmark River close by.

Denmark River

Wilson's Inlet

Karri and jarrah forest (below) surrounding the town can be accessed through various walking tracks.

Red-eared Firetail is one of the west's most sought after endemics and I found a single bird, then a pair, along the tracks.

Red-eared Firetail

Western Rosella was present in small numbers.

Western Rosella

A couple of groups of Red-winged Fairywren showed nicely.

Red-winged Fairywren (female above, male below)

A small flock of the endemic subspecies of (Forest) Red-tailed Black Cockatoo was present.

Red-tailed (Forest) Black Cockatoo

As were some Spotted Scrubwrens and a couple of female Golden (Western) Whistlers.

Golden (Western) Whistler

Spotted Scrubwren

Western (Gilbert's) Honeyeater appeared to be common.

Western Honeyeater

A couple of Musk Ducks were on the river.

Musk Duck

WESTERN AUSTRALIA PART 2 – Dryandra to Corakerup Reserve: Numbat, Western Shrike-tit

Numbat

After leaving the Dalwallinu area we continued south through Northam to Dryandra Woodland, one of my favourite birding sites, for 3 nights in a delightful Dryandra Village Lions Club chalet. We were quickly out and about in the wildflower-festooned wandoo woodland with the south-west endemics coming thick and fast including Rufous Treecreeper, Red-capped Parrot and Western Thornbill.

Rufous Treecreeper

Dryandra Village chalet

We spotted Western Yellow Robin and the distinctive western race of Scarlet Robin.

Scarlet Robin

Western Yellow Robin

The recently split Western Whistler was surprisingly common.

Western Whistler

We had a couple of Echidna roaming about and a Yellow-footed Antechinus showed nicely.

Echidna

Yellow-footed Antechinus

It wasn't close to the end of the last day that Dodge found the star – a Numbat near its entrance to a hollow log along Newell Road. I'd had just a distant, brief view of one previously so it was excellent to connect with this animal for several minutes before it disappeared into its bolt-hole.

Numbat

Dodge & Lorna, Numbat-struck in the wandoo

Numbat bolt-hole

A few Carnaby's Black Cockatoos had been seen earlier as we drove through the wheatbelt but they were common in Dryandra.

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

We were happy to have Blue-breasted Fairy-wren showing much better than at Lake Thetis earlier.

Blue-breasted Fairywren

Blue-breasted Fairywren

We tracked down a Western (Crested) Shrike-tit along the track behind the Arboretum and later heard a second pair.

Western (Crested) Shrike-tit

Western (Crested) Shrike-tit

Purple-crowned Lorikeet was surprisingly common as none were seen during my last visit to Dryandra.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet

Plenty of birds had recently finished nesting or were feeding young, like these Restless Flycatchers. Square-tailed Kite was among the raptors flying overhead.

Restless Flycatcher family

Square-tailed Kite

We moved on to Stirling Range Retreat for a 2-night stay. Once again the scenery and abundance of wildflowers did not disappoint.

Stirling Ranges

Stirling Ranges

We had several Regent Parrots along the way and quite a few were about about the resort. 

Regent Parrot

Around the place in small numbers were Elegant Parrot, which we'd also seen a few times in Dryandra, while Splendid Fairywren was plentiful.

Elegant Parrot

Splendid Fairywren

Gilbert's (Western White-naped) Honeyeater was a common visitor to the retreat's birdbaths. Purple-gaped Honeyeater and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater were tracked down in the mallee at Mt Trio.

Gilbert's Honeyeater

Purple-gaped Honeyeater

Baudin's Black Cockatoo easily outnumbered Carnaby's Black Cockatoo in a large mixed flock, with the Baudin's feeding on marri nuts.

Baudin's Black Cockatoo

A pair of Australian Little Eagle were nesting and one flew in with what appeared to be the remains of a Magpie-Lark.

Australian Little Eagle

Western Bluetongue was often crossing the roads, along with the odd Shingleback.

We left the Stirlings, heading east to the Corakerup Reserve in the hope of seeing Malleefowl as we drove the roads adjoining the reserve but dipped, encountering just a couple of mounds.

Malleefowl mound

Western Bluetongue

We did have close views of Shy Heathwren and best of all, several fleeting but solid glimpses of Western Whipbird as a pair dueted on both sides of a path off Norman Road, crossing the path several times.

Shy Heathwren