Barrington Tops Looking Good

Gloucester Tops

We had a pleasant if extremely cold 6-day stay in Barrington Tops National Park in NSW, spending 2 nights at the Polblue camping ground in the northern sector of the park, and 3 nights at the Gloucester River camping ground in its southern sector.

Polblue Swamp

I once lived in the Gloucester area so know this park well. Good to be reacquainted with the extensive temperate Nothofagus and sclerophyll forests, the subalpine meadows and woodlands, and great mountain scenery.

Subzero temperatures at Polblue Swamp

Barrington Tops

 A nocturnal walk around the Polblue circuit did not end well when we were saturated by an unexpected downpour, and temperatures plummeted to 0-6 degrees in the early mornings. So it was not surprising that we didn't see Common Wombats and Tiger Quolls although we found their droppings.

Brumbies

We did see brumbies, and it is beyond me why the NSW National Parks authorities have not eliminated this introduced pest from what is an outstanding World Heritage-listed area.

Flame Robin

Flame Robins were out and about in the woodlands.

Rose Robin

Rose Robins were also quite common, though in denser vegetation, while a single Scarlet Robin was seen.

Beech forest

Olive Whistler is one of the avian attractions of the beech forests, though the species is typically reluctant to show itself.

Olive Whistler

Superb Lyrebirds were widespread throughout the Tops and several were foraging around the Gloucester River camping ground.

Superb Lyrebird

Superb Fairy-wren was another delightful attendant in the camping ground.

Superb Fairy-wren

A few Red-browed Treecreepers were found at Gloucester Tops but they were outnumbered by White-throated.

Red-browed Treecreeper

Also at Gloucester Tops was a nice male Satin Flycatcher. I also saw a female Satin Flycatcher in the northern sector of the park at the Manning River camping ground.

Satin Flycatcher

Another avian attraction of Gloucester Tops is Crescent Honeyeater, the species occurring here at the northern extremity of its south-east Australian range. The site is best-known for Rufous Scrubbird; I had several pairs mapped out here when I lived in the area in the early-1980s. However, the unseasonally cold weather did not let off and just two birds were heard in the Gloucester Tops area.

Crescent Honeyeater

Several Bassian Thrushes were heard and seen high up around Gloucester Tops.

Bassian Thrush

Lower down around the Gloucester River camping ground, several Russet-tailed Thrushes were calling, The bird below was giving a Russet-tailed call but looks like a Bassian Thrush. I'd welcome further input. Gloucester Tops-Gloucester River list can be found here.

We saw this Copperhead on the way to the Gloucester River.

Copperhead