NSW parks & reserves birding & natural history tour 20-25 Nov 2023

NSW Parks & Reserves Tour 18th – 23rd November 2022
Trip Report - Angus McNab
( NOTE: The 2022 tour coincided with very challenging windy weather conditions, so the itinerary was adapted to suit the challenges. )

Day 1, 18th November – Sydney to Lithgow

We collected everyone before leaving town and managed to spot an Eastern Koel in the tree above the parked car when meeting Noelene. From there we drove up the mountains. Our first stop was extremely quiet, there was hardly a bird to be heard. Spotted Pardalotes were one of the few calling birds. Fortunately, we spotted a gravid Jacky Dragon on the road which was a good start for the herps list We walked the closed road toward Murphy’s Glen Campground, and birds were silent, fortunately the group was eagle-eyed and we managed to spot a few birds including Fan-tailed Cuckoo, White-browed Tree Creeper, Eastern Spinebill, Brown Thornbill, and a big male Jacky Dragon.

After lunch the birds continued to be quiet but as we walked, we had some moments of activity, with Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Red-browed Treecreeper, White-browed Scrubwren, Eastern Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, a Grey Fantail family, and Pied Currawong on a nest. 

Our final stop today was again in search of Rockwarbler. The road was closed to vehicles but we could walk down and enjoy the flowers along the trail. We got down to the spectacular lookout without much birding success. After enjoying the view we walked back up the trail and had some more luck stopping for Striated Thornbills. We watched a group of at least four Satin Bowerbirds making odd calls, playing on balancing sticks, and flying around together. King Parrots, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, and Striated Pardalotes were spotted as we made our way out before heading to Lithogow.

Day 2, 19th November – Capertee Valley

It was an early start today, 5:15 breakfast and we were off! Making our way down into the valley we stopped in an forested area with stony, gravelly soils and relative dense ground cover. Stepping out of the car we instantly spotted a Gang-gang in the tree above us, one of Noleen’s targets for the trip. The male sat and fed, dropped some vegetation and then headed off. We listened as the White-throated Treecreepers sang with the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Striated Pardalotes, and Spotted Pardalotes, while Red-browed Finches moved through the undergrowth. Noisy Friarbirds were loud and raucous but we were after a softer, high-pitched call and it wasn’t long until we heard it. A Spotted Quailthrush was calling from the hillside above us. We watched and searched for movement, then it came out in a blast and perched high in the trees calling for its mate which responded but didn’t show.

Moving along to our next stop and within minutes we had already seen more birds than yesterday! A restless Flycatcher sat on the nest, Eastern Yellow Robins flitted about the mid canopy, an Olive-backed Oriole called from the treetops, and Superb fairy-wrens moved down low.  We heard the distant calls of the Channel-billed Cuckoo, and glimpsed an individual as it flew by in the distance. There were many birds (and goats) to see, and we ended with a Fan-tailed Cuckoo down low which Noleen Managed to get a great photo of!

We slowly moved into the valley, stopping on the roadside for more birds. Grey-crowned Babblers and Speckled Warbler were not very cooperative, but Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Gerygone were all as cooperative as these small birds can be. Red-rumped Parrots, Tree Martins, and Fairy Martins flitted by, whilst Australian Ravens sat in the trees, Australian Pipits hid in the grass and Golden-headed Cisticolas called from the grasstops.

We moved Towards Glen Alice for lunch and a short walk with Common Bronzewing, Crested Shrike-tit, Jacky Winter, White-plumed Honeyeaters, and a family of White-winged Choughs. 

We made our way back slowly, stopping in at a few spots to try for photos of Cisticolas and better views of the Babblers before hitting up the Lithgow Treatment Plant. The ponds were quiet bird wise but loud Australian Reed Warbler wise. A Pink-eared Duck was sitting in a prime viewing position on a post, whilst the Dusky Moorhens, Pacific Black Ducks, Australasian Grebes, and domestic feral duck floated around the ponds.

Day 3, 20th November – Lithgow to Jamberoo

Today was beautiful, blue skies, sunny, and warm, however it was blowing a gale from our first stop through to our last. This made for a challenging day, but we saw some beautiful sites, saw some birds, and undertook a scenic drive We headed down from the Blue Mountains towards Royal National Park.

Arriving in the park, we spotted Superb Fairywrens, Laughing Kookaburras, Pied Currawong, and more Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, with water birds being almost non-existent.

We had lunch at a Picnic Area, watching as the Kookaburras stole peoples food and shared it with the Australian Magpies, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and Noisy Miners. A little Pied Cormorant and Dollarbird were highlights here before we walked down the track in search of more birds. Birds continued to be hard to spot, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Australian Golden Whistler, and Easter Spinebill were about all we saw before we heard a large tree come down in the distance. A good indication we should move on we walked back with Anne spotting a Common Tree Snake on the edge of the path.

Unfortunately, there had been an accident and the occurrence of the emergency service vehicles became apparent. This meant the road we had planned and sites we planned to visit we closed or required access from another direction. We headed out of the park and looped around to get back to a beach. The access road was also closed as we approached but as we turned around the road closed signs were removed, and we managed to get down to the beach parking area. A Lace Monitor was present in the picnic area, searching for food, and we headed down the track. New Holland Honeyeaters were abundant, with a few other birds like Grey Shrikethrush, Grey Fantail, and White-browed Scrubwren being seen. We stopped at the swimming hole and had an Eastern Water Dragon and Eastern Water Skink sitting on the rocks which were a nice bit of variety. The wind continued to blow hard and we headed back to the car and onwards to Jamberoo. A missed corner allowed us to see a Rock Dove as we passed the Wollongong Hospital before continuing to our accommodation.

Day 4, 21st November – Southern Highlands

We had hoped the wind would ease, despite predictions it would stay the same. Our pelagic was postponed due to bad weather and our plans changed, we headed to Barren Grounds. It was difficult to have a conversation once we were out of the car, the wind was blowing terribly. We had to try! The resident Pied Currawong was in the carpark, and Anne was quickly onto a Black-faced Monarch but it was difficult after that. We wandered the trails in hope of spotting an Eastern Ground Parrot, but it wasn’t to be. Brown Thornbills were still about in the low heath and a small group of Southern Emu-wrens were chatting as we approached but barely poked their bills out of the heath. It was going to be a tough day. We continued to search and covered a few kms but the birds were doing there best not to be out in the weather. We turned to the botany as we walked and we saw many colourful flowers, including Christmas Bells.

In the afternoon we headed south to Shoalhaven Heads in search of some coast birds. Arriving at the carpark we had a quick lesson in wader ID using the well painted toilet block as an informative guide. Wandering down to the beach we had a group of 15 or so White-throated Needletails fly overhead, circling in big arcs, with a small Tree Martin or two flying in a similar area. A nice group of birds to spot, the clear blue skies allowed us to view the patterning well and not just have them as silhouettes. The beach was quite with the occasional Crested Tern and one White-bellied Sea-eagle flying overhead. We moved back around the headland and into the full blasting of the wind and there wasn’t a lot to see, even the shorebirds had taken refuge elsewhere, out of the wind.

Checking another part of the area we managed to get onto south Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Far Eastern Curlew, Grey Plover, Australian Pelican, Crested Tern over the shallow sand banks.  A few birds we hadn’t previously seen but the wind just kept blowing and blowing.

We made another stop at Hanging Rock Lookout and made our way down below the lookout, the wind was somewhat less of an issue and the birds were hiding down here. White-headed Pigeon, Brown-cuckoo Dove, Eastern Whipbird, Lewin’s Honeyeater, and Azure Kingfisher were nice birds that had been hard to spot throughout the trip. The walk was very scenic and the rock formations beautiful but the Rockwarblers remained elusive.

Day 5, 22nd November – Southern Highlands revisited

The wind continued to blow a gale this morning, so we attempted to avoid the worst of it heading into a low point in the hills. A Brush Cuckoo was singing loudly at the entrance but could not be spotted in the canopy, we wandered along the shade covered park and it was relatively quiet but once we reached a sunny patch covered in Lantana there were plenty of birds to see. Silvereyes, Lewin’s Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, the introduced Red-whiskered Bulbul, Welcome Swallows, Brown Thornbills were all feeding and chasing each other. Down on the dam Black Swans were nesting or already had relatively large cygnets, and Pacific Black Ducks were coming and going as Australasian Swamphens fed in the long Grass.

The Minnamurra National Park opens at 9 am and we did our best to get there as soon as it opened. As we approached the gate a Superb Lyrebird was sitting on the road and gave us a look as it ran into the bush. Apparently, we needed a better look so we continued into the park for a walk. Exiting the vehicle there were three lyrebirds calling just meters from the creekline below our viewpoint. Could we see them? No. we listened as the sung and mimicked other birds before deciding we needed to try find another. We walked the boardwalk through the park slowly searching for our target. The wind was still fairly strong above us but it was relatively still at ground level, but the birds were quiet. As we moved we heard the scratching of a Superb Lyrebird and watched for a few minutes as it moved across the forest floor in search of invertebrates. Once everyone was happy we moved on, trying to find any of the Brown Gerygones that were calling. As we neared the end of the walk we spotted a juvenile cuckoo being fed by a Brown Thornbill, much to the disgust of a pair of Black-faced Monarch. We had some morning tea, watching the picnic birds (Pied Currawongs) watching us.

It was a bit over an hour drive to a lake where we had lunch, and enjoyed some more bird art on the toilet block. It was a beautiful day but the wind remained a hinderance. On the lake there were Crested Tern, Caspian Tern and a very active flock of Little Terns. Six Far Eastern Curlew were nervous we had arrived (despite the 150m and water between us) and took flight down to the beach. Masked Lapwings and a single Red-capped Plover where the only other shore-bird types we saw but a White-bellied Sea-eagle and more White-throated Needletails were nice to see against a blue sky rather than the usual storm-front white skies.

With little actions we optimistically tried our luck again at Barren Grounds. A quick coffee and we headed to the park. Upon arrival it wasn’t as windy as yesterday, more gusty and less consistent however, where the wind had dropped in the lowlands it hadn’t in the hills and it was very windy, too windy. We tried our luck and were rewarded with better views of a pair of Southern Emu-wrens, however, these with the Pied Currawongs brough the total list of birds seen to two. We could faintly here a few other species but called it a day before long, as it was extremely unlikely we would see anything more. Another drive down the Macquarie Pass and we were home.

Day 6, 23rd November – Jamberoo to Sydney

Weather forecast suggested the wind would be less today, and it wasn’t as windy as previous days but it was still very challenging and the wind was stronger than we had hoped. Our first stop was Coachwood Park, where we really felt the wind. There was a good number of birds moving but most were keeping low and out of the wind. Our hope of seeing birds that the frequent the canopy were dashed, but Satin Bowerbird, Laughing Kookaburra with young, Noisy Miners, Super Fairywren, Lewin’s Honeyeater were making the most of the morning sun.

We headed back to Royal National Park and as there were no motor vehicle accidents we were able to move around the park freely. We started out at the beach and walked part of the coast trail. Little Wattlebirds were the most commonly seen bird, White-browed Scrubwrens were also common but not much else was vocal. The views were spectacular and the walk around the cliff edges and sandstone walls were something to behold.  A river provided a nice quite picnic area that was empty but was quite lovely. We managed to find both Brown Gerygone and Large-billed Scrubwrens in the shady areas along the creek whilst hearing Eastern Water Dragons moving through the leaf litter.

We revisited our previous lunch spot and reacquainted ourselves with the local Laughing Kookaburras, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and Pacific Black Ducks that wanted our food. It was also nice to get better looks at the Dollarbird, and watch an Azure Kingfisher fishing in the river. From here we walked along the track hoping again for Rockwarblers but it wasn’t to be, we walked all the rocky sections and further through the carpark but without luck.

We had a final attempt for Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. It was getting hotter and with little shade but we pushed through and walked the track with New Holland Honeyeaters calling nonstop. Upon reaching a steep downhill we decided to turn around, stopping and watching some Spotted Pardalotes as they flittered in the canopy. As we walked back towards the car we got to see a single Beautiful Firetail feeding on grass seeds, a great little bird we missed at Barren Grounds, and a good result from our walk. We made one final stop back too a weir to round out the day, spotting a few good sized Eastern Water Dragons before we finished up the trip.

I’d like to thank you all for joining on this trip! It was unfortunate that the weather played such a significant role in limiting our ability to find our targets but I really appreciate your positivity throughout the trip and I do hope you enjoyed it. We saw some nice birds, and beautiful flowers and scenery, which was a lot of fun for me. I look forward to birding with you all again in the future.

Guide: Angus McNab
Trip report & Images: Angus McNab