A guide to birdwatching in the Southern Highlands

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

More than 260 species of birds can be seen in the Southern Highlands, a 90-minute drive south of Sydney. Some are seasonal visitors, others are permanent residents.

This brochure highlights some of the best places to see them. The locations are easily accessible and include a variety of habitats. The birds listed are just a few of the species likely to be present.

A Thirlmere Lakes National ParkFive reed-fringed freshwater lakes surrounded by forest. Designated an Important Bird Area because it includes Rockwarbler habitat. Access Approx 35km north of Mittagong (via Hill Top and Balmoral) off West Parade.Amenities Picnic areas, toilets.Walk An easy 7km forest walking track circles Lakes Couridjah and Werri Berri. It can be accessed from the Lake Couridjah Picnic Area.Birds Common Bronzewing, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Latham’s Snipe, Pallid Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Variegated Fairy-wren, Rockwarbler, White-throated Gerygone, Little Friarbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.

B Lake Alexandra ReserveA lake, created in the 1880s as a water-supply dam for coal trains, adjoins woodland and ferny gullies stretching towards Box Vale Track. Access About 500m from Mittagong Tourist Information Office via Helena, Edward and Queen streets.Amenities Picnic area, toilets.Walks Numerous tracks can be accessed from the northern side of the lake. The 2km section of the Red Track between the lake and the F5 offers good birding.Birds Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck, Australasian Grebe, Little Pied Cormorant, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Satin Bowerbird, Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Olive-backed Oriole, Willie Wagtail.

Southern HighlandsBirdwatching Areas

Wingecarribee River, BerrimaFlowing through the historic town of Berrima, the Wingecarribee River is a good spot to observe Yellow-faced Honeyeaters as they head north in mid-April. Platypuses may be seen. Access Park in the centre of Berrima.Amenities Cafes, picnic areas, toilets.Walks A good birdwatching walk can be accessed by turning right along the river from the picnic area at the end of Oxley Street and following the easy track towards the scout hut. Alternatively, the easy Stone Quarry walk follows the river to the east of the town.Birds Tawny Frogmouth, Eastern Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, Sacred Kingfisher, Striated Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Grey Butcherbird.

Bong Bong TrackA shared concrete path for walkers and cyclists that follows the Wingecarribee River as it meanders between large houses on one side and farmland on the other. Access The Moss Vale end is 2km north of Moss Vale on Moss Vale Road; the Burradoo end is reached via Burradoo Road and Railway Road.Walk An easy 5km (one-way) walk.Birds Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Nankeen Night Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Superb Fairy-wren, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Australian Reed Warbler, European Goldfinch.

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Cecil Hoskins Nature ReserveWetlands and a floodplain alongside the Wingecarribee River. It is on the Ramsar list of internationally important wetlands. Fluctuating water levels have reduced the number of waterbirds but there are also plenty of woodland species.Access 2km north of Moss Vale on Moss Vale Road.Amenities Picnic area, toilet.Walks A short, easy walk gives access to viewpoints over the wetlands. A 500m loop walk circles the floodplain beside the river.Birds Australasian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Intermediate Egret, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Swamp Harrier, Purple Swamphen, Rufous Fantail, Red-browed Finch.

F

Box Vale TrackA walking track that follows the route of a historic railway line built in 1888 through woodland above Nattai Gorge. Access The parking area is 3.7km west of Mittagong. Follow the Old Hume Highway and turn right into Box Vale Road 100m past the bridge over the F5.Amenities Picnic area.Walks A variety of walking tracks, including the 9km return Box Vale Track. The short detour near the start to a reservoir is worthwhile.Birds Musk Duck, Australasian Grebe, Wonga Pigeon, Glossy Black- Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Rockwarbler, Red Wattlebird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Fantail, Bassian Thrush.

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H Fitzroy FallsThe north-eastern section of Morton National Park where Yarrunga Creek plunges from a sandstone escarpment into the rainforest valley below. Access 15km south-east of Moss Vale on Moss Vale Road.Amenities Visitor centre, cafe, picnic areas, toilets.Walks The 7km return East Rim and 5km return West Rim walks are on good tracks with some short, steeper sections. The first section of the East Rim walk, where the track descends into a fern gully, is good for birds, as are the boardwalks near the visitor centre and woodland near the old picnic shelters alongside Yarrunga Creek.Birds Peregrine Falcon, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Superb Lyrebird, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Crested Shrike-tit, Golden Whistler, Black-faced Monarch, Mistletoebird.

I Budderoo PlateauHeathland plateau. Designated an Important Bird Area because it includes Eastern Bristlebird habitat.Access 14km east of Robertson on Budderoo Plateau Road, off Jamberoo Mountain Road.Walk The Budderoo Track is a fire trail that traverses heath and woodland for about 12km.Birds Ground parrot, White-throated Treecreeper, Southern Emu-wren, Eastern Bristlebird, Tree Martin, Beautiful Firetail.

J Barren Grounds Nature ReserveHanging swamp plateau with heathland, swamp and woodland with dramatic views across the Illawarra escarpment to the coast. Designated an Important Bird Area because it includes Eastern Bristlebird habitat. Spectacular wildflowers in spring.Access 17km east of Robertson on Jamberoo Mountain Road.Amenities Picnic area, toilets.Walks Numerous well-marked trails ranging from easy to moderate, including the circular 8km Griffiths Trail. The 2km section between the car park and Natural Stone Bridge is good for birding.Birds Ground Parrot, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Satin Bowerbird, Eastern Bristlebird, New Holland Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern Yellow Robin, Beautiful Firetail.

Bundanoon section, Morton National ParkEucalypt woodland conceals waterfalls, ferny glades, rocky outcrops and lookouts. Access 1km south of Bundanoon Post Office via Church Street and Gullies Road.Amenities Picnic areas, toilets.Walks Numerous trails ranging from short and easy to the steep track to Bundanoon Creek. Good birdwatching options are the 2km Erith Coal Mine track, Fairy Bower Falls and the area around the Gambells Rest picnic area.Birds Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Superb Lyrebird, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Varied Sittella, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Scarlet Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin.

G

Musk Duck

Black Swan

Australian Shelduck

Australian Wood Duck

Grey Teal

Chestnut Teal

Pacific Black Duck

Hardhead

Australasian Grebe

Spotted Dove

Crested Pigeon

Wonga Pigeon

Australasian Darter

Little Pied Cormorant

Little Black Cormorant

Australian Pelican

Intermediate Egret

White-faced Heron

Australian White Ibis

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Nankeen Kestrel

Purple Swamphen

Dusky Moorhen

Eurasian Coot

Black-fronted Dotterel

Masked Lapwing

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Galah

Long-billed Corella

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Australian King-Parrot

Crimson Rosella

Eastern Rosella

Eastern Koel

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Southern Boobook

Laughing Kookaburra

Sacred Kingfisher

Dollarbird

Superb Lyrebird

White-throated Treecreeper

Satin Bowerbird

Superb Fairy-wren

Rockwarbler

Common birds Tick when seen

White-browed Scrubwren

Striated Thornbill

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Brown Thornbill

Spotted Pardalote

Striated Pardalote

Eastern Spinebill

Lewin’s Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

White-eared Honeyeater

Bell Miner

Noisy Miner

Red Wattlebird

New Holland Honeyeater

Spotted Quail-thrush

Eastern Whipbird

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Golden Whistler

Rufous Whistler

Grey Shrike-thrush

Olive-backed Oriole

Dusky Woodswallow

Grey Butcherbird

Australian Magpie

Pied Currawong

Rufous Fantail

Grey Fantail

Willie Wagtail

Little Raven

Leaden Flycatcher

Magpie-lark

White-winged Chough

Rose Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin

Australian Reed-Warbler

Silvereye

Welcome Swallow

Fairy Martin

Common Blackbird

Common Starling

Common Myna

Mistletoebird

Red-browed Finch

House Sparrow

Australasian Pipit

Birdlife Southern Highlands is a branch of Birdlife Australia. It offers two field trips a month and aims to enhance members’ knowledge and enjoyment of the birdlife around them and to promote the interests of birds to the wider community.

For further information contact PO Box 2531, Bowral, NSW 2576 or info@birdlife.org.au

This brochure was produced by Birdlife Southern Highlands with funding from Wingecarribee Shire Council’s Environment Levy and sponsorship from Inscript Intermedia Pty Ltd.

AcknowledgementsCompiled by Peter Dewey and Jenny Stanton with assistance from Terry Dunlea, Col Kohlhagen and Tony Stanton

Cover photo: Superb Fairy-wren by Trevor Bullock

Brochure design by Inscript Intermedia Pty Ltd

Thank you to all the photographers for the use of their images. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this brochure is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions and no legal responsibility is accepted.

Threatened species

The following birds are among 124 NSW species threatened with extinction either locally or nationally. All are seen in the Southern Highlands. Blue-billed Duck Australasian Bittern Spotted Harrier Little Eagle Glossy Black-Cockatoo Gang-gang Cockatoo Little Lorikeet Ground Parrot

Powerful Owl Brown Treecreeper Eastern Bristlebird Varied Sittella Scarlet Robin Flame Robin Hooded Robin

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

inscript intermedia

SHIRE COUNCIL

Tick when seen

For a full list of all 260-plus species found in the Southern Highlands, and to download additional copies of this brochure, go to www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/environment

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