with information on walking tracks and 4WD tracks. 4WD and tracks walking on information with

area (also signposted). (also area

King parrot. King

brochure is available on Kings Plains National Park National Plains Kings on available is brochure

Turn right after 2km into the fossicking the into 2km after right Turn

clamorous reed warbler. reed clamorous

at a scenic picnic area on the banks of the creek. A creek. the of banks the on area picnic scenic a at

Rufous songlark. Rufous

fossicking area can also be rewarding. be also can area fossicking

and brown honeyeaters, brown and

Bush camping is permitted and a fireplace is provided is fireplace a and permitted is camping Bush

sides of this road leading up to the to up leading road this of sides

white-plumed, fuscous white-plumed,

surrounding pools and falls on Kings Plains Creek. Plains Kings on falls and pools surrounding

junction. The stock route on both on route stock The junction. friarbird, yellow-faced, friarbird,

with casuarinas and wattles and some heath some and wattles and casuarinas with

Fossicking Area is signposted at this at signposted is Area Fossicking treecreeper, noisy treecreeper,

An under-watched area of eucalypt woodland along woodland eucalypt of area under-watched An

Wellingrove. The Wellingrove The Wellingrove. flycatcher, white-throated flycatcher,

whistlers, leaden whistlers, off the Bonshaw Road, towards Road, Bonshaw the off (Brochure available) (Brochure

golden and rufous and golden 15km from Glen Innes, turn left turn Innes, Glen from 15km

Park

songlark, crested shrike-tit crested songlark, Access: Access:

fairy martin, rufous martin, fairy

Kings Plains National Plains Kings

kingfisher, dollarbird, kingfisher, always try digging for sapphires. for digging try always

cockatoo, sacred cockatoo, birds prove elusive you can you elusive prove birds

Yellow-tailed black Yellow-tailed picnic area and toilets. If the If toilets. and area picnic

include: include:

fossickers. There you will find a find will you There fossickers.

chough, spotted and striated pardalotes. striated and spotted chough,

Birds seen Birds scratchings of hopeful of scratchings

spinebill, mistletoe bird, golden whistler, white-winged whistler, golden bird, mistletoe spinebill,

displaying the numerous the displaying

naped, yellow-faced, white-eared honeyeaters, eastern honeyeaters, white-eared yellow-faced, naped, any fences as the surrounding area is private land. private is area surrounding the as fences any

surrounding a gully a surrounding

the river and on both sides of the bridge. Do not cross not Do bridge. the of sides both on and river the yellow-rumped and buff-rumped thornbills, white- thornbills, buff-rumped and yellow-rumped

casuarina and acacia) and casuarina

right before the bridge. Explore the area on both sides of sides both on area the Explore bridge. the before right Wedge-tailed eagle, eastern and crimson rosellas, crimson and eastern eagle, Wedge-tailed

(angophora, eucalypt, (angophora,

Severn River is reached. Park near the fireplace on the on fireplace the near Park reached. is River Severn Birds seen include: include: seen Birds

An area of mixed woodland mixed of area An towards Rangers Valley. After 12km a bridge crossing the crossing bridge a 12km After Valley. Rangers towards

Innes heading north, turn left onto the sealed road sealed the onto left turn north, heading Innes highway.

Area From the New England Highway 12.5km from Glen from 12.5km Highway England New the From (Brochure available) (Brochure the dirt road and the and road dirt the

Access:

gully areas between areas gully

honeyeater.

Wellingrove Fossicking Fossicking Wellingrove

dirt road and the and road dirt White-naped

provided.

both sides of the of sides both

ample shade making this a fine picnic area; a fireplace is fireplace a area; picnic fine a this making shade ample

lookout, exploring lookout, surrounded by open woodland. The casuarinas provide casuarinas The woodland. open by surrounded

walk to the to walk A small area of casuarinas line the Severn River Severn the line casuarinas of area small A

just off the highway and highway the off just

Severn River Severn heathwren.

the way to the lookout, or park your car at the bottom, the at car your park or lookout, the to way the

finches, white-winged triller, chestnut-rumped triller, white-winged finches,

heading down the Matheson Hill. You can drive all drive can You Hill. Matheson the down heading

dusky wood swallow, double-barred, red-browed double-barred, swallow, wood dusky

13km from Glen Innes on the left, as you start you as left, the on Innes Glen from 13km

honeyeaters including yellow tufted, spotted pardalote, spotted tufted, yellow including honeyeaters

towards . The turn for Sinclair Lookout is Lookout Sinclair for turn The Inverell. towards

robins, rufous and golden whistlers, speckled warbler, speckled whistlers, golden and rufous robins,

firetails, speckled warbler. speckled firetails, Leave Glen Innes on the heading Highway Gwydir the on Innes Glen Leave

Little and musk lorikeets, scarlet and eastern yellow eastern and scarlet lorikeets, musk and Little

and striated pardalotes, red-browed and diamond and red-browed pardalotes, striated and Access:

Birds seen include: seen Birds

honeyeaters, eastern spinebill, mistletoe bird, spotted bird, mistletoe spinebill, eastern honeyeaters,

the Matheson Valley. Matheson the

white-eared, yellow-faced, fuscous and regent and fuscous yellow-faced, white-eared, Inverell). towards

Fine view can be had from the top looking west over west looking top the from had be can view Fine

throated treecreepers, white-naped, white-plumed, white-naped, treecreepers, throated heading Highway Gwydir the (off Innes Glen from

abundant mistletoe and acacias forming a lower storey. lower a forming acacias and mistletoe abundant

rumped thornbills, varied sitella, brown and white- and brown sitella, varied thornbills, rumped signs the Follow 25km. about for unsealed is road

A woodland consisting mainly of eucalypts with eucalypts of mainly consisting woodland A

cuckoo, rufous whistler, buff-rumped and yellow- and buff-rumped whistler, rufous cuckoo, The Road. Plains Kings the via Innes, Glen of west

Little and musk lorikeets, king parrot, fan-tailed parrot, king lorikeets, musk and Little north- 50km located is Park National Plains Kings

Sinclair Lookout Sinclair

Birds seen include: include: seen Birds Access:

GLEN INNES & SEVERN SHIRE Beardy Dam and Woodlands NSW

The Beardy Waters Dam is one of the best bird watching areas in the district. The site supports a great diversity of wildfowl and there is always a chance of something unusual "stopping over". To view the entire dam two areas must be Rufous visited, the Shannonvale Road bridge and the Beardy whistler. Woodlands Reserve. At the reserve there are picnic shelters and toilets. Platypus have been seen in the river. Something Access: for all in Celtic Country • Shannonvale Road bridge: Head out the Gwydir Highway towards Grafton, then turn right into the • We're at the intersection of New England and Gwydir Highways, four hours from Brisbane, Shannonvale road at the top of the hill. Travel along seven from Sydney. for 2km (you will see the dam). Parking is available • Site of Australian Standing Stones, unique in just over the bridge on the eastern side. Both sides of southern hemisphere, national monument to the dam can be viewed from your vehicle. Australia's Celtic pioneers, venue for annual Australian Celtic Festival in May. Mistletoebird. • Beardy Woodlands: Travel along the Gwydir Highway • Stepping off point for World Heritage national Diamond firetail. to Grafton about 5km from Glen Innes. The parks, Gibraltar Range and Washpool, network of Woodlands is signposted. You can visit either side of other parks/nature reserves. the road, with the reserve on the right viewing the • Land of the Beardies History House, 25 rooms dam, and the left viewing the river. The reserve on the showcasing district's history, invaluable archives with more than 100,000 family names and right has picnic tables and shaded parking. You can businesses. walk upstream towards • Cooramah Aboriginal Cultural Centre displaying the weir, where you will Aboriginal artefacts, serving Koori cuisine. White-necked have to cross a fence, • Rural villages and Emmaville Mining Museum, heron. Juv. view the dam from the reflecting once bustling tin mining area. side of the weir, and • Part of NSW's most prolific sapphire region, wide the knoll to the left. range of other gems. • Fishing for Murray cod, trout, other species. Birds seen include: • Heritage walks - more than 30 Heritage listed Little pied, littleblack, pied and buildings in CBD - tourist drives. great cormorants, little, Pink-eared duck. • Local wines, eateries, accommodation intermediate and great egrets, to suit all budgets. Wedge-tailed darter, yellow-billed and royal eagle White-naped spoonbills, straw-necked, sacred Honeyeater and glossy ibises, hardhead, shoveler, musk, blue- billed and pink-eared ducks, little and wedge-tailed eagles, Further information: red-kneed and black fronted dotterels, sharp-tailed, pectoral Glen Innes Visitor Information Centre and marsh sandpipers, painted and Japanese snipe, black- Phone: (02) 6732 2397 Fax: (02) 6732 6090 winged stilt, whiskered tern, restless flycatcher. Email: [email protected] Web: www.GlenInnesTourism.com Prepared by members of BIRDS AUSTRALIA

A Glen Innes and Severn Shire Tourist Association publication. A BETTERWAY TO PRINT (07) 4681 0400 - Northern NSW Group Pyes Creek Road Washpool, Gibraltar Range Mann River Nature A road through farmland and woodland that at times National Parks Reserve passes next to a shallow creek. The variety of habitats (Brochure available) (Brochure available) provides for many species of birds. These national parks provide two areas of wilderness A scenic reserve with rugged terrain contrasting with Access: where many bird species not normally seen further peaceful river flats. Fireplaces and toilets are Turn left towards Stannum just north of Deepwater. west can be found. Picnic and camping facilities are provided on the reserve making it ideal for picnics or Inspect the pools on your left soon after this turn as available in both parks. camping. The waterholes at the camping area are they often hold a variety of waterfowl. Follow the road suitable for swimming. through Stannum onto the Red Hill Road. Turn left Access: (10km from Stannum) when you reach the Pyes Creek Washpool: Travel along the Access: Road. This road continues on to Tenterfield. Gwydir Highway heading towards Head out the Gwydir Highway towards Grafton. However, better birding is had if you return after 7km Grafton. Turn left 73km east of Turn right 36km east of Glen Innes. The camping via Pyes Creek Road to the New England Highway. Glen Innes onto the Coombadjha area is 10km along this road down "The Big Hill". Birds can be seen at any time along these roads, Road, follow the signs to the Search around the camping area. One km further especially on Pyes Creek and Red Hill Roads. Land on picnic and rest areas. The rest east the road crosses the Mann River near the either side of Pyes Creek Road is private. Most of the areas and their connecting tracks School. The northern banks of the river birds below have been viewed from the are as good as any place for are worth exploring. For the fit or those with a road. Drive slowly being mindful spotting birds. 4WD, the Narrow Pass track climbs up through of stock and stop when you the reserve to Tommy's Rock Lookout. The Gibraltar Range: Again travelling see activity. beginning of the track is 4km east of the along the Gwydir Highway towards camping area. Grafton, turn right 69km east of Glen Innes. Information on the parks facilities can be obtained from the Glen Innes Visitor Information Centre. Birds seen include: The Mulligan's Hut area is one place Little pied cormorant, straw-necked ibis, that should be explored as well as the common koel, azure kingfisher, rainbow Rainbow road leading to the hut. bee-eater, dollarbird, spotted quail- bee-eater. Glossy black thrush, rose robin, golden and rufous cockatoos. Birds seen include: whistlers, red- Birds seen include: Grey goshawk, brush-turkey, Wompoo fruit-dove, backed fairy wren, topknot pigeon, brown cuckoo-dove, glossy black and speckled warbler, Wedge-tailed eagle, Pacific baza, yellow-tailed black yellow-tailed black cockatoos, king parrots, superb spotted and striated and glossy black cockatoos, rainbow, musk and little lyrebird, brush cuckoo, noisy pitta, rufous scrub bird, pardalote, red-browed lorikeets, king and turquoise parrots, channel-billed cicadabird, White's thrush, pale yellow robin, black- and white-throated cuckoo, rainbow bee-eater, dollarbird, hooded and faced monarch, rufous fantail, eastern whipbird, treecreepers, red-browed eastern yellow robins, restless flycatcher, white-throated southern emu-wren, large-billed, white-browed and firetail, yellow-faced and brown treecreepers, honeyeaters (including yellow-throated scrubwrens, brown gerygone, yellow honeyeater, eastern spinebill, scarlet), apostlebird, diamond, plum-headed and red- and striated thornbills, little wattlebird, Bell miner, Torresian crow. browed finches, tawny frogmouth. Lewin's honeyeater, figbird, green catbird, spangled drongo, satin bowerbird. Azure kingfisher.

Little Llangothlin Lagoon (Brochure available) A highland wetland Nature Reserve attracting a variety of wildfowl and waders. Access: New England Highway, 42km south of Glen Innes. Take the Tubbamurra Road and after 3km turn left on Bagot Road. The reserve is a further 3.2km. The reserve can be used as a viewing area for bird watching, and there is also an easy 4.8km walking track circling the lagoon. The loop track can be taken via Billy Bung Lagoon and the old dairy site that extends the walk by 900 metres. Birds seen include: Australasian grebe, white-faced and white-necked herons, black swan, black-winged stilt, Japanese snipe, swamp harrier, grey teal, black and musk ducks, black- fronted dotterel, varied sitella, grey butcherbird. A full list of wildlife and birds seen is included in the Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve brochure.

The contribution of the late John Crofts in compiling the text for this brochure is warmly acknowledged. Illustrations courtesy of Simpson & Day's FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Seventh edition Published by Penguin Group (Australia).

Other helpful brochures on birds: Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve Information Brochure. Gibraltar Range and Washpool National Parks Visitor Guide. Kwiambal and Kings Plains National Parks Visitor Guide. All are available at the Glen Innes Visitor Information Centre. Information also available at: National Parks and Wildlife Service Church St, Glen Innes NSW 2370. Phone: (02) 6732 5133, fax: (02)6732 5130, email: [email protected]