Gelantipy Camp 6 – 10 November 2017

Merryl Wright & Jack Winterbottom

Snowy River at Willis. Chris Healey

Merryl Wright

This was a really exciting camp for many of us who had not been to the Gelantipy and high country area before.

Our base was Karoonda Park just south of Gelantipy, which in a former life had been a timber workers camp, but the owners were now providing adventure tours and also accommodation for school groups, horse riders, walkers and birders.

There were 21 camp participants including 16 BirdLife East members. Others who joined in the fun included 2 BirdLife Melbourne members and three others. 11 of the 21 birders chose shared accommodation in The Lodge and the remainder were in cottages or units close by. The Lodge had a communal kitchen for breakfasts and evening meals and a large lounge area with a wood fire for happy hours and relaxing.

Monday: Day 1 – Karoonda Park

It was raining when we arrived and settled in at Karoonda Park. We ate lunch in The Lodge, waiting for the rain to ease, but it persisted through the afternoon, with the verandas and the large windows in the lounge the best vantage points for birding. A few hardy souls donned wet weather gear and ventured outside, checking off Flame and Scarlet Robins, but the rest of us stayed indoors and stoked up the wood fire, with happy hour kicking off quite a bit earlier than usual!

Karoonda Park Survey

Tuesday: Day 2 – Willis, Alpine NP (68 Species) and Suggan Buggan (26)

The rain had eased during the night, and the weather forecast promised a fine day ahead, so we were keen to get out and get birding properly. For safety, we car-pooled into six 4WD vehicles all equipped with two-way radios to keep in touch when needed. It was about 60km to our site at Willis but worth every minute of the drive. This was the best site of the camp in terms of number of species and variety, with bushland beside river, reeds, some marshland and even a few sandy banks. Page 1 of 6

Rainbow Bee-eaters, Scarlet Honeyeaters, Rufous Whistlers and White-throated Gerygones seemed to be calling everywhere around us. There were Flame and Scarlet Robins, Satin and Leaden Flycatchers and even a Rufous Fantail was seen. Brown Treecreepers were hopping about on the ground and even picking up crumbs from the picnic table after lunch unconcerned about the humans all around. There were several honey-eaters recorded including the Fuscous Honeyeater – a first for many of the group. By exploring a bit further away from the carpark, a male Emu was seen leading a train of striped chicks, and by the river Reed-warblers and a Golden–headed Cisticola were heard – always hard to see them. Many birds were nesting or feeding young on this fine Spring day.

With all rain well and truly cleared away, we headed back towards Karoonda Park, stopping for afternoon tea at Suggan Buggan. A treat awaited us here with four Diamond Firetails attracting much attention as they poked about in a shallow puddle next to the stream. A Red-browed Finch also joined the Firetails for a while. They seemed perfectly content as photographers snapped away, getting as close as possible to the birds by lying on tummies in the grass.

Lewis also discovered two platypuses further upstream, rounding off a great day of birding and exploring before we convoyed back to Karoonda Park and happy hour.

Willis Survey

Suggan Buggan Survey Diamond Firetail taking a bath and Red-browed Finch. Ian Wright

Wednesday: Day 3 – Native Dog Flat (36), Rogers Hut (21) and Snow Plain (14)

Another 60 km drive took our convoy to Native Dog Flat, another pretty camping ground on the . We were greeted once again by almost constant calling from Rufous Whistlers, Striated and Spotted Pardalotes. And at last we saw some raptors – Wedge-tailed Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel and Australian Hobby. Other good sightings were Satin Flycatchers, Grey Currawongs and a total of 20 Buff-rumped Thornbills. Breeding behaviour was again observed for many species with several young seen in nests or fledglings being fed by adults. Native Dog Flat Survey

Heading back to Karoonda Park after lunch we made a couple of stops along Limestone Road at Rogers Hut and Snow Plain. There were fewer birds at these sites, but still a good mix of species, with plenty of Striated Pardalotes, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Grey Fantails. Roger's Hut Survey Snow Plain Survey

Karoonda Park owners and staff catered for our camp dinner in the main dining room on Wednesday evening. Large quantities of soup, wonderful roast beef, turkey and vegetables from the property farm were consumed and followed by homemade apple pie with cream and Ice-cream. We tottered back to our rooms for sleep and recovery, to get ready for the next big day.

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Thursday: Day 4 – McKillops Bridge (46), McKillops Bridge Campground (50) Little River Gorge (15), Little River Crossing (19) (Jack Winterbottom)

Day 04, Thursday, was another beautiful, sunny and warm day after the typical high country clear skies and frosty night. We set off at the usual time of 8.10 for 8.15, heading north. After passing the lonely phone box at Seldom Seen [a crucial piece of infrastructure as there is no mobile signal beyond Buchan apart from one bar on the occasional high spot], we veered right - off the Barry Way towards Little River, the last three vehicles stopping soon at a large dam to check out its avian inhabitants.

Nothing there so moved on again quickly but not quickly enough for a local who had caught up with our Tailend Charlie who then warned us, via Channel 40 on the CB Radio, that the local was making his way through the cavalcade. The local had his radio on too and gave us his thoughts on tourists stopping on his road. We quickly let him blast past only to have him turn left into a property only a very few kilometres down the road. Hmmm!

Passing over Wulgulmerang Creek and Little River, we gathered at Wheelers Gap, the start of the steep, windy and windy, single-lane-in-places, descent to the mighty Snowy River. Eagle Leader John radioed that 6 cars would be descending, we heard no reply and off we went. There is no doubting that both the views and the road are spectacular. We were soon down the bottom, over McKillops Bridge and immediately left into the car park and deafened by the bird chorus, led by Scarlet Honeyeaters and Rufous Whistlers. McKillops Bridge Survey

About 10.30 we adjourned back over the bridge to the campsite where we had morning tea, then lunch, with two hours of birding. My highlights were Restless Flycatcher, White-winged Chough, nesting Fuscous Honeyeaters and Jacky Winters and a Speckled Warbler. Other specials seen were Leaden Flycatcher, Varied Sitella, Scarlet, New Holland, White-eared, Brown-headed, Yellow-faced, Yellow-tufted and Lewin’s Honeyeaters, Noisy Friarbird, Bell Miner and Eastern Spinebill and a pair of Common Blackbirds. McKillops Campground Survey

Brown Treecreeper. John Beekman

After lunch we drove back up the hill, this time with my car [contents: Jack, Lyn, Bev, Heather – I am sure we had a reputation] as Tailend Charlie. We constantly let Eagle Leader know over the radio that we had cleared the campground, cleared Royals Creek, and cleared the Royal Creek ravine etc. when the radio crackled into life with a message from a Queensland dude with T-van who had just commenced coming down the narrow bit. It would have been a major drama if it had occurred just 5 minutes earlier.

Once he was informed that 6 vehicles were coming up, he found a passing place to hunker down in and we completed our ascent without any problems. Stopping at the Little River Gorge car park for a look down onto the gorge from the lookout at the end of a 400 metre path, Roger discovered that his vehicle had a totally flat front tyre, caused by “kissing” a sharp rock on the way into the carpark. Page 3 of 6

Well, it was still a major drama as he and Inta had only had the vehicle for a month. A swarm/flock of alpha males descended on the car. All the women fled. Allowing 5 minutes per helper present meant that it took 35 minutes to change the wheel, not helped as the jack didn’t raise the wheel high enough and the rim had “welded” itself to the bearing assembly and needed a specialized Birmingham Spanner to help ease it away.

Eventually the job was completed and all had regathered. Little River Gorge Survey

Next we went off to the Little River Bridge, afternoon tea and a short walk to the Little River Falls where Derek finally confirmed a martin – Fairy Martin in this case. Red Wattlebird and White-naped joined the honeyeater list. Little River Falls Survey

After a great day of birding we headed home with my car stopping at the dam again which had a family of Masked Lapwing with children, a gaggle of Australian Shelduck and we managed to flush a Brown Quail. A walk after tea with Robert got us a pair of Southern Boobook hooting in the distance and several koalas in trees, one with a baby. Awww!

Friday: Day 5 – Ash Saddle (33), Bridge Basin Road (14)

Another beautiful warm and sunny day after a cool night welcomed the birders for their last day. All packed up, we headed south turning off the main road to follow the Tulloch Ard Road to our first stop at Ash Saddle, with gentle walks through rainforest vegetation. This proved perfect habitat for Rose Robin, Black-faced Monarch, Satin Bowerbird, Bassian Thrush, Crescent Honeyeater, Brown Gerygone and Mistletoe Bird. Despite these great sightings, we were a teeny bit disappointed to not see an Olive Whistler – maybe next visit?

Our last birding stop was at the picnic ground at the historic Truss Bridge on Basin Road which was built in 1927 on timber trusses and trestles fixed to concrete piers. Not so many birds here, but some of the usual suspects were recorded – Silvereye, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Jacky Winter and even European Goldfinch. Ash Saddle Survey Murrindal River Bridge Survey

Varied Sittella (Left) and Black-faced Monarch (Right). Jack Winterbottom Page 4 of 6

From here, some of the group headed off home, but some of us stopped at the Buchan Caves Hotel in Buchan for lunch. This pub had fairly recently reopened after being rebuilt following a disastrous fire a couple of years earlier which had completely destroyed the old historic building. The new modern pub had wide verandas – a perfect place for lunch and an opportunity to relive the highlights of the camp and thank the leaders John and Pam for one of the best camps ever. John also acknowledged the crucial input of members Len and Jacquie Axen who had been part of the first survey of sites, but unfortunately had other commitments and could not take part in the camp itself.

With lunch over and goodbyes said, we had almost stopped thinking about birding until a Square-tailed Kite was found in a tree just by the front door of the pub, and since we were still within camp range and time for recording was not over, this species was added as number 123 on our Gelantipy bird list.

Extra bird records – Karoonda Park (57) All sightings Gelantipy Region (217)

During the week of the camp, we also recorded 57 species of birds in and around Karoonda Park itself with Southern Boobook, Painted Button-quail, House Sparrow and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos being recorded only at this site.

Any incidental or unusual sightings on the way to or from our outings were also recorded. These included species that had not been recorded at other sites including several species of waterbirds seen around farm dams, and ‘open field’ birds such as Australasian Pipit, Brown Songlark and Eurasian Skylark.

An excellent camp once again!

Morning tea and Bird Call, Ash Saddle. Pam Hutchison

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Complete list of birds recorded at Gelantipy Camp 6-10 November 2017

Australasian Darter Gang-gang Cockatoo* Square-tailed Kite* Australasian Grebe* Golden-headed Cisticola Straw-necked Ibis* Australasian Pipit Golden Whistler Striated Pardalote Australasian Reed Warbler Great Cormorant Striated Thornbill Australian Hobby Grey Butcherbird Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Australian King Parrot Grey Currawong Superb Fairy-wren Australian Magpie Grey Fantail Superb Lyrebird Australian Raven Grey Shrike-thrush Tree Martin Australian Shelduck Grey Teal* Turquoise Parrot Australian Spotted Crake Hardhead* Varied Sittella Australian Wood Duck Hoary-headed Grebe* Wedge-tailed Eagle Azure Kingfisher Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Weebill Bassian Thrush House Sparrow # Welcome Swallow Bell Miner Jacky Winter White-browed Scrubwren Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Laughing Kookaburra White-eared Honeyeater Black-faced Monarch Leaden Flycatcher White-faced Heron Black-fronted Dotterel Lewin’s Honeyeater White-naped Honeyeater Brown Falcon* Little Black Cormorant White-throated Gerygone Brown Gerygone Little Pied Cormorant White-throated Treecreeper Brown Goshawk Little Raven White-winged Chough Brown-headed Honeyeater Magpie Lark* Willie Wagtail Brown Quail* Masked Lapwing Yellow-faced Honeyeater Brown Songlark* Mistletoebird Yellow-rumped Thornbill Brown Thornbill Nankeen Kestrel Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo # Brown Treecreeper New Holland Honeyeater Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Buff-rumped Thornbill Noisy Friarbird

Cattle Egret* Olive-backed Oriole 123 species Chestnut Teal* Pacific Black Duck Common Blackbird Painted Button-quail # *Only recorded during travel Common Bronzewing Peregrine Falcon* between named sites Common Starling* Pied Currawong # Only recorded at Karoonda Park Crescent Honeyeater Purple Swamphen

Crested Shrike-tit Rainbow Bee-eater Crimson Rosella Red Wattlebird Diamond Firetail Red-browed Finch

Dusky Moorhen Restless Flycatcher Dusky Woodswallow Rose Robin Eastern Spinebill Rufous Fantail

Eastern Whipbird Rufous Whistler Eastern Yellow Robin Sacred Kingfisher Emu Satin Bowerbird

Eurasian Coot* Satin Flycatcher Eurasian Skylark* Scarlet Honeyeater European Goldfinch Scarlet Robin Fairy Martin Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Fan-tailed Cuckoo Silvereye Flame Robin Southern Boobook # Fuscous Honeyeater Speckled Warbler Galah Spotted Pardalote

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