BirdLife Northern NSW Autumn Campout 2021 DORRIGO Friday 12th to Sunday 14th September at Dorrigo Mountain Holiday Park, 3991 Waterfall Way, ph (02) 6657 2564; email PROGRAM and OUTINGS (subject to changes/cancellation to comply with NSW COVID public health orders at the time) Friday 12th registration (required for our legal obligations); (TBC) optional guided Night Walk in Dorrigo NP; the evening meal is your own arrangement 3.00 - 5.00pm register in the Meeting Hall at Dorrigo Mountain Holiday Park, near the Park Office (please observe COVID public health orders) - confirm contact details, check outing details, enter 'Final Bird Count', buy raffle tickets, Night Walk payments - $20 (cash only please) TBC: 6.30 - 8.30pm ranger-guided Night Walk (limit 20 people) in Dorrigo National Park, enter your interest on the registration form; payment $20 cash on Friday 12 March. - free choice for Fri & Sat night meals e.g. self-catering in cabins, or use communal kitchen & BBQ facilities at the campground. In Dorrigo town centre: the usual take- away, pub dinner at Dorrigo Heritage Hotel, Chinese at RSL Club (6-8pm), North Dorrigo Restaurant (Fri nights only by booking ph:(02 6657 5150); Bellingen has many eateries (30min drive down Waterfall Way). For Friday or Monday we recommend Canopy Cafe in the pleasant setting of Dorrigo National Park (open 9-4.30). Saturday 5th guided daytime Outings see page 2 (COVID public health orders must be observed) NB: there is no group dinner for this campout, see Friday dining suggestions Sunday 6th guided daytime Outings and 5.00pm for final Bird Call byo drinks & snacks in the Meeting Hall, Dorrigo Mountain Holiday Park (COVID number limit may apply) Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th Outings Program page 2 NOTE your departure time & meeting location - please be on time, your group may not be able to wait Because environmental conditions or leaders may change, or new information is received, routes could be modified by guides on the day for safety reasons and to maximise bird-watching opportunities along each route. Car-pooling is not available for this campout and should only be for a household group or if you make your own arrangements. BirdLife Northern NSW offers a program of full-day and combination half-day outings on each day of the Campout: Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th March. We thank the guides who have volunteered to lead these outings on the Dorrigo Plateau with its diverse range of birdlife, and those who contributed their local knowledge. Please note that some outings involve extended travel in convoys. You are expected to follow the convoy protocol and have due regard for any NSW social distancing and other COVID rules in force at the time. Please be familiar with COVID-19 regulations at the time of our Campout: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/ and http://birdlife.org.au/media/covid-19-and-birdlife-australia/ For further information on noted birding spots and bird lists in the Dorrigo area, see the bird brochure: https://www.destinationdorrigo.com/discover/what-to-do-in-dorrigo/bird-watching.html Visiting Dorrigo for a couple of days can add to the species list of serious birders and create opportunities for all to marvel at a bowerbird’s intricate dancing bower, hear the lyrebird's superb mimicry, spot the subtle species tucked away in National Park rainforest, or the colour of parrots flashing through gardens and the tree tops of abundant schlerophyll forests close to Dorrigo. Over 200 bird species have been recorded in the Dorrigo area, although some are only summer visitors. Dorrigo National Park entrance is only 2km away from our base and it escaped the bushfires of 2019-20. This park, which is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, offers stunning scenery that has been millions of years in the making. The park has excellent public toilet facilities, the Canopy Cafe and a National Parks shop, a range of forest habitats and views, picnic areas, waterfalls and signed walking trails that access and protect an enormous variety of animals and birds. 1 OUTINGS: Saturday outings are repeated on Sunday - when selecting options choose only ONE option per day from the list numbered 1 to 4. For long trip options (1 & 2) take morning tea, packed lunch and chair. For shorter trip options (3 & 4) take morning tea, return to Dorrigo village or campground for lunch, then after lunch depart for your afternoon outing from our campground with the same group. FOLLOW NSW COVID SAFETY RULES AT ALL TIMES SATURDAY 13th March OUTING OPTIONS LEADER(S) LOCATION SIGN-ON TIMES 1 long trip Richard Jordan & Sally * travel west to three TSRs of the New England plateau: Ponds Ck, 7.00 am in BBQ area 7.15 am depart Campground for full day out; Biffin Wollomombi, Hernani, plus Wollomombi & Ebor Falls - details below confirm cars meet guides @Ponds Ck 8.15; return by 4.30pm 2 long trip Dorrigo Birders: Tony ** travel west to Cathedral Rocks & New England NPs for contrast in forest 7.15 am in Meeting Hall 7.30 am depart Campground for full day out; Gam, Frank &Wendy Ball habitats, wildflowers, lyrebirds, eucalypt & rainforest spp - details below confirm cars return by 4.30pm 3 two shorter trips Mandy Wright A. Dorrigo NP Rainforest Centre & The Glade for a variety of walks 7.30 am in BBQ area 7.45 am depart for 3A half-day / return for lunch (3A & 3B) (+1 tbc) B. Planet Dorrigo (garden centre with birds), Griffiths Lookout & wetlands confirm cars from 12 to 1 pm / 1pm depart for 3B half-day 4 two shorter trips Sue Siwinski & Pierre A. Deer Vale Loop Rd (several stops), Dangar Falls & picnic area 7.30 am in Meeting Hall 7.45 am depart for 4A half-day / return for lunch (4A & 4B) Charbonneau B. Bielsdown River Park or other park walks in Dorrigo confirm cars from 12 to 1 pm / 1pm depart for 4B half-day ALL MEALS ARE TO BE PROVIDED BY CAMPERS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WILL BE NO GROUP DINNER ORGANISED FOR THIS CAMPOUT DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS SUNDAY 14th March OUTING OPTIONS LEADER(S) LOCATION SIGN-ON TIMES 1 long trip Richard Jordan & Sally * travel west to three TSRs of the New England plateau: Ponds Ck, 7.00 am in BBQ area 7.15 am depart Campground for full day out; Biffin Wollomombi, Hernani, plus Wollomombi & Ebor Falls - details below confirm cars meet guides @Ponds Ck 8.15; return by 4.30pm 2 long trip Gary Phillips (or other) ** travel west to Cathedral Rocks & New England NPs for contrast in forest 7.15 am in Meeting Hall 7.30 am depart Campground for full day out; habitats, wildflowers, lyrebirds, eucalypt & rainforest spp - details below confirm cars return by 4.30pm 3 two shorter trips Mandy Wright & Pierre A. Dorrigo NP Rainforest Centre & The Glade for a variety of walks 7.30 am in BBQ area 7.45 am depart for 3A half-day / return for lunch (3A & 3B) Charbonneau B. Planet Dorrigo, a garden centre with birds; Griffiths Lookout & wetlands confirm cars from 12 to 1 pm / 1pm depart for 3B half-day 4 two shorter trips Sue Siwinski & Tony A. Deer Vale Loop Rd (several stops), Dangar Falls & picnic area 7.30 am in Meeting Hall 7.45 am depart for 4A half-day / return for lunch (4A & 4B) Gam(tbc) B. Bielsdown River Park and other park walks in Dorrigo confirm cars from 12 to 1 pm / 1pm depart for 4B half-day SUNDAY 5.00pm final Bird Call with byo drinks and snacks in the Meeting Hall at Dorrigo Mountain Holiday Park (COVID number limit may apply for this event) For further information on noted birding spots and bird lists in the Dorrigo area, see the bird brochure: https://www.destinationdorrigo.com/discover/what-to-do-in-dorrigo/bird-watching.html * OUTING 1 DETAILS: N.B route may vary. Depart Campground to meet Richard & Sally at Ponds Ck Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR) by 8.15am. From Dorrigo, drive ~73km on Waterfall Way towards Armidale, TSR is on the right at the only stockgrid(noisy); 20ha of New England grassy woodlands with great birds, including Speckled Warbler, Scarlet Robin, Dusky Woodswallow, Diamond Firetail, Black-chinned Honeyeater (maybe), Red-browed Treecreeper, Buff-rumped Thornbill. Adjacent wetland is accessible with permission from a landowner. Morning tea/toilets & birding at Wollomombi Falls Picnic Area. To Wollomombi TSR for similar habitat to Ponds Creek & species that might have been missed. Lunch/toilets at Ebor Falls Picnic Area; good for honeyeaters & raptors. Afternoon visit to large TSR nr Hernani with good mix of species in varied habitats nr Blicks River (look for platypus). Return to Dorrigo. ** OUTING 2 DETAILS: N.B. route may vary. Drive about 62km from Dorrigo to Cathedral Rocks NP for birdwatching in the drier forest of granite country, then to New England NP (another 27km) for alpine & Nothofagus forest - a contrast in forest habitats. Point Lookout in NENP for views and raptors, morning tea/toilets at the picnic shelter there. Olive Whistler & Flame Robin (if they've not left), here and lower at Tom's Cabin. Around the Banksia Point cabins for Superb Lyrebird - a population of habituated birds usually easy to observe. The track to Wright's Lookout for wildflowers & impressive Nothofagus forest with a mix of rainforest birds, including possible Rufous Scrub-bird. Scramble up to the lookout for great views (optional). Return to Banksia Point for lunch/toilets & more bird watching. Afternoon: explore along nearby Styx River SF in riverine habitat for eucalypt forest species.