BirdLife Northern NSW Combined AGM / Autumn Campout
Harrington NSW 18 th -21 st March 2016
To all registered participants
All completed forms should be forwarded to Ashley Carlson ASAP but NO LATER than Friday 26th February 2016
Campout Excursion and Car Pooling
We are trying to keep convoys to a minimum and are therefore asking that where possible you car-pool. Passengers will be asked to contribute towards fuel costs.
Names included in your group
I will be bringing my own 2WD/4WD vehicle Yes No
I am prepared to drive and take passengers Yes No
(Please indicate the number of passengers you can take)
I have a UHF or handheld 2-way radio Yes No
I would prefer to be a passenger Yes No
You need to make your choice of activities. While careful note will be taken of your preferences, please be aware that it may be impossible to satisfy everyone’s wishes. We will do our best to keep groups as small as possible to ensure the best possible birding experience for everyone. Please get your preferences in as soon as possible to ensure you get your first preferences. Following is a timetable of excursions with relevant details and a table to fill out with your preferences. As some registration forms include more than one person, we ask that you add the name and preference for each person in your group.
OPTION A: Dooragan NP, Kattang NR and Camden Haven River (8am onwards) Located 30km north of Harrington (as the Forest Raven flies), Dooragan NP contains several lookouts on an easy loop walk at its summit of 480m, which is dominated by mature Blackbutts. East of Dooragan NP on the coast, Kattang NR is a favoured haunt for Glossy Black-Cockatoos feeding on the casuarinas. There are several walks through typical coastal banksia heathland. At low tide, the Camden Haven River and adjacent Gogleys Lagoon expose ideal sand and mud flats for feeding waders. Toilet and picnic facilities are available at numerous locations. OPTION B: Old Bar, Saltwater NP and Kiwarrak SF (8am onwards) Old Bar is located on the southern entrance of the Manning River. Mudbishops Point provides both a feeding and roosting site for waders and has been a consistent breeding site for Little Terns. 5km south of Old Bar is Saltwater NP which contains a remnant patch of littoral rainforest adjacent to a fresh to brackish backwater lagoon producing a good diversity of birds in a relatively small area. West of Old Bar is Kiwarrak SF containing both wet and dry sclerophyll forest. Toilet and picnic facilities are available at numerous locations OPTION C: Coopernook SF and Lansdowne NR (8am onwards) 15km west of Harrington is Coopernook SF . Although still being logged, the area provides ample opportunities to visit a mix of tall wet sclerophyll forest, rainforest gullies and revegetation areas. To the southwest is Lansdowne NR situated on the banks of the Lansdowne River. Toilet and picnic facilities are available at numerous locations OPTION D: Wingham Brush (08:00am - 13:00pm) Wingham Brush is one of only a few remnant patches of subtropical lowland rainforest. It is situated on the banks of the Manning River and also contains a large roost / maternity site for Grey-headed Flying Fox. Picnic and toilet facilities are available OPTION E: Crowdy Head Pelagic - Sunday Only (07:00am - 13:00pm) The continental shelf in the vicinity of Crowdy Head is relatively close to the coast and it is anticipated that between 3 and 3.5 hours will be spent at the shelf. An experienced seabird guide will be onboard. The boat capacity is six only, so it will be first in first on. If the trip is cancelled due to weather, your first land based preference will apply. The cost of the trip will be $100 and payable only if the trip goes ahead.
Please number your excursion preferences (eg, 1, 4, 3, 5, 2) for each participant in the table below. Return the form by email ([email protected] ) or mail (PO Box 4074, Forster NSW 2428) or if you prefer, please telephone me, Ashley Carlson on (02) 6557 5393 (AH)
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Name 1 Name 2 Name 3 Name 4
Saturday Walks
OPTION A
OPTION B
OPTION C
OPTION D
Sunday Walks
OPTION A
OPTION B
OPTION C
OPTION D
OPTION E
FINAL BIRD CALL will be held at BIG4 Harrington at about 5:30pm Sunday. BYO drinks and nibbles. The winner of ‘Guess the Final Tally’ competition will be announced.
The following trip notes are for several self-guided walks in the more immediate vicinity of Harrington. All directions and distances are based from the exit of the BIG4 Harrington
Harrington Rainforest - right turn and travel 0.6km. The rainforest walk is on right (south) side of the road and traverses the littoral rainforest behind the caravan park. It emerges at a lagoon which is located on the northern side of the eastward breakwall. There are no facilities.
Crowdy Bay National Park - right turn and travel 5km to Crowdy Bay Road T/O. Head north on a good unsealed road for 1.8km to Crowdy Gap Picnic Area T/O. There is a short walk in the picnic area or cross to the opposite side of the road (west of the T/O into the picnic ground) and follow one of the gated fire tails. This area is dominated by coastal heath. Toilet and picnic facilities are available.
Crowdy Head - right turn and travel approx 6km. Several locations can be explored being the back beach / lighthouse cliff face, accessed via a good gravel road at the start of the village on the right, the boatramp area on the left or the lighthouse by following the road along the coast. Toilet and picnic facilities are available.
Harrington Breakwall - turn left and travel 0.6km. The carpark forms the junction of two breakwalls with one heading south and the other heading east. Sand has built up on the southern side of the eastward breakwall, allowing closer viewing of the southern sand spit where waders and terns roost. Toilet and picnic facilities are available.
Harrington Bowling Club and Reserve - turn left and follow the road for 1.3km. The Bowling Club is where the evening meal will be held on Saturday night. Situated on the bank of the Manning River, adjacent to the Bowling Club, is parkland from where tidal mud flats can be viewed during low tide. Toilet and picnic facilities are available.
Harrington Boatramp - turn left and follow the main road for 3.2km. Apart from the carpark and boatramp in Gordon Smith Reserve, a path follows the river between the houses and riverine vegetation. There are no facilities.
Crowdy Bay National Park - turn left and follow the main road for 4.7km to Industrial Road T/O. Turn right for 0.6km to a gated fire trail which leads through mature coastal angophora woodland with heath understory or a further 0.5km to an old access road beside the Sewerage Treatment works (there is no access and poor visibility into the treatment works). This old access road traverses heath and tall rank grass associated with a swampy area. There are no facilities.
Cattai Creek Bridge - turn left and follow the main road for 8.2km to Cattai Creek bridge. There is an area to pull off on the north-western (Pacific Highway) side of the bridge. After rain a depression forms a shallow basin of water for wading birds. This is on private property so do not enter.
Cattai Wetlands - turn left and follow the main road for 12.3km to the Pacific Highway. Turn right (north) for 1.4km to Spring Hill Road on your right (east) and follow the signs along a good unsealed road to the wetlands. There are several walks available with the main walk being a loop around the perched freshwater wetland. The diverse vegetation matrix on the site includes examples of seven listed communities and over 170 bird species have been recorded. Toilet and picnic facilities are available.
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