Central
Coast of New South Wales Birding Tour
1 to 14 November 2007
Day
I
1 November
Melbourne to Temora
Mainly a travelling day today with a few stops along the way at select
localities, such as the Chiltern area of north east Victoria and The
Rock Nature Reserve (NR), south of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Birding
highlights might include yellow-tufted, fuscous and
black-chinned honeyeaters, and possibly brolga on swamps
north of Albury if the season is favourable; and there is a chance for
speckled warbler and roadside raptors.
Overnight:
Temora
Day
2
2 November
Temora to Capertee Valley
We spend a few hours this morning exploring the extensive box/ironbark
forest protected in Ingalbar NR near Temora. If the ironbarks are flowering,
there should be plenty of honeyeaters about and maybe little
lorikeet and swift parrot. The area should also be good for
red-capped and hooded robins and we have a chance for
superb parrot as we head north.
Overnight: Capertee Valley area
Day
3
3 November
Capertee Valley
We spend the day exploring this picturesque valley surrounded by the
rugged escarpment of Wollemi National Park (NP). Regent honeyeater
will be high on our lists as will plum-headed, double-barred
and diamond firetail finches. We have a good chance for turquoise
parrot and square-tailed kite.
Overnight: Capertee Valley area
Day
4
4 November
Capertee to Mudgee
We spend most of the day further exploring the valley. Rock warbler
is a possibility today in the nearby Wollemi NP before we travel
to the little town of Mudgee, Australia's honey capital.
Overnight: Mudgee
Day
5
5 November
Mudgee to Newcastle
We spend the morning exploring the delightful Munghorn Gap NR, one of
New South Wales' premier birding locations. This area has a great mix
of east meets west birds. Birds could include spotted quail-thrush,
chestnut-rumped heathwren, cicadabird, brush cuckoo,
painted honeyeater, rock warbler and superb lyrebird.
After lunch we travel on to the bustling city of Newcastle.
Overnight: Newcastle area
Day
6
6 November
Newcastle to Gloucester area
Today we explore Kooragang Island for yellow wagtail and waders.
We'll call into the Shortlands Wetland Centre where there can be a decent
size egret rookery (four spp.), as well as magpie geese and
an assortment of other waterbirds. Then to Stockton Bridge, a major
high tide wader roost for the Hunter wetlands. Here we might get
bar-tailed and black-tailed godwits, grey-tailed tattler
and Terek sandpiper. After lunch we'll travel on to the Gloucester
area.
Overnight: Gloucester area
Day
7
7 November
Gloucester area
An early start this morning as we ravel to the heights of Gloucester
Tops, within Barrington NP to search for one of Australia's most elusive
birds, the highly secretive rufous scrubbird. We should have
a sporting chance at this time of year. Other species include superb
lyrebird, green catbird, yellow-throated scrub-wren,
rose robin and red-browed treecreeper. We'll spotlight tonight
for sooty owl and mammals including red-necked pademelon
and greater glider and perhaps hear the eerie sound of dingoes
howling.
Overnight: Gloucester area
Day
8
8 November
Gloucester area
Another chance early today for rufous scrubbird before we head
to Copeland Tops, a nearby rainforest area. Here we have a chance for
logrunner, noisy pitta, pale yellow robin, russet-tailed
thrush, topknot and white-headed pigeons and wompoo
fruit-dove. Later we travel to Wingham.
Overnight: Wingham
Day
9
9 November
Wingham area
Today we travel ups to Dingo Tops NP (Tapin NP) where the high rainforest
should hold paradise riflebird, black-faced monarch, pheasant
coucal, glossy black cockatoo, spotted quail-thrush
and perhaps regent bowerbird. Spotlighting tonight might yield
parma wallaby, red-necked pademelon and sooty owl
and also gives us a chance for tiger quoll.
Overnight: Wingham area
Day
10
10 November
Wingham area
Today we visit the coast, visiting the nearby Crowdy Bay NP. The heath
here holds some good birds: white-cheeked, scarlet and
tawny-crowned honeyeaters, southern emu-wren and tawny
grassbird. Adjoining forest could also produce koel, channel
billed cuckoo, glossy black cockatoo and regent bowerbird.
Some good waders, as well as little, common and crested
terns and osprey might be had at the mouth of the Manning
River at Harrington. Spotlighting tonight may give us grass owl
and southern brown bandicoot.
Overnight: Wingham area
Day
11
11 November
Wingham to Scone
Today we start the journey back to Melbourne. We cross the mountains
at Barrington Tops, stopping to bird along the way. Here we should pick
up flame robin and maybe the isolated race of forest raven,
the so-called 'relic raven'.
Overnight: Scone
Day
12 & 13
12 & 13 November
Scone to Cowra to Chiltern
We travel through the hamlets of Rylstone and Sofala, watching out for
superb parrot as we near Cowra where we overnight. Next day,
looking out for raptors and other birds en route, we head for the quaint
old town of Chiltern.
Overnight: Cowra & Chiltern
Day
14
14 November
Chiltern to Melbourne
Some early morning birding in the box/ironbark forest around Chiltern
could give us barking owl, turquoise parrot, spotted
quail-thrush, and if the birding deity is with us, regent honeyeater.
We'll arrive back in Melbourne early evening.
end of tour
Cost and other information:
$5,480.00
AUD (twin share) including GST
single supplement: $780 AUD
motel and cottage accommodation from 1 November to and including 13 November.
meals from lunch on 1 November to lunch on 14 November
park entry fees
22 seater bus or 2 x 4WDs or 12 seater depending on participant numbers
tour starts and finishes in Melbourne
cost does not include airfares, alcohol, mini-bar charges, personal items,
phone calls, laundry etc
luggage: restricted to 2 bags per person, preferably soft bags.
weather: warm to hot, mostly dry, possibly cold on Gloucester Tops
tour leaders: Philip Maher & Patricia Maher