RFI Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, NSW
By Birding-Aus, on April 2nd, 2014
Hi List, Rod & I are heading down to the Barren Grounds this weekend for our first visit, inspired by recent reports of lots of Eastern Bristlebirds and calling Ground Parrots. I can’t seem to find a good map with walking trails marked on it. Will it be clear where to go when we get there? Where would be the best areas to look for Bristlebirds? Any advice appreciated! Thank you, From Jenny Stiles _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi List, Thanks for all the great advice and help, but unfortunately the weather didn’t co-operate at all! Saturday afternoon was foggy & drizzly and only a few birds were seen [Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, New Holland Honeyeaters, Grey Fantail, Whipbird [heard], and a few Striated Thornbills] so we retired soggy to Jamberoo & hoped for better weather on Sunday. We saw 4 Lyrebirds on the drive up, but once again the Barren Grounds were attempting to transform into a swamp, shrouded in fog & near endless drizzle. We did squelch around for several hours but with very little to show for it; Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, both Wattlebirds, Crimson Rosella, Striated Thornbill, Grey Fantail and 3 Beautiful Firetails. Twice flushed from the track birds that might have been Bristlebirds but it was just too foggy to tell! Next time I will make sure that there is no suggestion of rain in the forecast…even at 11am it was so foggy we could scarcely make out Carrington Falls from the really close lookout. From Jenny Stiles Sent: Wednesday, 2 April 2014 11:30 PM Hi List, Rod & I are heading down to the Barren Grounds this weekend for our first visit, inspired by recent reports of lots of Eastern Bristlebirds and calling Ground Parrots. I can’t seem to find a good map with walking trails marked on it. Will it be clear where to go when we get there? Where would be the best areas to look for Bristlebirds? Any advice appreciated! Thank you, From Jenny Stiles _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Thank you Joshua and all the other list members who have sent me advice on where to look. Great to be able set off with such detailed instructions and it sounds like our chances are pretty good! From Jenny Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 9:06 AM Good morning Jenny, and list If you know the call of Eastern Bristlebird, you will have no trouble this weekend – I’ve been kicking them out of the way in my two visits over the last two weeks (9 and 8 on each visit respectively). There are two particularly tame individuals which often feed on the track and allow approach down to 3 or 4m. From the carpark, walk south until you reach the old Birds Australia research building. The track right (service trail) is best for Ground Parrots (“allegedly”, I’ve never seen one at Barren Grounds itself, only in Budderoo, but this is where we heard 9 of the 12 calling birds last Saturday). This is where they are most often flushed from the track in the day, but your best chance is to spotlight one after the sun has set in the evening and they call more regularly. The midday calling last weekend was extremely unusual. One of the tame bristlebirds is 20m down this track, the other 50m up the left hand fork. Apparently if you do the whole Griffith Loop Ground Parrot becomes a fairly likely bird, but I’ve never done this. There is a map at the carpark of all the trails. Beautiful Firetails are also everywhere at the moment. Cheers and good luck! Joshua Bergmark Sent: Wednesday, 2 April 2014 11:30 PM Hi List, Rod & I are heading down to the Barren Grounds this weekend for our first visit, inspired by recent reports of lots of Eastern Bristlebirds and calling Ground Parrots. I can’t seem to find a good map with walking trails marked on it. Will it be clear where to go when we get there? Where would be the best areas to look for Bristlebirds? Any advice appreciated! Thank you, From Jenny Stiles _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
John Evans, a Canberra bushwalker who has a very useful website on bushwalks in an around the ACT has a description: http://www.johnevans.id.au/Pages/Walk%20Descriptions/2012_09_11.html not that you need to search for bristlebirds. A good spot for bristlebirds is the short service trail that comes right off the Cooks Nose trail not far from the car park. It goes past a weather station down to a little creek. Haven’t been there for a couple of years but on quite a few visits I’ve watched bristlebirds forage across that trail, sometimes hopping to with a metre or two of me. If you are lucky you might come across a ground parrot feeding close to that trail. The first km or so of the Cook’s Nose trail is also good but you may have bristlebirds fly across the road as you drive in, or see them in the car park. If you come across bristlebirds duetting its interesting to observe which bird is initating the duets. You can watch/hear duets being initiated by both male & female – not that you can tell which is which. Don’t try walking into the heath to see Ground Parrots. They are reluctant to fly during the day and can just move away from you unseen through the heat. They are more likely to fly if they happen to be feeding close to a trail when you walk past but you need to be lucky and even luckier to see one thats not flying. Andrew _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Good morning Jenny, and list If you know the call of Eastern Bristlebird, you will have no trouble this weekend – I’ve been kicking them out of the way in my two visits over the last two weeks (9 and 8 on each visit respectively). There are two particularly tame individuals which often feed on the track and allow approach down to 3 or 4m. From the carpark, walk south until you reach the old Birds Australia research building. The track right (service trail) is best for Ground Parrots (“allegedly”, I’ve never seen one at Barren Grounds itself, only in Budderoo, but this is where we heard 9 of the 12 calling birds last Saturday). This is where they are most often flushed from the track in the day, but your best chance is to spotlight one after the sun has set in the evening and they call more regularly. The midday calling last weekend was extremely unusual. One of the tame bristlebirds is 20m down this track, the other 50m up the left hand fork. Apparently if you do the whole Griffith Loop Ground Parrot becomes a fairly likely bird, but I’ve never done this. There is a map at the carpark of all the trails. Beautiful Firetails are also everywhere at the moment. Cheers and good luck! Joshua Bergmark Sent: Wednesday, 2 April 2014 11:30 PM Hi List, Rod & I are heading down to the Barren Grounds this weekend for our first visit, inspired by recent reports of lots of Eastern Bristlebirds and calling Ground Parrots. I can’t seem to find a good map with walking trails marked on it. Will it be clear where to go when we get there? Where would be the best areas to look for Bristlebirds? Any advice appreciated! Thank you, From Jenny Stiles _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Thanks Christine, I am hoping to drop into Budderoo NP as well while we are so close! Thank you for the advice about where to look for the Bristlebirds. It would be lovely to see Beautiful Firetail as well. From Jenny Stiles —–Original Message—– Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 6:35 AM Cc: birding-aus Hi Jenny We’ve found Bristle birds along the road into the reserve. You can drive your car in, park then walk the road. We’ve seen them early in the morning and at dusk. Also try Budderoo NP not far away -Beautiful Firetail comes out along the road/track as well as Bristlebird. Christine Melrose Christine Melrose 0407705140 cmelrose099@gmail.com _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Jenny just to add. I’ve seen a dozen or so during the day after showers around the large puddles that you will likely see given the forecast rain this week and intermittent showers on the weekend when you are there…..and also suspect there won’t be many people there which is a good thing for sightings. Sunny periods in between showers is the best time to see them in my view. I’ve also flushed a Ground Parrot from the service track during the middle of the day (after about 15 previous attempts mind you). Cheers, Charles Hunter +61 402 907 577 _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Jenny We’ve found Bristle birds along the road into the reserve. You can drive your car in, park then walk the road. We’ve seen them early in the morning and at dusk. Also try Budderoo NP not far away -Beautiful Firetail comes out along the road/track as well as Bristlebird. Christine Melrose Christine Melrose 0407705140 cmelrose099@gmail.com _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org