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| Jacky Winter |
TOUR
NAME – STANTHORPE AND SURROUNDS
ROUTE
AND DURATION – 5
DAYS – Brisbane – Lockyer Valley – Stanthorpe – Giraween National Park –
Sundown National Park – Warwick - Brisbane
DATE
/S OF DEPARTURE –
COST
AND INCLUSIONS –
ITINERARY
–
M - Day #1 – Brisbane to Stanthorpe
Depart Brisbane Transit Centre at 8-30am bound for
Stanthorpe. We will take some time for birding while we are in the area of
Lockyer Valley and Gatton. There are a range of wetlands and forested areas in
this region and we should get a good list going before our picnic lunch.
In the afternoon we will have a two-hour drive to
Stanthorpe via the town of Warwick. We will keep our eyes open for raptors
during the drive south.
o/n
Stanthorpe LD
T - Day
#2 – Giraween NP
Our morning birding will take us directly to the
National Park headquarters at Girraween National Park. This National Park has
an awesome setting of huge granite boulders and hills with scenic streams
running through its valleys. It is famous for its wildflowers; indeed, Giraween
is an aboriginal word meaning ‘Place of Flowers’, [sadly though not of local
origin] Wildflowers begin to bloom in late July with golden wattle brightening
the bush canopy, and pea flowers bursting into blossom below. The park has
significant communities of eucalypt forests, sedgelands and heathlands.
Birding around the main picnic area we will start to
experience a few of the key species; White eared, Yellow tufted and Yellow
eared Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebird, Weebill, Yellow rumped, Buff rumped, Striated,
Brown and perhaps Yellow Thornbills.
 |
| Dusky Woodswallow |
We will take a short walk following the river. The path
takes us over granite rocks however it is not steep. Along this path Spotted Quail thrush have
been sighted and perhaps we will encounter Chestnut rumped Heathwren.
In the afternoon we will take a drive along the old
Wallangara Road; this is an excellent area for birding. Diamond Firetails,
Brown Treecreepers, Scarlet Robins, Fuscous Honeyeater, White plumed
Honeyeater, Rufous Songlark and Turquoise Parrots have all been recorded.
The road ends near Wallangara, where there is a small
series of sewerage ponds. What decent birding trip does not have sewerage
ponds? These ponds are home to a range of duck species, often including
Australian Shoveler and Pink eared Duck. In addition Australian Reed Warbler
and Little Grassbird are located here.
Towards dusk we will drive back to Stanthorpe for our
evening meal.
o/n
Stanthorpe BLD
 |
| Diamond Firetail |
This morning again we will find our way into Girraween
National Park for a short birding walk. We may return to some of the areas
visited the day before however my might try some new walks.
The birding today will be dictated by how we went the
previous day but there are no shortage of options.
The Old Wallangara Road will almost certainly deserve a
repeat and with that a visit to the southern sections of the park where Red
browed Treecreepers may be found in the trees, while in the under-growth we
might hear the splendid calls of Superb Lyrebird.
Storm King Dam, located between Stanthorpe and Girraween,
can be good for a variety for species. For a time, it was a known haunt for
Musk Duck.
If there are adequate numbers of people interested we may
take a half an hour in the afternoon to try some of the local wine.
o/n
Stanthorpe BLD
T - Day
#4 – Sundown NP
An early start this morning for a drive to Sundown
National Park’s southern entrance which is just over an hours drive.
“Sundown National Park, is a rugged wilderness area with spectacular
steep-sided gorges, sharp ridges and peaks of over 1,000 m that rise above
the Severn River. The vegetation is mainly woodland consisting of box, ironbark
and cypress trees, river red gums and river oaks along the river,
stringybark and yellow box trees dominate forest in some high eastern areas and
pockets of dry vine scrub are found in sheltered gorges”.
We will take much of the day to explore this park,
stopping where birds are seen and enjoying a few short walks within the park.
While many of the species that can be seen in Sundown are
similar to that of Giraween there are a few most western species recorded more
often and one of the delights of outback birding is the knowledge that one
never really knows what is possible to find.
We will return to Stanthorpe for our evening meal and an
overnight stay.
o/n
Stanthorpe BLD
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| Musk Lorikeets |
F - Day #5 – Return to Brisbane
We begin our drive home but first a stop off in
Durikai State Forest near the town of Warwick. Here there a few opportunities
to see a great variety of honeyeaters if conditions are right. Several uncommon
species have been recorded here over the years including Regent Honeyeater,
Black Honeyeater, Painted Honeyeater, Black chinned Honeyeater in addition to
the more common White throated, Brown, Yellow tufted, White eared, Brown headed
Honeyeaters.
We will enjoy a picnic lunch in a Warwick park where
hopefully there will be some Musk Lorikeets in attendance in nearby gums.
The afternoon will take us through Cunningham’s Gap as we
return to Brisbane at approximately 4-30pm.
BL
KEY BIRD SPECIES –
Emu
Magpie Goose
Plumed Whistling-Duck
Wandering Whistling-Duck
Freckled Duck
Black Swan
Cotton Pygmy-Goose
Maned Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Australian Shoveler
Grey Teal
Chestnut Teal
Pink-eared Duck
Hardhead
Blue-billed Duck
Musk Duck
Australian Brush-Turkey
Brown Quail
King Quail
Australasian Grebe
Hoary-headed Grebe
Little Black Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Pied Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Australasian Darter
Australian Pelican
Pacific Heron
Great Egret (Australasian)
Intermediate [Plumed] Egret
White-faced Heron
Little Egret
Pacific Reef-Heron
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
Rufous Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Australian White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Royal Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Osprey (Australasian)
Australian Black shouldered Kite
Pacific Baza
Square-tailed Kite
Little Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Swamp Harrier
Spotted Harrier
Grey Goshawk
Brown Goshawk
Collared Sparrowhawk
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Buff-banded Rail
Lewin's Rail
Pale vented Bush-hen
Baillon's Crake
Spotless Crake
Purple Swamphen
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Brolga
Bush Thick-knee
Black-winged Stilt
Red-necked Avocet
Banded Lapwing
Masked Lapwing
Red-capped Plover
Red-kneed Dotterel
Black-fronted Dotterel
Australian Painted-snipe
Comb-crested Jacana
Silver Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
White-headed Pigeon
Spotted Dove
Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Emerald Dove
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Wonga Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove
Wompoo Fruit-Dove
Superb Fruit-Dove
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
Topknot Pigeon
Pallid Cuckoo
Brush Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo
Little Bronze-Cuckoo
Koel
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Pheasant Coucal
Sooty Owl
Australian Masked-Owl
Australasian Grass-Owl
Barn Owl (Australian)
Powerful Owl
Barking Owl
Southern Boobook
Australian Owlet-Nightjar
Tawny Frogmouth
Azure Kingfisher
Laughing Kookaburra
Forest Kingfisher
Sacred Kingfisher
Rainbow Bee-eater
Dollarbird
Australian Kestrel
Australian Hobby
Brown Falcon
Black Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Glossy Black-Cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Galah
Little Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cockatiel
Australian King-Parrot
Red-winged Parrot
Turquoise Parrot
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Pale-headed Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Musk Lorikeet
Little Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Noisy Pitta
Superb Lyrebird
Green Catbird
Regent Bowerbird
Satin Bowerbird
White-throated Treecreeper
Red-browed Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
Variegated Fairywren
Superb Fairywren
Red-backed Fairywren
Eastern Spinebill
Lewin's Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Singing Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Yellow-throated Miner
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Red Wattlebird
Scarlet Myzomela
Brown Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
White-throated Honeyeater
Black-chinned Honeyeater
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Little Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
Striped Honeyeater
Painted Honeyeater
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Yellow-throated Scrubwren
White-browed Scrubwren
Large-billed Scrubwren
Speckled Warbler
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren
Brown Thornbill
Inland Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Striated Thornbill
Buff rumped Thornbill
Weebill
White-throated Gerygone
Brown Gerygone
Grey-crowned Babbler
White-browed Babbler
Australian Logrunner
Eastern Whipbird
White-breasted Woodswallow
Dusky Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Australasian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Barred Cuckooshrike
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
White-bellied Cuckooshrike
White-winged Triller
Varied Triller
Common Cicadabird
Varied Sittella
Crested Shrike-tit
Rufous Shrike-Thrush
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Olive-backed Oriole
Australasian Figbird
Spangled Drongo
Willie-wagtail
Rufous Fantail
Grey Fantail
White-eared Monarch
Black-faced Monarch
Spectacled Monarch
Magpie-lark
Leaden Flycatcher
Restless Flycatcher
Torresian Crow
Australian Raven
White-winged Chough
Apostlebird
Paradise Riflebird
Jacky-winter
Scarlet Robin
Red-capped Robin
Flame Robin
Rose Robin
Pale-yellow Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Australasian Bushlark
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin
Tree Martin
Australian Reed-Warbler
Little Grassbird
Brown Songlark
Tawny Grassbird
Rufous Songlark
Golden-headed Cisticola
Silver-eye
Russet-tailed Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Common Myna
European Starling
Mistletoebird
Australasian Pipit
House Sparrow
Diamond Firetail
Red-browed Firetail
Plum-headed Finch
Zebra Finch
Double-barred Finch
Scaly-breasted Munia
Chestnut-breasted Munia
SELECTED OTHER FAUNA – Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Common Wallaroo, Red-necked Wallaby, Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby, Common Brushtail Possum, Feathertail Glider, Southern Greater Glider, Common Ringtail Possum, Yellow-bellied Glider (southern subspecies), Sugar Glider, Common Wombat, Koala, Yellow-footed Antechinus, Brown Antechinus, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Echidna, Platypus
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