Outing Report - Border Loop - Cougal area – Saturday, 21st Sep 2024

Adapted from the Club' s October 2024 newsletter.

White-bellied Sea-eagle at Border Loop
Photo: J. Flanagan

We all met at Andrew Drynan Park at a very civilized time of 8:45am, and so we headed up Running Creek Road to the Flanagan’s old place. Here we were met by our lovely lady host, and there was plenty to see. We were treated to a Satin Bowerbird’s bower which specializes in blue objects. It is thought that the male uses more blue than the other colours as he matures. 

We left here after about an hour and headed up to the Border Loop Track. It was now obvious to me that I had the ‘A Team’ with me today, on my first ‘Leader of the Outing’ position. Thank goodness! Everyone helped with the flora and fauna, providing me the day's list of what the group had seen/heard. 

On arriving at the Border Loop lookout ..... we had morning tea, of course Then did the very gentle 1.5km Border Loop walk. It was a beautiful spring day, and the group enjoyed the interesting vegetation, and birds of course. It was lunch time now, and so the group sat in the pleasant shade and did our bird call, and soaked up the ambience of the magnificent Australian bush. Thanks team for a wonderful day.  

Richmond Gap (Flanagan’s old place)

Birds: Brown Cuckoo-dove, White-necked Heron, Laughing Kookaburra, Albert’s Lyrebird (heard),  

Satin Bowerbird, Lewin Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Brown Thornbill, Australasian Figbird .

Border Loop

Trees: Diploglottis sp., Yellow Tulip Drypetes australasica, Tallowwood Eucalyptus microcorys, Sydney Blue Gum Eucalyptus saligna, Ficus sp., Brush Box Lophostemon confertus, Celery Wood Polyscias elegans.

Small Trees/Shrubs: Native Holly Alchornea ilicifolia, Cunjevois Alocarsia brisbanenis, Coffee Bush Breynia oblongifolia, Prickly or Native Hibiscus Hibiscus heterophyllus, Red Kamala Mallotus philippensis, Rough-fruited Pittosporum Pittosporum revolutum, Poison Peach Trema tomentose, var

aspera.

Scramblers/Vines/Orchids/Ferns/Groundcovers:  Crow’s Nest Fern Asplenium australasicum, Cissus sp., Snake Orchid Cymbidium suave, Dianella sp., Prickly Rasp Fern Doodia aspera, Wombat Berry Eustrephus latifolius, Smilax sp.

Birds: Brown Cuckoo-dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Wompoo Pigeon, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Tree-creeper, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Bell Miner, White-browed Scrub-wren, Large-billed Scrub-wren, Grey Fantail, Rose Robin, Brown Thornbill, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Eastern Yellow Robin, Torresian Crow.

Outing Report - Wild Mountains Environmental Education Centre , Saturday, 18 November 2023

Adapted from different articles in the Fassifern Field Naturalists newsletters.

Views from the meeting place

We couldn’t have wished for better weather on this outing to Wild Mountains. As planned, we met up at the start of the 4WD sign. This was a prime photo area with majestic views of the ranges and surrounding scenery and people took full advantage of their cameras and scopes. 

It’s not easy to move 15 field nats however, we needed to make progress and go on one of the many walks. We chose the downhill section towards the creek. We were fairly spread out when Steve caught our attention. He was so excited; he could barely speak but was pointing to a tree down from the track. There, perched in a large hollow was a Masked Owl. It was a new bird sighting for the majority of us, but to see this rare owl in daylight made it very special.

Fungi at Wild Mountains

Onwards to the bridge. Due to past rain, the vegetation had thickened considerably, but taking our time, we managed to scramble down the steep terrain to view the creek and the mini waterfall. A delightful place to spend some time, that is if you don’t mind leeches. After that we headed in the vehicles to the majestic rainforest walk that borders NSW.

Throughout the day there was plenty to see, especially the birds enjoying the regeneration efforts in the ex-lantana dominated gullies. A huge Small-leaved Fig Ficus obliqua, with roots all over a rocky waterfall, was in fruit. The canopy was in constant motion with a dozen Topknot Pigeons and Regent Bowerbirds standing out. A couple of Barred Cuckoo-Shrikes looked quite trim in contrast.

Further up the road to the top gate and another avian avalanche. Fruit pigeons calling out everywhere. A Noisy Pitta wanting to go “off to work”. A Paradise Riflebird screeching in our ears. A Green Catbird “meowing” – probably wanting a bowl of milk.

The variety of tall trees on this mountain is truly amazing. Far too many to put in a small newsletter. But the Silver Booyong Argyrodendron trifoliolatum, a common tree, were in fruit – little helicopters spinning around and littering the track. 

All too soon it was time to depart. The folk at Wild Mountains took good care of us, even though they were working hard preparing for a big event the following week. We thank them very much for their generosity of time and friendship. We will look forward in the future to pay another visit to this amazing property.

A wild place and a wild gang of Field Nats – what more could you ask for?

Bird List

Wompoo Fruit Dove, Topknot Pigeon, Brown Pigeon, Rose-crowned Fruit- Dove, White-headed Pigeon, Little Black Cormorant, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Fantail Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Australian Masked Owl, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Australian King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Noisy Pitta, Regent Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Bell Miner, White-throated Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, White-browed Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Brown Gerygone, Barred Cuckooshrike, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Common Cicadabird. Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrikethrush, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Pied Currawong, Rufous Fantail, Grey Fantail, Spangled Drongo, Black-faced Monarch, Spectacled Monarch, Torresian Crow, Paradise Riflebird, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird.