Wingham Brush Nature Reserve

Wingham Brush Nature Reserve is a spectacular 9 hectare sample of the subtropical lowland forest that once covered much of the Manning River valley. A tangle of towering Moreton Bay figs and vines the undergrowth features rarities like the giant stinging tree. Located on a town block in Wingham in the Manning Valley NSW, this well looked after reserve with its boardwalks is refuge for a large range of birds and home for Grey-headed Flying Foxes. 

This small patch of bush, dominated by giant Moreton Bay figs, is looking healthy despite the recent years of drought, perhaps benefiting from its proximity to the Manning River.

The reserve was at one time logged for red cedar and by 1980 was badly infested with weeds. Through the efforts of the Wingham Brush regeneration team the rainforest has returned to a natural state. The pioneering methods used to do this are now recognized internationally as the “The Wingham Brush method”.

Thousands of bats roost in the reserve; predominantly the Grey-headed Flying Fox (pictured) but also the rarer Little Red and Black Flying Fox.

The Russet-tailed Thrush is found in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest of eastern Australia. It is distinguished from its cousin, the Bassian Thrush by the larger white tip on its outermost tail feathers (not really visible here), its shorter tail and the more coppery colouration of its back.

Persons unknown evidently introduced the Australian Brush-turkey to this site and it has flourished in the healthy bush environment.

Manning Valley Birds

Our stay in the Manning Valley was in a bungalow at “Mansefield on Manning” just west of Taree, NSW at Tinonee. The 18 hectare park-like grounds have tall gum trees, patches of denser trees, an orchard and large vegetable garden bounded by a small wetland on one side and the Manning River on the other. I counted over 50 bird species on the property itself ranging from Yellow Thornbills and Scarlet Honeyeaters to King Parrots, Brown Quail, Spangled Drongo, Wedge-tailed Eagles and Australian Pelican. The cabins are well separated around the property and there was a serenade from Pied Butcherbirds each morning.    

This Spangled Drongo was seen each day at our bungalow at “Mansefield on Manning”, Tinonee, NSW.

And this Brown Quail was seen from the deck in long grass under a nearby tree. There was a group of four Quails that were later seen crossing the road into the site.

One of a family group of Australian King-Parrots.

This Black-fronted Dotterel was keeping very clean in the mud in a roadside pond near Coopernook in the Manning Valley, NSW. A week later this same area was under water, blocking the highway for three days.

Female Regent Bowerbird at Saltwater National Park near the mouth of the Manning River, NSW.

O’Sullivans Gap in Myall Lakes National Park

Taking Wootton Way just north of Buladelah on NSW’s Mid North Coast, you come to a dirt road leading to the “The Grandis”.  This Eucalpytus Grandis (or Flooded Gum), stands at over 70 metres tall and is reputedly New South Wales’ tallest tree. A bit further up the Wootton road is O’Sullivans Gap Picnic Area. Here among cathedral like “grandis” grow tall palm trees, ferns and areas of dense rainforest.

The dense forest provides little light for photography, this photo of a Rufous Fantail taken at 1/160 seconds, f/5.6 at ISO 2000!

I was enticed to this spot by the description in Ted and Alex Wnorowski’s “Australian Good Birding Guide: NSW-ACT”, which promised Noisy Pitta, Pale-yellow Robins and Australian Logrunners. Although I did not see any of these this place is well worth a visit. If you take the bush track wear gumboots sprayed with copious Bushman Repellant to discourage the leeches!

The beautiful Eucalpytus Grandis provide a majestic setting with the dense undergrowth that surrounds O’Sullivan’s Gap Picnic Ground in Myall Lakes National Park.

This Sacred Kingfisher was high in a Eucalpytus Grandis. Other canopy birds included Topknot Pigeons and White-headed Pigeons.

Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets (pictured) raced through the canopy. There were also small groups of Glossy Black-Cockatoos and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos.

This Spectacled Monarch was my bird of the day, feeding in Lantana at the fringe of the picnic ground.

I was not sure what this bird in the dark understory was until the photo was developed on the computer. One of a pair of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens.

Numbers of Brown Gerygones (pictured) as well as Red-browed Finches, Superb Fairy-wren, and Silvereyes buzzed through the Lantana that grows around the picnic area and on the roadside.

Myall Lakes National Park

The Myall lakes wind through an ancient riverbed where the New England Fold belt meets and overthrusts the Sydney Basin rocks - bounded seaward by sandhills that were laid down 60,000 years ago and a coastal sand belt formed 6,000 years ago. The national park covers 44,000 hectare and is 50 km north of Newcastle in NSW. Its wetlands are Ramsar listed with 18 different wetland types. Black-necked Storks, Comb-crested Jacanas, and White-bellied Sea-Eagles are among the 280 species of bird reported here. And the park is home to 41 species of mammal, 15 amphibians and 16 reptiles.

Several Brown Cuckoo-Doves were regular visitors to the pond side trees opposite our Tiny House on Bombah Point Road.

Our accommodation for the weekend was a Tiny House on Bombah Point Road, set in spacious and bushy grounds. The visit started well with two Glossy Black-Cockatoos and a pair of Tawny Frogmouths roosting close by. Bird watching from the Tiny House deck added Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Lewin’s Honeyeaters, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills, Brown Cuckoo-Doves, and a Wonga Pigeon, with several endlessly busy Grey Butcherbirds feeding on the lawns.

One of the Grey Butcherbirds feeding on prey exposed by what was a very wet lawn (gumboots recommended).

At Mungo Beach were groups of Crested Terns, two Pied Oystercatchers and the usual Silver Gulls. There was a White-cheeked Honeyeater calling in the car park.

Noisy Friarbirds commanded the taller trees, competing with a small group of Noisy Miners.