Following recces in the first week of January, the location of this walk has been changed from Captain’s Flat/Tallaganda to Two Sticks Road in Brindabella NP. The main walk will be 5km return, from the Two Sticks Road and Blue Range Road intersection. There are some really good gullies, with drier ridgeline on one side towards the end. We saw Rufous Fantails, Superb Lyrebird, Spotted Quail-thrush and Cicadabird on our exploratory walk.
For those who are keen, after lunch we will drive another 3 km down the road to walk 2km return along the Baldy Range Trail to where it meets Swamp Creek. We had some different birds along here including Crescent Honeyeater, Grey Currawong and Satin Flycatcher.
Meet at the parking area down from the RSPCA in Kirkpatrick Street, Weston, for carpooling at 7:45am. Bring lunch in anticipation of a mid-afternoon return to Stromlo; also bring a hat, sunscreen, water and morning tea, and wear appropriate footwear and long trousers.
Register at prue.watters@gmail.com with your name, mobile number and name and number of an emergency contact, no later than Friday 26 January.
Degree of difficulty: All are well maintained fire trails, a little hilly with loose rocks underfoot in some sections.
End time (approx.): 2.00pm.
Numbers limited to 16.
Archer Callaway and Prue Watters 0414 357 456
On a bright Sunday morning, 13 other birders and I joined an outing led by Archer and Prue to Two Sticks Road and Baldy Range Track in Brindabella National Park. Having heard great things from Archer’s very successful reconnaissance a few days before, hopes were high for some classic wetter forest birds of the higher ranges, and we weren’t disappointed.
Relatively flat compared to the network of trails that run through the upper forest of Brindabella, Two Sticks Road had a wonderful mosaic of habitats that made for some varied birding, including tussocky forest and dense, wet gullies. The mountains were refreshing in the sunny weather, and the temperature ideal for bird activity. Immediately upon parking about 1 km from the intersection with Blue Range Road, flocks of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos called overhead, and it wasn’t long before we were hearing a few distant Superb Lyrebirds. Striated Thornbills kept to the upper canopy of the mid-storey vegetation, but as we rounded the road to our first wet gully we quickly got onto a Red-browed Treecreeper and the first of a few gorgeous Rufous Fantails. I was happy to pick up on the call of a Rose Robin and a few people managed fleeting looks. Later, after a prolonged encounter with a confiding pair of tail-flicking Satin Flycatchers, a Pilotbird’s call cut above the chatter of a mixed flock of White-naped and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, though it remained remote for all.
On the way back to the cars, Angela noticed movement in a wet gully and a beautiful Wonga Pigeon materialised out of the shade. This was my bird of the day and, although challenging to spot, everyone eventually had great looks.
After a brief drive and lunch stop, we began to ascend and then descend a far steeper Baldy Range Trail to the sounds of Striated Pardalote and Red Wattlebird. We also had clear views of a Collared Sparrowhawk. Though quieter than Two Sticks Road, we picked up on more Satin Flycatchers calling, a Fan-tailed Cuckoo trilling and an adult-juvenile trio of Red-browed Treecreepers that posed well for us. Finally, chunks of peeling bark alerted us to the activity of a female Eastern Shrike-tit, which was a nice way to wrap up the birding before the walk back to the cars.
Overall, the two roads were fabulous, and many people mentioned that they would be back for another visit in the future; me included!
Aiden Powell
