Wee Jasper

This outing will be to private property near Wee Jasper. The property is called Bimbenang and is on Doctor’s Flat Road. The quickest route is over Uriarra Crossing, turn right and follow the road until the T junction. Turn right onto Mountain Creek Road and continue north to meet the Yass/Wee Jasper Road. Turn left towards Wee Jasper and then left at Doctor’s Flat Road. Bimbenang is 14.8 kms from this turnoff. You pass a property called Kenya, then about 1 kms further on cross a small creek (Dinnertime Creek), (which might be dry). The gate to Bimbenang is about 70 metres further on, on the right. It has a “No Trespassers” sign on it. It takes about 1hr 40 mins travelling time from the city centre to get there using this route. We will carpool from Stromlo Forest Park carpark. Please meet there at 7.15 am and we will aim to arrive at the property by 9.00 am. Due to restricted parking on the property we will take only four cars.

Dinnertime Creek runs through the property and usually has water flowing at this time of year. That’s probably the best spot to see birds but the property is 86 hectares in size so there are plenty of other places to look also. It’s very rugged country covered in virgin tall-timbered forest so people should wear their toughest shoes and worst clothing.

Birds that may be seen include Superb Lyrebirds, Golden Whistlers, treecreepers, Eastern Spinebills, Fantails including Rufous, numerous small green/brown “scrub birds”, Cockatoos including Gang gangs, and Wonga Pigeons.

Bring morning tea. Wear long trousers, sturdy boots and, as it is snake season, wear gaiters if you have them.

As this is an area of dense bush and tracks are narrow, this outing will be restricted to 16 people. Registration is essential to Sue Lashko on 62514485 or smlashko@gmail.com

Noel and Lynne Bentley, Sue Lashko

Disappointingly, just three COG members participated in this outing to the beautiful wooded property ‘Bimbenang’ on Doctors Flat Road near Wee Jasper. Despite the forest being extensively burnt in the 2003 bushfires, dense cover has returned with the dominant eucalypts being E rossii, E viminalis, E dives and E radiata, with a varied shrub layer below.

We were warmly welcomed by the property owners at the front gate and immediately were surrounded by large numbers of birds. Of particular note were Leaden Flycatcher, Sacred Kingfisher and White-throated Gerygone, the latter giving its very short, abruptly-ending Western Gerygone-like call. As we walked up the one kilometre track to the hut, adding new bird species, we enjoyed a variety of wildflowers and later, when we walked a track to the creek, we found a good number of orchids.

The dominant sound throughout the morning was the call of Rufous Whistlers, with at least 21 individuals recorded. There were good numbers of Yellow-faced and White-naped Honeyeaters, as well as Grey Fantails. Evidence of breeding was found for Striated Pardalote, Pied Currawong and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike. Wonga Pigeons were heard calling and a Superb Lyrebird did a low flypast near the hut. Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Shining Bronze-Cuckoo were heard at several locations. A total of 34 species was recorded.

Our thanks to the Bentley family for their invitation to Bimbenang.