Killawarra Forest in January

I spent a few hours this morning in Killawarra Forest. It was quite a warm and windy morning, so as a result, there were not a huge amount of birds and species seen (just over 50 species). Late autumn, winter and early spring are the best times in the forest when gums are flowering and winter migrants are visiting. You can see 80+ species at a time then. Started the morning in the forest just off Mattamia Rd. A female Gilbert's Whistler calling, then seen briefly in Golden Wattles, a male Painted Button-quail flushed and a Speckled Warbler calling from a sapling were some highlights. Also the usual honeyeater species here, Fuscous, Black-chinned, Yellow-tufted and Brown-headed, espeically around the small dam.



I moved onto the camp-oval area (oval above). Not much more seen. A group of Buff-rumped Thornbills working their way through the undergorwth was interesting to watch. Next along Camp Rd a female White-winged Triller was observed feeding a fledgling. There were a few more birds at School House Road such as Varied Sittella and a lone Noisy Friarbird calling. In winter there were hundreds of these birds in the forest. One may have stayed over summer to breed.

I stopped briefly at Frosts Crossing along the Ovens River on the way home. A Dollarbird here was a nice sighting. Birding was little difficult due to the noisy Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (below) which can make it hard to hear any other birds calling.



65 species for the morning.