Back to the Booyong Flora Reserve

Booyong Flora Reserve is a 13 ha rainforest remnant of the Big Scrub that once covered the Northern Rivers, New South Wales plains between Lismore and Byron Bay. The rainforest here is “White Booyong Sub-alliance”, one of three major types found across the Big Scrub. The major tree species are White Booyong, Pepperberry, Myrtle Ebony, Red Cedar, Oliver’s Sassafras, Green-leaved Rose Walnut, Marara, Black Bean, White Beech, Koda, Black Apple, Giant Water Gum, and Small-leaved Fig. On the western track many of the trees are labelled, providing an insight to the richness of the flora. Care is needed here as the tracks are somewhat overgrown.

A Large-billed Scrubwren, photographed in gloomy undergrowth at 1/50 sec and ISO 12,800. The quality of this photo has been helped greatly by Lightroom’s AI powered denoise. Photography was difficult with thick bush and low light, and birds more often heard than seen. 

A Fan-tailed Cuckoo, an unexpected sighting. There was a full range of pigeons calling - Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Wonga Pigeons, Brown-capped Emerald-Doves, Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves, and Topknot Pigeons. The sounds of the reserve confirm the richness of species with pigeons, wailing Green Catbirds and Eastern Whipbirds forming the chorus.

This Grey Shrike-thrush was adding its song. 

The iconic Red Cedar, a valuable timber for building and furniture, propelled land clearing and the forest industry the length of the New South Wales coastal regions during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the Northern Rivers Region this species is more often represented by a six foot high, rotting stump.

Visit to Booyong Flora Reserve

The Booyong Flora Reserve in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales is part of the one percent that remains of what once was the “Big Scrub”, extending from Lismore to Byron Bay. A short visit to this island of rainforest resulted in sightings of Golden Whistlers, Grey Shrike-thrush, Brown Greygone, Large-billed Scrubwren and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

Large-billed Scrubwren at Booyong Flora Reserve

Large-billed Srcubwren

Byron Hinterland rural estates

The Byron Bay rural, rainforest and mountain hinterlands provide refuge for the rich and famous as well as those seeking a gentle and grounded lifestyle. Amongst the rural properties many seek to restore and regenerate the original rainforest cover, most of which was removed for farming last century. Some estates are large with several hundred hectares replanted; some are managed by teams of gardeners. Others are smaller, created by the labor of nature enthusiasts. The Byron Bird Buddies survey a number of these estates to monitor their progress as they to return as havens for rainforest birds.

The highlight from a survey conducted this week was the sight of this Noisy Pita in a very successful replanted rainforest. In 1942 this land was a treeless dairy farm, as shown on surveillance photos taken during the Second World War. There are still enormous tree stumps within the regenerated forest, a reminder of the relentless clearing that took place long ago.

In the estate’s garden a group of six female Regent Bowerbirds were feeding, further proof of the quality of the bush nearby.

Red-browed Finches are regularly seen along the road-sides and clearings in the bush, more usually in the grasses than in this tree on the edge of the replanted area.

Approximately 150 Topknot Pigeons were counted, in large flocks too-ing and fro-ing across the sky, then roosting in the taller trees. Topknot Pigeons feed on the seed of the introduced Camphor Laurel trees; a species that filled the void that followed as dairy farming became uneconomic.

A Brown Thornbill, seen in many different habitats in the Byron and Northern Rivers NSW region.

Big Scrub Loop

The Big Scrub Loop walking track is in Nightcap National Park, near Lismore, New South Wales. The track passes through magnificent subtropical rainforest dominated by enormous fig trees, Giant Stinging Trees and huge buttressed Yellow Carabeen. The Nightcap Range has been designated an Important Biodiversity Area (IBA) by Birdlife International. The key IBA bird species found in the park are the Albert's Lyrebird, Green Catbird, Pale-yellow Robin, Australian Logrunner, Paradise Riflebird, and Regent Bowerbird.

Four of the six key IBA species were recorded during this weeks survey by the Byron Bird Buddies; the Green Catbird, Logrunner, Paradise Riflebird and this Pale-yellow Robin.The three hour survey recorded thirty plus plus species, many heard rather than seen.The Pale-yellow Robin is a true rainforest inhabitant feeding on insects close the ground, amongst the lawyer vines.

Nightcap National Park on the Big Scrub Loop wallking track.

A dozen Logrunners made their presence known with a loud and distinctive “be-kweek-kweek-kweek”. The white bib identifies this bird as a male.

The tortured cat wail of the Green Catbird provides a disconcerting backdrop to the continual chorus of bird calls in this prolific rainforest. There were only glimpses of this species which likes to remain high in the forest canopy.

This Large-billed Scrubwren was one of the small birds feeding at lower levels of the forest together with Brown Gerygone and Brown Thornbills. Up in the canopy Scarlet Honeyeaters and Lewin’s Honeyeaters were calling.

The northern ranges of New South Wales are home to a wide variety of pigeon species. The call of the Brown Cuckoo-Dove seen here was heard a number of times. Other pigeons recorded were the Wompoo Fruit-Dove, White-headed Pigeon, Pacific Emerald Dove, Wonga Pigeon, Topknot Pigeon and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.

Beautiful fungi grace the undergrowth.

Booyong Flora Reserve

The “Big Scrub” of New South Wales once extended over 75,000 hectares of rich volcanic soils emanating from the ancient Mount Warning volcano; to Lismore, Ballina and on to Byron Bay. Ninety nine per cent of the Big Scrub’s lowland subtopical rainforest has been cleared with only tiny remnants remaining. The Booyong Flora Reserve is one of these, a 16 hectare reminder of the previously luxuriant forest. Its canopy is formed by White Booyong - a flowering rainforest tree with prominent buttresses, giving the reserve its name - and Red Cedar, White Beech and fig trees.

There were many birds calling but few showing themselves in the dark understory of the Booyong Flora Reserve. This Brown Gerygone was one of a small flock seen near a giant fig tree in the reserve.

This Lewin’s Honeyeater was calling along with Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Wonga Pigeons, Torresian Crows, Eastern Yellow Robins, Whipbirds and Figbirds. There were a number of calls I did not recognise. The reserve is home to a rich selection of rainforest species including Fruit and Emerald Doves, Logrunners, Catbirds, and Cicadabirds.