Access to Conimbla National Park in the NSW wheatbelt is 15 km from the Cowra to Grenfell highway. The 8,000 hectare park forms a bush island around Yambira mountain rising 500metres above the surrounding cultivated plains. The vegetation is mainly “Western Slopes Dry Sclerophyll Forest” consisting of ironbark eucalypt, other eucalypts and callitris (cypress pines). The park is home to Glossy Black-Cockatoos, Turquoise Parrots, and several species of honeyeaters and robins. It is known as a refuge for Painted Button-quail and for Spotted Quail-thrush.
White-throated Treecreepers were calling at all the sites visited in Conimbla National Park last week, this bird feeding on an Ironbark coloured by lichen.
This view of the Wallaby Walking Track shows the Ironbarks, other eucalypts and callitris typical of the park’s vegetation.
On last week’s survey we saw both Brown and White-throated Treecreepers and three Speckled Warblers at the park entrance. On the Wallaby Walking Track we saw White-eared and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Red-browed Finches, White-browed Scrubwrens, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantails, whistlers and a flock of six Varied Sittellas.
Red-browed Finches were nesting in a low shrub in the picnic ground at the foot of the Wallaby Walking Track.
This White-eared Honeyeater was looking for company and stayed near the track for several minutes before flying off.
A highlight was the sudden appearance of a group of six Varied Sittellas in a flock that included treecreepers and fantails.