Main Range National Park is a massive national park in several sections, and is part of Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. It is actually deceptively close to Toowoomba and we based ourselves at the Manna Gum camping ground, and surveyed a number of sites in the Goomburra Section of the park.
The first section we surveyed was the sheoak ridge in behind the campsite. This is a predominantly mixed and open eucalypt forest with yellow box gums blossoming, but surprisingly little lorikeet activity. A highlight was Red-browed treecreepers, which we don’t see in our normal survey areas closer to Toowoomba. White-winged trillers were also heard, but not seen.
We then moved to the southern end of Winder Track which was a mix of rainforest and wet schlerophyll. The birdlife here reflected this denser forest type and included Satin bowerbirds, Noisy pitta (heard only) and an Australian logrunner (heard only as well).
We then moved to the Sylvester’s track and look out. This is subtropical rainforest under a fairly dense canopy, and this section yielded the highlight of the day.
Adjacent to the lookout at the end of the track we were treated to a late season display by a male Albert’s lyrebird. A few members of the public were there as well, and everyone stood in awe (and silence) as they appreciated the amazing repertoire of calls from the lyrebird.
A second Albert’s lyrebird was seen on the way back, this time foraging not calling and displaying.
This Carpet python was still warming up on the edge of the track and had to be moved on.
We also came across this shallow pond of water that was full of tadpoles in a tree stump. With more rain on the way we thought they may at least have a chance.
This is all the birds recorded for the day, including ones seen at the Manna Gum camping area.
| Albert’s Lyrebird | Menura alberti |
| Australian King-Parrot | Alisterus scapularis |
| Australian Logrunner | Orthonyx temminckii |
| Bell Miner | Manorina melanophrys |
| Black-faced Monarch | Monarcha melanopsis |
| Brown Cuckoo-Dove | Macropygia phasianella |
| Brown Gerygone | Gerygone mouki |
| Brown Thornbill | Acanthiza pusilla |
| Channel-billed Cuckoo | Scythrops novaehollandiae |
| Common Cicadabird | Edolisoma tenuirostre |
| Crimson Rosella | Platycercus elegans |
| Eastern Whipbird | Psophodes olivaceus |
| Eastern Yellow Robin | Eopsaltria australis |
| Golden Whistler | Pachycephala pectoralis |
| Grey Fantail | Rhipidura albiscapa |
| Grey Goshawk | Accipiter novaehollandiae |
| Grey Shrike-thrush | Colluricincla harmonica |
| Leaden Flycatcher | Myiagra rubecula |
| Lewin’s Honeyeater | Meliphaga lewinii |
| Little Lorikeet | Glossopsitta pusilla |
| Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum |
| Noisy Friarbird | Philemon corniculatus |
| Noisy Miner | Manorina melanocephala |
| Noisy Pitta | Pitta versicolor |
| Pied Currawong | Strepera graculina |
| Rainbow Lorikeet | Trichoglossus moluccanus |
| Red Wattlebird | Anthochaera carunculata |
| Red-browed Treecreeper | Climacteris erythrops |
| Rufous Fantail | Rhipidura rufifrons |
| Satin Bowerbird | Ptilonorhynchus violaceus |
| Scarlet Honeyeater | Myzomela sanguinolenta |
| Shining Bronze-Cuckoo | Chalcites lucidus |
| Silvereye | Zosterops lateralis |
| Spectacled Monarch | Symposiachrus trivirgatus |
| Spotted Pardalote | Pardalotus punctatus |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua galerita |
| Topknot Pigeon | Lopholaimus antarcticus |
| White-naped Honeyeater | Melithreptus lunatus |
| White-throated Treecreeper | Cormobates leucophaea |
| White-winged Triller | Lalage tricolor |
| Yellow-faced Honeyeater | Caligavis chrysops |
View from Sylvesters Lookout.
It was a very enjoyable day at a very beautiful location, and certainly bears repeating, and maybe even a camping trip too in the future.