Dryandra - The best parts of home.
I’ve just returned from 3 weeks of guiding. Two of them over east - through South Australia and what Queenslanders refer to as their Southwest. The last week or so I spent at home - in Australia's true Southwest.
It's always good to be back home. Sharing the birds I'm far more familiar with. No maps or GPS points, just a slew of good memories guiding the way.
Theres a very tight little cluster of points on that intricately annotated mental map about a 2 hour drive southeast from Perth in the Dryandra Woodlands. It represents a little gem of remaining Wandoo woodland amongst a sea of wheat and sheep and we’re lucky to still have such a wonderful remnant as a representative of what once was a sprawling system of woodlands, salt lakes and rocky outcrops.
Rufous Treecreeper
As the golden light cracks over the treetops a diverse and wonderful soundscape is triggered as fifty odd species of birds sing from that remnant Wandoo to start their day. Mornings wandering the wandoo where fifty, even sixty species fill the list in a rapid flurry of calls and colour are the norm. All without a wetland in sight. Western Shrike-tits, Western Wattlebirds, Western Rosella, Western Spinebills. Members of those fifty odd species contributing to a list that can only be made in this corner of the world. And I’ve got spots where I see every one of them tucked away in the memory bank ready to share with those who join me.
Of course, Dryandra is known far more widely for its mammalian contingent rather than its avian. And in my mind, my earliest memories of Dryandra reflect that. One of those standout memories is seeing my first numbat. At first a fluffy tail pointing straight up to the sky while its striped body hid perfectly amongst the fallen wood. We tracked it until it settled into feeding and gave us the show we’d been dreaming about. Now I see them almost every time I visit but the privilege never feels lost. They are a true wonder. I now know that it is far easier to see them from the car than on foot! Other mammals that have made their impression on me are Woylie, Mado and the many Echidna’s that keep things interesting as you cruise around looking for Numbats. And they will make their impression on you too.
Jacky Winter
As I’ve rebooted Birding Southwest, the private custom trips I’ve done to the Dryandra Woodlands have been some of my most enjoyable and have certainly been some of the most successful from the client’s perspective. So, I thought I would provide a more formalised way to come and enjoy the woodlands with me. A 1, 2 or 3 day trip that includes the highlights of the Perth area and its many endemics as well as the jewel of the wheatbelt – Dryandra.
Click here to see the itinerary and get in touch if you’d like to come along!
