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| WILDLIFE and BIRDS at O'REILLY'S GUEST HOUSE | |||
| Lamington National Park, Southern Queensland | |||
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| General Information about O'Reilly's | |||
| Click here for more
information about O'Reilly's Guest House |
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| Wildlife in Lamington National Park | |||
| The rainforest surrounding O’Reilly’s provides food and shelter for a myriad of wildlife. The local mammal list contains 68 native species, ranging in size from the Grey Kangaroos of the valleys to the Common Planigale, a tiny but ferocious carnivore noticeably smaller than a mouse. The Red-necked Pademelon, Long-nosed Bandicoot, Sugar Glider, Mountain Brushtail and Common Ring-tail possums are regularly seen around the guesthouse. Spotlighting trips often reveal Greater Gliders and Koalas, while Platypus inhabit all of the larger creeks. The frogs of Lamington are particularly interesting, with the highest proportion of rare and endangered species of any of the broader faunal groupings. The local reptiles tally fifty-five lizards and twenty-five snakes, while other creatures include the Lamington Spiny Crayfish, Giant Panda Snails, and many different butterfly species. |
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| The Birds of Lamington National Park | |||
| O'Reilly's Guest House has been a sanctuary for bird lovers since the early part of this century. More than 160 species of sub-tropical birds make their home in the rainforest and our expert guides will help you find them. These are just a few of the many birds that live in the sub-tropical rainforest surrounding O'Reilly's Guest House:
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O’Reilly’s enjoys international renown as one of the best bird
watching locations in Australia.
The World Heritage listed rainforest surrounding the guest house is home to a spectacular array of birds, including many that are highly regarded by birdwatchers. In addition to this, the nearby eucalypt forest holds a number of interesting species that won’t venture into the rainforest habitat. Many of the special birds of Lamington may be found in the gardens and rainforest within a few hundred metres of your room. Regent and Satin Bowerbirds and Green Catbirds appear every day at feeding trays beside the dining room, while Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots wait in nearby trees to ambush you if they suspect you are carrying food. Lewin’s Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills and Superb Fairy-Wrens are common in the gardens within the guesthouse grounds. Australian Brush-turkeys are conspicuous in the picnic areas, and you may see them working on their incubation mounds in spring. You’ll have to venture into the rainforest to spot some of the more elusive species. The Albert’s Lyrebird is a rainforest skulker and can be difficult to observe despite its considerable size. They are most easily seen during their winter breeding season when the males display at favoured sites. Noisy Pittas and Paradise Riflebirds are most often found in spring and summer when their distinctive calls advertise their presence, while the elusive Rufous Scrub-bird and the Olive Whistler are restricted to temperate forests, requiring a return hike of about twelve kilometres. |
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Other rainforest species are readily found. Logrunners seem oblivious to human presence as they scratch busily amongst the leaf litter, and are often followed by Yellow-throated and White-browed Scrubwrens in search of a free meal.
Whipbirds, Golden Whistlers and Eastern Yellow Robins are joined in spring and summer by Black-faced Monarchs, Rufous Fantails and Rose Robins as birds that usually present themselves on a local rainforest stroll. You may even have the chance to separate two similar species, the Bassian and Russet-tailed Thrushes. Fruiting trees attract many birds, especially fruit-pigeons. White-headed and Topknot Pigeons and the spectacular Wompoo Fruit-Dove are likely to appear whenever suitable fruit becomes available. The migratory Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove will do likewise, but only in spring and summer. Wonga Pigeons prefer a more terrestrial existence, and are commonly seen feeding on the lawns around the guesthouse. Raptors such as the Grey Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk are often observed terrifying the parrots around the guesthouse, while a trip out to Luke’s Bluff should produce Peregrine Falcons and Wedge-tailed Eagles. If you manage to discover most of the birds already mentioned, you might like to try a short drive into the eucalypt forest along the Duck Creek Road. An extensive range of interesting birds may be found here, including the Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Red-browed Treecreeper, Spotted Quail-thrush, Variegated and Red-backed Fairy-wrens and an array of honeyeaters and thornbills. Painted Button-quails are occasionally spotted in this open country, while the rare Black-breasted Button-quails live in adjacent patches of dry rainforest and lantana. Finally, if you haven’t had enough birding by day’s end, you might like to try your luck with a few nocturnal species. The Tawny Frogmouth and Boobook Owl are usually not difficult to locate, while the rainforest dwelling Marbled Frogmouth and Sooty Owl are much harder to find. |
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| Special Events at O'Reilly's | |||
| O'Reilly's host special weekend and week-long theme
programmes throughout the year, a number of which focus on the natural
world - ask for details. 30th Annual Bird Week 2nd - 9th November, 2008 This year O'Reilly's will celebrate the 31th anniversary of Bird Week, and with regular sightings each year of over 200 species it is sure to be a fascinating week. Registration fee applies. |
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Click here for O'Reilly's Guest House Prices |
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| Return to - Top Nature Introduction Page O'Reilly's Main Page or hit 'Back' button to return to previous page | |||
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Not everyone wants, or is able, to take part in
an extended camping expedition seeking out birds and
wildlife. O'Reilly's Guest House in the Lamington National
Park, beautifully situated with far reaching views and
surrounded by unspoilt countryside, provides the perfect
answer and daily bird and animal watching activities are
included in the tariff. O'Reilly's is a personal favourite of
Truly Australia and is truly a great base from which to
enjoy some of Australia's unique nature.
