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Description
Imbil State Forest - Stirlings Crossing - Derrier Creek offers a wide variety of forest and woodland habitats including regrowth plantation, heath, lowland rainforest, vine thicket, impressive stands of Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwilii) and open eucalypt and acacia woodland as well as pasture grassland and the creek system of Yabba and Derrier Creeks.
Main birding targets are rainforest specialists such as Pacific Emerald Dove , Regent Bowerbird , Wompoo Fruit-Dove , Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove , Pale-yellow Robin and Yellow-throated Scrubwren. The area also holds locally scarcer species such as Black-breasted Buttonquail , Yellow Thornbill , Dusky Myzomela & New Holland Honeyeater while vagrant dispursive bush birds are definitely possible with Red-capped Robin having been recorded in regrowth plantation previously.
During winter Dusky Woodswallow flocks are regular and can sometimes be found perching along the fences as Derrier Rd runs through the initial area of pasture. The site can also be good for raptors with Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon and Grey Goshawk often encountered.
Reccommended birding approach would be to drive slowly along Derrier Rd, checking out the fence lines for woodswallows and raptors, stopping at the Yabba Creek crossing where cormorants, darters and Azure Kingfisher are likely, then proceeding through the mixed woodland & Hoop Pine plantation to the causway over Derrier Creek. From here you can walk several tracks through rainforest, vine thicket, plantation regrowth and open woodland to rejoin Derrier Rd and form a loop.
In mid-late summer the dense stands of mature Bunya Pine around the Derrier Creek crossing will be dropping their large cones which contain numerous large edible kernals and are great bush tucker. Don't loiter too long under the trees though as the cones can weigh up to 10kg and form in the very tops of the 40m high trees.
Details
Access
Best accessed from Imbil via Yabba Creek Rd and turnoff onto Derrier Rd which runs through the site. There are extensive forestry tracks running off Derrier Rd some of which are drivable. However, it is an active forestry so sections will be out of bounds during harvesting.
Terrain and Habitat
Forest , Moors/heathland , River , Scattered trees and bushes , AgricultureConditions
Hilly , FlatCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
NoGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
Winter , Spring , AutumnRoute
Unpaved road , Narrow trailDifficulty walking trail
Average walkAccessible by
Bicycle , Foot , CarBirdwatching hide / platform
NoExtra info
The area is an active forestry so obey any closures or other signs.
The Imbil Forest Rally is held annually, usually over a weekend in late August / early September, during which time most of the area is closed for the event and there is a lot of spectator traffic along Derrier Rd - check event times through the below link if planning on visiting around this time.