COG's annual outing to the Blundells and Lees Creeks part of Namadji National Park took a rather different course this year. After 50 mm of rain during the previous two days, past nasty experiences with a dodgy creek crossing and particularly as it was raining in the Brindabellas when we arrived at Uriarra Homestead, we reverted to Plan B. This involved a longer stay at Uriarra Homestead Dam and visits to Uriarra Crossing, Uriarra Crossing East and along Uriarra Road.
Following the rain, we had a fine and sunny day and the nine of us enjoyed some very rewarding bird watching. The dam had a flock of 30 Grey Teal, and small numbers of other ducks, Eurasian Coot, Dusky Moorhen (breeding), Australasian Grebe and a lone Latham's Snipe. Notable bush birds included Restless Flycatcher and Red-browed Finch. The species list of 27 compared well with our all-time record of 32 for the site.
Back to Uriarra Crossing, we were greeted by a pair of soaring raptors and another perched, very high and quite distant, spotted by a sharp-eyed Martyn. After much observation, debate (and with the aid of Julienne's telescope) we concluded that the flying pair were adult dark phase Little Eagles and the perched one an immature. Other notable records included three White-faced Herons and Brown, Buff-rumped, Yellow-rumped and Yellow Thornbills and a noisy pair of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos. As we switched to the Uriarra East picnic area, we disturbed a flock of Red-rumped Parrots, whilst a small flock of raptors was chasing and being chased by other birds. A pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles was vigorously doing battle with a Brown Falcon and some magpies whilst the pair of Nankeen Kestrels were minding their own business. Masked Lapwings were darting around the casuarinas, but could not distract us from excellent views of two Dollarbirds high in the trees over the river. Then the first pair of raptors from over the river returned, now in better light and head-on, allowing us to confirm (from their flat profile) that they were Little Eagles and not Whistling Kites. Other notables were Mistletoebirds, a flock of Weebills and everyone's favourite, Superb Fairy-wrens.
On our way back we visited a site along Uriarra Road of some personal interest to me. Known in the early 1990's as "Piney Creek", it was an intact site of native woodland and forest with some uncommon eucalypts. At that time, it had been given over to a trail-bike track area and was suffering rapid erosion and degradation. COG and other conservation and natural history groups lobbied the then fledgling ACT Government and the trail-bike track was closed. This approach became the model for the subsequent campaign for Mulligans Flat. The Piney Ck area (about 1 km north of Mt Stromlo) was badly burnt in 2003 but has recovered well and there are large areas of regrowth with intact native understorey and few weeds. It was a bit late for most birds but we recorded an Australian Hobby, Laughing Kookaburras, Brown-headed Honeyeaters, thornbills, Weebills, scrubwrens and, of course, fairy-wrens.
Plan B was a winner: we had a great time and recorded 51 species. Bitumen all the way and no nasty creeks.
Bruce Lindenmayer