October Wednesday Walk

Meet at the end of Dungowan Street Hawker at 9 am. Note that if parking in Dungowan St be very aware of the need not to block access to driveways etc.

We’ll cover a few kilometres on fire-trails and some cross country. A few hills but nothing dramatic.

25 members gathered at the end of Dungowan St in Hawker for a visit to this element of Canberra Nature Park. After parking satisfactorily we set off led by the local experts Barbara Allan and John Brannan, to whom much thanks is due. (With their presence I didn’t need to refer to a map of which an excellent version is on the website maintained by the Friends of the Pinnacle.)

We were soon into breeding events with Magpie Lark on in the magnificent eucalypt beside the road to the homestead. We set off down the Dowling track noting a number of species of parrots flying over (notably Rainbow Lorikeets) and hanging around in trees with “interesting” hollows (Eastern Rosellas, Red-rumped Parrots and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos). Proceeding along some members of the party, but unfortunately not the one who is hoping to see the species, saw two Brown-headed Honeyeaters.

Going up the Macrorhyncha track at least 2 Scarlet Robins were calling in an area close to where they have bred in the past (but no nest was found today). A Speckled Warbler was seeen and as we move further along the track calling Leaden Flycatchers were heard and eventually seen. Breeding events in the stage include Australian Magpie (Nest with Young and separately Dependent Young) and Willie Wagtail On Nest.

We scaled the summit of the Pinnacle, noting White-winged Chough en route and On Nest. On the way back we diverted to check the Robin nest site and scored Double-barred Finch as a bonus.

In total we recorded 40 species with 6 Breeding species.