Meet for carpooling at Bywong St, Sutton, in the Sutton Primary School car park at 9.00 am. This walk will be on private property. The circuit of Rowes Lagoon Circuit is 3.5 km and takes almost 2 hours. Collector TSR is on the Breadalbane Road north of Collector. Bring morning tea and lunch. Wear strong boots with gaiters or rubber boots as it is tiger snake habitat.
Contact Bill Graham on 0466874723 or cogoffice@canberrabirds.org.au
Please note : Rowes Lagoon beyond the public car park is private property, and permission should be obtained before entry.
On a very cool and cloudy July morning, a goodly party of 23 COG members assembled at Sutton for the subsequent journey to Rowes Lagoon. The sun soon burnt away the morning mist, and the party arrived at the lagoon in crystal-clear, though chilly, conditions. Notable birds greeted the party on arrival at the car park, including two Swamp Harriers circling above. Bill led the party in a clockwise circuit of the lagoon in which the water level was low, but nonetheless apparent between the clumps of dormant reeds and rank grass. Among this vegetation could be seen good number of waterbirds, including Great Egrets, Australian White Ibis, and Royal and Yellow-billed Spoonbill. Small woodland and grassland birds zipped around on the margins of the lagoon, including a party of six Flame Robins.
Raptors became increasingly apparent above, with a Little Eagle (dark morph) putting in an impressive appearance. A Whistling Kite flew over, accompanied by two Galahs, and an Australian Raven. The party completed the circuit and returned to the cars with a list of 35 species.
The COG party then proceeded to the Collector Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR). Bill led the party in a circuit of the TSR boundary, this time in an anti-clockwise fashion. The TSR woodland was quiet – nonetheless, the party observed some good birds including a Brown Falcon flying by, as well as Scarlet Robin and White-eared Honeyeater. The list for the Collector TSR was 20 species.