A visit to Wonga at Bawley Point in early spring is usually a very enjoyable and productive experience for birdwatchers and this will be our fourth visit. As usual, Margaret, our local guide will check out some hot spots in advance.
Some target species are Black-faced Monarchs, Rufous Fantails, Scarlet Honeyeaters ( reliable ), Hooded Plovers and Cicadabirds..
On this occasion we plan to extend our visit to the ANU Kialoa campus to include the temperate rainforest situated on the escarpment frequented by Topknot Pigeons.
As usual this visit is limited to 14 persons to be accommodated in two comfortable self-contained cottages with limited camping opportunities specially permitted and approved for COG members.
Registrations are invited from Wonga regulars and others perhaps with interests in social activities such as cards, scrabble and bridge, to be played warmed by a log fire with a glass of red.
Further enquiries from leader Terry Bell at email terrybellbird@gmail.com ( preferred ) or 04272929
Another relaxing few days at this property at Bawley Point. The gardens and birdbaths around the cottages again provided a good bird list. The highlights at Wonga itself were a pair of Crested Shrike-tits in a large eucalypt, and a Spotted Harrier being pursued by Masked Lapwings in the adjoining paddock. The Gymea Lily near the back deck of the main cottage was flowering, and being visited regularly by Eastern Spinebills, Little Wattlebirds and New Holland Honeyeaters. The wetland in the Watts Reserve yielded a large group of Royal Spoonbills and seven Nankeen Night Herons, along with ducks and waterhens. We were privileged to be given access to forest behind the ANU Coastal Campus, where we walked along a track on the escarpment and found very large numbers of Yellow-faced and White-naped Honeyeaters, Rainbow Lorikeets and Spotted Pardalotes, with a single Red-browed Treecreeper located by Libby. At Pebbly Beach a Brown Cuckoo-dove was wandering among the kangaroos at a BBQ shelter. We finished off with a visit to a very impressive sculpture exhibition at Willinga Park, where we admired the gardens and listed the birds.
Sandra Henderson
