Aranda Bushland NR

Meet at 8.00 am at the main entrance on Bindubi Street (where the power pylons go through the NR). We will amble for about 2 hours through the western and southern part of the reserve and possibly into the adjacent Snow Gums NR.  Register at smlashko@gmail.com

An enthusiastic group of 13 enjoyed a very productive outing to the south-west corner of Aranda Bushland.  With two eagle-eyed teenagers and 5 Aranda/Cook locals among our party, birds didn’t have a chance of being overlooked.  It took us some time to move more than about 30 metres from the entrance gate as 18 different species showed themselves along the adjacent creekline including Leaden Flycatchers and Brown-headed Honeyeaters each with a recently fledged young, Common Bronzewing, Striated Thornbills and Noisy Friarbirds.

Birds seemed determined to give us all prolonged views, including a Striated Pardalote that called for about 5 minutes from a dead stick at the top of a low eucalypt sapling and a pair of Spotted Pardalotes that stopped in dead sticks along with 2 recently fledged young. A pair of Gang-gang Cockatoos took turns working on the entrance to a hollow, with the female almost disappearing inside before the pair engaged in some mutual grooming.

In total, of the 34 species recorded, 10 exhibited some form of breeding behaviour; in addition to those mentioned above, a Crimson Rosella was seen exiting a hollow, Noisy Friarbirds had a nest with 3 large young, Olive-backed Orioles and Magpie-larks had occupied nests, and Pied Currawongs and White-winged Choughs were feeding this season’s young. Apart from the Leaden Flycatcher pair mentioned above, 2 other pairs were also in breeding mode, one pair at the final stages of nest building and another pair with an occupied nest.  All 3 pairs were within about 50 metres of each other.

Sue Lashko