Callum Brae is one of Canberra’s best birding hotspots, with over 165 species having been seen there. Of course it is much quieter in winter, but a good bird list should still be possible.
Meet: 9am at the reserve entry on Narrabundah Lane (NOT the Callum Brae farm entry further down the road).
Sturdy shoes essential – if wet conditions persist there will be some boggy sections on the tracks.
We will probably cover around 6km, mainly on vehicle tracks.
Fifteen people joined me for this 4.5km wander along some of Callum Brae’s management trails. It was a sunny, still day, with patches of frost in shaded areas.
The group managed to hear and/or see 37 species. Disappointingly, not a single robin was found. A small mixed flock included Speckled Warblers, Buff-rumped Thornbills, Grey Fantails and Weebills. A highlight was encountering a small group (at least three) of Brown Quail near the Icon pump station, which scuttled away down the hill before many had seen them, but they were eventually rounded up and herded back up, and I believe everyone managed to see the two which flew over the track and into the quarry property.
The dams within the reserve yielded a group of Australian Wood Ducks, but nothing else, while the Mugga Mugga dam had Pacific Black Ducks, Dusky Moorhens and an Australasian Grebe (heard only, but always present).
