This mostly forested private property adjoining the Murrumbidgee River and Burrinjuck Nature Reserve is approximately a half hour drive south of Bookham. Water, riparian and woodland birds, plus annual migrants such as Rainbow Bee-eaters and Olive-backed Orioles, are likely, and there is a good chance of seeing raptors.
This day trip involves walking about 7.5 km on a property vehicle track which is rough and steep in places.
We will carpool from Hall Primary School, leaving at 7.30am and the intention is to be back at Hall about 3 pm. We will take a maximum of 16 people in 4 cars. Suggested contribution by passengers is $10; please have the correct money.
Bring morning tea and lunch, water, sturdy footwear, appropriate clothing and sun protection.
Registration is essential to sonyaduus@gmail.com with your name, suburb and phone number, and name and number of an emergency contact.
We will notify via text message the previous night if the outing needs to be cancelled due to poor weather.
We had glorious weather, and hospitality to match when we visited Jason’s property near Bookham. Of the many highlights, watching Platypus swimming in the river as we ate lunch on the river bank is near the top of the list.
And the birds!! Those of us coming from Canberra arrived at 9 am, and although you might think that late for the birds, we were met by a cacophony of sound. Or maybe I should say babel, as it really wasn’t a chaotic mixture, merely me being confused by so many different bird calls.
Fortunately I was able to block out enough to identify the Rufous Songlark, although almost drowned out, which was sitting tastefully on a small boulder and obligingly did a short display flight. We were conservative in recording numbers as it was difficult to be sure we were hearing/seeing different individuals, given there was so much avian activity, and we didn’t manage to stroll very far. However, the Rainbow Bee-eaters were so beautifully flying just above our heads or taking a short rest on a branch nearby we probably recorded accurately the number in the small area of property over which we strolled. They were most certainly a highlight of the outing.
Our Gang-gang Cockatoo, Galah, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Australian King-Parrot numbers were probably fairly accurate, but those for Crimson Rosella and Eastern Rosella probably conservative.
Horsfield’s and Shining Bronze-Cuckoo were heard, and a Fan-tailed Cuckoo seen as it was being chased by a small group of Striated Thornbill. Our first White-throated Treecreeper proved difficult to see clearly. However, we then had excellent views of several more, as was also the case with Red-browed Finch. Striated Pardalote obliged by flying in and out a hollow Eucalyptus branch in plain view, but Spotted Pardalote weren’t quite as obliging. Other small birds recorded included Superb Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Silvereye and Mistletoebird, the latter in the plentiful mistletoe growth on Casuarina, with at least a couple of flowers. There were plenty of Olive-backed Oriole, Sacred Kingfisher and very vocal White-throated Gerygone.
Waterbirds included Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Great Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant and White-faced Heron. Raptors included three Nankeen Kestrel and a distant Wedge-tailed Eagle.
A total of 50 species was recorded.
Michael Robbins
