Lake Ginninderra
Description: We will do a loop of the main body of water of Lake Ginninderra, commencing in Diddams Close and walking anti-clockwise.
Meeting place: Meet at 8am in the carpark at the right-hand end of Diddams Close.
Walking distance: 7/8 kms. If it gets too hot we will exclude the last section of the water’s edge and return to the cars via the road.
End time (approx.): 12 midday
What to bring: A snack if desired, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes and plenty of water.
Name of leader and contact details: Please register with the leader, Lia Battisson by email to liabattisson@outlook.com, providing your name and mobile number, and the name and mobile number of an emergency contact. Please do so before 7pm on Friday 11 December, as numbers will be limited to 15.
Post event report
It was a somewhat dull and gloomy morning with a few spots of rain when a dozen birders set off along the shores of Lake Ginninderra at Diddams Close Park. A short walk to
the dam wall revealed a handful of waterbirds (Australian Wood and Pacific Black Ducks, along with Dusky Moorhen) and the ever present Superb Fairy-wrens.Retracing our steps to the carpark, we set off along an easy (and wheelchair-accessible) path
with around 10 White-plumed Honeyeaters and a few naughty Noisy Miners feasting on the flowering Argyle Apple trees. We soon spotted on the shoreline the first of what would be 13 Australasian Darters – 1 male and the rest female.
Two Red Wattlebirds were observed giving the Laughing Kookaburra a hard time as we
continued along the foreshore opposite the town centre. Two Australian Pelicans were seen on the other side of the lake in the distance, along with two Black Swans with seven recently fledged cygnets on the grass nearby. A group of 19 Australasian Grebe were swimming in the lake close to our shoreline as we neared the end of our journey.
The total number of other woodland birds observed was quite low, although the variety was
roughly as to be expected (no thornbills though): one each of Spotted Pardalote, Striated
Pardalote, Weebill, White-browed Scrubwren, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and Grey
Strike-thrush. Along the way we saw the occasional Superb, Red-rumped and Australian King Parrots, Crimson and Eastern Rosellas, plus four Rainbow Lorikeets.
Many thanks to Sandra for leading us on the 2.2km walk and to Lia for compiling a list of the 40 species observed during our two hour walk.
Ben Bradey