Umbagong District Park, Latham
Description: Umbagong District Park has Ginninderra Creek running through the middle of it. Canberra Birds last had a field trip there in September of 2023. It will be an easy walk of 4-5km over flat ground.
Meeting place: Meet in the car park off Florey Dr, 250 metres south of Herron Cres, opposite 87 Florey Drive.
Meeting time: Meet at 8:20 for an 8:30 start.
End time (approx.): 11:30
What to bring: Water and Water and a snack, if desired, sunscreen, a hat and sturdy shoes.
Name of leader and contact details: Please register with the leader, by email to liabattisson@outlook.com, providing your name and mobile number, and the name and mobile number of an emergency contact. Do so before 7pm on Friday 28 August as numbers will be limited to 15.
Post event report
Sixteen birders met at the carpark for an 8:30 start, on a gloriously sunny, mild and still morning. We were joined by a young lady who had met Sandra in the carpark and was invited to come along with us. We had intended to proceed in an anti-clockwise direction, but changed our minds so that we could hopefully see the Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos that had been heard off to our left. We did have nice views of a couple, but not until we were halfway round the loop. Our first breeding record of the morning was a Red-browed Finch, dancing for his lady with a twig in his beak. He was suitably rewarded! Other breeding records included a Tawny Frogmouth sitting on a nest, many Red-browed Finch, a Dusky Moorhen and a Grey Fantail building nests, a Satin Bowerbird tending to a bower and a Spotted Pardalote carrying nesting material. One of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos was in poor condition and we suspected that it probably had Beak and Feather Disease. There were lots of Weebills, Grey Fantails, Red Wattlebirds and Superb Fairywrens about, and a few Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and a couple of Noisy Friarbirds. In all we saw 38 species.
It was also nice to see a couple of Black-tailed Wallabies and a Cunningham Skink.
Lia Battisson