Brooks Hill Reserve is on the Kings Highway. Often passed, but less frequently visited, the reserve car-park is located on the right hand side at the bottom of the last hill before the flat stretch leading to Bungendore.
We’ll plan to walk back up the old highway and then through the bush, which is fairly open, and not especially uneven ground, back to the car park. We’ll be out for about 2 to 3 hours, depending on how many birds are around, so those that need a mid-morning snack should bring one, as well as water, sunscreen and appropriate clothing.
Meet at 8 am at Spotlight, Queanbeyan for carpooling, or 8:30 am at the reserve parking area.
Register with Michael Robbins (mrobbins@home.netspeed.com.au) with your name, mobile number and name and number of an emergency contact.
A gaggle of 13 novice and experienced birdwatchers set out for a leisurely stroll around Brooks Hill Reserve. This is a reserve on the south side of the Kings Highway, just across the NSW border (second crossing) if one was driving from Queanbeyan to Bungendore.
Before talking about the birds, a touch of history is provided for those interested. It is likely that the Brooks in Brooks Hill refers to Captain Richard Brooks (1765-1833) who established a huge farming property at “Bungendow” (now Bungendore). From reviewing newspapers via the National Library of Australia’s Trove, in the 1880s there was a large population of railway workers living on the site in canvas tents, and at one stage a “Brooks’ Hill Public School” that was “held in a large canvas tent, and during the winter months it [was] pitiful to observe the poor little children in many instances crying bitterly on account of the cold” (Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 14/7/1885, p. 4).
In the intervening years, there are many reports of accidents on the hill (which is often referred to as “Brook’s Hill”). In 1989 the Brooks Hill Reserve Trust was established and the reserve appeared to be established out of Crown Land. The last update available to the board of trustees is in 2000. It is unclear what status the reserve holds, as it is not listed in the NSW Crown Reserves list, nor under State Forests, nor any form of National Park. There are slowly degrading numbered informational markers throughout the reserve and the sign at the entrance mentions that a brochure is available from “tourist outlets in Bungendore” but this has not been the case for some time. There is a copy in the ACT Heritage Library, so perhaps an intrepid local historian will go and seek this out at some point.
At any rate, we met in the carpark and some of us were a little too late to see a mixed-feeding flock including Varied Sittellas and White-throated Treecreeper. We headed off along the loop trail, towards the railway line. We spied an Eastern Spinebill, and many of us commented on its perhaps unusually long bill. This bird was singing as we observed which allowed many of us to notice for the first time its call, which we learned was not dissimilar from the staccato, high-pitched calls of the White-throated Treecreeper and Eastern Yellow Robin. We also had a beautiful view of a Flame Robin perched atop a dead tree.
We wound on and attempted to visit the small dam not far from the railway line, but unfortunately we passed a couple who has just taken their dog for a swim there, which had probably scared away most of the birds. We did see Crimson Rosellas in the distance which seemed agitated, possibly by a nearby bird of prey.
As we continued, we heard and then observed two Noisy Friarbirds. We went off track up a small knoll within the reserve (Little Brooks, perhaps?) and then the birds went somewhat quiet. Returning to the track, right by the fence that adjoins the ACT Nudist Colony, we were delighted to spot two Shining Bronze Cuckoos and one Fan-tailed Cuckoo. This was a very busy corner with a Grey Shrike-thrush, a female Rufous Whistler and various thornbills. We continued on down the old road, which proved a very rich stretch with a Sacred Kingfisher, Mistletoebird, Eastern Yellow Robin and many Silvereyes, and some of us were treated to Red-browed Firetails, giving a total of 38 species for the morning. We ended the day back at the carpark, thanking Michael for a lovely morning out, with surprisingly gorgeous weather after all.
Lauren Reed
