TRIP REPORT TO COOTAMUNDRA, JUNEE & WAGGA WAGGA 21-24 SEPTEMBER 2006
I recently attended a conference organised by the Bird Observers Club of
Australia (BOCA) held at the Charles Sturt University Campus, about 5 km NW
of Wagga Wagga. On the way down from the Central Coast I made by first
birding spot at Bethungra, a village part way between Cootamundra & Junee on
the Olympic Highway.
I spent some time checking out the Migurra Track, about 3 km N of Bethungra
between the Highway and the railway line, constructed by the local Landcare
Group. Quite a number of interesting birds here including White-winged
Choughs and Grey-crowned Babblers, and a Painted Honeyeater was heard but
not seen. I then moved up to the Bethungra Railway crossing and took the
side road on the left before the crossing that leads along the railway line.
This passes through a large patch of Mugga Ironbark and some Western Grey
Box which has plenty of Mistletoe. A colony of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters
occur here and in the past I generally see and hear Superb Parrots. This
time last year I had two nesting pairs of Painted Honeyeaters at this spot.
None were found nesting although it may not be far off as there were atleast
2 singing males performing well! Also here was my first adult male
White-winged Triller for the season in NSW, as well as Mistletoebird,
Spotted & Straited Pardalotes and Rufous Whistler.
I stayed onsite at the campus and between our accommodation and the
Conference room on campus, there were a number of Yellow Box trees in
flower, and up to 18 Superb Parrots seemed to be resident there during my
stay. Other birds seen in and around the conference building were a pair of
Blue-faced Honeyeaters with 2 young recently fledged, nesting Striated
Pardalote & Eastern Rosella, Yellow Rosella, Double-barred Finch, Rufous
Songlark, Pied Butcherbird, Rufous Whistler, Yellow-rumped Thornbill & Dusky
Woodswallow etc. Nearby, along River Road, in the TSR were more Superb
Parrots (max 14), reported to be nesting, 14 Glossy Ibis on a drying out
Billabong, Brown Treecreeper, Kestrel, Golden & Rufous Whistler, Wood Duck
with 8 tiny ducklings, Little Friarbird etc
On Friday we had an excursion to Ganmain, where the local Landcare Group
there showed us their tree planting and bush care efforts in establishing a
wildlife corridor, known as Mujurna Trail, that connects some state forests
either side of the town with their own reserve along the Creek. Birds seen
here included a Blue-winged Parrot, Rufous Whistler, Little Frairbird, Grey
Shrike-thrush, Tree Martin, White-breasted Woodswallow, Peaceful Dove etc.
We finished this day at the Junee STW where a Black Falcon was seen just
before we arrived at the STW, a Hobby made a pass over, and about 300 Plumed
Whistling Duck, 62 Masked Lapwing, Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage, many
Pinkear, Shoveler & Hardhead, 3 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were some of the
waterbirds seen.
On the return home, I stopped off firstly near Ilabo, north of Junee, where
on a small wetland there was a Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Brown Songlark in
the neighbouring paddocks, and a Brown Falcon flew over, and secondly at
Jindalee SF, located about 12 km N of Cootamundra. Here I found nesting
Fuscous Honeyeater, many Brown Treecreepers, White-browed Babbler, more
Peaceful Doves, a small group of White-browed & Dusky Woodswallow, Zebra
Finch, Rufous Songlark, Brown-headed & White-plumed Honeyeater, as well as
the more common woodland birds.
All together a pleasant few days birding to complement a very worthwhile
conference.
Alan Morris
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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