COG Mulligans Flat bird survey

[martin butterfield <>]

Jenny

An excellent result.  WRT to Robins I note that there were no Flame Robins recorded.  Following our conversation last wednesday i took myself off to the Hoskinstown Plain this morning and found a ground of 3 immature Flame Robins in a paddock close to the Queanbeyan Model Aircraft Club site on Hoskintown Rd. Possibly the robins were attracted by the very spectacular flights being undertaken by the models?  (NB: that last comment is not meant seriously, althought the flying was skillful!)

Martin

On Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 1:27 PM, Jenny Bounds <> wrote:

Greetings: The COG survey team enjoyed fine, mild weather today for the autumn woodland survey at the reserve, and a bit of a 'twitch' afterwards to see the Pied Butcherbird reported at the large dam site.  While some sites were very quiet, there were a number of feeding flocks, some quite large, and a good total of 48 species.  Autumn/winter birds, White-eared Honeyeater and Golden Whistler were recorded, as were a number of Scarlet Robins (the usual increase of birds at this time of year).  While we did not achieve three robins at the one site as occurred in nearby Goorooyarroo when Nicki Taws did the survey there last week, all 3 robins were recorded at various sites -  Hooded Robin pair in the usual area at site 22, a male Red-capped Robin near site 5 and Scarlet Robins, widespread in the reserve.  Other highlights of 48 species included a Speckled Warbler at site 4, two sites with Owl-let Nightjars calling (sites 3 and 4), two parties of Varied Sittellas, a pair of Collared Sparrowhawks perched in a dead tree and Pied Butcherbird at two sites.   It was good to find Common Mynas absent from the reserve on this survey.  Hopefully, once the Sanctuary fence is finished and closed and kangaroo grazing pressure is reduced, we will see the very eaten down ground layer start to recover.

cheers

Jenny