Re: FW: [canberrabirds] correction - Chestnut-rumped Heathwren at Pierce's Creek

[Marnix Zwankhuizen <>]

I am just back from a fruitless search. I was at the spot mentioned by Ian (and in Alastair's original post) from 1pm to 2.30 pm. I too found the pole with the taped plastic bag and wandered along the track for some 200 metres and back and also hiked up the hill and down towards the creek. No luck.

Other birds seen/flushed:

• Common Bronzewing (4)
  
• Flame Robin (2)
  
• Scarlet Robin (2)
  
• Red-browed Finch
• Wedge-tailed Eagle (3)
• Brown Goshawk (1)
• Golden Whistler
• Grey Shrike-thrush
• Silvereye
• White-eared Honeyeater (2)
  

There are plenty of small ground birds around including fairy-wrens, scrubwrens, brown, buff-rumped and striated thornbills. And of course small groups of honeyeaters were passing through as well, both White-naped and Yellow-faced.

Cheers

Marnix

On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 12:57 PM, Ian Fraser <> wrote:

The site (where Harvey and I failed to find the bird, though did hear it/them a couple of times) is 400 metres past Concrete Crossing (that unlovely picnic area on Pierces Creek) on the road to Vanitys Crossing.The track is closed to vehicles and overgrowing, but Alastair has helpfully marked it with a plastic bag and red tape on a pole. If you're not familiar with that part of hte world, take the road that says 'Vanitys Crossing', about 2.5k along Paddys River Road from the site of the old Cotter Pub. It's a bit of a maze, but follow your nose and the more obvious track in each case and you should get to Concrete Crossing. It's easier to find coming from Vanitys (follow the newly-coined 'Yellow Rabbit' road from Warks Road) but these days that crossing is a bit challenging for smaller vehicles.

good luck

IF

Steve Holliday wrote:

Note - as Cotter Rd ends at the Cotter River the CRHW site must be off Paddy’s River Rd, not Cotter Rd.  The main track Al is talking about is presumably Vanitys Crossing Rd.

 

From: Steve Holliday
Sent: Monday, 27 April 2009 9:21 AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Chestnut-rumped Heathwren at Pierce's Creek

 

Morning all

 

Just had a call from Alastair Smith who was at Pierce’s Creek – and had just seen 2 heathwrens.

 

Possibly garbled directions – go Cotter Rd, past the signposted track to Pierces Creek settlement, then 2^nd track on the right off Cotter Rd, a fairly major one. Al reckons he was probably 2 km in and had walked away from the track. There were 2 concrete water tanks visible on a hill nearby. Hopefully Al can give some more detailed directions later. GPS was 35 20 18 / 148 54 36. Best bet might be to use the coordinates with Google Earth and work it out from there.

 

A very good find in the ACT!

 

cheers

 

Steve

--

Ian Fraser, 
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Wordsmithing
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560  fax: 61 2 6247 3227
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