Fwd: Bodaciousness in Namadgi

[martin butterfield <>]

For some reason that message escaped well before I had finished.  I have continued below but not reattached the image.

Gang-gang editors may wish to use the chunk between >>s as the official trip report and to include the following as The Plan for the July midweek walk.  "Meet at 9:30am at the entrance to the Newline paddocks to tour this remnant of Grassy Yellow Box woodland."

This is likely to be a typical midweek walk lasting until about mid-day.  However, given the success of today's more extended trip the group will put in occasional longer trips from time to time in the future

Martin.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: martin butterfield <>
Date: Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 5:57 PM
Subject: Bodaciousness in Namadgi
To: COG List <>

>>
The June mid-week walk was a ripper.  21 members and guests gathered at the Namadgi Visitors Centre (NVC) for a slightly more extended than usual trip to the Park.

Starting with the woodland loop we were straight into the more interesting birds with a SPECKLED WARBLER seen in the car park and 2 JACKY WINTERs seen within 100m of starting the loop.  At least 4 SCARLET ROBINs were seen here also.  Close to the road was a very large flock of mixed thornbills (guesstimated as at least 50 Yellow-rumped and 30 Buff-rumped).  Honeyeaters here were White-eared, and White-plumed plus an Eastern Spinebill.  This element of the walk gathered 23 species.

Moving on to the Naas area the more notable birds were 3 AUSTRALIAN KING-PARROTS, a BROWN FALCON being severely harassed by some 6 Australian Magpies; a female NANKEEN KESTREL and 2 soaring WEDGE-TAILED EAGLES (both subadult birds).  The shrubbery along the river was quieter than expected.  This element recorded 20 species in total with 10 of them being additions to the daylist.

Our final stop was at the Glendale Depot where we parked adjacent to the helipad thinking no-one was likely to use it today.  This

was more or less confirmed by a staff member.  The image attached to the original version of this note shows that our expectations were not quite on the money but (possibly thanks to a) the direction of the wind or b) the skill of the pilot) it wasn't a problem.  BROWN TREECREEPERS were heard more or less immediately and eating lunch was enlivened by a large group of Superb Fairy-wrens.  As we moved off up the hill more BROWN TREECREEPERS (to  a total of at least 3) were seen for some reason favouring lichen-covered rocks to timber! 2 SOUTHERN WHITEFACE were picked out of a mobile feeding flock and a female FLAME ROBIN  was identified.  

Moving even further up the slope an AUSTRALIAN PIPIT was added to the list and then the fun started.  An immature male HOODED ROBIN was seen perched on a mullein stem.  Then another immature of the same species followed by an adult male and female for a minimum flock of 4 of this species.  At one point they were died at by an EASTERN YELLOW ROBIN (2 of them in total) and we started getting distracted by at least 2, and perhaps 4, DIAMOND FIRETAILS.

This element recorded 25 species with 11 additions to the daylist, for a total of 44 species.
>>

On her way home a member of the group stopped at a picnic area close to Glendale and saw Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos and another Brown Treecreeper.