There was an orienteering event there last month. The close views of the wedgies drew some comment from the participants, but they were no closer than you get in Canberra when an orienteering leg at Wanniassa Hills ran right under an active nest.
From: martin butterfield [
Sent: Monday, 2 May 2011 8:43 AM
To: Margaret Leggoe
Cc:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Woolcara Lane
Margaret
The lane is about 15km long and the bit where the action was happening yesterday was about 4km through the pastoral property. Thus a GPS reference is not particularly helpful. Google Maps gives a pretty good set of directions for getting there, as did the 'directions' bit in http://franmart.blogspot.com/2010/10/planning-cog-trip-to-yanununbeyan-sca.html.
It is very important to note that when in the pastoral property you have to stick to the road: the land owners leave the road unfenced but do not like strangers wandering across their land. The last two times I have been out there the paddocks alongside the road have been replete with bovines and thus the road surface is rather aromatic. The cattle are laid back (on one occasion I rode my bike through the middle of them as they were all over the road) but be wary of them both to preserve your duco and to keep faith with their owners.
Martin
On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 8:02 AM, Margaret Leggoe <m("gmail.com","m.leggoe7141");">> wrote:
Martin,
Do you have a GPS for this site? I have never heard of Woolcara Lane. There are some COGs who are not locals, but blow-ins from far away western deserts.
Many thanks
Margaret
We went for a prowl along Woolcara Lane today to see if we could find any orchids in Yanununbeyan. We couldn't. The forest was very quiet - hardly any birds.
However the pastoral area along the lane through Woolcara Station was pretty good. 2 immature Wedge-tailed eagles, a Kestrel (which seemed rather nervous of Big Cousin), Diamond Firetails in 2 places; several Dusky Woodswallows, Red-rumped Parrots (unusual out here) and masses of Australian Pipits.
Benj's post about the climate readings in ANBG caused me to remember an ANPS trip behind Mt Coree. At the start of the day it was foggy at Piccadilly Circus and the temperature 13 degrees. After some hours the sun had come out and it felt quite warm in the forest. However my thermometer still only read 13 degrees. I decided a flying rock (many were available on that trip) had nailed my temperature sensor. Within 2 minutes of emerging onto the exposed terrain of Mountain Creek Road the temperature was up to 25 degrees. The effect of a good canopy.
Martin
