Campbell P, Molonglo, O'Connor wetland

["boy nature" <>]

 

-Campbell Park

-Molonglo

-O’Connor wetland

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Friday. On Friday I decided to visit sites that were often reported from in the past but which haven’t had many reports lately. My choices were either Lake G or Campbell Park. I chose the latter. [Bus no. 10 goes from Coulter Dr, through cook, aranda, civic and then to Campbell Park & airport.].

I didn’t see any of my target species so just chilled out and then enjoyed it more. Some interesting obs to me were:
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Campbell park

28 species. The feature of the day was the number of bird fights. Between the carpark and the Horse stile, two ‘families’ (one of 8, one of 9) of noisy miners were having a turf war, with very loud calling, physical contact, some combatants actually ending up on the ground. Grey currawong, grey butcherbird. 7 choughs

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After the stile I heading diagonally from the main trail, heading uphill with the ultimate goal of reaching the Applebox ridge. About half way I ran into a huge MFF of ~ 40 spotted pardalotes, 15 striated pardalotes, 10 striated thornbills, other usuals, about 10 white napes, 3 YFH, a white-eared honeyeater, one female golden whistler, GST, BFCS, red wattlebirds.

A couple of weebills started having a barney and it resulted in an all in brawl (14 birds) flying from tree to tree- funny to watch the smallest bird in Australia in a mass brawl.

After leaving this MFF I heard very loud speckled warbler calls, on reaching them there were 6 birds high in bushes and calling loudly. After the fight 4 flew off South together, while 2 (a pair) headed N. The advantage of fights is they are loud and birds often don’t notice you.

With less kangaroos the groundcover has recovered to a satisfactory level and I can now ID plant species and I was surprised by how much is native, particularly on the drier rockier areas. Species in flower included daisies, Hoary sunrays (Leucochrysum albicans) var tricolor, an endangered daisy (EPBC) with white bracts and yellow centre, a few purple daisies with yellow centre and long narrow leaves (10cm by ~ 5mm), probably Calotis scabiosifolia var integrifolia .

Quite a few purple and yellow New Holland daisies were in flower (Vittadinia muelleri and some V. cuneata), some yellow clustered everlastings, common everlastings and sticky paper daisies. Many plants of Lomandra, Goodenia hederaceae, Pelargoniums Hibbertia and Plantains were seen, plus patches of shrubs of Cassinia and wattles. It will be interesting to see this area in late spring. Also lots of wallaby grasses (Austrodanthonia) were seeding, plus some redgrass and Joycea.

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Molonglo- I had never walked near the waterskiing part of Molonglo. So I had a look: white faced heron, LP cormorant, 38 masked lapwings flew over at dusk heading towards Jerrabomberra wetlands, 1 swallow. 32 red rumps, plenty of magpies, galahs, SC cockatoos, peewees, wagtails, swans, black and wood ducks.

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O’Connor Wetland

Little pied cormorant, black ducks, wood ducks, 5 noisy miners, and a corella. 8 species.

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Benj