The
4th K2C bird survey was held on a beautiful spring morning. Ten teams
from COG covered 44 sites on 26 properties from Williamsdale to beyond
Bredbo. An impressive total of 101
species was recorded during the morning, including most of the expected spring
migrants and a wide range of woodland birds.
Many of the sites included one or more threatened species. There are not many other surveys where
the most frequently seen robin is the Hooded Robin (5 properties), followed
by Scarlet Robin and Eastern Yellow Robin (3 properties
each), and one record of a Flame
Robin. Other threatened and
significant woodland species included Brown Treecreeper, Diamond Firetail,
Speckled Warbler, Varied Sittella, Southern Whiteface, Restless Flycatcher
and Crested Shrike-tit. Of note was a first record in the K2C
surveys of Jacky Winter.
Honeyeaters (Yellow-faced and White-naped) were moving through in
small flocks on their return journey to the mountains. Fuscous Honeyeaters were a feature of
the Apple Box woodlands and a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater was seen on
Scottsdale. Both White-throated and
Western Gerygone were recorded, also
5 cuckoo species and 6 raptors.
The
species total was boosted by some interesting waterbird sightings from two large
farm dams. At one dam there was Musk
Duck, Australasian Shoveler and 46 Hardhead, and the most unusual sighting
for the day, a Black-tailed Native
Hen swimming across the dam.
Sincere thanks to the COG volunteers, landholders, K2C Facilitator Lauren
Van Dyke, and Bush Heritage Australia for allowing us to finish up at Scottsdale
and for covering the cost of lunch (supplied by the Snowy Mountains
Café).
The
next survey will be held on 22 April 2012.
