WW to Mulligans Flat and next month

[martin butterfield <>]

The editors of Gang-gang may wish to incorporate these offerings.  

Wednesday Walk 21 March to Mulligans Flat
 
19 members and guests gathered at the entrance to the Reserve adjacent to Horse Park Drive.  While access is still quite OK here any further heavy may cause the bridge to become a little exciting and I suggest it be approached with caution.  While we did find a few soggy patches within the Reserve they were all manageable.

In total we recorded 43 species.  Raptors were represented by a mature Black-shouldered Kite, a rocket-propelled Australian Hobby and a pair of Wedge-tailed eageles causing distress to the local Australian Magpie population.   

Pacific Blacks were seen flying over the Reserve with 5, including 3 Dependent Young, on the still breached Big Dam.  (Wouldn't it be really big if the breach had been repaired!)  Also on the dam were 2 Australasian Grebes (still in breeding plumage) and 2 Eurasian Coots.  Other birds at dams were 2 Little Pied Cormorants, 2 Masked Lapwings (no Banded Lapwings despite careful peering) and a White-faced Heron.

We had a good range of "bush birds" with the highlight being a flock of at least 12 Varied Sitellas.  7 of these birds flew in front of us for some time.  The only other breeding record was a magpie Lark sitting on a nest in a dead tree over a small dam.

A full birdlist will be included in the trips section of the COG Website in due course.

Wednesday Walk 18 April
The Wednesday Walk for April on 18th of that month will be to Tharwa Sandwash.  Contact person is Sandra Henderson at 

(Could the trips officer request the website be upgraded to reflect this.)

Martin