COG’S BIRD BLITZ 26-27 OCTOBER – Update 1 Sept
Nominations to survey sites have been coming in steadily but there are still many outstanding areas yet to be “adopted” for survey purposes over that weekend. If you “adopt” a site, you commit to doing at the very minimum a 20-minute 2-hectare survey there, though of course longer surveys and surveys of several sites are most welcome. Full details about the blitz and an Excel spreadsheet of the adopted sites are provided on the COG website; to “adopt” a site, please contact the blitz organiser Barbara Allan at m("canberrabirds.org.au","blitz");"> or telephone her on 6254 6520. Here are some of the sites waiting adoption. More than one individual or group may survey each site, but it is helpful to spread our coverage as widely as possible.
Northside
Hall and environs; Percival Hill NR; Gungahlin Hill NR; Bruce Ridge NR; Gossan Hill NR; Mt Painter NR; Umbagong District Park; Mt Ainslie NR; O’Connor Ridge NR; all the grasslands
Central sites
National Museum environs; ANU; Kings Park; Parliament House gardens; Commonwealth Park
Western sites
Newline Quarry; Fairbairn Pines; Queanbeyan Sewage works
Southern sites
Mt Mugga Mugga NR; Mount Taylor NR; Stromlo Forest Park; Point Hut; McQuoids Hill; Rob Roy NR; Tuggeranong Hill NR; Urambi Hills NR; Kambah Pool; Tharwa sandwash; Cotter Reserve
Further afield in Namadgi NP
Shanahans Mtn; Yerrabi Track; Orroral Valley; many spots in the Brindabellas; Glendale Crossing; Brandy Flat Hut; Square Rock; etc.
Come on, COG members! Sign up for an enjoyable day’s – or weekend’s – birding to help us build as complete a picture as possible of the birds of the ACT over that weekend!
To ensure that all COG members can participate in the blitz, whatever their birding experience, this year we are offering training for newcomers to birding or to bird reporting. If you are a beginner and can only confidently identify magpies and other common birds, you can still participate by surveying around your home, your street or your local park – reporting only the birds you can identify with certainty.
You are invited to a one hour Blitz training session on either
Saturday 7th September at 2 pm (54 Grayson St, Hackett and Hackett Neighbourhood Oval), or Sunday 15th September at 11 am (8 Thorn Pl Curtin and North Curtin District Playing Fields). The sessions will provide practical tips such as knowing when to report and not report birds, help in being confident of your id, and easy ways to estimate numbers.
Practice - Reporting species & estimating numbers - forms, notes & pencils provided.
Optional 2nd hour- Search of local park, more practice and tips about describing location, type of searches, use of latitude & longitude, support software & COG online system.
To register for the training, please contact Michael Robbins - mrobbins (at) home.netspeed.com.au.
