Re: WW to Warks Rd etc

[Martin Butterfield <>]

Point the first: would the nice editors of Gang-gang note that "Eastern Shrike-tit" should be "Crested Shrike-tit".

I have now (after a busy day on Other Duties)  done a blog post with a few extra comments and quips and a few photos of plants plus 2 excellent photos of the Rose Robin (thanks Lindell)  and one of the fledgling Rufous Whistler .

Bill Graham has advised the following arrangements for the February Walk:

"Start would be the car park entrance to Mulligan's Flat  near Amy Ackman and Cleggett St. We would walk north to Hibberd St down to Mulligan Flat Road to see hotspot for rails and crakes, Fairy Martin nests under bridge and twin ponds on Bonner side, then follow path on Forde side to Horse Park Drive, then back. Good coffee at Forde shops."

​It would be good if that could be copied in to the Trips page of the COG website.​

 

​Martin​

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 22 January 2015 at 09:24, Martin Butterfield <> wrote:

The editors of Gang-gang may wish to use this as the trip report.

24 members and guests assembled at Stromlo Forest Park to car pool for the drive to Warks rd in the Brindabellas.  As the weather forecast was still a tad iffy it was decided to go directly to high areas and if time and energy permitted stop off at Uriarra Dam on the way back.

 

Or first two stops were on Blundell's creek Rd where Rufous Fantails were seen.  A Brush Cuckoo and a Superb Lyrebird were heard and on driving off, some people saw a Satin Bower Bird cross in front of the cars.

 

We stopped at the junction of Blundells Creek and Warks Rds and - in a break with tradition - headed downstream for a while.   As usual at this time of year honeyeaters, including Yellow-faced, White-naped and White-eared, were active in the canopy.  

 Returning to the junction we headed uphill.   We were soon getting interesting breeding records .  Possibly the highlight of the day was a male Rose Robin flying into a nest decorated with lichen and three hungry mouths.   An Eastern Yellow Robin was seen in the gully feeding its young.  A Satin Flycatcher w

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as seen on its nest and some members spotted two small heads therein.  The last of the 'specials' of the area was two Eastern Shrike-tits.

​  Much debate occurred with respect to an obviously young, and heavily striated  bird ​begging on a branch.  It was being fed and the feeder eventually revealed itself as a female Rufous Whistler.  So the default position is very recently fledged Rufous Whistler: some photos were taken and research will happen..

 

We then moved up the road towards Bendora Dam Rd stopping at the first intersection for a foray in this drier woodland.  We had good views of a Sacred Kingfisher and a Flame Robin was seen feeding young.

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Our final stop was at the Uriarra Homestead Dam.  The dam was not as well plastered with birds as usual the highlight being Tree Martins hawking over the water.  As the weather finally seemed to have got rainy we didn't stay long.

 

49 species were recorded on the day.

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The editors of Gang-gang may wish to note in "forthcoming trips " that the February walk 

​will be to Forde ponds on 18 February.  Details ​of meeting point etc will be circulated on the chatline and the website when finalised.

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/