Wednesday Swim at ANBG

[Martin Butterfield <>]

The editors of Gang-gang may wish to use the following as the trip report for this outing.  It won't take up much space!

​​

9 intrepid members gathered under the shelter of the Visitors Centre for a visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens.  The weather was very promising for drought stricken farmers, and I hope they have got a serve out of this.  It was less positive for birders with the rain varying between steady and heavy the whole time.  As a result it was the shortest Wednesday outing I can recall.

 

We walked up the Western side of the Rainforest Gully, noting a tall eucalypt which had fallen across the gully.  Superb Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren and Brown Thornbill were the only birds seen or heard.  Emerging on to the main track we followed it up to the top of the gardens.  and down to the CSIRO fence.  2 Eastern Yellow Robins were seen perched on a fence near the Red Centre Garden

​

and various small, silent and generally unidentifiable silhouettes were seen in the canopy.​

 

Once down at the lower levels, where many Banksias were flowering, there were good numbers of New Holland Honeyeaters and a couple of Red Wattlebirds.  We had also recorded White-eared Honeyeater and Eastern Spinebills in a few spots.

 

All up, we recorded 13 species in 83 minutes.  There were a number of surprising missing birds: the absence of Crimson Rosella, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo,

​and ​

Gang-gang were commented on.  There weren't even any White-winged Choughs hanging out at the cafe (nor were there any punters supping coffee therein).

I have included the full list of species in my blogpost together with a few snaps of wetness (but none of birds) and some comment on the weather!

The editors of Gang-gang may wish to include the following in the forthcoming trips section (and if someone could add it to the COG website trips page that would be good).

The

Wednesday 

Walk on 15 July will be to Tidbinbilla with a particular aim of spotting Robins in the more open country.  Further details will be announced by email closer to the date.

Martin Butterfield

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