Re: Brilliant outing to Gigerline

[Martin Butterfield <>]

I have now compiled a blogpost about our trip yesterday.  

It is rather short on bird photos but incorporates some comparison of the two trips we have made to this area and a comment about other additions to the site list.  Cutting to the chase on that topic there are 87 species listed on the eBird hotspot list!

Martin

Martin Butterfield

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

On 16 September 2015 at 20:30, Martin Butterfield <> wrote:

The editors of Gang-gang may wish to include this as the official report of the absolutely top September outing.

18 members and guests gathered at Williamsdale in far more propitious weather than our previous visit to this site.   Thanks to ACT Parks and Conservation and the Land Development Agency for their support in access.

 

We followed pretty much the same route as in February with a first pause soon after crossing the small creek.  The finches seen previously were absent but a group 3 Varied Sitellas feeding down and up in a large eucalypt made up for this.  As we moved off a little further an alert member recognised the ping calls of a Brown Treecreeper emanating from a grove of eucalypt saplings. The bird wasn't sighted but the call was repeated several times enabling it to be ticked.  As we searched for it 2 Nankeen Kestrels were seen perched on trees and man-made structures.

 

Sticking with the less common species, and jumping forward a mile or so horizontally, and several 10s of metres downwards, descending to the Murrumbidgee the group was able to observe at least 3 Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters feeding in eucalypts on thebaks of the River.  Other Honeyeaters recorded on the outing included Brown-headed, Yellow-faced and Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Noisy Miiners, Red Wattlebirds and Noisy Friarbirds.

 

Many other returning migrants were recorded including Olive-backed Oriole, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Dusky Woodswallow and White-throated Gerygone and Fan-tailed and Shining bronze Cuckoos .  As well as returning migrants we recorded breeding: Australian Raven (NY) Yellow-rumped Thornbill (NB) and Welcome Swallow (NB).

 

Overall we recorded 57 species

​, equalling last visit's score​ which I believe to be the best score on a one-day COG outing.

A listing of the species recorded is attached.  It would be good if that could be added to the appropriate entry on the COG website trips element in due course.  I will craft a blog post - not many snaps this month - later.

Note that the area between the TSR on the Monaro Highway and the drop to the River is licensed for grazing stock.  If anyone should wish to follow the track be careful to respect the fences and stock in the area and to comply with any requests by the licensee.

I need to clarify some access issues for next months proposed outing.  The outcome will be notified in Gang-gang and by messages to the Chatline closer to the due date.

Martin Butterfield

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