As a long-term Barham resident, I am not able to verify the 25 years someone
suggested that the ostriches have been there, but that's probably right. I
have certainly seen them breed, with clutches of young ones and I have
counted 25 individuals on one occasion. The farm has changed owners
recently but the new owners seem content to let them wander freely as did
the previous owner.
Lashbrook Rd also is the best place I know to find chestnut-crowned
babblers. You need to drive to the very end and without going thru the gate
into the farm at the end of the road, look around there. The c-c babblers
are usually in the box and saltbush scrub around the watercourse on the East
side of the road. The road also afforded excellent displays last Summer of
Rufous and Brown Songlarks along with Singing Bushlark, allowing me to
compare and contrast as they were all in the one area along the fenceline
about half way down in the Dillon-bush grassland.
Geoff Leslie
------------------------------
Message: 13
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 18:41:42 +1000
From: "Bob Cook" <>
To: "'John Tongue'" <>
Cc: 'Steve Potter' <>,
'Marlene Lyell' <>, 'Tim Dolby'
<>
Subject: Barham Ostriches?
Message-ID: <>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi all
Successful trip today to find Ostriches near Barham, South West NSW.
We found them very close to the published point - 35.37.15, 144.20.45. This
point is actually a little way up Lashbrook Rd.
However, they are in a large "paddock" on the North East corner of
Deniliquin-Barham Rd and Lashbrook Rd. This corner is just to the West of
where the large powerlines cross the Deniliquin-Barham Rd (otherwise easy to
miss that road). We first saw two birds from Lashbrook Road about 3/4 km
from the main road. They were in a Canola crop and a long way, at least
500m, from the road. We later saw 5 birds from the Deniliquin-Barham Rd,
exactly where the powerlines cross, but still over 100m from the road. So
definitely 6 and probably 7 adult birds - did not see any chicks.
As this paddock is probably at least 1km x 2km and they were actively
roaming around, they are not all that easy to spot. (Others have told us
that they would be right by the fence...!!!)
Also of interest seen along Lashbrook Rd were a family of Grey-crowned
Babblers and a lone, probably juvenile White-winged Triller.
And I have seen more White-necked Herons on this trip (from near Bendigo)
and around Vic generally in the past six months than in the past 20 years!
Bob Cook
0427 266 770
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