CANCELLED the COG trip to Yanununbeyan SCA

THE OUTING PLANNED TO YANUNUNBEYAN FOR SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO PROBABLE POOR WEATHER AND DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS.

This is to hold my plans for the COG outing on December 4 2010.

I suggest people meet to carpool at the Spotlight car park in Queanbeyan (see below for maplet) at 8am.  It would be good to minimise the number of cars because:
  • Carbon footprint issues;
  • Woolcara Trail is narrow and dirt so the less traffic the better;
  • Parking is not always able to accommodate a large number of cars.
If someone is able to to volunteer to manage that rendezvous I would join the convoy at the junction of Captains Flat Road and Briars Sharrow Road.

Directions
  1. On leaving the Spotlight carpark head off towards Bungendore on the Kings Hwy and take the turn off to Captains Flat (approximately 4km on the right with a snazzy new roundabout).  
  2. After approx 14km, regroup at the junction of Briars Sharrow Rd and Captains Flat Rd.
  3. After a further 4km (after passing Carwoola homestead) turn right into Woolcara lane.  This is good quality dirt.
  4. After about 5 km the road enters Woolcara Station and after a further 7km enters the State Conservation area.

Road conditions and other 'duty of care' information

There is about 40km of dirt road on the agenda.  I have been everywhere we are planning to go in a 2WD car.  However there has been a lot of rain and we have a few creeks and gutters to cross.  Subaru Foresters and above would have no difficulty. 

The road to Woolcara Gate is very good quality dirt road.  The next 7km (approx) is a public right of way through private property.  There are several cattle grids with poor visibility 'over the top': be alert.  The paddocks on either side of the track are unfenced and have stock grazing and at times wandering across the road.

Once in the SCA or NP the road narrows and is less well maintained.

We will be walking off the track in a variety of situations.  Use common sense appropriate to the Australian bush in Summer.

Carry water and use sunscreen and bug repellent.

We will have lunch close to the cars so no need to shlep your meal.

To business
I have no specific stops in mind while traversing Woolcara or Silverton.  If we see something good and it is safe to stop, we will of course do so.  By way of example:



Within Yanununbeyan.

I am planning 6 - 7 stops.   I'd expect us to be heading home no later than 3pm: if folk wish to leave sooner that will be simply arranged: but please tell me first!!
  1. Corner Hill: it is a bit uphill but on a degraded track so relatively easy walking.  Probably about 2km return, (grassland and box-grassy stuff)  We may bush bash back to the cars if people so wish.
  2. Murdering Sheep Flat 35:33.057 S 149:21.056E  (see above)
  3. Perhaps a roadside stop before The Spring homestead  if there seems to be action.  Otherwise stop at the nnd of road (13.7 from Woolcara)  35:35.219E 149:21.335S  Snuffle in area, check farmland and dams.
  4. Lunch stop at creek.   35:34.769S 149:21.589E
  5. Spring Creek trail end (3.5km from start).  This is National Park not SCA
  6. Creek on way back 35:33.911S 149:22.862E (0.9 from end of track)
The various stops are indicated in this extract from Google Earth.  Click on the image to enlarge it.

Birds to be seen

The starting point is the list of birds I have compiled from my various visits to the area, plus a list provided from the Atlas of NSW Wildlife.

Yanununbeyan composite
C&B 2 Taxonomic Code
RAOU
name
39
211
Grey Teal
44
208
Pacific Black Duck
63
34
Common Bronzewing
75
44
Wonga Pigeon
88
313
Tawny Frogmouth
96
317
Australian Owlet-nightjar
101
334
White-throated Needletail
222
188
White-faced Heron
226
192
Nankeen Night Heron
244
221
Brown Goshawk
245
222
Collared Sparrowhawk
252
224
Wedge-tailed Eagle
255
239
Brown Falcon
281
56
Dusky Moorhen
306
144
Black-fronted Dotterel
410
267
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
413
268
Gang-gang Cockatoo
419
269
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
436
282
Crimson Rosella
437
288
Eastern Rosella
468
342
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
472
337
Pallid Cuckoo
478
248
Powerful Owl
480
246
Barking Owl
481
242
Southern Boobook
493
322
Laughing Kookaburra
498
326
Sacred Kingfisher
508
350
Superb Lyrebird
511
558
White-throated Treecreeper
513
560
Red-browed Treecreeper
514
555
Brown Treecreeper
527
529
Superb Fairy-wren
556
488
White-browed Scrubwren
580
470
Striated Thornbill
582
486
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
584
484
Buff-rumped Thornbill
589
475
Brown Thornbill
594
565
Spotted Pardalote
597
976
Striated Pardalote
598
591
Eastern Spinebill
608
614
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
614
617
White-eared Honeyeater
616
619
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
633
638
Red Wattlebird
659
583
Brown-headed Honeyeater
661
578
White-naped Honeyeater
666
645
Noisy Friarbird
678
436
Spotted Quail-thrush
686
549
Varied Sittella
695
416
Crested shrike-tit
699
398
Golden Whistler
707
408
Grey Shrike-thrush
719
702
Grey Butcherbird
722
705
Australian Magpie
723
694
Pied Currawong
725
697
Grey Currawong
730
361
Grey Fantail
733
364
Willie wagtail
737
930
Australian Raven
744
365
Leaden Flycatcher
757
693
White-winged Chough
767
380
Scarlet Robin
769
382
Flame Robin
776
392
Eastern Yellow Robin
806
357
Welcome Swallow
818
991
Common Blackbird
829
564
Mistletoebird
839
662
Red-browed Finch
254
240
Nankeen Kestrel
763
377
Jacky Winter


I would add to this, as a possibility, Painted Button-quail> on one of my recent visits to the area a lot of 'platelets close to stop 6. I also note that we are not far from a property at Urila (on the far side of the Queanbeyan River) owned by a member of COG who has recorded a very good number of unusual birds in recent years. So eyes and ears open!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A tour of the West (part 1)

Insects from pine trees

Maslins beach rules