COG visit to Googong South
Let us cut to the chase with the trip report submitted to COG:
The visit is planned for 16 March 2011.
There is a nice brochure put out by ACT Parks Conservation and Lands (ACTPCL - yes, I know Googong Dam is in NSW but don't ask me to explain this stupidity, just say "thank you for the nice map Mr Stanhope"). This notes that 165 species of birds have been seen in Googong!! A shorter list of species provided from the COG data base is at the foot of this post.
Directions are summarised in this first map (click to get a larger version and then zoom in if needed). I have taken the maps from the ACTPCL brochure.
People may wish to meet by 8:15 at Spotlight in Queanbeyan to carpool, or those from Southside may wish to make arrangements for themselves to come to the other end of Old Cooma Rd via Royalla. We will all meet at the spot designated on the above map at 9am and then go in convoy for the 3km to the official car park at the Woolshed. Note that there may be some gates to be opened and closed along the way.
The basic strategy for the walk will be to start with the Dhurrawarri Buranya Walk (yes there will be a test to check you can all spell it proper). This is 4km according to TAMS but 7km according to my MTB speedo, allowing for having to go round rather than over the arch. As we're walking we will going over the arch of London Bridge. The first 1km or so is through grassland, changing to woodland (some apple box and a lot of Euc. rossii) on the far side of Burra Creek.
This is illustrated in the second image (which is the area marked with dotted lines on the big one).
I visited the area on 22 February and Drawdown Crossing was 1m deep so we will return over the arch.
In case you think that was an ex-crossing, check out this shot of Washpen! My guess is that was several metres deep in the middle.
We actually head off to the left along the edge of this watercourse (the Queanbeyan River) and do some walking along a fairly rough trail which is a tad overgrown in parts. It isn't an epic trek, but it is not a smooth graded fire-trail either. There are a couple of stretches of rock steps.
I suggest we carry lunch with us - and a good supply of water.
When we get back to the cars I suggest we drive the 2.5km to Tin Hut Dam and prowl around that area, possibly going down to an inlet off the dam. Again, it depends how we feel. We should see the male Musk Duck on the dam. A couple of shots from today: I couldn't get one of him firing water about!
Black Swan
Australian Shelduck
Australian Wood Duck
Grey Teal
Pacific Black Duck
Australasian Grebe
Common Bronzewing
Little Pied Cormorant
Great Cormorant
White-faced Heron
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Nankeen Kestrel
Australian Hobby
Purple Swamphen
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Black-fronted Dotterel
Masked Lapwing
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Pallid Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
Sacred Kingfisher
Rainbow Bee-eater
Superb Lyrebird
White-throated Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Speckled Warbler
Weebill
White-throated Gerygone
Striated Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Southern Whiteface
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Eastern Spinebill
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Red Wattlebird
Brown-headed Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
Noisy Friarbird
Spotted Quail-thrush
Varied Sittella
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Olive-backed Oriole
Dusky Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Grey Currawong
Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Australian Raven
Magpie-lark
White-winged Chough
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Rose Robin
Hooded Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Australian Reed-Warbler
Rufous Songlark
Silvereye
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin
Tree Martin
Common Starling
Red-browed Finch
Diamond Firetail
House Sparrow
Australasian Pipit
European Goldfinch
Report on Walk to London Bridge
The day started well both in terms of the weather (fog disappeared as the 22 members and guests left Burra Rd) being a beautiful fine day - at least to start with- and a good crop of birds.
The birds of the day appeared early in the walk in the high speed forms of 4 Peregrine Falcons. There was considerable interaction between the birds flying at one another and vocalising loudly. Two perched in a dead eucalypt and were duly chased off by a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Two Australian Pipits posed nicely on dead Mullein stalks at the end of the London Bridhge arch.
On entering the woodland we were treated to good views of two Eastern Yellow Robins and a little later to 4 Scarlet Robins. Only a single Leaden Flycatcher was seen, close to the Queanbeyan River. This was seen attacking a Pied Currawong but we couldn't determine if this was defending a nest or simply good policy.
Overall 40 species (the full list will appear in the trips section of the COG website click on the Pelican and follow your nose) were recorded before the leader took the group on a side track followed by a scramble up a hillside just in time to put on our raincoats for a heavy thunderstorm. As we were all drenched we passed on the side trip to Tin Hut Dam!
The day started well both in terms of the weather (fog disappeared as the 22 members and guests left Burra Rd) being a beautiful fine day - at least to start with- and a good crop of birds.
The birds of the day appeared early in the walk in the high speed forms of 4 Peregrine Falcons. There was considerable interaction between the birds flying at one another and vocalising loudly. Two perched in a dead eucalypt and were duly chased off by a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Two Australian Pipits posed nicely on dead Mullein stalks at the end of the London Bridhge arch.
On entering the woodland we were treated to good views of two Eastern Yellow Robins and a little later to 4 Scarlet Robins. Only a single Leaden Flycatcher was seen, close to the Queanbeyan River. This was seen attacking a Pied Currawong but we couldn't determine if this was defending a nest or simply good policy.
Overall 40 species (the full list will appear in the trips section of the COG website click on the Pelican and follow your nose) were recorded before the leader took the group on a side track followed by a scramble up a hillside just in time to put on our raincoats for a heavy thunderstorm. As we were all drenched we passed on the side trip to Tin Hut Dam!
The visit is planned for 16 March 2011.
If there is a total fireban in Palerang Shire on that day the walk will be cancelled.
There is a nice brochure put out by ACT Parks Conservation and Lands (ACTPCL - yes, I know Googong Dam is in NSW but don't ask me to explain this stupidity, just say "thank you for the nice map Mr Stanhope"). This notes that 165 species of birds have been seen in Googong!! A shorter list of species provided from the COG data base is at the foot of this post.
Directions are summarised in this first map (click to get a larger version and then zoom in if needed). I have taken the maps from the ACTPCL brochure.
The basic strategy for the walk will be to start with the Dhurrawarri Buranya Walk (yes there will be a test to check you can all spell it proper). This is 4km according to TAMS but 7km according to my MTB speedo, allowing for having to go round rather than over the arch. As we're walking we will going over the arch of London Bridge. The first 1km or so is through grassland, changing to woodland (some apple box and a lot of Euc. rossii) on the far side of Burra Creek.
This is illustrated in the second image (which is the area marked with dotted lines on the big one).
I suggest we carry lunch with us - and a good supply of water.
When we get back to the cars I suggest we drive the 2.5km to Tin Hut Dam and prowl around that area, possibly going down to an inlet off the dam. Again, it depends how we feel. We should see the male Musk Duck on the dam. A couple of shots from today: I couldn't get one of him firing water about!
List of Birds from the COG database
Musk DuckBlack Swan
Australian Shelduck
Australian Wood Duck
Grey Teal
Pacific Black Duck
Australasian Grebe
Common Bronzewing
Little Pied Cormorant
Great Cormorant
White-faced Heron
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Nankeen Kestrel
Australian Hobby
Purple Swamphen
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Black-fronted Dotterel
Masked Lapwing
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Crimson Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Pallid Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Laughing Kookaburra
Sacred Kingfisher
Rainbow Bee-eater
Superb Lyrebird
White-throated Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Speckled Warbler
Weebill
White-throated Gerygone
Striated Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Southern Whiteface
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Eastern Spinebill
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Red Wattlebird
Brown-headed Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
Noisy Friarbird
Spotted Quail-thrush
Varied Sittella
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Olive-backed Oriole
Dusky Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Grey Currawong
Grey Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Australian Raven
Magpie-lark
White-winged Chough
Scarlet Robin
Flame Robin
Rose Robin
Hooded Robin
Eastern Yellow Robin
Australian Reed-Warbler
Rufous Songlark
Silvereye
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin
Tree Martin
Common Starling
Red-browed Finch
Diamond Firetail
House Sparrow
Australasian Pipit
European Goldfinch
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