Trying again: COG outing to Yanununbeyan

This post contains some details of a COG trip proposed for Saturday 3 November 2012.  Note that if there is heavy rain in the few days before the trip, or forecast on the day, it will be cancelled as there are some potential flood risks.  If necessary, that will be announced on the COG Chatline and on this blogpost.

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 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 - there is always the possibility of someone coming towards you!  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.

Within Yanununbeyan.

I am planning 6 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) 
2. Obscure track to Queanbeyan River 35:33 149:21 
3. Stop at the end of road (13.7 from Woolcara)  35:35 149:21  Snuffle in area, check farmland and dams.
4. Lunch stop at creek.   35:34S 149:21E
5. Spring Creek trail end (3.5km from start).  This is National Park not SCA
6. Creek on way back 35:33 149:22.862E (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!