It was raining and cold when five COG members and visitors met at Kambah shops but we decided to give it a go anyway! Although the weather did not improve over the following six hours, we had an enjoyable walk in one of the most delightful spots in the ACT. On leaving the Nursery Swamp car park and proceeding uphill, we were shocked by the number of dead Silver Banksias: the drought has struck hard. As expected, few birds were seen, but those we did observe were quality birds: highlights included seeing a young Superb Lyrebird after having heard it screaming, a pair of Golden Whistlers and a small flock of Varied Sitellas. As expected, most of the 11 species of birds observed were insect eaters; those dependent on flowers or fruit had departed for gentler climes. A small mob of feral pigs and many Eastern Grey Kangaroos added to the wildlife interest of the visit. It would be good to go back in spring or summer to observe the differences, both floral and faunal, from mid-winter.
David McDonald