A group of 12 in the minibus and others in two cars enjoyed a relaxing day in sunny, calm weather exploring the area east of Queanbeyan and Bungendore environs. First stop was a visit to Brooks Hill Reserve, a small piece of former crown land on the NSW-ACT border as you go down the hill to the Bungendore flats, with sightings of Mistletoebird and Eastern Spinebill in flowering box mistletoe, two White-naped Honeyeaters moving through and many mixed flocks of thornbills and pardalotes.
There were several acacias in flower, including one which we thought may be Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnatha), rather uncommon in our area and not on the reserve's plant list of seven wattle species. The botanical detectives will be following this up. After morning tea, off to the Bungendore Sewage Works, where a lone Australasian Shelduck and a number of other ducks, grebes, gulls and cormorants were enjoying the sun, and a farm dam off Lake Road where there were at least 200 assorted ducks, including Pink-eared Duck, Chestnut Teal and Hardhead, with sightings of a Little Eagle and Brown Falcon. We later managed to get good views of a Spotted Pardalote for Charles, who had been trying to tick this off since he arrived in Canberra.
There were three other highlights of the day. First was the lunch June Gotham provided at the Gothams' property on the Bungendore Ridge. She said she was only making soup, but there was also crusty bread and home made strudel with custard and cream - next time we will not bring packed lunches!! Second was the fantastic views of the Lake George basin from the ridge. Lake George is going through one of its cyclical recessions (it's hard to imagine there were some 400 Freckled Duck along its eastern edge near Lake Road a few years ago!). The third highlight was hearing and then seeing a Long-billed Corella in Scribbly Gum woodland on a private property on the Bungendore Ridge. At first we heard a call repeated which reminded me of a corella, and we were then amazed to find it was indeed a Long-billed. The bird was calling from a tree and then flew off with a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo which had also been calling. Long-billed Corellas are uncommon in our area and it is hard to know if this one was an aviary escapee or a truly wild bird. Thanks to June and Peter Gotham for their hospitality. We will probably do this trip again some time in the spring.
Jenny Bounds