What a terrific day - leaving Canberra on a foggy freezing morning and arriving at the coast to a beautiful sunny day! We saw 50 species as well as having a great time-thanks to Jenny and Charles for driving the bus and Jenny for organising the day trip.
The Regional Botanic Gardens south of Bateman's Bay was interesting to those of us who had not been there previously-most of the work in establishment and maintenance has been done with volunteers and the result is great. Several participants had good looks at a Brown Gerygone plus other birds common to Canberra that were present in abundance. We enjoyed morning tea and lunch on the grounds.
We then trekked south to Mogo and turned to the coast along Tomakin Rd. At the sewerage ponds we added Whistling Kite, Chestnut and Grey Teal, Welcome Swallows, Black Swan and Australian White Ibis to the list.
We hiked to nearly the tip of Burrewarra Point where we saw Crested Terns, looked down on a flying White-bellied Sea-eagle and saw rafts of gannets at sea-no whales were visible despite a smooth sea and ideal viewing conditions. We also saw Variegated Fairy-wrens, a Golden Whistler, and Little Wattlebirds dashing in and out of the huge Banksia serrata. The highlight of the trip was the Scarlet Honeyeater feeding in banksia and viewed through Charles' telescope--a new bird for many of us. We had terrific views and heard the call so it will not escape us again.
Jonette McDonnell