This outing was rescheduled from January when Namadgi National Park was closed. Again we had 17 people on a day of perfect weather, and started at the large dam next to Uriarra Homestead on Brindabella Road. Water bird numbers and species were down considerably, and we recorded only 18 species compared with more than 40 on the scorchingly hot day in January. There were good numbers of Hardheads, a pair of Musk Ducks and Australasian and Hoary-headed Grebes still in breeding plumage. Other highlights were a Black-shouldered Kite and three Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.
After some creative car-pooling, to allow us to walk only down the long hill in Blundells Creek Road, it was clear that we were past the peak time for birds in the wet forests. We had glimpses of Rose, Scarlet and Eastern Yellow Robins and heard a few Pilotbirds and Golden Whistlers, a Wonga Pigeon and a Grey Currawong. However, there was an almost complete absence of summer migrants (Rufous Fantails, Cicadabirds, Rufous Whistlers, Flycatchers, Kingfishers etc). 
Grey Fantails ambushed us at every turn in the road and there were moderate numbers of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Silvereyes, Spotted Pardalotes and White-browed Scrubwrens and five Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. An unusual siting was a small flock of White-throated Needletails circulating overhead. For the whole trip, 47 species were recorded.
Warks Road and Blundells Creek Road are strikingly good areas for wet forest birds and are at their best in late spring. Perhaps we might consider rescheduling future outings to this time of year and thus avoid the possibility of closure during the bushfire season.
Bruce Lindenmayer