Fourteen people attended the Enchanted Hill outing. We started at the layby 2.6 km sth of the Johnson St roundabout at Calwell. The paddock between the Cooma highway and the railway is public land and agisted with cattle for part of each year. It has four public-access gates along about 3 kms of the road and is a good birding site.
We saw (or heard) 31 species. It was cool, overcast and the ground was almost bare. The numbers for each species were much lower than in a good season. The highlights were Brown-headed Honeyeaters, a Crescent Honeyeater, a Speckled Warbler, a Diamond Firetail and 7 Scarlet Robins.
We walked 2.5 km north along the railway to "Melrose Valley". Hooded Robins have been reported there for 12 years and 4 were seen at the Monk's Creek stockyards on 10th May. We were met by Harold Adams, the leaseholder, at the site of the railway camp. The settlement had 200 men in 1887 and it took two years to complete McAlister's cutting, Rocky Crossing and other works. He has put up a commemorative plaque and interpreted the heritage elements of the site for us. He reviewed the status of birds at the farm over the last 17 years and noted a significant drop in species and flock numbers. This is despite the fact that he has planted extensive tree corridors. He felt that large flocks of Pied Currawongs and Common Mynas were to blame. He was an amenable host and invited COG members to visit again. He also suggested a walk to Pemberton, a large hilly timbered area to the north of his farm. The visit was more an introduction to the site, rather than an intensive survey and participants enjoyed the morning.
Bill Graham