Seven members joined me to re-visit sites COG surveyed last in 1999, along the Naas Valley track, thorough Namadgi National Park to Mt Clear. We based ourselves in comfortable farmhouse accommodation at Caloola Farm at the head of the trail, a most convenient base.
Unfortunately, after many dry and warm weeks, the weekend of wet weather starting on Friday pm with heavy thunderstorms, plus the fact that much of the trail had been recently graded and was not able to be driven on in the wet due to likely damage, meant we could not do the drive down the trail. There was virtually continuous rain and low cloud for most of the weekend in the valley, with more than 2 inches of rain on Saturday, and it was still raining when we got up on Sunday. Most of the group returned home on Saturday afternoon when it was clear we would not be able to drive down through the park. Those of us left enjoyed a gourmet curry dinner with sambals and other trimmings on Saturday night, around the cosy fire in the house.
Despite the conditions, a couple of people donned wet weather gear, braved the rain and walked into the park from the north, recording quite a few birds on the park edge including 3 Brown Treecreepers (they are usually in this area) and a Scarlet Robin. Many bird sightings occurred from the house verandah and on brief forays around the property when the rain reduced to a light drizzle (it never really stopped). On Saturday, just before lunch, I heard a distant call like a Painted Honeyeater, at first dismissing this as just my ears getting "twitchy", but the calls continued and I rounded up the rest of the group and we went on a search. We were finally rewarded with a male Painted Honeyeater, not far from the homestead, flying between the trees and perching high on dead limbs, calling frequently - this was a first sighting of this species for several people. The bird flew off a long way and we did not hear or see it again on the weekend; there was plenty of mistletoe around the property.
We ended up with a list of 58 species for the weekend in and around Caloola and further south to the park edge, including Brush Cuckoo and Peaceful Dove as well as the Painted Honeyeater (above), and plenty of the other birds you usually have around this time of year, like Rainbow Bee-eaters, and various small honeyeaters. On the last trip down the trail in 1999, COG recorded 53 species of birds. We did not see Hooded Robins or Diamond Firetails on the recent weekend, but they are usually recorded around this area in the more open parts. It was good to see how well the area is recovering from the bushfires which burned the ridges and spotted into the valley, but did not extensively damage trees in the open valley. Thanks to Sue Lashko, Sue Edgar, Stuart Rae, Ruth Parker, Philip Veerman, Noel and Ethel Luff for their participation.
Jenny Bounds