About 10 members and guests spent a very pleasant afternoon accompanying 3 members of the Minders of Tuggeranong Homestead (MOTH) and me to learn more about the historical significance and cultural values of the Tuggeranong Homestead. Though less well known than some of the other historic properties in the ACT, it has important links with our cultural history, both aboriginal and European. Some of the existing buildings as well as those that could only be discerned by a remaining mound or a line of hand made bricks were shown and explained to us. We also were shown the remnant grassy woodland site that MOTH is restoring, as well as the remainders of the cold plain (Tuggeranong Plain) grassland.
Despite the increasingly windy and drying conditions during the afternoon we managed to see a total of 21 species. Most were relatively common in Canberra and unfortunately the Common Myna and Common Starling were easily the most conspicuous and numerous, particularly favouring the local chook run as a food source. Interestingly the former was not on the bird list supplied from the COG database only 10 years ago. The most unexpected was an Olive-backed Oriole initially in the foliage of a planted pine and then foraging in amongst some dead blackberries, in both cases fairly untypical habitat. My first Noisy Friarbird for the season was also seen quietly sheltering from the wind.
Over a cup of afternoon tea and cakes at the Homestead cafe we were able to compare the species list with that published by Charles Barrett in 1922 as the first paper in the literature about the birds of the then Federal Capital Territory (written after visiting the war historian C E W Bean there). While not a fair test due to the windy conditions, he recorded at least 8 species that are now rare or threatened in the ACT region, most notably the White-browed Babbler and the Red-capped Robin. Also interesting were some of the names he used such as Black and White as well as White-shafted Fantails, White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater and the Yellow-tailed tit-warbler!
All in all a very enjoyable couple of hours seeing some birds and learning some history made for an especially a nice social occasion. This is part of the mix that we’ve been aiming for in COG outings for 2003. Once again many thanks to Rebecca Lamb and her friends from MOTH for inviting us, making us so welcome and taking the trouble to explain the Tuggeranong Homestead’s many features.
Jack Holland