On Sunday 23 May a group of us walked in to Nursery Swamp. For many of us this was the first time we’d seen the place after the big fires. The area was ‘well burnt’, but the regrowth was profuse. Those of us looking at the ground noticed Indigofera, silver wattles, native bluebells and a dozen other small plants growing well. The creek, we were told by those who were familiar with the place pre-fire, has changed from having a rocky bottom to being filled with sand washed down from the hill tops. The eucalypt canopy was almost totally gone, but the epicormic growth on the trunks and lower branches was thick and lush, and well used by the thornbills and scrubwrens. Fan-tailed Cuckoos (which remained unseen) and Grey Shrike-thrush provided a fine accompaniment on our way up to the saddle. The swamp itself was mostly very quiet in bird-life, though a fine avian performance was provided for us as we left – Scarlet Robins, Flame Robins, and Golden Whistlers, and our lunchspot by the fen had a visit from a Restless Flycatcher. There was a noticeable absence of Spotted Quail-thrush, but not surprising given the lack of cover, and although we didn’t see any lyrebirds, we did see fresh scratchings. Most of the ‘fair-weather’ birds were also absent, having sought greener pastures. We were delighted by several sightings of male Superb Fairy-wrens still sporting their brilliant blue.
A great day was had by all (including myself who managed to sprain an ankle). It was particularly great to see the fire recovery process in action. A big thank you to David McDonald for running the trip.
Nicki Munro