Despite the less-than-promising weather conditions, a party of 18 gathered at the Mackenzie Street entrance to Mt Majura Nature Park for an exploratory amble to identify the bird life for a group of largely non-birders. Undeterred by gusts of wind sweeping the soil of the carpark over us and challenging even those of acute hearing to detect anything much softer than a brazenly carolling magpie, we wended our way up past the dams and along the gullies, until the threat of rain materialised and we gave up. And all for very slim pickings indeed. We rapidly learnt to be grateful for the fanning of a Grey Fantail's tail or the bobbing of a group of Superb Fairy-wren. The highlight of the morning, enjoyed by only a few laggards, was a small party of Varied Sittella. Those apart, it was a case of low numbers of 11 more of the most common resident species: Galahs, Australian Magpies, friarbirds, wattlebirds, Australian Ravens, Magpie-larks, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, a lone Weebill, a lone White-throated Treecreeper and a couple of Buff-rumped Thornbill. Some long-dried litter of shredded Casuarina cones were the only hint that Glossy Black-Cockatoos had ever frequented these parts.
Friends' organiser, Waltraud Pix, and accompanying ranger Bernadette, picked up where the birds failed, encouraging us all to admire the profusely flowering Apple Box and mistletoe, to appreciate the thorns of the Sweet Bursaria as protection for wren's nests, to wonder at the growth habits of the exocarpus, and to deplore the profusion of garden weeds that have taken hold and which the Friends are assiduously combating.
Many thanks to Geoffrey Dabb for leading the walk, and for the good sense and stoicism he displayed; and to the other COG members who attended and who chatted amiably and provided birding lore to the other participants. Given the paucity of real birds, COG's "Pocket Guide" proved a great hit. We'll try again in spring.
Barbara Allan