Despite the closeness to Xmas, the early start and the very wet day before, plus the competing Lady Elliot Island trip, well over 25 members and guests joined me in my first trip in several years to this prime piece of grassy woodland just to the south of the ACT border. Our first stop was a brief look at the more open woodland at the northern end of Kelly Road, walking back up along the railway line for several hundred metres. This proved very rewarding, as almost immediately we found a Dusky Woodswallow nest in a relatively low and exposed position so the heavily streaked chicks could easily be seen. In quick succession a number of other species were seen, including Southern Whiteface, Brown Treecreeper and Red-rumped Parrot. A number of Rufous Songlarks were busy doing their mate attracting display flights, occasionally alighting close enough on wires or a pole to allow observation of their plain features, and very occasionally their rufous rump. Martins (and Welcome Swallows) were constantly overhead, but were even less obliging at showing the main identification feature, the rufous head of the Fairy, and the much darker head of the Tree Martin. However, the highlight for most was a pair of Diamond Firetails feeding in front of us, regularly jumping up to get seed heads at the top of the grass stalks and then spending time eating them.
After about an hour we moved down to the start of TSR 36, now named Black Flat 31. On getting out of the car the difference from my recollection was clear, as what used to be a jungle of sweet briars now resembled an English parkland. And the difference in bird activity compared with previous visit in December 2004, when this had just been done but the dead bushes were still piled up, was soon obvious too, with it being much harder to find species than earlier at the northern end. However, we persevered and as we moved a kilometre or so down the road we managed to find a total of 30 species (well down on what I used to tally there). These included an adult Australian Wood Duck with 8 half-grown ducklings in tow, more Brown Treecreepers (including a pair regularly entering a spout in a dead branch) and Rufous Songlarks, and several White-winged Trillers, including for some good views of a female on a fence or feeding low to the ground. The expected Fuscous Honeyeaters were difficult to find at first, being reluctant to call, but we did find and have very good views of a number, including several building nests, one of which was low down and quite open, allowing all participants great views as both birds busily constructed a very fine structure suspended from the outer twigs and leaves.
All in all a very successful outing and a good way to finish the formal weekend COG Field Trips Program for 2007. The lower activity in the formerly magical mile from the start of TSR 36 was somewhat disappointing, though it remains arguably the best spot close to Canberra to see Fuscous Honeyeaters. We still managed to find 40 species including 10 with breeding activity, most in the early stages such as nest building. Well worth a repeat visit.
Jack Holland