On a VERY chilly Sunday morning at the end of May a number of frost-hardy COG members, with leader Jenny Bounds, undertook a walk at Callum Brae. Just before the 7.30am start some large flocks of Little Corellas had flown over, en route to their daily activities from night roosts in the reserve.
The initial stages of the walk were as much concerned with staying in the sunny spots as birdwatching, but near the entrance there were several trees with large numbers of little corellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. On the Mugga Lane side of Callum Brae we found many small birds, including Double-barred Finches, Speckled Warblers, Weebills, Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Red-browed Finches, Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Scarlet Robins, White-eared Honeyeaters, Superb Fairy-wrens, Spotted Pardalotes, Buff-rumped Thornbills, Grey Fantails and Diamond Firetails. Towards the back of Callum Brae there were a number of Scarlet and Flame Robins, Dusky Woodswallows, Willie Wagtails and Starlings. The dams yielded Pacific Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, Australasian Grebes and a Little Pied Cormorant.
Our leader was delighted to see that a newly fenced strip now provides a link between Callum Brae and the grasslands which front the Monaro Highway.
Other species recorded for the day were Mynas, Magpie-larks, Striated Thornbills (heard), Kookaburras, Striated Pardalotes, Red-rumped Parrots, White-winged Choughs, Galahs, King-Parrots, Noisy Miners, Eastern Rosellas, Crimson Rosellas, Magpies, Australian Ravens, and Crested Pigeons. A very pleasant morning tea back at the entrance completed a very satisfying morning.
Sandra Henderson