On a perfect autumn day, 9 members enjoyed a wander through the countryside north of Canberra. Our first stop was at Dalton Showgrounds and the adjacent Dalton Cemetery. Among the 18 species recorded on a slow walk around the perimeter of the showground, and then the wooded strip outside the cemetery proper, were small mixed feeding flocks made up of Scarlet Robin, both pardalotes, Grey Fantail, Buff-rumped and Striated Thornbill, and Weebill. The morning tea stop in the small park beside Oolong Creek in Dalton was initially only going to be a brief break without the need for a bird list, but it turned into our most productive stop of the day with 27 species recorded as new species appeared and we discovered a lovely revegetated area behind adjacent houses and further along the creek. The mixed feeding flock here included Golden Whistler and Brown Thornbill, and there were four species of honeyeater, White-eared and Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill and Red Wattlebird. From here we drove a short distance just west of Dalton to Jerrawa Creek TSR, which looked promising but was very quiet. The only additions to the list were Dusky Woodswallow, Common Bronzewing, White-throated Treecreeper and Australian Raven. We then drove back to Gunning for lunch in Barbour Park alongside Meadow Creek. Here, Dusky Moorhen, including several immature birds, Australian Wood Duck and Australasian Grebe were seen. After lunch, we followed the creek north to the Bruce Bray Riparian Walk from where a Black-shouldered Kite was spotted by eagle-eyed Evan, preening near the top of a distant tree. A detour up a back street gave us enough elevation to look into the sewage pond where we added Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Australasian Shoveler, White-faced Heron, Eurasian Coot and Hoary-headed Grebe. The last stop was at Gundaroo Cemetery from where we could look over Gundaroo Common. Bird activity had slowed in the sunny, still conditions but we did add Crested Pigeon and Little Raven to the list, and had another mixed feeding flock. A Brown Falcon near Sutton, only the second raptor species of the day, brought an end to a very pleasant day’s birding and an acceptable autumn total of 52 species. Many thanks to Bill Graham who once again put together a day’s birding to places most of us neglect in our area-of-interest. Sue Lashko