Mulligans Flat NR from Wildbark, Throsby
Meet at 8.30am at Wildbark, Rosenberg Street, Throsby, for a walk to the big dam, along its western side and then to a section of Mulligans Flat that is often overlooked: northwards on the Dam Track to the Old Coach Road, (meeting it south of the old woolshed and the two smaller dams), then east along the Old Coach Road as far as Quoll Gate, and then back to Wildbark on Dungarvon Track. Expect to see a range of water and woodland birds, and possibly Bush Stone Curlew.
Please register with smlashko@gmail.com , providing your name, mobile number and the name and number of an emergency contact.
Post event report
Thirteen members met at the Wildbark centre at 8.30 on a fine Canberra morning after light frost, to explore the southern fringe of Mulligans Flat. McComas Taylor led us on a walk along the boardwalk from Wildbark to the big dam.
Close to our starting point, we were detained by a Black-shouldered Kite, posing nicely atop a tall eucalypt. Two Australian Magpies made a feeble attack, leaving the kite unperturbed. Other magpies were later seen with Noisy Miners in hot pursuit. A Striated Pardalote, calling persistently, proved harder to locate than the kite.
McComas took time to inform the group about local dialects in bird calls, age and sex differences in Australian Magpies and sex differences in Magpie-larks, and such matters as the etymology of the word ‘pardalote’. He also led a successful sortie into the long grass to track down some elusive Golden-headed Cisticolas.
The water-level was low in the big dam, but sufficient to support a variety of waterfowl, including 11 Pink-eared Duck and two Australian Shelduck, which have been in residence for a while. A confiding Grey Teal, very close to us, surprised us by executing repeated grebe-like dives.
A total of 33 species was seen or heard. Our thanks to McComas for a very pleasant outing and to Sandra for recording the birds.
Kevin Windle
