Hey Guys,
Just a quick run down from a trip out to Leeton and Round Hill NR.
I made a quick dash out to Leeton from Newcastle last Friday 26/8/11 with my Dad in tow and returned on Monday. The intention of the trip was to get a feel for the area as I hadn’t been there before and will be taking people out there in October.
Left last Friday and stayed at Leeton, then onto Lake Cargelligo (Sat. night) and then Parkes (Sunday night-home run).
Areas visited were Fivebough Wetlands, Binya SF, Cocoparra NP, Round Hill/Nombinie NR, Lake cargelligo surrounds, Hassans Walls- Lithgow.
Inland areas look great with there still being alot of water laying around, even roadside. Vegetation is extremely healthy with many plants flowering and some already seeding. Round Hill/Nombinnie NR was full of flower. Small herbs carpeted the ground with purple, whites and yellows. Acacia sp. are in full flower and many Cassia’s and Olearia sp. are starting to flower as well. Mallee Euc. species have started flowering and the remainder have bud ready to burst!
All in all the area is extremely healthy. Birds will be pumping come spring!
The negative is that Fivebough Wetlands has too much water to produce any ‘muddy margins’, as a result no crakes etc were seen here. I’m concerned about the tracks in Fivebough, some are becoming overgrown with Typha sp.. The gov need to pull there finger out and act on some maintenance otherwise the tracks will become unwalkable this spring/summer. We had to turn back on the main track due to it being overgrown.
Highlights for the trip were:
Fivebough- Aussie Bitterns calling,Spotless crakes calling, 4 Black-tailed Native Hens (No Brolgas, Freckleds, Blue-billeds, other crakes)
Lake Cargelligo Sewage Maturation Ponds- 4 Aussie Shelducks, 6 Pink-eareds 6 Shovellers, Spotless Crake, 12 Baillons crakes, 12 Black-tailed Native Hens.
Round Hill/Nombinnie NR- 2 pairs Gilberts Whistlers, many Shy Heathwrens, endless Southern Srcub Robins, 12 Chestnut Quail-thrush, endless White-fronted H/E, 4 Pied H/E and 1 Yellow-plumed H/E
Binya SF- a great range of Woodland birds, White-browed Babblers, 50+ Mulga Parrots, 4 male Red-capped Robins fighting for supremacy, many Horsefields Cuckoos (will be ‘on’ in spring)
Hassans Walls Lookout- Rockwarblers, Scarlet Robin and Spotted Quail-thrush (within 3m’s of each other)
other good birds were Superb Parrots (40-50 in all), Mulga Parrots, Ringnecks, Blue Bonnets, 1 Major Mitchell, 2 Black Eared Cuckoos, White-winged and Splendid Fariy-wrens, Painted Button Quails and Little Button Quails.
Noteable absences- Finches (only 2 Zebs and a Goldfinch), Chats and Woodswallows.
Didnt see any Mallefowl and was too early for Red-lored Whislter (although I was looking!)
A great ‘reccy’ run with 163 sp. seen.
Looking forward to getting back out there in October!
Steve.
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