This walk around the property takes around 3-4 hours at a leisurely pace. It is an easy walk mostly on formed roads or tracks, although there is a steep uphill climb, undulating terrain and some tracks are a little rough in parts. Sturdy shoes are recommended. The best time to do this walk is in the morning or late afternoon when birds are likely to be more active.
These notes were prepared following walks in the late winter/early spring, but birds seen will vary depending on the season, weather and other factors. This is a sample of some of the common birds you can see in and around the property, in different habitats.
As you get out of your car, you may hear the Striated Pardalote calling ‘witta witta”, in the band of trees along the lane and bordering the parking area. These are colourful little birds which glean insects and lerp off the leaves. Willie Wagtail and Restless Flycatcher, both striking black and white birds may be seen here also, fluttering around and making various churring calls, as well as the robin like Jacky Winter which calls from a perch, a fast rendition of repeated, ‘peter, peter, peter’. The Jacky Winter is becoming more uncommon, and is one of a suite of woodland birds which are declining in the region due to habitat loss and related factors.
Around the open areas you may see the Southern Whiteface which prefers open, short grassed areas. This is a small brown bird with a white band on the face near the beak, and has a hopping gait over the ground. Several species of finches could be around the open grassy areas or perched on fences or posts, such as the beautifully coloured Diamond Firetail. This bird is a another declining woodland species - look for a black band on its chest, white spots on its flanks and a bright red rump as it flies away. Double-barrred Finches might also be seen with the firetails. These small birds will often be seen feeding in the open and will fly up to cover when disturbed. Yellow-rumped Thornbills are also common here, hopping along in flocks feeding on the ground - as the name implies they have a bright yellow backside which can be seen very well as they fly away.
As you proceed out the gate to the left and up the hill and around the track for the next kilometre or two, you pass through woodland of mostly fibrous Red Stringybark with several other eucalypt species, and lots of shrubby understorey, mainly cassinia species which is in the daisy family. Here you might see mixed feeding flocks of small, insectivorous bush birds, like the Thornbills moving through and feeding.
There are several varieties you might spot, Buff-rumped Thornbills, a flock species which prefers the shrub layer, Striated Thornbills which are also found in small flocks and generally prefer the tree canopies, Yellow Thornbills, which have a lemon or yellowish cast to their plumage and are often found in wattles, and Brown Thornbills which are solitary or in pairs. Weebills, Australia’s smallest bird, might also be in these mixed feeding flocks – this is a leaf gleaner as it uses its short stubby bill to pick insects off the leaves. The Grey Fantail which flutters about and sounds like a squeaky violin might also be seen in this open woodland and shrubby habitat.
Look over into the more open paddocks as you go up the hill from the gate and you may see one of the woodland robins, the Scarlet Robin - males have a black head and red breast - or the more uncommon Red-capped Robin with similar plumage colours but a bright red cap on its head might be around. The females of these robins are dull brown and sometimes have a reddish wash on the breast. You may see them perched on a branch and fly down to the ground to catch an insect or grub. You will see a lot of dead and fallen timber in these paddocks and other places along the walk – this is very important for woodland birds as it provides structural complexity in the woodland and an insect food source.
You might also be lucky to see the Mistletoebird, a small black, white and red bird which feeds on mistletoe berries in the mistletoe clumps in the eucalypts, and the Grey Shrike-thrush a blackbird sized bird and a wonderful songster with a loud melodious call. As you get into thicker scrub, the Eastern Yellow Robin might appear, a pretty grey backed bird with a yellow breast. Like most of the other robins, this is a perch and pounce specialist, which will fly down to seize an insect prey.
After you have climbed the steep hill and moved downhill again, you come to an area of fairly dense cassinia heathland and wattle scrub, with a few scattered trees and quite a lot of fallen timber. This is a good spot to listen for the family groups of White-browed Babblers in the thicker scrub. These are medium sized, brownish birds with a distinctive white eyebrow and many different gurgling and chattering calls so they can keep in touch with each other in the dense shrubland. The build a large, domed grass and stick nest in a tall shrub which they share as a communal roost. You will need to be very quiet, as they will move off if disturbed.
In this area you may also see White-browed Scrub-wrens, parties of Superb Fairy-wrens – the male of this species have striking blue and black plumage - Yellow Thornbills in the wattles especially, and the White-eared Honeyeater, a pretty dark green bird with a large white patch on its face.
At the bottom on the slope, there is a dam, and you may be lucky to see the Australasian Grebe, a small waterbird which is often seen on small and medium dams on farms.
A little further on you will come to a fenceline which you follow west, and from a hilltop you can see the village of Dalton set amongst the trees. The White-throated treecreeper might be heard and seen along here, in fact you might see one of these birds at any spot along the walk where there are clumps of trees. These birds have specialised feet and claws to enable them to run up the trucks of trees and grip the bark as they search for ants and other insects. They never go down, only spiralling up trunks and branches, and then fly down to the next tree and start again. This treecreeper has a loud, single note call which it repeats monotonously and can be heard from distance.
Look for flocks of rosellas, both Crimson and Eastern are in this region, and the Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike with its smart grey plumage and black patch around its face. This bird is known commonly as the ‘winghuffler’ as it has a habit of folding its wings several times when it alights in a tree.
5. Open Areas and Paddock Trees
As you come back to the main fenced area around the farm buildings and animal enclosures, you might see Red-rumped Parrots around the Yellow Box paddock trees and on the open grass, as well as the small White-plumed Honeyeater, which prefers large mature trees. In the cooler months, this is a good spot for Flame Robins, a grey backed and orange breasted robin in the male. Like the other robins species the females are brownish. These birds will often be in a group, perched on the fenceline or feeding in the open. During the breeding season these birds will usually move to higher altitudes or more forested areas.
In the early spring, you might hear some of the cuckoos calling as they arrive for the spring and summer period to breed. These birds parasitise other birds by laying their eggs in another species nest, then abandon it for the host species to rear their young. The large Pallid Cuckoo might be seen in one of the tall trees, making a call which is several notes repeated going up the scale, as it tries to attract a mate. You might also see one of the smaller, bronze-cuckoos which have bright green, irridescent backs and barring underneath. If it is early spring, these birds could be calling from a high perch or sitting on the fence lines looking for grubs and other insects. Cuckoos particularly like hairy caterpillars and other grubs or larvae.
Masked Lapwings, a medium size plover could be around the open areas, especially around the dams, as well as Australian Wood Ducks. These ducks nest in hollows in trees and the ducklings fly down when hatched. In the sky, the Brown Falcon might be seen soaring overhead, with its wings slightly upswept.
You are now nearing the end of the circuit walk and return to the carpark.
Notes prepared by Canberra Ornithologists Group - September 2003