Fourteen participants turned up for the walk at Jerrabomberra Wetlands. Being a Saturday the car park was full but strangely, I didn’t really see other visitors apart from the many cyclists.
Starting at the Attica hide we saw the obligatory Coots and Purple Swamp Hens. Two Egrets were roosting on a dead tree and in the distance we saw a couple of the Freckled Ducks that have been present at the wetlands for several weeks. These are considered a rare visitor to Canberra so it was good to see them.
Since my last visit the rangers have cleared many of the reeds that have encroached the boardwalk over the last number of years obscuring the view of the pond. There is now a large clearing just near the beginning of the boardwalk allowing better observation of the water birds. It was here that we had a better view of one of the Freckled Ducks, plus a Shoveller.
Crossing over the bridge over the Jerrabomberra Creek we then followed a track and concentrated more on checking trees for insects.
While I didn’t find any adult beetles I found the larvae of two species of leaf beetles: Paropsisterna cloelia and Paropsis atomaria.
There wasn’t a lot of insect life but Stuart found a longhorn beetle of interest.
Just over the bridge I heard the begging call of a juvenile Pacific Koel but it flew off before I could locate it. However, near the car park at the end of our walk the bird was perched in a tree in clear view, though unfortunately, the view was with the
sun behind it rather than shining on it. There was no sign of the foster parents and it is rather late for a young Koel still dependant upon them.
Perhaps not well-known is that the wetlands extend further north along Dairy Road, or also previously known as Dairy Flat Road. This is now barricaded and is cyclist and walking track only. It leads to the Trench Trail, which was built as a training ground for soldiers working in trenches during World War I.
I have walked part of this trail but didn’t go far as I felt at the time that there were unfenced cattle ahead. However, I hope to one day walk the full trail and perhaps it could be a future excursion for FNAC.
After the walk, most of the group retreated to “Contentious Character”, a nearby cafe for coffee.
John Stein led the walk and compiled the bird list below. Also, there were many striped marsh frogs calling, and there were grasshoppers and dragonflies.
• Australasian Darter
• Australasian Shoveler
• Australasian Swamphen
• Australian Crake
• Australian Magpie
• Australian Pelican
• Australian Raven
• Australian Reed Warbler
• Australian White Ibis
• Black Swan
• Black-faced Cuckooshrike
• Brown Thornbill
• Common Starling
• Dusky Moorhen
• Eastern Cattle Egret
• Eurasian Coot
• Freckled Duck
• Great Egret
• Grey Butcherbird
• Grey Fantail
• Grey Teal
• White-faced Heron
• Little Black Cormerant
• Little Pied Cormerant
• Magpie-lark
• Maned Duck
• Noisy Miner
• Pacific Black Duck
• Pacific Koel
• Red Wattlebird
• Red-browed Finch
• Silver Gull
• Superb Fairywren
• Weebill
• Welcome Swallow
• White-eared Honeyeater
• White-faced Heron, besides the beetles
• Willie Wagtail
Thanks to John for organising a very pleasant and interesting walk.
– Alison Milton