Outing Report - Sandy Creek Track, Flinders Plum Reserve, Saturday, 20 January 2024

Adapted from the Fassifern Field Naturalists newsletter. 

January 18, here we go again. 70mm of rain at home in a 2-hour period. January 19, and a check of the council website to see if the park was still open. No closure reported. 

The Sandy Creek track was boggy underfoot in places and the creek crossings required careful navigation to avoid filling the boots. One look at the natters and you would have thought that we had swum across the crossings. Our ‘frantic’ natters pace must have got those sweat glands working overtime.

Birdlife was not as prolific as expected and several birds were heard rather than seen. The sighting of the morning was a good viewing of the club emblem, the Pacific Baza. In flight we were able to see the barring on the body and when perched we could also clearly see the bright yellow eye and also the crest that these birds are recognized by (previously known as the Crested Hawk). Several Red-browed Finch were observed carrying nesting material to nests in the fronds (leaves) of the Hoop Pines near the old stockyards. Of note of the birds heard were the Pacific Emerald Dove and the Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.
Butterflies were quite prolific and other insects and spiders were observed including Stick insects, Harlequin Beetles and the ‘deafening’ Cicadas. A well-populated Tree Brown Paper Wasp nest was also observed in a bush.

Morning tea (breakfast for some) was held back at the picnic area under the supervision of a large Green Tree Frog who must have been cooking on a beam under the tin roof of the picnic shelter.

Thank you to those who attended and to those who doubted my persistence, well

Bird list: Wonga Pigeon, Pacific Emerald Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Pheasant Coucal, Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Fantail Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Pacific Baza, Laughing Kookaburra, King Parrot, Superb Fairy-wren, Red Backed Fairy-wren, Brown Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Australasian Figbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, Eastern Whipbird, Cicadabird, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Leaden Flycatcher, Torresian Crow, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.