The 4^th K2C bird survey was held on a beautiful spring morning. Ten teams from COG covered 44 sites on 26 properties from Williamsdale to beyond Bredbo.  An impressive total of 101 species was recorded during the morning, including most of the expected spring migrants and a wide range of woodland birds.

Many of the sites included one or more threatened species.  There are not many other surveys where the most frequently seen robin is the Hooded Robin (5 properties), followed by Scarlet Robin and Eastern Yellow Robin(3 properties each), and one record of a Flame Robin.  Other threatened and significant woodland species included Brown
Treecreeper, Diamond Firetail, Speckled Warbler, Varied Sittella, Southern Whiteface, Restless Flycatcher and Crested
Shrike-tit.  Of note was a first record in the K2C surveys of Jacky
Winter. 

Honeyeaters

(Yellow-faced and White-naped) were moving through in small flocks on their return
journey to the mountains. 
Fuscous Honeyeaters were a feature of the Apple Box woodlands and a Yellow-tufted Honeyeater was seen on Scottsdale. Both White-throated and Western Gerygone were recorded, also 5 cuckoo species and 6 raptors.

The species total was boosted by some interesting waterbird sightings from two
large farm dams. At one dam there was Musk Duck, Australasian Shoveler and 46 Hardhead,and the most unusual sighting for the day, a Black-tailed Native Hen swimming across the dam.

Sincere
thanks to the COG volunteers, landholders, K2C Facilitator Lauren Van Dyke, and Bush Heritage Australia for allowing us to finish up at Scottsdale and for covering the cost of lunch (supplied by the Snowy Mountains Café).

The
next survey will be held on 22 April 2012.

cheers

Nicki Taws

02 6251 0303
0408 210 736