EUROBODALLA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Inc.

PO Box 888 MORUYA NSW 2537

www.enhs.org.au

NEWSLETTER NUMBER 148 SEPTEMBER 2011

Spring is the most exciting time of the year for the natural history observer in this area. Most birds that are migrants to the Eurobodalla return at this time and many have been banded by researchers whose goal it is to gain knowledge of their movements and habitat requirements. By October, most of the northern hemisphere waders have returned and on any of the local estuaries you can catch glimpses of Pacific Golden Plovers, Red and Great Knots, Sanderlings, Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints, Ruddy Turnstones, Eastern Curlews, Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels. If you look for coloured flags on their legs, you could help in providing information on their movements.

From the beaches and headlands huge numbers of Short and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters can be seen streaming south to their breeding islands. Short-tailed Shearwaters have just completed the arduous journey across the Pacific Ocean from the Bering Strait and many wash up exhausted or dead on our local beaches. Some have been banded and if you look carefully at the legs of beach-washed birds you may find a metal band.

The things to note when you find a banded or flagged bird are: the date, the location, the species (or a description of the bird) and the details of band/flag. This should include the leg to which the band or flag is attached and the colours of the bands or flag. The colours and placement have been designed to show the date and place of banding. If the band is on the ‘ankle’ it is attached to the tarsus, and if the band/flag is ‘above the knee’ it is attached to the tibia. Remember that there will sometimes be more than one band/flag and the colours and position of the flags/bands is important. You can pass the details of your observations directly to the Australian Birds and Bat Banding Scheme at abbbs@environment.gov.au or you can send the details to Julie Morgan or myself and we will submit them on your behalf.

In the woodlands and forests, species such as Cicadabirds, Black-faced Monarchs, Leaden Flycatchers, White-throated Gerygones and Rufous Fantails make their appearance and can be heard calling throughout the bush. Even resident species, particularly honeyeaters, become very vocal, loudly proclaiming their territories. Red and Little Wattlebirds, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Noisy Friarbirds, Scarlet Honeyeaters and White-naped Honeyeaters can be heard in all areas of forest. It is truly a wonderful time of the year to be bird-watching. Mike Crowley.

Silver anniversary edition of Nature in Eurobodalla

Members are invited to celebrate the release of the 25th edition of our annual publication, Nature in Eurobodalla, at a launch on Friday November 11 at 5pm, to be held at Moruya Books, Shop 4/ 9 Church Street, Moruya. This is a significant milestone for our Society and the gathering will provide an opportunity to thank Eric, Jill and Joan for all their work over the years. Please RSVP by November 7 to Julie Morgan on 4474 5888 or email juliettamorgan@gmail.com

A banded Pied Oystercatcher Photo: M.Crowley

What to expect in October / November

Field Meetings: Saturday 8 October at 2pm - Cullendulla Creek Reserve: meet in the car park in Myamba Parade Surfside, for a walk along the beach and boardwalk. Yellow Thornbill, Scarlet Honeyeater and Southern Emu-wren.

Sunday 23 October at 9am - Hawdons Road: meet at Eurobodalla Council Chambers car park in Moruya. We will take a walk through farmland and bushland. White-throated Gerygone, Yellow-rumped Thornbill.

Saturday 12 November at 2pm – Ringlands: meet at the Narooma Visitors Centre. The Ringlands rainforest area is located on the edge of the Wagonga Inlet. Superb Lyrebird, Black-faced Monarch, Large-billed Scrubwren, Topknot Pigeon.

Sunday 27 November at 9am - Little Tern and wader survey. The location will be posted on the ‘Field Meeting’ page of the website on Wednesday 23rd November, or you can confirm the venue with Mike Crowley or Julie Morgan after the 23rd. Scopes will be useful.

Time is fast approaching for the 2011 out of shire trip. We plan to meet on Tuesday 15th November at the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre in the Lyrebird café at 1.00pm for lunch. One of our members has kindly offered to guide us through this spectacular remnant rainforest. Dr Kevin Mills has carried out extensive studies of Minnamurra and will share his intimate knowledge of the ecosystem. On Wednesday morning, we will meet at Fitzroy Pond on the Myra Vale Road near Fitzroy Falls, to seek out the Great Crested Grebe, then continue to Fitzroy Falls. Later in the day, we will make our way to Barren Grounds Nature Reserve where we are hopeful of seeing the elusive Ground Parrot, and the best chance we will have is to be at this site around dusk. Thursday’s plan is to visit the Box Vale Tramway near Welby in the morning. This walk takes about 2 hours return and includes passing through a disused railway tunnel, which has a delightful tree-fern grove at its entrance. The afternoon activity will be along the Mittagong Fire Trail behind the swimming pool. Rock Warbler (Origma) are regularly seen along the rock-faces here. Friday can include a morning visit to the Cecil Hoskins Reserve near Moss Vale. This reserve is a beautiful wetland rich in bird-life. Participants may then choose to make their way home via the Illawarra Fly, on the Jamberoo Mountain Pass, or to venture further south to Bundanoon and the Morton National Park.

Members who are interested in attending are asked to organise their own accommodation. Please see the ‘Activities’ page of our website for full details of the Southern Highlands trip. Please phone Mandy Anderson on 4473 7651, or email mandy-anderson@bigpond.com if you plan to come along so that we know how many people to wait for at Minnamurra on the 15th.

Welcome to new members – Dr David Last, Holt, ACT.

On Saturday 21st August, a group of forty members and friends met at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens where they were treated to a fascinating and brilliantly illustrated presentation of the ‘Lure of the Lyrebird’ by one of our members, Don McGregor. He has made a painstaking three-year study of the lyrebirds of the Moruya State Forest and can recognise individual birds, assigning names to them as a reflection of their individual habits or behaviours. Don shared with us an amazing series of photographs of many of the bird species of the state forest, as well as still photographs and film of the lyrebirds’ brilliant display-dance and mimicking song. At least 16 different bird-calls make up the repertoire of the Moruya lyrebirds.

Our sincere thanks go to Don for a most entertaining afternoon, and for his wonderful presentation. If you missed the afternoon or would like to see the photos or film again, Don has placed much of his research on a website for all to share at http://sites.google.com/site/lyrebirdman Mandy Anderson.

What’s coming up…

Southern Highlands trip: 15-18 November 2011

Thank you to Don McGregor

Don McGregor Photo: J.Morgan

Despite the cool, calm overcast day twenty keen and rugged-up nature-lovers gathered opposite Bodalla Police Station at 9.00am. We listened as Julie Collett outlined what we could expect to see during the day. I felt a wave of goose-bumps, not because of the weather, but instead due to the delightful possibility of seeing at least one red robin and possibly a Diamond Firetail. For around forty minutes we happily twisted along the surprisingly well-graded road through Nerrigundah and then along the ridges overlooking vast healthy bushland stretching south towards Gulaga and north to Moruya. Due to recent heavy rain and cold weather, the valleys were full of dense morning fog. At first sight, it looked like enormous still lakes reflecting the grey sky. This was contrasted by the occasional stand of yellow flowering wattle and the stunning pink washed trunks of the Smooth-barked Apple (Angophora costata).

We wound down to Belowra, an area of cleared farmland surrounded by fairly high cliffs and rugged bush. It wasn’t long before we spotted our first pair of Scarlet Robin with the male sporting a bright red breast. Mike described the difference from the male Flame Robin, which is similar but has the red breast area ending lower down the belly. Later, after much searching, we saw two male Flame Robin flitting among some dead

branches under a large tree. There were also a surprising number of friendly and busy Jacky Winters flicking around the creek line with a flock of Silvereye scooting low and fast past us to explore the feeding opportunities in the short scrub growing nearby. The highlights were a very co-operative White-throated Treecreeper and, best of all, a small group of Diamond Firetail (pictured) feeding around the parked cars and later in trees around the creek bed. We all got very good views of these exquisite birds with their striking black and white markings and polka dot pattern outlining the wings. All this beauty then highlighted with a bright red bill and rump. Amazing!

Together over lunch we realised that we’d spotted or heard forty different bird species. Despite the weather, it was a great day out in congenial company, and another reminder of how fortunate we are to live in this particular bit of the world. Our thanks go to Peter and Julie Collett for a wonderful day. Ann Christiansen.

For a full report of the Belowra field meeting, and other field meetings held during the year, please see the ‘Field Meetings’ page of the website and click on the Field Meeting Report links at the bottom of the page. Ed.

Readers of the ENHS Newsletter are aware of our study of the breeding ecology of woodland birds at Maulbrooks Road. By the beginning of the 2010/11 breeding season, our fifth season, we had colour-banded a large proportion of the birds and had become very effective at finding nests. As a result we were able to construct a comprehensive and detailed picture of the total breeding activity on the 10 hectare site for the season. As many of the readers of the newsletter live in areas with similar habitats to ours, and as the next breeding season is upon us, we thought a summary of the 2010/11 season would be of interest and timely. We identified 85 breeding pairs of birds, representing 28 species. Superb Fairy-wren, Brown Thornbill and Yellow-faced Honeyeater were the most common species and comprised 45% of the breeding pairs. Of the 85 breeding pairs identified, 57 had at least one colour-banded bird. The breeding species are listed in the table below:

Pigeon (2 species) Thornbill (3) Grey Shrike-thrush Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Sacred Kingfisher Honeyeater (6) Crested Shrike-tit Olive-backed Oriole

Fairy-wren (2) Eastern Yellow Robin Grey Fantail Satin Bowerbird

Spotted Pardalote Jacky Winter Leaden Flycatcher Red-browed Finch

White-browed Scrubwren Whistler (2)

We found 176 nests, which is an average of about two nests per breeding pair. Many birds build more than one nest, most commonly to replace nest failures, although some birds breed successfully at more than one

Report on the Belowra field meeting, 24 July 2011

A summary of the 2010/11 nesting season at Maulbrooks Road, Moruya

Photo: M.Crowley

nest. Fairy-wrens and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, for example, produce multiple successful nests, whereas Brown Thornbills rarely do. Last season, one Yellow-faced Honeyeater pair had 5 nests and lost all of them. Late nesters like the Sacred Kingfisher and Mistletoebird usually have only one nest, but even late nesters will rebuild if the nest is lost early enough. Of the 176 nests, 141 progressed to the stage of at least one egg, and 84 fledged young birds. Using a conservative estimate of an average clutch size of 2, the 10 hectares produced at least 168 fledglings, including 50 Superb Fairy-wrens, 45 Brown Thornbills and 30 Yellow-faced Honeyeaters.

We believe that we missed approximately 20 nests, underestimating the number of breeding pairs by about 20 and the number of species breeding by four. We were able to estimate the number of nests that we missed from our various observations. For example, if we saw a male singing territorially for two months or a banded bird carrying nesting material, we assumed a missed nest. We also assumed a missed nest if we saw very young birds (with limited flying range) for which we had not identified a nest. The species missed were the Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Varied Sittella and Mistletoebird.

Monitoring of nests is carried out with minimal disturbance of the birds on the nest: we look at the nest contents only when we need to check what is happening, and this is rare. Many of the birds become used to us walking around and we can get very close to them. The Brown Thornbills become very tame, sitting tight in the nest and watching us. Sarah and Michael Guppy.

I recently attended a moth weekend at CSIRO in Canberra where Jim Tuttle spoke about the research he is doing in preparation for a book he is co-authoring with Max Moulds, on the Hawk Moths of Australia. This family of moths is well researched all over the world, but in Australia there are still a few species whose life histories are largely unknown. One of these species, Tetrachoa edwardsi, is found in the Eurobodalla and we have been asked to look out for the moth, its eggs or larvae. An extra challenge is that while we know what the moth looks like, the eggs and larvae are essentially undescribed.

Tetrachoa edwardsi is a large moth that has a wingspan of at least 10cm and flies from late September to January. From November, the female lays a white egg on the underside of a new leaf on a freshly growing vine tip of Common Silkpod (to help identify the vine, an article follows). The larvae hatch a few weeks later and will feed on the same vine throughout the summer. They are smooth and green with a horn on the end segment and will grow up to 10cm in length. There are no photos available of Tetrachoa edwardsi egg or larva but the eggs and early stages of the larvae (instar) of a similar species, the Convolvulus Hawk Moth, can be seen at http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/sphi/convol.html While these stages can look similar, the eggs and larvae of the Convolvulus Hawk Moth are not expected to be found on Common Silkpod vine, so the identification of the food plant is important.

Jim Tuttle would like to rear a moth from an egg or larva so, if you find one, please place it in a container with some leaves from the Common Silkpod vine and call me on 4474 5888. Julie Morgan.

Would you like to help with Hawk Moth Research?

Brown Thornbill on nest Photo:S&MGuppy

Moth: Tetrachoa edwardsi Photo: J. Morgan

Yellow-faced Honeyeater on nest Photo: S&M Guppy

Common Silkpod (Parsonsia straminea) is a woody vine climbing by adventitious roots and twining stems. In older plants, the stem can be quite large, growing to over 10cm in diameter. Leaves are opposite, thick and firm with smooth margins. They can be up to 24cm long and up to 8cm wide with an acute apex and rounded or cordate (heart shaped) base. Colour can vary from green/yellow in a sunny position to dark glossy green in the shade, with the underside always paler. Veins are prominent and raised on the lower surface. Juvenile leaves are smaller (1-5cm long), the base is always cordate, the underside is purple in colour and they can grow pressed tightly against the trunk.

Common Silkpod flowers throughout the year. The yellowish or pinkish flowers are fairly insignificant, being only 5-7mm in diameter. It is the fruit and seed that present the most distinguishing features and give the vine its common name. The fruit is 10-20cm long, round and slender, and looks like a legume but is actually referred to as a follicle. This means it is dry, contains many seeds and opens on one side only. Seeds are numerous and contained within a silky coma (a tuft of fine, white hairs).

Common Silkpod can be found growing in coastal areas north from Tathra, especially in moist gullies and forested headlands. It often adds a top-heavy appearance to the plant on which it is growing. Similar species include the introduced Moth Plant (Araujia sericifera) and native Milk Vines (Marsdenia sp.), but these species exude a milky sap when cut or broken, whereas Common Silkpod has a watery sap. Fran Anderson.

Butterflies pollinate Common Silkpod. Demetrios Bertzeletos reported 16 butterfly species at a plant at Wasp Head earlier this year. For more photos of Common Silkpod please see the ‘Notice Board’ page of the website. Ed.

INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS Three Australasian Shoveler at Comerang in August, between 2 and 46 Hardhead in July and August (JC). Single Intermediate Egret at MHS in July (JM). A Spotless Crake at TS in July (GR/WN). Two to four Black-winged Stilt at Comerang late July and August (JC). Single Pacific Golden Plover in partial breeding plumage at TS in July (GR/WN). A Grey-tailed Tattler at NA in August (EA). Between 30 and 40 Caspian Tern at TS in July (GR/WN). Single Brown Skua at BP in August (JW). Early return of 3 White-throated Needletail at MKS on August 29th (SMG). Four Bassian Thrush chasing each other at Pedro Swamp in August (GM/JM).

How to recognise Common Silkpod

Common Silkpod adult leaf Photo: D.Anderson

Common Silkpod flowers Photo: K. Cockrill

Common Silkpod seeds Photo: H. Moore

University of Melbourne researcher, Charlotte Catmur, is conducting research into coastal weeds to determine how birds, insects and other animals interact with these plants. She is looking for volunteers from NSW to help with this research and will provide an information package to help identify the weeds and record observations. If you are interested in participating, please email catmurc@unimelb.edu.au

Highlights of an Eden Pelagic in July: Wandering, Campbell, Shy (55) and Buller’s Albatross, Slender-billed and Fairy Prion, Providence Petrel, Fluttering and Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Brown Skua (EA). VULNERABLE AND THREATENED SPECIES This list includes new species that were added to the NPWS list of threatened species in 2010. Osprey: August: single at MHS, near the telecommunications tower. Square-tailed Kite: August: 1 at Pedro Swamp and Mystery Bay. Little Eagle: August: 1 at PDD and Bingi. Australian Pied Oystercatcher: July: 8 at TS, 4 at BB, 2 at Mystery Bay. August: 6 at Durras, 3 at Cullendulla Ck, 2 at Mystery Bay and WL, 1 at Bengello. Sooty Oystercatcher: July: 7 at BB, up to 6 at Mystery Bay. August: 8 at WL, up to 6 at Mystery Bay, 5 at Cullendulla Ck, call at BP. Hooded Plover: August: 2 at WL. Glossy Black Cockatoo: July: 2 at PDD, Pedro Swamp, Pedro, Bodalla, 1 or 2 at Bergalia; nest at Pedro Swamp. August: up to 7 at MKS, 6 at PDD and Pedro Swamp (including a juvenile), 2 at Pedro and Bergalia. Gang-gang Cockatoo: July: up to 4 at Mystery Bay, 2 at PDD. August: 8 at Bingi, 6 at Durras, 5 at PDD, 2 at Bergalia. Little Lorikeet: July: Call at Pedro Swamp. August: up to 6 at Pedro Swamp, 2 at Bergalia. Powerful Owl: July: Call at Pedro Swamp. August: one or two calling at Pedro, call at Pedro Swamp. Flame Robin: July: 2 males at Belowra. Scarlet Robin: July: 4 at Belowra, 2 at Pedro Swamp, Pedro and Bergalia. August: call at PDD. Varied Sittella: July: 9 at Belowra, 7 at Comerang, 6 at PDD, 1 or 2 at Pedro Swamp. August: 8 at PDD, up to 4 at MKS, 2 at Pedro Swamp. Olive Whistler: July: 1 possible at Mystery Bay. Diamond Firetail: July: 10 at Belowra. Greater Glider: August: dead female at CO Creek. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SYSTEMATIC LIST RECORDS The following records are from July and August 2011.

GROUND BIRDS. 2 Emu at TS (GR/WN); up to 10 Stubble Quail at Comerang, 1 at Pedro (JC/JS); 6 Brown Quail at TS and Pedro, 2 at Comerang (GR/WN/JS/JC).

WATERSIDE. Max 25 Black Swan at TS, cygnets at Pedro Swamp and BBWG; Aust Wood Duck inspecting hollows at Comerang; max 100 Pacific Black Duck, 10 Grey and 100 Chestnut Teal; Black-browed and Shy Albatross at MHS and BP (EA/JW); beach cast Fairy Prion at Bengello (BA); max 27 Aust Grebe at Comerang; up to 38 Aust White Ibis at TS; no more than 30 Straw-necked Ibis at Comerang; max 14 Royal Spoonbill at Comerang, 7 at TS, 4 at BBWG, 3 at WL (JC/GR/WN/JM/EA/MA); single Nankeen Night Heron at Comerang; 5 Striated Heron at TS, 2 at Durras and Bumbo Rd (1 immature), singles at MHN and NA (GR/WN/RMcK/FM/EA/MA); Cattle Egret widespread, max 200 in August at MYA (BA); single White-necked Heron at MYA, Bergalia and Comerang; up to 14 Eastern Great Egret; max 50 White-faced Heron at MHN (JM/GM); up to 12 Little Egret at Nangudga (MA); 2 Eastern Reef Egret at BP, singles at SB and Mystery Bay; max 60 Aust Pelican at TS; 600 to 700 Aust Gannet in 4 rafts at BP (JW); max 117 Little Pied Cormorant, 100 Little Black, 10 Pied, 14 Great; 2 Darter at TS, single at Bumbo Rd (GR/WN/FM).

RAPTORS. 3 Aust Kestrel at Comerang, singles at Bergalia and Bingi; 2 Brown Falcon at Comerang, singles at TS, Belowra and Mystery Bay; 2 Peregrine at Mystery Bay, singles Pedro Swamp and Pedro (MA/JM/JS); single Black-shouldered Kite at Pedro and Mystery Bay (JS/MA); up to 4 Whistling Kite at TS and Mystery Bay, nest building at Horse I. (GR/WN/MA); max 6 White-bellied Sea-Eagle at TS, adult at nest at Mystery Bay and Bingi; 2 Swamp Harrier at PDD, single at Barlings (BA/JW); max 2 Grey Goshawk at Mystery Bay (one white and one grey morph), singles at Rosedale, BP, PDD, TS and NA; 2 Brown Goshawk at MKS and Pedro Swamp, 1 at BP, PDD, TS and Bergalia; Wedge-tailed Eagle widespread, on the nest at Pedro Swamp.

CRAKES, RAILS, GALLINULES & BUTTON-QUAIL. Up to 10 Purple Swamphen at Bergalia (DHK); max 8 Dusky Moorhen at Trunketabella (MA); 30 Eurasian Coot at Trunketabella and BBWG (MA/JC/JM).

WADERS. No more than 60 Masked Lapwing at Comerang, young at Narooma in August (JC/BS); up to 64 Red-capped Plover at TS, 3 at WL, 2 at Mystery Bay; 4 Double-banded at WL, 1 at TS; 2 Black-

fronted at Comerang and Eurobodalla Rd (JC/EA); max 16 Bar-tailed Godwit at NA, 6 at TS; 2 Whimbrel at TS in July; up to 20 Eastern Curlew at MHS in August (JM).

SKUAS, GULLS & TERNS. Max 800 Silver Gull at SB, unusually high numbers between SB and Denham’s Beach (EA); max 200 Crested Tern at TS; up to 6 White-fronted Tern at Mystery Bay, 1 at TS (MA/GR/WN).

OTHER NON-PASSERINES. Up to 60 Rock Dove in MYA; max 16 White-headed Pigeon at Pedro (JS); no more than 3 Spotted Dove at Mystery Bay; 8 to 10 Brown Cuckoo-Dove at Lilli Pilli, 2 at NA (AG/MA); up to 20 Common Bronzewing at Pedro (JS); max 12 Crested Pigeon at NA; up to 4 Wonga Pigeon at Mystery Bay (MA); 12 Peaceful Dove at Eurobodalla, 4 at PDD and call at Bumbo Rd (FM/BA); up to 30 Topknot Pigeon at Bingi (FM); max 34 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo at BP; up to 30 Galah at Mystery Bay, nesting at Comerang; max 200 Little Corella at Batehaven (EA); no more than 80 Sulphur-crested; up to 100 Rainbow Lorikeet; 20 to 30 Musk still in the flowering trees around council buildings in MYA; more than 25 Crimson Rosella at Pedro; up to 14 Eastern at Comerang; max 20 Aust King-Parrot at MKS, nesting at Pedro Swamp (SMG/JM); up to 4 Fan-tailed Cuckoo calling at Durras, 1 or 2 elsewhere; Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo over-wintering at MYA (AHardy); first return of Shining Bronze-Cuckoo on 15th August at Pedro Swamp; 1 Southern Boobook at Comerang, call at Durras and Bergalia (JC/RMcK/DHK); 1 Aust Owlet-nightjar at Comerang; up to 10 Kookaburra at Mystery Bay and Pedro Swamp; Sacred Kingfisher at Long Beach (MG); 4 Azure Kingfisher at Clyde R, 2 at Durras and Bumbo Rd, singles at TS, Comerang and NA (RMcK/FM/GR/WN/JC/MA).

PASSERINES. Max 7 Superb Lyrebird and nest with chick at MYA SF (MA/MC/DMcG/JM); up to 6 White-throated Treecreeper at Comerang; 2 Red-browed at PDD (BA); up to 10 Variegated Fairy-wren at BP and Pedro Swamp; up to 30 Superb at Comerang; max 6 Spotted Pardalote; up to 12 Striated at Pedro Swamp (inspecting tree holes), up to 6 at MKS, 2 at Comerang, call at Bingi (JM/SMG/JC/FM); max 8 White-browed Scrub-wren at Comerang; at least 20 Brown Gerygone at Bingi; thornbills widespread, Brown Thornbill nest-building in July at Mystery Bay; return of breeding population of Yellow-faced Honeyeater in August, more than 200 at Clyde R; up to 3 White-eared at BP; 8 Yellow-tufted at MYA, 1 at NA and Mystery Bay (MC/MA); max 10 Fuscous at Pedro Swamp, 2 at MO, call at MKS (JM/JC/SMG); Lewin’s nest-building at Mystery Bay; no more than 8 Brown-headed at Pedro Swamp; max 20 White-naped at PDD; first return of Noisy Friarbird on 4th August at Pedro Swamp; Little and Red Wattlebird nest-building; max 30 New Holland at BP; 2 White-cheeked at BBWG, 1 at PDD, also at Long Beach (JM/JC/BA/MG); Eastern Spinebill widespread; first return of Scarlet Honeyeater 4th August at Pedro Swamp, up to 50 at Bingi (JM/FM); max 20 Jacky Winter at Belowra (FM); 2 Rose Robin at Comerang, singles at BP, PDD, MKS, Bumbo Rd and Mystery Bay; max 10 Eastern Whipbird at Bingi; 2 Spotted Quail-thrush at Belowra, 1 at Monga (FM/EA); max 8 Golden Whistler; 2 Rufous Whistler at NA in late July, 1 at Long Beach, Pedro Swamp and Pedro in August; max 6 Grey Shrike-thrush at MKS, Comerang and Belowra (SMG/JC); 2 Crested Shrike-tit in August at MKS, PDD, Bingi (nest-building), 1 at NA, call at Pedro Swamp; up to 20 Grey Fantail; max 10 Willie Wagtail at Comerang; up to 20 Magpie-lark; single Restless Flycatcher at Bergalia, Comerang and Eurobodalla Rd; max 6 Grey Butcherbird; up to 70 Aust Magpie at Comerang, nesting widespread; max 44 Pied Currawong at Pedro Swamp; 1 or 2 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; 2 White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike at MKS and Comerang in August (SMG/JC); 2 Aust Figbird in MYA (BA/JM); max 3 Olive-backed Oriole at Comerang; up to 100 Little Raven at Comerang and Eurobodalla Rd (JC/FM); max 10 Australian Raven; up to 12 White-winged Chough at MKS, 9 at Mystery Bay, 6 at Pedro Swamp, Pedro, NA and Tilba; adult and sub-adult male Satin Bowerbird constructing bower at Pedro Swamp; a Common Blackbird at MYA (JL); groups of up to 60 Common Starling; no more than 4 Common Myna; Welcome Swallow nest-building; max 20 Tree Martin at Comerang; migrating flocks of Silvereye in July; Mistletoebird in Long Beach, MYA and Pedro Swamp (MG/JM); max 8 House Sparrow in BB and MYA (JW); 12 Aust Pipit at Comerang, 2 at Belowra, 1 at Bingi, TS and Eurobodalla Rd; up to 50 Red-browed Finch at Bumbo Road (FM).

MAMMALS. Group of 3 Short-beaked Echidna in a breeding procession at Pedro Swamp, young at Mystery Bay; Spotted-tailed Quoll scats at Pedro Swamp; dead Antechinus sp. at Mystery Bay; Sugar Glider calls at Pedro Swamp and Comerang; Common Ringtail Possum at Mystery Bay in August; 4 Brushtail Possum at Comerang, 2 at BP, 1 at Pedro; 40 Eastern Grey Kangaroo and 50 Red-necked Wallaby at Potato Pt (JL); max 8 Swamp Wallaby at Pedro Swamp; one or two Red Fox; 8 Aust Fur Seal at MHS, 3 at BP and 1 dead young at Mystery Bay (JM/JW/MA); 9 Bottle-nosed Dolphin at SB, 8 at MHS, 5 at Mystery Bay, 4 at BP; 3 Southern Right Whale at BP and Mystery Bay; groups of Humpback Whales moving north in July.

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. Dark-flecked Sunskink; single Eastern Blue-tongue at MYA and Pedro Swamp (JL/JM); a Jacky Lizard in August; Lace Monitor in August at PDD; Red-bellied Black

Snake at Bingi. Frogs seen or calling: Common Eastern Froglet; Brown-striped Frog; Spotted Grass Frog; Haswell’s Froglet; Brown, Smooth and Tyler’s Toadlet; Brown, Jervis Bay, Peron’s and Verreaux’s Tree Frogs. MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. Moths: Cream Wave, Black-lined Carpet, Sodaliata, Subidaria, Mecynata, Red-spotted Delicate, Native Cranberry, Patterned Gallaba, Iropoca, Variable Halone, Crimson Tiger Moth, Tobacco Looper, Green-blotched, Bogong, Brown Cutworm. Butterflies: Black Jezebel, Cabbage White, Brown Ringlet, Meadow Argus, Aust Painted Lady, Monarch, Varied Dusky-blue, Speckled Line-blue, Common Grass Blue. OTHER INSECTS. Bugs: Brown Shield. Beetles: Click, the Ladybirds: Micrapsis frenata, Epilachna sp. Dragonflies: first of season early August. Others: Hover Fly, Crane Fly. SPIDERS. Mouse, Huntsman, White-tailed, Leaf-curling, Little Striped Wolf, Water, Daddy Long-legs, Black House, Flat Rock. BLOSSOM. Forest Red Gum, Sydney Blue Gum, Manna Gum, Coast Banksia, Hop and Sydney Golden Wattle, Everlasting, Sweet Pittosporum, Creamy Candles, Handsome Flat-pea, Tree Broom-heath, Prickly, Coastal and Lance Beard-heath, Wedding Bush, Headache Vine, Common Silkpod (pods), Nodding and Maroon Greenhood, Pink Fingers.

RAINFALL. July: 101.5mm at BP, 101.5mm at MYA, 112mm at Pedro Swamp, 65mm at TS, 86.5mm at Comerang, 110mm at Mystery Bay. August: 96mm at BP, 128mm at MKS, 116.5mm at MYA, 127mm at Pedro Swamp, 150mm at Comerang, 120mm at Mystery Bay.

Contributors Abbreviations BA B Allan, PDD RMcK R Mackay, ACT BB Batemans Bay MA M Anderson, Mystery Bay GM G Macnamara, TS BBWG Batemans Bay Water Gardens EA E Andrew, SB JM J Morgan, Pedro Swamp BI Bermagui JC J&P Collett, Comerang WN W Nelson, TS BP Burrewarra Point MC M Crowley, MHS GR G Rayner, TS CO Congo AG A Grant, Lilli Pilli JS J Sagar, Pedro ERBG Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens MG M Grigg, Long Beach BS B Scales, NA MKS Maulbrooks Rd S, MYA SMG S&M Guppy, MKS BMV B&M Versey, Long Beach MO Meringo JH J&J Houghton, TS JW J Whiter, BP MYA Moruya DHK D&H Kay, Bergalia FM Field Meeting MH Moruya Heads, N&S JL J&J Liney, MYA A Hardy NA Narooma DMcG D McGregor, TS C Taylor PDD Percy Davis Drive, Broulee SB Surf Beach SF State Forest TS Tuross WL Wallaga Lake ENHS Committee and Contact Details Chair Mike Crowley 4474 2677 crowleymnc@aapt.net.au Secretary/Recorder Julie Morgan 4474 5888 juliettamorgan@gmail.com Treasurer Gillian Macnamara 4473 9412 gillmac@tpg.net.au Committee Mandy Anderson, Eric

Andrew, Heather Haughton, Peter Haughton, David Kay, George Rayner

Public Officer and Membership

Peter Haughton 4471 3271 pje@haughton.id.au

Editorial Team Mandy Anderson, Lucy Gibson, Gillian Macnamara, Julie Morgan

Editorial enquiries Mandy Anderson 4473 7651 mandy-anderson@bigpond.com Website Team David White, David Num, Julie

Morgan

All mail correspondence to P.O. Box 888, Moruya, NSW, 2537. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this newsletter is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information in this newsletter.