Under the leadership of Judy Christie, eleven keen birdwatchers gathered at 6.45am on Sunday 8 October in Paddy Gray Reserve, Hereford St, to commence Glebe’s fifth annual spring bird survey. Over the next hour, seven of our local parks and reserves were surveyed. The total number of birds recorded was 329 and 25 species were seen; the numbers were similar to last year’s survey. The most common bird was again the Rainbow Lorikeet followed by the Noisy Miner, a result which is identical to that of the Aussie Backyard Bird Count across the whole of NSW. Good sightings in Glebe this year were Red Wattlebirds (with a young fledgling) in St Johns Rd, Australasian Figbirds in Glebe Point Rd and near the saltmarsh in Federal Park, and a Striated Heron also in the saltmarsh. We hope the lonesome single Willy Wagtail near the saltmarsh soon finds a mate (maybe in Wentworth Park). The recent complete destruction of small bird habitat at the Rozelle Rail yards may result in some sightings of Superb Fairy-Wrens in Glebe – one has already been reported from Annandale but we continue to be pessimistic about the chances of Wrens returning to Glebe on a permanent basis.

The most common bird sighted in Glebe’s fifth annual spring bird survey, the rainbow lorikeet. This one is photographed not in Glebe but in nearby Stanmore (image: JAM Project)

On Tuesday 10 October, three members of the Subcommittee met in the Bicentennial Park with Rae Broadfoot, Community Gardens and Volunteer Coordinator, City of Sydney. We gave an update of the group’s activities including the work of our suburbs bushcare/landcare volunteers. The City continues to investigate the provision of personal accident insurance for the volunteers. In the future the City will be asking its park maintenance contractors to provide volunteers with advice and training about bush regeneration and will coordinate the activities of the groups with the provision of fencing, placement of coir logs, herbicide usage, etc. We again asked Rae that the City install taps in Palmerston Avenue Park so that recent and future native plantings can be watered.