Glebe’s fourth annual spring bird survey

It was a cloudy, cool 100C with a southerly breeze blowing as 17 Society members and friends, under the leadership of Judy Christie, headed out at 7am on Sunday 23 October to count birds in eight of Glebe’s foreshore and pocket parks.

We saw 466 birds of 30 different species. The most common bird was the Rainbow Lorikeet – although at least half the sightings were birds in flight – and second was the Noisy Miner. Interestingly, in the October 2015 National Backyard Bird Count conducted by Birdlife Australia across the whole county, these were also the number one and number two birds! (The results for 2016 are still being collated). Our number three bird was the Common or Indian Myna – also in the top 10 across Australia.

Unfortunately, no Blue Wrens were found but Willy Wagtails, who enjoy a similar habitat, were seen in Johnstons Creek (near the Tramsheds’ entrance), and an unidentified raptor (Peregrine Falcon or Brown Goshawk) was observed in weedy trees near Jubilee Park light rail stop. By 8am we had completed the survey and had gathered for a well-deserved breakfast at Esca in Glebe Point Rd.

Arthur (Paddy) Gray Reserve

On Melbourne Cup Day an onsite meeting was organised by Bryan Herden to discuss future maintenance of the flourishing native plants in the Reserve in Hereford St with Nick Criniti (Contract Coordinator Parks) and Peter Day (Acting Urban Ecology Coordinator) from the City of Sydney. Bryan will be forming a local bushcare group to continue the much appreciated work over many years of Jan Craney who died earlier this year.

The first priority for the bushcare group will be for the City to remove three dead wattles from the Wigram Lane side of the Reserve; and Bryan will be letterboxing local residents to call for volunteers to assist with weeding days in the Reserve.

Nick Criniti and Peter Day from the City of Sydney, and local residents Norma Hawkins and Bryan Herden standing beside an Angophora planted in Arthur (Paddy) Gray Reserve in memory of David Mander-Jones, a former convenor of the Society’s Blue Wren Subcommittee. Bryan has taken on the task of forming a local bushcare group to assist with the continuing maintenance of the Reserve. (Image: Andrew Wood)
Nick Criniti and Peter Day from the City of Sydney, and local residents Norma Hawkins and Bryan Herden standing beside an Angophora planted in Arthur (Paddy) Gray Reserve in memory of David Mander-Jones, a former convenor of the Society’s Blue Wren Subcommittee. Bryan has taken on the task of forming a local bushcare group to assist with the continuing maintenance of the Reserve. (Image: Andrew Wood)