Narrandera Landcare’s quarterly bird survey at The Wetlands recently surprised the group, with participants finding 25 species!
There were almost no waterbirds but lots and lots of woodland birds.
Other birds which they saw before and after the survey were unable to be counted then.
The full results can be seen here https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/survey?id=8322262&h=150225a8
To do your own bird survey in your backyard see this link https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/…/Summer-Survey-Time
Participants took time out from looking at birds and checked how their plantings went after the floods receded and it was not all grim news. The Dianella, River Bottlebrush and a few other plantings survived, with some great patches of Nardoo becoming established.
A nest box installed years ago had fallen to the ground and had a nice cup-shaped bunch of gum leaves indicating recent use – so far, members are thinking a possum was using it rather than a bird, but it’s good to see they’re being utilised!
A big thank you to Alan Whitehead of the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists Inc. for his help.
Narrandera Landcare Group is a volunteer community group which started in 1998 and is a town-based Landcare group, dedicated to protecting, enhancing and promoting the native flora and fauna of Narrandera Shire.
They also run the local Community Food Gardens, where they grow food plants in a permaculture-friendly way, as well as raising native plant seedlings for revegetation projects.
Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm at Narrandera Ex-servicemen’s Club.
Members also get together during the month to conduct on-ground works, from planting and watering trees, through to constructing and restoring bridges, walking trails and other amenities at local natural sites of interest.
Semi-regular bushwalks are held to learn more about the local native flora and fauna.
The monthly Narrandera Landcare Meeting on Tuesday involved planning for Clean Up Australia Day activity on Clean Up Australia Day on March 25 amongst other things.
On Tuesday, February 21, there will be a workshop on nestboxes, organised by Local Landcare Coordinator, Kathy Tenison.
Members have been propagating and planting lots of the feed trees for Glossy Blacks and Superb Parrots but these and a tremendous number of other species need tree hollows to actually reproduce.
This free workshop will be invaluable. Riverina Local Land Services is hosting the Australasian Bittern Summit 2023 in Leeton from Tuesday January 31 to Friday February 3.
The Summit will be connecting scientists,conservationists, wetland managers, birdwatchers and farmers who share a passion for the iconic Australasian Bittern (aka TheBunyip Bird).
The conference includes unique tours to the key Bittern wetlands of the Riverina including the internationally recognised Fivebough Wetland and Bittern-friendly rice crops.
Landcare NSW also needed to submit a new business case for a continuation of the NSW Landcare Program for 2023-2027 and asked the Narrandera group for a letter to its local MP expressing support for a continuation of the program, which it provided.
The program enables the 80-plus Local Landcare Coordinators who make such a tremendous contribution to the efforts of small groups like Narrandera.
Narrandera members were urged to email Steph Cooke cootamundra@parliament.nsw.gov.au supporting a continuation of the program.
All interested members of the community and visitors are welcome to attend Landcare meetings and working bees.
Contact narranderalandcare@gmail.com with any questions or if you would like to get involved.
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 26 January 2023.
