Friends of Mount Majura (FoMM) Newsletter – May 2021

FOMM BIRDWALK THIS SUNDAY 9 MAY

Join bird enthusiast Peter Miller for a morning stroll through Mt Majura’s woodlands to spot, observe, listen to, and learn about the amazing variety of birds on Mt Majura.

When: Sunday 9th May, 8am (sharp) – 10 am

Where: Meet at nature reserve entrance Tay St / Ian Nicol St, at The Fair, North Watson (volunteer registration point on this map)

Enquiries:  secretary@majura.org

Bring Sun protection and a Gold Coin donation for a bird list; wear appropriate clothing for the weather.
Recommended: Binoculars, a bird guide or bird id app if you have them.

With over two hundred recorded species, Canberra and the surrounding region has the richest bird life of any Australian capital city. Roughly half – 112 species – have been recorded on Mt Majura.

Find out more about our feathered friends on the website of the Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG) which has information on the distribution, seasonal occurrence and breeding of birds, as well as brilliant photographs taken by COG members and even records of calls of some of the bird species.

PLANTING WILDFLOWERS AT THE FAIR, SUNDAY 30 MAY

For our Sunday working party in May we will join the Majura Mountain Scouts for an afternoon of planting and mulching a range of local wildflowers on the Mount Majura reserve.

When: Sunday 30 May from 1pm to 4pm. Please be there at 1pm if you need an introduction. Give whatever time you can spare.

Where: Mt Majura nature reserve east of The Fair, North Watson; access and registration close to Tay Ian Nicol Streets intersection https://www.flickr.com/photos/61627737@N03/14094870527/sizes/c/

Bring: drinking water; garden gloves, trowel or small mattock if you have them. We will provide some tools and gloves if you don’t, as well as hand sanitiser. Wear sturdy shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather.

SWIFT PARROTS 

Swift parrots have been sighted recently at the Callum Brae nature reserve in Symonston and at Mount Ainslie, close to the Foveaux St entrance to the nature park. An endangered species, these small parrots breed in Tasmania before flying across Bass Strait to feed on flowering eucalypts. It is likely they may also be sighted on Mount Majura, perhaps near the Hackett reservoir and the Majura paddock, east of Rivett Street. Watch out for these birds on your autumn walks and contact FoMM to report sightings. More information https://majura.org/swift-parrot-sightings-23-04-2021/.

PARKS AND RESERVES SURVEY

Visitors to national parks, reserves and forests are encouraged to respond to the ACT government’s survey https://www.yoursay.act.gov.au/act-parks/act-parks-and-reserves-visitor-survey The survey will gather information about visitors, their motivation and satisfaction to plan enhancements. It closes on 25 July.

MONDAYS AT THE FAIR

Each week a group of volunteers meets at the Fair site, which has been transformed by our dedicated work over many years. As well as weed removal, we have planted local trees, shrubs and ground covers, along with several varieties of native grasses.

Currently we are prioritising cutting off flowering seed heads from St John’s wort and removing other weeds, including southern blue gum seedlings which have spread from mother trees in the neighbouring Valour Park.

Join us anytime between 9.30 and 12.30 on Monday mornings. We meet at the nature park entrance close to Tay and Ian Nicol Street, North Watson.

SAVE THE DATE – SUNDAY 6 JUNE

We will plant wildflower seedlings in the fenced seed nodes which it is hoped will be a ‘Noah’s ark’, reintroducing local wildflowers to generate seeds for the nature reserve. We will plant seedlings grown for us by Greening Australia, including Glycine pea, Wahlenbergia capillaris the native bluebell, hoary sunrays and button wrinklewort. For more information about this project see https://majura.org/seeding-nodes-reintroducing-wildflowers-to-mt-majura/