by Andrew Wood, Convenor Blue Wren Subcommittee, for Bulletin 8 of 2020 (October 2020)

Judy Christie will again organise the Society’s spring bird survey commencing in Paddy Gray Reserve, Hereford St at 6.45 am on Sunday 1 November 2020 with breakfast afterwards at a café in Glebe Point Rd.  If it is raining, the survey will be postponed to 8 November. Please contact Judy to confirm that you will be attending (judychristie@internode.on.net). We will be following the City of Sydney’s COVID-19 safe rules and please bring a face mask, your phone (camera), binoculars, a pen and a clipboard if you have one.  In preparation for the survey, why not practise your bird watching skills by joining the annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count from 19 to 25 October 2020?  All you need to do is record for 20 minutes the birdlife in your favourite outdoor space and you don’t have to leave home – please register at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au.

Screenshot of Birdlife Australia's webpage for the Spring Bird Count 2020

Thirteen volunteers from The Friends of Orphan School Creek Bushcare Group held a working bee on National Tree Day, Sunday 2 August, and 50 tube-stock were planted; a further weeding and watering day was held on Sunday 6 September was attended by nine volunteers and only one of the recently planted flora had died.

In the Bays’ parklands, construction of the new park adjacent to The Crescent has recommenced following the bankruptcy of the previous contractor. The narrowness of the foreshore walkway, especially at the junction of Blackwattle and Rozelle Bays, remains a safety issue with the risks caused by interactions between large numbers of bicyclists and the large numbers of walkers, joggers and dogs. There does not seem to be an easy way to provide a separate bicycle track.

Since January, following months of rain, there has been no need for hand-watering in Paddy Gray Reserve.  100 new native flora have been planted by the National Trust, the City’s contractors, and loop fencing has been installed to prevent dogs entering the newly planted areas.  Dogs in the Reserve should be kept on a leash but, unfortunately, some local residents have been treating the Reserve as an off-leash area and their dogs have destroyed significant areas of lawn in the western area of the Reserve between the Glebe Gardens residential development and the cliff face.