Mulligans Flat is a great spot to see birds, early morning, and particularly after rain. This is a habitat for a huge variety of birds and is considered by the Canberra Ornithologists group as one of the best areas in Canberra for bird watching.
Among the many varieties of birds, you may see honeyeaters, tree creepers, thornbills, speckled warblers, rosellas, curlews and kookaburras. If you scan the skies you may spot a wedge-tailed eagle, kite, falcon or kestrel. It is home to double barred finches, the delightful scarlet and flame robins and also to the many water birds around the dam.
Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary is enclosed by a predator proof fence built to allow the safe reintroduction of locally extinct native animals such as the Southern bettong and New Holland mouse. The bettong is a nocturnal rabbit-sized kangaroo. It carries its young in pouch and has a clever method of carrying its nesting material in its tail. It feeds on plants that include underground fungi (truffles), lily tubers and orchids. Once common in this area the bettongs are now breeding in the safety of Mulligans Flat.
Access is via the Woodland Gate off Amy Ackman Street and the Yellow Box Gate off Francis Forde Boulevard and Eric Wright Street.
For more information about birds in Canberra, contact Canberra Ornithologists Group. www.canberrabirds.org.au
During January and February on the first and third Friday of the month you can take part in a woodlands twilight tour. These are very popular and you need to book. There is a cost involved for this two-and-a-half-hour walking tour which starts 30 minutes before sunset. If you have issues with mobility, you don’t need to miss out — you can hitch a ride in the ‘Bettong Buggy’. Bookings at www.bettongs.org.
