ALPINE CONDITIONS

A considerable amount of snow dropped on many Southern Highlands towns last Friday, but not in Bundanoon, much to my dismay. Driving to work before 7am, I heard a traffic report on ABC 702 advising motorists that the Hume Highway had been shut in both directions near Berrima due masses of snow and ice. Consequently, I travelled through Sutton Forest, Moss Vale, Bowral and Mittagong to get to the Hume. It felt like being in Europe. Absolutely gorgeous stuff. A snowman was on a roundabout in Bong Bong St Bowral. I took footage here and there on my iPhone. I'd not seen a dump like this before in the Southern Highlands. Family at High Range woke to 7 inches of the stuff. As I'm not a winter sports enthusiast, that was only the second time I've seen snow in Australia. LJ, July 20 2015.

THANKS

My sincere thanks to those who turned up, in bleak, bleak weather, for Winterfest's birding event. Some even drove from Wollongong! It was great to meet many new faces and have a couple of very enthusiastic younger birders on board. I was impressed with the fieldwork of a few people -they found things way before I did. Well done. A lone, quite approachable Bassian Thrush at the entrances to Erith Coal Mine was the day's highlight. We were able to watch it for about 15 minutes. I'd really like to have another birding for beginners bash in summer, when all our migrants have returned. Stay tuned. LJ, July 20 2015.