Veronica Szery is the owner of Quince Tree, a property situated in Wolumla, approximately 15km south of Bega, New South Wales. The property is a residence and wildlife sanctuary, and it is Veronica’s intention to preserve the block as a haven for birds and other wildlife.The property covers approximately 1 hectare, and features a heritage-listed homestead surrounded by bushland. Vegetation is characterized by a mix of exotic and native plant species in a temperate rainforest environment. Native vegetation is dominated by melaleuca, casuarina and pittosporum species.
A range of wildlife is present including brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps).
Birdlife is abundant and includes red goshawks (Erythrotriorchis radiatus), grey falcons (Falco hypoleucos), laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), dollar birds (Eurystomus orientalis), whipbirds (Psophodes olivaceus), wattlebirds (Anthochaera spp.), striated grasswrens (Amytornis striatus), eastern koels (Eudynamys orientalis), pallid (Cacomantis pallidus) and channel-billed (Scythrops novaehollandiae) cuckoos, rufous (Rhipidura rufifrons) and grey (Rhipidura albiscapa) fantails, brown cuckoo-doves (Macropygia phasianella), peaceful doves (Geopelia placida), white-headed (Columba leucomela) and crested (Ocyphaps lophotes) pigeons, magpies (Cracticus tibicen), pied currawongs (Strepera graculina), yellow-faced honeyeaters (Lichenostomus chrysops) and eastern spinebills (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) as well as butcherbirds , bowerbirds and monarchs.
A variety of parrots are present including long-billed (Cacatua tenuirostris) and little (Cacatua sanguina) corellas, galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla), sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), king parrots (Alisterus scapularis) and rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus).
