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Great Reed Warbler
Strange coincidence that Edwin should mention this
because about nine days too late, I received information that a visiting English
birder, Paul Rendell in company with a local birder, one David Cross, reckoned
he saw a Great Reed Warbler with two Australian Clamorous Reed Warblers on
20 October at Tom Thumb Lake, Bendigo, Victoria. He claimed it was 25%
larger with a more rounded head and was typical of the species he knows well,
presumably from Europe. It did not call or sing. I got the impression that he
really did mean Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus
arundinaceus, which of course, has never been recorded in
Australia. I am not too sure whether Edwin really meant this or
was referring to Oriental Reed Warbler A.
orientalis which is the species which occurs in Australia,
(see Christidis & Boles 1994). Although rare, it is possibly an annual
migrant, being easily overlooked and can be difficult to identify even in the
hand.
I have tapes of this species singing which should
include some calls. They were recorded by David Stewart senior near Mossman
in Queensland where I found two in a cane field. These were accepted by BARC. If
you wish to follow this up, I suggest you contact David as
the 'owner' of the sequence. He may have
already published this on one of his commercial tapes. The calls are extremely
harsh. Incidentally, although labelled Great Reed Warbler, those on the BOCA
tape from Fogg Dam would be Oriental.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mt
Eliza VIC 3930
Ph: (03) 9787
7136
Email:
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