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Dear birders
As I'm off to parts west and north of Alice
(including Newhaven) on Sunday, had to do my quarterly surveys in a rush
this week. The grazing properties produced nothing exceptional, no doubt
due to the continuing and awful drought, but I did see a Striated Pardalote
collecting bits of dead root from a creek side, and flying up and vanishing into
shrubbery at the base of a gum tree - presumably nest building.
At Copeland Flora Reserve 16 km west of
Gloucester are thousands (no exaggeration) of Silvereyes, that all seem to
be Tasmanian ssp - the noise is sometimes so loud you can't hear the other
birds. Lots of ground thrush, including one good view of a Russet-tailed, large
flock of Topknot Pigeons feeding on the many fruiting rainforest trees, and
calls of Wompoo and Wonga, Brown Cuckoo-doves and 2 Green Pigeons on the ground.
Interesting sight was one Pied Currawong viciously harassing a Grey Goshawk, 1st
sighting of one in this reserve, and about 6 Green Catbirds busily and silently
chasing each other through the mid canopy. Courting activity? Also a group
of juvenile Olive-backed Orioles flying around the top canopy, making a lot of
noise, and then the warbly calls of an adult. Thought they all went north for
the winter. It's very cold here at late night/early morning with frost
every morning for the last month. Not the weather for torpical species but nice
when you're active.
And so we prey for rain.
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