Many thanks to all those who kindly responded to my request for recent
information about the Painted Snipe.
I visited the known spot on both the outward (Sunday) and return
(Tuesday) legs of a flying visit to Armidale from Sydney. I was
unsuccessful on both occasions, but did have some compensatory
excitement on the second visit. I was scanning the paddock through
binoculars, c. 4.30 p.m., when suddenly the numerous White-faced Herons
rose up in alarm. I whipped down the glasses in time to see a big
falcon coming low and fast down the line of the right-hand fence. When
I got the bins on it I had a fine view of a Black Falcon going
hell-for-leather until it disappeared behind the foliage of the
regeneration area. It was all the nicer as not an hour before I had
been watching a large Peregrine (presumably female) spooking the
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers at Swan Pond.
There was not much time birding in New England, but Dangars' Lagoon at
Uralla (a favourite haunt of mine) now has much more water than at the
worst of the drought, though still far less than normal. Waterfowl
numbers are down -- in the hundreds rather than thousands, but
Blue-billed, Musk, and Pink-eared Duck were all present in low numbers.
I had the best ever views of an Australian Spotted Crake only a few
metres from the hide.
Elsewhere there was a barely fledged Brown Goshawk making begging calls
at a secluded nest I have known about for some years.
Christmas greetings to all,
John Clifton-Everest
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