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NSW Prospect Reservoir, Sydney - 11th December 2005 (the Grey Goshawk br

To: "Birding-aus" <>
Subject: NSW Prospect Reservoir, Sydney - 11th December 2005 (the Grey Goshawk breeding success!!)
From: "Edwin Vella" <>
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 19:08:21 +1100

This morning I was pleased to find at least one recently fledged and healthy looking Grey Goshawk at Prospect Reservoir (40 km west of Sydney CBD). Its other sibling may have also fledged as well (well I hope) but was not seen. The fledgling goshawk featured a heavily barred breast and a more greyish face (which will whiten with age like its parents). This fledgling was seen away but not too far from its nest it was born but was momentarily perched on another nearby nest (probably its parent’s previous nest) and I was watching this at about eye level. The adult female Grey Goshawk was also seen perched in a nearby eucalypt.

 

However I was disappointed not to see any Great Crested Grebe chicks so I was unsure if the 2 breeding pairs I had observed previously were successful on this occasion. The water level of the reservoir has risen since my last visit which may have been the reason. I only saw about 6 adult Great Crested Grebes today. I have noticed that fewer Great Crested Grebes stay at the reservoir in summer (and would be the only ones that do breed) whereas the 200 or so other birds present in the winter there would breed elsewhere this time of year.

 

Other interesting birds also found today at Prospect Reservoir where a group of 4-6 noisy Channel-billed Cuckoos (with one juv. bird.) and some Fan-tailed Cuckoos, 2 Hardhead, 70 plus Australian Pelican, White-bellied Sea-eagle (heard honking throughout the morning), Bar-shouldered Doves, 3 adult males Variegated Wrens seen together in one area, a presumably late Rufous Fantail (unless they do actually breed at the Reservoir! I wonder if they would think the large patches of privet around the picnic area is a patch of rainforest to them), White-throated Gerygones, Scarlet Honeyeaters and the usual Restless Flycatcher beside the fence opposite the Cricketers Arms Hotel (if it is the same bird, it has been there for years!).

 

There was quite a fair amount of Mistletoe in fruit/flower at the moment around the reservoir attracting various Honeyeaters and Mistletoebirds.

 

Other animals present also included an Eastern Grey Kangaroo (a small population of Kangaroos live in the reservoir and this is probably the closest they exist to Sydney CBD) and a few frogs – Litoria falax and Litoria dentata and Lampropholis delicata (and some may be saying what the hell are they!).

 

Edwin Vella

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