Buff-banded Rails in metro Perth

["Robyn" <>]

Sorry John,  I can't tell you anything about Perth, but thought it may be 
interesting to know an area of Brisbane where I observed them one day last 
year.   I was driving in Rocklea, an industrial suburb to the west, and 
stopped at traffic lights on an extremely busy road - lots of heavy trucks 
and semis.   Whilst some lanes of traffic were stopped, with others still 
moving,  out came a Buff-banded Rail and calmly pecked amongst the blue 
metal gravel well out into the intersection!   I thought I was seeing 
things!
There is actually a creek which floods (if it were ever to rain again) 
within about two hundred metres.   I wondered what it might be finding to 
eat, and could only come up with the possibility of dead insects having 
fallen off cars the previous night.
It is amazing how some creatures continue to make a living in suburban 
habitat.
Robyn