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In an earlier posting I commented that it was time
I repeated a trip to the Blundell's Ck Rd area to see what was happening there a
year after the Satin Flycatcher expedition last year. Barbara Allan
was again able to accompany me so we set off early on 20 January. The
clouds over Bulls Head did not look promising (for birding, but quite optimistic
for gardens and dam filling).
Once into Blundell's Ck Rd we stopped about 1km
down as there were a lot of birds calling and zipping around. The more
interesting ones were Flame Robins (all brown birds) Lewin's Honeyeater (at
least 2), Sain Flycatcher (family group of 3); Leaden Flycatcher, Fan-tailed
cuckoo posing nicely for us to see and another 1 at least calling in the
background; lots of honeyeaters including yellow-faced, white-eared, white-naped
and Lewins (addition to my ACT list) and a Mystery Bird. Looking at said
Mystery Bird occupied us for quite some time before it made a decision to
depart. A working hyothesis of Juvenile Something was
achieved
We then followed its example and departed down to
the intersection with Warks Rd where the vehicle was parked. The first
call identified was that of the Thunder God. Ignoring this hint and
marvelling at how the vegetation was regrowing (also the amount of water running
in both creeks) we wandered uphill. A yeelow faced honey eater was seen
feeding young and a Satin Flycatcher sitting on a nest in a most lightning prone
position. Round about this time the offspring of the Thunder God made its
soggy presence known and we decided that any sensible birds were heading for
shelter and gave up.
The dam at Urriara Homestead was scanned through a
rain spotted windscreen with nothing noteworthy. Despite the rain having
stopped, no Common Sandpiper was visible at Urriara Crossing. On getting
back to Downtown Page a number of bird books were scanned to try to get a little
more specific about the identity of the Mystery Bird. Eventually we gave
up nd I ame back to check my copy of the NPI books. As I got home Barbara
rang to say she had picked the ID of the beasty from HANZAB as a juvenile Olive
Whistler. Checking the relavant photo in the NPI confirmed this (and thus
added another notch to my ACT list).
Despite the early retreat a most enjoyable trip,
which seened to answer positively the question as to whether the wet gully birds
had returned.
David McDonald: please put my ACT total to
208spps.
Martin
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