Yesterday we decided to go and have a look for the honey eaters that Jo had
seen flying south along Blue Gum creek on Booroomba property on Wednesday.
We drove down the Monaro H'way to a few kms south of Williamsdale, beneath
the power lines, where we have often seen HEs flying across the road.
Waited 10 minutes, no birds seen. Then along the road to Angle Crossing,
stopping again for 10 minutes on the east side of the crossing at another
spot where we had previously seen birds flying up the gully from the west
side of the crossing, but no birds. We drove then to the Naas Road,
unfortunately not having time to drive the full length of Smith's Road. We
were shocked at the barren landscape where the burnt pines have been
felled. No honey eater with any idea of self preservation would fly across
there; and we saw none.
Then south to Honeysuckle Creek Road which we drove up. No HEs. We went
into a farm and spoke to the farmer who had been out and about for the last
couple of days. He had not seen any flocks of birds flying through. He
could have missed seeing them if they were flying over the bush and not
over the open ground. But we did not see any birds either. So, where had
the birds from Blue Gum creek gone? We studied the map carefully and did
not come up with any ideas. Maybe they just were not flying yesterday. It
was hot and windy.
Back via Tharwa bridge and along the back road to Point Hut. We did not
stop but were on the lookout for birds along the way. No birds seen
A disappointing couple of hours in the middle of the day.
Have people been checking out Kambah Pool or Point Hut? Are the birds
flying across the river in their usual routes? Are there not so many birds
this year? Are they travelling a quite different way? Had the thousands
of birds that we saw at Warragandra last Saturday come from the
Murrumbidgee? Many questions to be answered.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Compston
8 Wells Gardens
Griffith, ACT 2603
02 6295 3028
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