Mark – Yes, I have noticed. A few months ago I went with a group I
belong to for an hour’s tour around ANBG with Pauline
Wicksteed as leader and
we didn’t see or hear one Superb Fairy-wren. Which
made me aware on subsequent visits of the few I did see.
Two or three years ago Professor Andrew
Cockburn’s research team estimated there were 40 territories in the
gardens.
Phyl Goddard
-----Original Message-----
From:
[
Sent: Monday, 29 August 2005 9:15
AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Grey
Goshawk and Superb Fairy-Wrens
Good
morning all,
I
have two observations that I think are worth noting. Firstly, a white morph
Grey Goshawk having fun IN a flock of Galahs almost over my house in Kaleen at
about 1600hrs on Friday (26th) afternoon. From the size of the bird
it was a male. A long time ago I had a Grey Goshawk land on the clothes line in
my backyard while I was having breakfast and there have been several (probably
not reported) records from what was CSIRO Wildlife, which is only a moments flying
time away as the Goshawk flies.
Secondly,
my wife and I went for a wander around the ANBG for a couple of hours yesterday
(1030 – 1230). We wandered past the top of the Crosbie Morrison Building,
hit the boundary road/fence between the CSIRO and the gardens, on to the bottom
end of the Sydney Sandstone gardens, walked through them to the top near the
now empty plant storage area, along the road above the top of the Eucalypt
lawn, then down towards and into the rainforest gully, coming out near the Bookshop.
A quick visit was then made to the Tasmanian gardens to see if the water
dragons were about yet. The reason I have detailed the route is that I found
all the usual suspects seen in the gardens EXCEPT for Superb Fairy-wrens. I
finally saw a group of five in the Tasmanian section – that was it!. What
has happened to them? Usually they are the first thing you see in the gardens
and you are generally kicking the little beasties out of the way. Has anyone
else noticed this or was it just one of those flukey things that sometimes
happen?
Mark
