Re the below personal preference, well. I can sort of understand that, in a
way. However, for me, the value of speculation and surmise depends so often
on the factual base and the insightfulness of the surmisor. On the other
hand, for my own preference, observations, novel and opportunistic or
hard-won, are the really choice fare, and the occasional golden kernel of
bird-observation that may be garnered on this ever-fruitful chatline is
indeed a speck of the precious metal.
Around where I live, the last few days show that the mature-summer 'move'
season is truly in progress. The Dollarbirds are a main feature of this.
Probably 2 families of these have already gone through. Far from this being
unusual, I expect more of them as late summer wears on. The yammering of
juvenile Crimson Rosellas has been particularly insistent this year, the
variation in their sounds making one think that one or more new species have
moved into the neighbourhood. A Brown Thornbill, certainly not a resident
bird, has been yodelling softly and often from the silver birch. Four or so
Little Corellas have been constant noisy visitors in the early and late
parts of the day, fewer, though, than will be around in mid-winter.
The koels are a puzzle. Just how many of them are there? I have glimpsed
at least 2 different birds, both males, one dullish, one glossy. I suspect
that it is the dullish bird that is constantly about, calling at any time of
day - or night.
On top of that, I have a FIRST. I have seen Rainbow Lorikeets in many
places - even in Melbourne, where they were quite unknown when I lived
there - but never a free-flying bird in Canberra: until today, when one
turned up at a feeder at the base of Rocky Knob, holding its own among the
corellas and cockatoos, a self-possessed green-and-orange stranger, a sleek
and cheeky reminder of the dictum that given time anything can turn up
anywhere.
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