canberrabirds

A superb reflection

To: <>
Subject: A superb reflection
From: "Geoffrey Dabb" <>
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 21:13:02 +1100
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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