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Who says bird-watching is dull?
Much slower into the field than Barbara, I got to the DIMA
carpark at about 0925. Only a couple of SPs were in the trees but others
were flying about and calling. I then walked south, circumnavigating the
markets. It seemed that the pattern was for small groups of 5-8 to fly in
- from any direction except east - and head for the trees in the area
described by Barbara. I estimated I saw about 40 birds. I relocated
my car and got out a camera. A had close views of a male that appeared to
be feeding on lerps (see picture). However the trend of movement was into
the central fenced area that a passer-by told me was the 'police carpark'.
By 1030 nearly all the birds were in that area.
It occurred to me to inquire about access to the critical
area, so I presented myself at the AFP front desk. After a minute or
so, a couple of uniformed persons burst (the only word I can think of for it)
into the foyer, evidently in pursuit of myself, about whom 'reports' had been
made. I shall probably offer a fuller report of the ensuing remarkable
conversation, which had some disturbing aspects, on another
occasion. For the present, I shall just say that I was told that I
would be 'stopped' if I attempted to use my camera, or
binoculars, outside but near the perimeter of the car-park. No
statement of the authority for that action was available. Of the 4 other
persons involved in the conversation, none had heard of Superb Parrots, or, I
sensed, even believed that such things existed.
After that, I visited the Macquarie oval where I saw perhaps
20 Superbs feeding on the ground and using the large exotic trees for cover when
disturbed. They were feeding on seeds of grasses.
Later, I spoke to Joe Forshaw, who has some thoughts about the
implications of this influx for the conservation program. I shan't
relay these here, as Joe is likely to give a talk on the matter at an early COG
meeting.
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