canberrabirds

Sunday at Jerrabomberra Wetlands

To: "Bird List" <>
Subject: Sunday at Jerrabomberra Wetlands
From: "David Rosalky" <>
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:16:40 -0700
Over about one hour (11am to noon) on Sunday 20 August, I observed four species of raptors:  Brown Falcon, Black-shouldered Kite, Whistling Kite and a pair of Little Eagles. 
 
As has been reported recently by others, dark and light phase Little Eagles have been hunting in unison - are they a possible breeding pair?  I watched the pair for most of the hour I was there.  They were on the wing virtually all of that time, disdappearing from my view and then reappearing.  Most of the time, they were to the east and south-east of the sewage ponds, although the dark phase bird (I think that is the male) was seen north at one stage, closer to the Molonglo Reach area.  The birds soared in close company for much of the time, including a couple of flights at each other but without contact.  The light phase bird dived a couple of times towards pine trees, scattering Starlings but without catching any in my viewings.  In another incident, an Australian Raven took up a prolonged chase of both birds being occasionally chased itself but, like a Spitfire pilot, turning a pursuit of it into a pursuit of the eagle.  Contact seemed to be made on at least two occasions and an outer rectrix of the light phase eagle was distinctly skew-wiff after these activities.  Perhaps a "score" for the raven.
 
Other than this interesting display, there was a good collection of ducks:  both Teal, Pink-eared Ducks, Australasian Shovellers, White-eyed Ducks, 2 pairs of Blue-billed ducks and a small number of Pacific Black Ducks, some of which had the characteristics of hybrids - with unusual face markings and a purple speculum.  There were also a few Hoary-headed Grebes.  I saw no Freckled Ducks.
 
A Golden-headed Cisticola was in the grass on the eastern side of the ponds.  It had a streaked head and a longish tail which I think indicates a non-breeding male(?).  While I saw many Welcome Swallows, I seem to have missed Owen Holton's Fairy Martins - I may have taken the "Swallows" for granted, although I did inspect a few.
 
David Rosalky
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