canberrabirds

Singing Bushlarks

To: <>, "COG" <>
Subject: Singing Bushlarks
From: "Jack and Andrea Holland" <>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2006 12:56:39 +1100
I've hardly (if at all) seen the Singing Bushlark in the ACT since I used to record it regularly (and the White-fronted Chat for that matter, including some breeding observations for both) when I was doing Lake Tuggeranong surveys in the late 1980s, when it was present mainly around what is now the roundabout on Drakeford/Isabella Drives.

So it's great to see all the activity on Coppings Crossing Road with subscribers getting great views and photos, and more importantly pointing out the key diagnostic features. The one that I still find most difficult is identifying it by it's call, particularly differentiating it from the skylark when calling high overhead as it often does.

This is a species that is easily overlooked (partly because it lives in grasslands as does the Brown as opposed to the Rufous Songlark) and the challenge now should be where else does it occur within the ACT/COG area of concern. It wasn't present in the Jerrabomberra Grasslands Nature Reserve when we looked for it (sort of) last weekend. Clearly the grass wasn't rank enough judging from some of the photos posted on this chat line.

One area that I've often wondered about (as it reminds me of the area round Lake Tuggeranong late 1980s), though have never got round to checking is on Hindmarsh Drive where it crosses Jerrabomberra Creek, particularly on the S side. Access may be poor, but certainly worth checking, and nows the time as it only seems to call for a couple of months of the year (prebreeding?).

Jack Holland




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