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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