canberrabirds

NW Cooleman Ridge

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Subject: NW Cooleman Ridge
From: "Jack and Andrea Holland" <>
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 11:43:45 +1100
Despite the dry conditions. the birdlife on the extreme NW end of Cooleman Ridge behind Chapman continues to be excellent, with 43 species counted in less than 2 hours during my weekly survey there earlier this morning.
 
Highlights included 12 Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo with squawking dependent young, the first record I have of this species in the area since March, and a male Mistletoebird, the first I can recall seeing this spring in spite of regular surveying and leading many COG outings to various parts of the local area (is this other subscribers experience too?). 
 
A small 2 ha scrubby and unattractive looking patch very close to the fenceline (though mostly in leasehold land rather than in the Nature Park) is the focus, with a number of Rufous Songlarks, White-winged Trillers, Dusky and a pair of White-browed Woodswallows and Diamond Firetail reliably seen (with some patience) here.  Brown Quail have also been regularly recorded, often with reasonable looks before they flush, with their much darker plumage and finely streaked bodies distinguishing them from the Stubble Quail (present in lower numbers).  This has been in surprisingly dry habitat, with the agistment of the cows in their preferred habitat round the dam about 1 km along the SW track seeming to have forced the change.  Less regularly recorded in the 2 ha patch have been Southern Whiteface and Brown-headed Honeyeater.
 
Breeding activity has been very low so far, limited this morning to House Sparrows taking nesting material into a hollow.  The female White-browed Woodswallow has been sitting for a few weeks, but this morning in spite of defending the territory (as were the Duskies) did not approach the nest site during 15 minutes observations.
 
Jack Holland
 
Jack Holland
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