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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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