canberrabirds

Along the rivers from Shepherds Lookout

To: "Canberra Birds" <>
Subject: Along the rivers from Shepherds Lookout
From: "John Layton" <>
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 21:56:04 +1000
Yesterday, Elder Brat and her friend Emily, had a day free from work and studies so we went to Shepherds Lookout, walked upstream along the Murrumbidgee and along the Molonglo for a while. Spent a wonderful few hours' birding and bushwalking including morning tea taken deep in a patch of scrub which seemed very laid-back and Arcadian, until the %*#!, agro ants terminated the tea party. We packed up hurriedly, stomping boots and slapping legs while dancing a formicidae fandango. We recorded 31 bird species. Here's the highlights:
 
Three Superb Parrots flying west to east. Twenty Red-browed Finches combing through a casaurina tree. A pair of Nankeen Kestrels hovering in close proximity to each other. Over the years, I've somehow come to suspect this may indicate they have dependent young. On the opposite bank of the Bidgee we saw two Whistling Kites tugging remnant macaroni from the eviscerated carcass of a kangaroo.
 
A soaring Little Eagle displaying diagnostic under-wing pattern quite clearly. Five Yellow Thornbills. A Red-bellied Black Snake resplendent in new skin. Also resplendent, a male Mistletoe Bird perched on dead mistletoe.
 
Every Yellow-rumped Thornbill in the ACT was present. We know this because we conducted a roll call.
 
Now, back to being serious: A Magpie carrying what appeared to be a tattered hankie. Two Sacred Kingfishers, Eastern Yellow Robin, two Grey Butcherbirds, pair of Crested Shrike-tits, two Australasian Pipits, seven Varied Sittellas and a Red-necked Wallaby that stood and looked at us for a minute before hopping away. We found a nest in a thickly foliaged shrub, stood on tip-toe, peeked in and saw a female Common Blackbird. We resisted the impulse to reach into the nest and pat her.
 
Finally, as we perched at the foot of the "Golden Stairs", leading back to the lookout (after checking area for rampant ants), drinking tea and eating Tim-Tams, we nearly fell off our perches as a Pied Butcherbird hopped down the stairs towards us. Disappointingly, as we uttered the name of the Savior, the butcherbird flew away. Like I said, we had a wonderful outing.
 
John, Linda & Emily
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