Milburn and I headed up to Warks Rd this morning to see what the dawn chorus would do, and it was most impressive! Between 5:30 and 9:00am we started the day with a Tawny Frogmouth in the headlights, and a Hobby high in the canopy in the pre-dawn on arrival. As it became lighter, we obtained excellent views of a male and a female Cicadabird feeding with a number of Satin Bowerbirds which all rapidly disappeared. We continued to enjoy the loud dawn chorus, watching Rufous Fantails amongst the more common birds (Yellow-faced HE, White-naped HE, Scrubwrens, Fairy-wrens, Grey Fantails, White-throated Treecreepers). Satin Flycatcher were finally around in good numbers, whilst a lone Pilotbird was heard calling from deep up a gully.
As the chorus began to fade away, a number of Brush Cuckoos were heard calling within a small area. We spent several hours stalking these but they remained very elusive and skulky, giving only brief flight views before remaining sedentary in dense canopy foliage. Several Fantail Cuckoos were heard during this time also. We later got some brief views of an Eastern Whipbird flying through, though several were calling, alongside a number of Superb Lyrebirds.
The drive back to Canberra yielded two Red-kneed Dotterels on Urriara Homestead dam, numerous Rufous Songlarks along the way, a soaring pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles, and a juvenile Brown Treecreeper at Bibaringa with at least one Peaceful Dove heard and some Dusky Woodswallows.
Damien
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