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Today at Lake Ginninderra I saw a Willie Wagtail sitting on its pristine
nest in the dead portion of a tree i.e. no cover or protection whatsoever except
thinly interspersed, dead, twiggy branches, so it was very much out in the open.
And not two metres above the ground, and seven metres from a bike path, and
three metres from a well-worn pedestrian track.
I wondered what made them build in such a seemingly precarious position. I
could only guess it may have been a consequence of competition for nesting
territory as I counted another seven Willie Wagtails within a radius of about 70
metres.
Also, when the sun peeked through the overcast at 10:45 AM, the Redeye
Cicadas Psaltoda muerens struck up the band and I found them on tree
trunks. Not as many as a few years ago at Lake Ginninderra, but this may be just
the advance party. I noticed Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, Red Wattle Birds and
Noisy Friarbirds preying on the Redeyes.
John K. Layton
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