Our GBS list has now reached 60 species with the recent
arrival of the Little Grassbirds and itinerant flocks of Little Ravens and
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. Also had a visit from a Southern
Boobook which sat in a tree outside for half a night and called
continuously. Water bird numbers have fluctuated with only one pair of
Hardheads (from a high of 140) and 6-8 Eurasian Coots (from 80) remaining,
while Little Pied Cormorants have recently increased from 2-4 to 10. The
local water birds are on their second round of breeding with recent hatchings
of Dusky Moorhens (3 lots), Eurasian Coots and Pacific Black Ducks. I
also suspect the Black Swans, Australasian Grebes and Hardheads are not far off
as the female of each resident pair has been absent from view for some time.
One pair of Dusky Moorhens nested 15m from our back door and we have been able
to watch them closely as we sit in our dining room. Interestingly the 3
chicks are being fed by up the 5 adults, including at least one sub-adult from
their last brood. Is this normal behavior for the species?
Regards
Lindsay Hansch
