canberrabirds

Little Bittern

To: "'COG bird discussions'" <>
Subject: Little Bittern
From: "Geoffrey Dabb" <>
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:21:34 +1100

I have seen a juv at the points marked by the 5 yellow stars and glimpsed a probable adult male at the point marked by the violet star

 

Acacia Inlet (2a).jpg

 

From: David Rosalky [
Sent: Monday, 11 February 2008 6:36 PM
To: COG bird discussions
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Little Bittern

 

I carry the dubious honour of being the last person in Canberra not to have attempted to see the Little Bitterns.  Having got my life in some sort of order following a stint O/S, I took myself to Acacia Inlet this afternoon (4:30 to about 5:30pm).

 

I realised when I got there that I was quite unclear as to where to look.  On the attached image, I did most of my viewing from point A, scanning what I was able to see between B and C.  The reeds at points F obscured parts of the shore, so I also tried to obserrve from point C.

 

One viewing I did get from point A was of a bird flying from B to C about a metre or so above the water.  Length and shape about right and with trailing legs.  But it was quite dark and streaked - no obvious orange from where I was looking.  So I don't know what I saw.  It disappeared once it went behind the reeds at F.  Too big and wrong flight for a crake.

 

Could someone inform me whether I was looking in the right place and where, relative to the marked points, the birds have been seen?  Point D is what I would call a "boat ramp" that has been referred to by several people, and E is the pontoon.

 

David Rosalky

----- Original Message -----

From:

To:

Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 1:32 PM

Subject: [canberrabirds] Little Bittern

 

I finally caught up with a male Little Bittern by Acacia Inlet this morning at around 10.30am after three failed attempts.

I had fairly good views of the male bird for almost 20 minutes as it preened and moved about atop a reedbed wedged in the corner of the lake shore west of the boat ramp. This was the first male I had ever seen. A beautifully marked bird.

Cheers
Marnix

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