Those interested in keeping track of
what’s going on in the central Molonglo corridor that is down for
development (albeit after a 20 year moratorium) might be interested in the
following observations.
This afternoon (25 May), just before
Midday I observed a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles take flight from a large
Eucalypt on the southern side of William
Hovell Drive just to the west of the farmer’s
underpass about half way between Higgins/Hawker and the Coppin’s Crossing
turnoff.
Last Friday week (16 May) a friend
and I decided to check out the reports of White-fronted Chats at Stromlo Forest
Park.
As we turned south onto Coppin's
Crossing Road from William Hovell Drive we observed a single Wedge-tailed Eagle
perched on a concrete post on the high knoll in the paddocks on the right just
before commencing the long straight descent to the series of curves just before
the crossing. A good start we thought.
When we arrived at the carpark at
Stromlo Forest Park we found that it was a venue for some strenuous school
activity. The carpark was chokka and there were herds of noisy people
everywhere.
We feared we would see nothing with
all that activity so decided to walk from the carpark to the vicinity of the
Bush Fire Memorial. We had barely started when we observed about ten
White-fronted Chats on the strands of the very fence we were walking
towards. As we approached closer they moved on to the straw bales on a nearby
culvert on the other side of the fence. After we approached that spot
they moved to the straw bales on a culvert further down towards where the schoolchildren
were racing around (i.e. they were more concerned about us than they were about
the schoolchildren). They eventually moved off in the direction of the
large dam used to irrigate the many grass tracks in the area.
We then found we were surrounded by
Richard’s Pipits. Dozens of them grazing in the short track-side
grass.
Sated, we headed back to the car and
while doing so observed another (possibly the one we had seen earlier)
Wedge-tailed Eagle overhead being harassed by two Ravens. It flew off
towards Narrabundah Trig/Cooleman Ridge.
We then headed for “Finch
Central”. What a disappointment. Hardly a bird to be seen and
certainly no finches. All the blackberries were showing signs of being
recently sprayed with herbicide and I do wonder whether that was the problem
despite the presence of numerous immature Superb Fairy-wrens. Despite
this we saw on several occasions a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles manoeuvring high
above the line of the river before they headed off west towards the Molonglo
Treatment Works.
In the last few months my friend and
I have also seen at least one Wedge-tailed Eagle during walks in the vicinity
of The Pinnacle and my guess would be that it was circling above the Coppin’s
Crossing area.
Jerry Bishop
