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Last Tuesday being the nice day it was I dusted off
the Salamander and paddled over to the wetlands to check out the spring
activity. Most of the expected suspects were there including 4 families of
swans with up to 4 cygnets, but the most promising sighting was a new nest under
construction very adjacent to where the Whistling Kites nested successfully
last year. Not a WK in sight on this occasion, but it looks a
reasonable bet that they are responsible for the effort. A possible concern is
that there is a piece of green mesh of the type used in can turf backing
dangling from the nest - this could pose a potential hazard for the birds
particularly young chicks (if any). Then again, if the birds put it there
presumably they can deal with it.
The reason for the late posting is that since I had
the kayak on the roof I decided to head for the coast. Intention was to
get to the birding capital of the world - Ulladulla -(wanted to borrow your
Shirley Bassey CDs Bob) and Tabourie Lake, but ran out of time and had to settle
for 2nd best, Buckenbowra River and Durras Lake.
Highlights of the Buckenbowra trip were hundreds of
Yellow faced and White naped Honeyeaters and Red Wattlebirds at the bottom of
Rotary Drive, right opposite where the Buckenbowra enters the Clyde. A
pair of Pied Oystercatchers were calling and indulging in aerial
display, further up the river a pair of Wedgetails were soaring, while down
below I racked up another 39 species. Perhaps the most significant
non-birding highlight was the large numbers of fish visible in the clear
shallow water, mainly Luderick and Bream with some real good specimens amongst
them. I haven't seen anything like these numbers on previous visits so
perhaps the Sanctuary Zone of the Batemans Marine park is starting to kick
in.
At Durras Lake I witnessed
another calling and aerial display from a pair of Pied Oystercatchers, and
later saw (the same?) birds mating near the shorebirds nesting area. There
may have been as many as 7 of this species but it was a bit hard to tell
due to their constant movements. Next was another Durras regular, the
Whistling Kite, this time carrying a fish, unmistakably a Bream which presumably
it snatched from the water. The lake is currently closed and on the
sandbar across the mouth were 4 Redcapped Plovers. In the Broadwater
section were 70-80 swans, and in the upper reaches around Cumbralaway Creek were
3 Topknot Pigeons and 2 Azure Kingfishers. YFHEs were ubiquitous and
calling constantly, along with Grey Shrike-thrushes, Grey Fantails, Fantailed
Cuckoos, Grey Butcherbirds and the occasional peel of laughter from a
Kookaburra. A Sea Eagle being harassed by a Raven suddenly lost
patience and had a fair dinkum go at its source of annoyance, with which the
Raven lost interest and left the bigger bird to settle in peace high up in
a gum tree overlooking its domain.
As Bob
said, in the bird world it would seem that all roads lead to Ulladulla, but
anyone going that way should make a short diversion to Delightful Durras
-you wouldn't blame them, really!
Cheers!
Rod
Rod Mackay
Tel. 0407 456 330
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