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Over the past 6 weeks or so, the most conspicuous
bush birds (visually, vocally or both) at Tharwa Sandwash have been Grey
Fantails, Rufous Whistlers and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters.
Last Saturday morning when I blitzed the spot, my
own observations also concur with those reported by others - Fantails and
Whistlers were less in evidence and the only species maintaining its numerical
and vocal exuberance was the Yellow-faced Honeyeaters.
Its not that the others weren't there - but they
were not as conspicuous as they had been. I have been seeing 6 Grey Fantails on
each past visit - 3 pair I have assumed, each pair in its own designated "spot"
(two of the spots basically adjoining whilst the third was separated by quite a
distance). On Saturday only two pair were about - the other 2 birds simply
weren't there or were lying low (unusual for a Fantail). Because they were
one of the two previously adjoining pairs, my guess is that territory has been
finally established and one pair has moved elsewhere.
On past visits I have encountered 5 Rufous
Whistlers - 3 males and 2 females, in various spots, the males generally chasing
amongst themselves and/or singing their little hearts out. At the blitz visit
only 2 males were seen - and no females. And the singing was mostly stopped -
occasional bursts of it but not the almost constant stream as before. Mostly
what they were doing was giving what I think must be alarm/contact calls (a
single high pitched note - I'm not really sure of its significance but they have
used it when I have been there on past visits too) - presumably because of my
presence. I actually assumed that the diminished amount of song and the absence
of females were linked - that the males had no need to sing because their mates
had not only been attracted but were, in fact, sitting on eggs. I'm probably
wrong - but thats what occurred to me.
A pair of Dollarbirds were present for the first
time this Spring and a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters turned up about a week ago and
were still in residence (no sign of nesting yet though). Martin's Scared
Kingfisher - an example of which has been hanging around on a couple of
past visits - was absent. I wondered if the presence of a
Laughing Kookaburra might have had anything to do with that (sacre bleu! -
intra-Halcyonid competitive displacement?) Equally absent were the Hooded Robins
- although I am hoping that someone else may also have blitzed the Sandwash and
seen them. They are around - but I must say I don't see them every visit so I
wasn't totally surprised not to find them during my blitz
survey.
Unlike Mark's experience at the Grassland Reserves,
up on the western slopes of Mt Stranger overlooking the Murrumbidgee River
Corridor, the 4 Australasian Pipits were their usual prominent selves. And at Pt
Hut Pond, I think an entire continent's supply of Wood Ducks have been hatching
lately. Plus a few cygnets (4 very young ones and some about 6 weeks old) and,
for the first time that I have noted at the Pond, hatchling Dusky
Moorhens.
Hope others had as much enjoyment from the Blitz as
I did.
Bruce
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