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Went for a little birdwatching walk this morning while it was still
reasonably still sunny and calm. Stopped at the carpark just off Stockdill Drive
and walked along the track to the lookout then started back. Didn't notice much
on the way out except Rosellas, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Red Wattlebirds and
three Little Corellas, wondered if they were the trio reported recently from
Uriarra Road.
On the way back we picked our way along the fence on the western side
of the track because the scattered regrowth and mature trees there can be
quite productive, and today proved so. Here's how we went: 4 Varied
Sittellas, 3 Southern Whitefaces (always a fair bet for this species which I've
found hard to locate a lot of the time), ~20 Red-rumped Parrots in a tree,
very aggressive Willie Wagtail swooping us but didn't spot the nest. If anyone
is still lamenting a paucity of Grey Fantails, we saw eight. 5 Yellow Thornbills
gleaning in wattle foliage, a White-throated Treecreeper and a sleepy-looking
male Nankeen Kestrel with feathers fluffed up perched on a dead branch.
Near the carpark Samantha, resident lepidopterist, called the IDs of some
butterflies, "The ground-hugging one is a Meadow Argus, the tatty one is a
Common Brown and that one is a something Jezebel . Gee, wish I'd brought my net,
haven't got one of them."
Just then a caustic old codger trundled past and barked,"Don't you go
catching butterflies, the ACT is a sanctuary, everything here is protected!"
Fortunately, venerable codger of the caustic tongue did not have eyes in
the back of his head or he would have spiflicated the unruly brat.
John Layton
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