North and South of Hoskinstown

["martin butterfield" <>]

To get my Carwoola list for 2009 off to a good start I went for a drive through Hoskinstown to the Foxlow Bridge this morning.  At 32 degrees and with a moderate wind a bike ride was out of the question.

At the large culvert 2/3rd of the way along Plains Road there was still a lot of FAIRY MARTINS flying in and out of the their nests.

After passing through Hoskinstown I stopped at the sharp chicane to see if there were any firetails around.  There weren't, but I did record DUSKY WOODSWALLOW; WHITE-WINGED TRILLER and SOUTHERN WHITEFACE.

Looking down into FoxlowLagoon through the heat haze, and with my 'scope bobbling about in the wind it was difficult to pick up details at about 800m range.  However I was able to identify about10 BLACK-WINGED STILTS, 5 CHESTNUT TEAL and a family of BLACK SWANS (2 adults and 3 large but still downy cygnets).  At the bottom of the next hill is a farm dam graced by a WHITE-NECKED HERON as well as its WHITE-FACED relative.  The last dam before crossing the disused railway line had inter alia 12 very small PACIFIC BLACK DUCK ducklings.  I searched the woodland in the area diligently but could find no trace of Brown Treecreeper or Hooded Robin, both found here in Winter.

Martin