Bob, you’re a goose. Don’t you
know that WBSW refers to the White-bellied Wood-swan that regularly flies
between Kellies Sewerage Works and the small silt trap/pond to the north of
Bruce, oops, sorry, Canberra Stadium beside Ginninderra Drive - you often see
bright green Raiders (a dangerous species that, and Brumbies in this area, the
latter often seen jumping on car bonnets? Similarly I am sure that Sue is
referring to Small Flying Waders, often seen when I used to live in O’Connor,
near the ridge, when I was a child. Where else do you think I learnt my birding
skills? The thought that they could possibly be White-browed Scrubwrens and
Superb Fairywrens never entered my head. Woodswallows indeed!!!!
Dear oh dear, and tut, tut!,
Mark
From: Sharon Rusk [
Sent: Sunday, 15 March 2009 12:56
PM
To: COG-L; Sue Lashko
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds]
autumn ramblings
It must
have been wonderful seeing hundreds of these, um aahhhh
White-breasted Woodswallows? White-Browed Woodswallows??
White-backed Swallows ???. I'm not sure which ones you seen but it must have
been truly awesome if it was all of these!
-------Original Message-------
Subject: [canberrabirds] autumn ramblings
I have
been out and about for the last 3 days in this beautiful weather. On
Friday morning, I surveyed O'Connor Ridge off Dryandra St. A few
interesting sightings - a flock of 13 Mynas; a MMF of Speckled Warblers, SFW,
WBSW, Grey Fantail, Spotted Pardalotes; 4 DB Finch; 2 big parties of WW
Choughs - one group of 17 was relentlessly harassing 4 Gang-gangs.
Saturday
- Brindabellas - unlike Canberra,
free of early morning fog although we did have showers later. We
travelled along Mt Franklin Rd
and then back along Warks Rd
and Blundells Creek Rd.
3 Superb Lyrebirds, 2 pairs Spotted Quail-thrush, lots of Flame Robins but
only one pair of Scarlet, a flock of 16 King Parrots, literally hundreds of
WBSW with many juveniles, Fan-tailed Cuckoos, a female Leaden Flycatcher, dozens
of YFHE, one NFB. The area looks fantastic at the moment and is
certainly well worth the drive even if many of the migrants have left.
This
morning - survey in Campbell and in the nature reserve behind - a gathering
of 33 Magpie-larks on Campbell Oval, one Grey Butcherbird, small flocks (5-7)
of Red Wattlebird and NFB fying purposefully, a pair of Gang-gangs at a
hollow with the male making alterations from the outside and then
disappearing completely inside the hollow before repeating the process over
and over. Any clues about why this would be so? - late nesting?
So
folks, get out there with your binoculars - there is plenty to see and the
temperature is perfect.
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