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I decided to carry out my monthly survey of Tharwa
Sandwash early, due to the potential impact of the Easter period on the birdlife
- or more specifically, the potential impact of holidaying trail bike riders and
campers!
It may have been because of the time of year - or
maybe the moderate cool breeze that was blowing - but the number of species I
observed today was about 20% - 25% down on what I have been seeing during
the spring and summer months.
Whatever the reason, whilst the species numbers
were down, the bird numbers were way above normal. The fairly obvious cause was
migrating Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. Flocks ranging from about a half-dozen to
over 80 were crossing the river from east to west approximately adjacent to the
car parking area. They were then moving south (upstream) along the western river
margin - I'm assuming they were heading towards Angle Crossing. They were very
purposeful - pausing only briefly to perch every so often before moving on
again. In the time I was there (about 2 and a quarter hours), I counted 347 but
the real number would have been considerably higher.
There were also a couple of mixed flocks of
Thornbills and Silvereyes moving southwards through the trees and shrubs - of
the 5 ACT-resident Thornbill species, only the Striated was not in these flocks.
The most abundant (21) was Buff-rumped, with only a few each of the other 3
species.
Two Flame Robins (females or immatures) were
also present - the first time I have seen the species in the area this
year. They were, in fact, in the patch of grassy-clearing/shrubby-wattles where
I most usually see the Hooded Robins if they are around - which they
weren't today. I guess it must be a good spot for Robins to hunt
in!
And to round off the morning, to my surprise a
White-bellied Sea-Eagle passed over. It was circling, gaining height
through flapping and soaring, and was moving downstream, seeming to be following
the course of the river although it may well have been just being taken along on
the breeze, which was generally blowing in that direction. It was an immature
bird - and from the extent of white on the underwing and tail, was what Pizzey
calls a sub-adult and what Simpson and Day refer to as a 2nd year bird, although
the underwings had even more white on them than is shown in the relevant
illustrations in those two references.
Bruce
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