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Unlike my last 2 monthly visits, birds were very
evident at Tharwa Sandwash this morning. All up a total of 35 species - a couple
of which (Rufous Songlark and White-necked Heron) I have not seen at the site
previously.
Most of the species that are scarce or non-existent
during the winter months are back - Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Rufous
Whistler, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Tree Martin (gathering mud at the river's
edge) and Australian Reed-Warbler. No Dollarbird or Rainbow Bee-eater
yet - but my records from last year show that I didn't see either of those
species at the site til late-October, even though postings on this email line
indicated their presence in other parts of the ACT a bit earlier than
that.
Small groups of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters (3 - 6
birds mostly, with one group of 11 birds) passed through the site at
intervals until about 10 am - all heading generally west. I counted 53 in total
but I am sure quite a few others passed over while I was either watching or
attempting to photograph other species!
A pair of Striated Pardalotes are
occupying a nesting tunnel in the upper face of an
old Wombat burrow. Also present and of interest to me because I don't see
them all the time at the site were a Black-fronted Dotterel and a White-throated
Treecreeper, as well as a Fox and a large fish of some sort which was briefly
performing aerobatics in mid-river not far from the car-parking
area.
Two of the local Wedge-tailed Eagles flew over, the
Brown Goshawk pair flew in to roost (after a morning's hunting I assume) and for
their trouble were mobbed by the ever-vigilant Magpies and as usual, a Nankeen
Kestrel was also around.
Bruce
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