Belwest (and beyond) bumblings

[martin butterfield <>]

I set off this morning with a hope of adding Singing/Horsfields Bushlark to my life and ACT lists.  

My first stop was on Coppins Crossing Rd where the secies has been see recently by an observer.  When I got to the spot I was greeted with a sign muttering about "trespassing prohibited on territory Land" - presumably to stop folk interfering with the development of the area.  The waist high grass was also a bit intimidating - did someone say "Fire hazard?"  After poddling up and down the road a couple of times and seeing/hearing enough Skylarks, Pipts, Rufous Songlarks and traffic to last me for a while I decided the target birds were eslewhere so went for a walk along the track to Finch Central.

Many more Skylarks and Rufous Songlarks and also pipits.  The last-named was more interstig as it was carrying food when it landed but not when it took off again.  A CF  breeding record.  Also less usual was hearing Rainbow Bee-eaters calling form the river.

The next stop was Parkwood Rd.  About 200m over the border - curses, curses, curses - I observed the three grassy species already mentioned plus Brown Songlark - best view ever - and at least 2 Singing/Horsfields Bushlarks.  Unfortunately I couldn't persuade them to shift into the ACT: but an addition to my life list is not to be sneezed at!

I then realised we weren't very far from the old sewage works at Dunlop/Magregor so took myself off there to see if the long grass in that 'hood had attracted any Bushlarks.  It hadn't and the Pattersons Curse had given up attracting Black Honeyeaters... Despite having a fair prowl along the creek I couldn't come up with any Red-backed Kingfishers in the usual   spots, but did notice that the Fairy Martin nests seemed to have moved about 200m upstream (as had the Rainbow Bee-eaters.  I'd suggest that the height of the grass along this part of the walk suggests that herpetophobes should not visit the area for a while!

After passing back though Coppins Crossing (again failing to spot Bushlarks in the ACT) I took a brief foray into Dtromlo Forest Park, finding 9 adult White-fronted Chats.  My GPS tells me thy were at 35:19:01S 149;01:33E if anyone is still recording the details of these sightings.  They were initially on a mown area but when flushed headed for some more vegetated country.

All up a rather enjoyable day.

Martin