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Hi all,
I went for a morning walk to my usual patch in the
central part of Cooleman Ridge NR. This was my first visit in several weeks.
6:30-9am.
I was very disappointed with the birdlife overall.
I found only two groups of thornbills throughout the entire time (both
Buff-rumped, with two Speckled Warblers in the first), didn't hear a Weebill or
Striated Thornbill the entire time. Superb Fairy-wrens were at their
usual abundance. Likewise, I completely missed any Grey Fantails, a stark
contrast to a month or two ago when they were the most common and obvious bird
by far.
In place of all these woodland birds, there were
unprecedented numbers (well, by my sightings) of Common Starlings, Common Mynas
and Pied Currawongs. The starlings and mynas were actually feeding at ground
level in the patch of woodland, something which I had never really observed to
date. Furthermore, although there certainly used to be starlings in the big gums
down the back, I never used to commonly see mynas actually in the reserve.
Nearby in the suburbs, for sure, but not really in the woodland. Now, they
certainly are. They also seemed to have claimed all but one hollow of the dead
tree in the centre of the patch---the one remaining hollow being for a Striated
Pardalote. They were fighting over it this morning.
The Pied Currawongs, too, are in ridiculous
numbers. I guess they have just nested and there were a lot already, but there
are just SO many of them!! Goodness. It was very much a Starling-Myna-Currawong
infested place this morning!
I am unsure whether this was just a particularly
bad morning or whether it is very much like this now. I guess time will tell.
The place is so dry as well, there are yellow/white
grasses everywhere and the pond down the bottom is very much dry and baked.
On the interesting side, as I was walking home
along the Ridge, I saw an Australian Magpie with a Yellow-rumped Thornbill in
its beak. It proceeded to attempt to eat it, before it dumped it with its
youngster (who tried for a considerably longer period of time). Attached is a
photo.
Cheers
Tobias
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