Today I went for a drive to
Uriarra Crossing arriving at the Uriarra East carpark at 8:00 AM on a cool,
sunny and still morning. As I didn’t feel like walking too far decided to
stay in the barbeque area, let the birds come to me. Just about to open my new
book of Robert Frost’s poems when I noticed some 14 Red-browed Finches
combing through the foliage of a Casuarina. I wondered what would be attracting
them. About 1.5m above them a similar number of European Goldfinches also
gleaned something or other. Ten minutes later I was gazing across the river
when 20 (conservative estimate) Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes flew downstream. Not
long afterwards about 30 ravens followed much higher, Little or Australian I
couldn’t tell. I once believed that if I saw 10 or more Ravens on the
wing in or near Canberra then they were Australian Ravens, before I realised
that like those birds some people call Twelve Apostles the darned things
are innumerate. I suppose if they were Little Ravens they may have been
altitudinal migrants, if Australian Ravens they were probably nomads.
I was about to settle down
again when another flock of bird,s around 20 came downriver, roughly the size
of Common Starlings. They puzzle me to the point that I neglect to put the
binos on them. Am annoyed because they won’t be coming back. But within
30 seconds the next best thing happens, another flock this time of 8 or 10
appears. These tail-end Charlies are flying lower and I glass them before
they’re level with me and pan the binos so am able to make out the russet
under-wings, a bit pointed, and tail rackets here and there. I put my
money on Rainbow Bee-Eaters.
I walk past the Casuarina,
the finches have left, however, on a bird bountiful bough I descry three
cuckoos (this Robert Frost guy is inspiring). Move closer and get good views
through the binos and can see they’re Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoos
gathering little black caterpillars. Later as I drive from the car park I
put up 7 green Satin Bowerbirds.
