canberrabirds

Hall Cemetery

To: "Canberra Birds" <>
Subject: Hall Cemetery
From: "John Layton" <>
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:28:49 +1100

Took a cruise out to Hall early yesterday on a morning that smacked enticingly of autumn and went across to the cemetery, not a bad birding locale. Checked off 35 species during 90 minutes mostly within the boundaries of Boot Hill, a few overhead. As I walked towards the gate a Kookaburra rose from a strainer post while a few posts further along a Jacky Lizard draped itself in the sunshine, seemingly oblivious to the proximity of the big kingfisher. The spreading crown of a large Yellow Box bore a twittering, burgeoning crop of Tree Martins on the outer foliage, about 40. An early pre-migration marshalling? Three White-winged Trillers seemed to nurture no such plans just yet. From high above came the quavering cry of Australian Ravens. Some 15 spilled across the sky looking like cracked pepper corns strewn over a blue tablecloth.

 

Surprise of the morning was a male Flame Robin. A bit early in the year to see the bright little spark down at this altitude? Later on I saw another perched next to a brown plumaged bird. Never noticed Mom & Pop F. Robin close together outside of a breeding territory before.

 

Last bird blitz weekend I checked off a Tawny Frogmouth here. Saw the same one again, unless it has a doppelganger (never decided if that’s a good word or a bloody awful one) anyhow, as I mulled it over, I noticed a second Tawny F’mouth and found a number of pellets beneath the tree, put the driest in a plastic bag and when Junior Brat returned from pursuing her education we teased it out on a sheet of blotting paper. Among the detritus we recognised what looked like fur and some tiny bone shards which, under a magnifying loupe, we decided were probably those of a mouse. Tougher parts of insects were also apparent, particularly the wing cases of small beetles. HANZAB tells us that larger prey like mice are beaten almost to a pulp, could explain the bone splinters. Or perhaps the pellets were from something else, another nocturnal raptor we hope because they are so fittingly synonymous with the after-dark graveyard scene.

 

Other surprises: Approaching the boundary fence I glimpsed 3 quail feeding 30m away in the adjacent paddock, focussed the binos and recognised them as Stubble Quail, edged closer and they exploded into flight, described a steep parabola and landed out of view. Four Varied Sittellas and in the foliage 6 Brown Headed Honeyeaters, also among the leaves a White –throated Gerygone. About 7 European Goldfinches were working on the seed heads of some kind of flatweed while several Brown Thornbills brunched on a raft of capeweed. A male(very diminutive with remarkably light coloured plumage) Collared Sparrowhawk watched me with round-eyed suspicion from a high branch. As I left the Kookaburra had returned to its post still all perch, no pounce.

 

 

John K. Layton.

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Hall Cemetery, John Layton <=
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the Canberra Ornithologists Group mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the list contact David McDonald, list manager, phone (02) 6231 8904 or email . If you can not contact David McDonald e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU