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Geoffrey, some relevant birds from the COG
Winterbirds bus trip today.
First up one female Rufous Whistler at the main
gate at Mulligan's Flat this morning. Later a Mistletoebird was heard
there.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo heard at the Botanic
Gardens.
Maximum of eight Dusky Woodswallow circling very
high (possibly as high as 500 m) over Cooleman Ridge this afternoon just
before 3 pm. Initially seen by the pair of very sharp eyes of one of
our visitors. This is another piece in the puzzle of winter sightings here, and I now suspect they spend the day
circling and feeding up there (it beggars believe there are insects there that
high in winter) and then drop down close to sunset to roost where ever they
happen to be. This is the time I have been observing them, when they are close
enough to hear them call and see with the naked eye as they descend.
Andrea saw two high in a dead tree later, round 4:30 pm.
And finally the BFCS, didn't see any all day until
we got to the end of Kathner St, Chapman round 3 pm, and as we left 30
minutes later there were an estimated 6 flying round the bus, landing on perches
in peoples gardens etc, very very conspicuous.
Saw most of the species that spend the winter here
rather than in the mountains, but not the subject of your survey.
Jack Holland
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