Parkwood and Shepard's Lookout

[martin butterfield <>]

I unknowingly followed part of Steve's footsteps at noon.  In addition
to sharing his sightings at Parkwood (and the non-sighting of the GG)
there were Pacific Black Ducks with DY and 1 Australasian Shoveler on
the dam he mentions.  Also Golden-headed Cisticola calling from the
paddocks.

Rather than also going to Sheppards Lookout I had previously been to the
 Kingfisher area at West McGregor to see if the Grey Goshawk had been
obliging enough to visit the ACT (for my list).  It hadn't.  

Possibly as a result of the worst example of razed earth development it
has been my misfortune to see (are trees and shrubs now banned in ACT
gardens?)  and /or the tallest, rankest grass I have ever walked through
 there were very few birds around.  From the flotsam line (well above
the middle wire on the fence closest to the creek) if any birds had been
 nesting in the banks in December they would have been swept away or
buried as the bank collapsed.  The Creek still has a very good flow  of
water.

Martin

On Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 3:30 PM, wallaces <> wrote:

No sign of the Grey Goshawk at Parkwood this morning but a pair of Australian Shelduck on the large dam to the left just before Ginninderry Homestead.  Also Australasian Grebes on the dam have dependent young.  Stubble Quail were calling next to the road.

 

The area around the carpark at Shepards Lookout was alive with birds.  I recorded 26 species within 100m of the carpark just along the track to the lookout.  Rainbow Bee-eaters, juvenile Dusky Woodswallows (some down still attached) and immature Tree Martins were present as well as a Sacred Kingfisher and a Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo.  Three finch species were also present (Red-Browed and Double-barred Finch, Diamond Firetail).  There was so much activity it was hard to know where to look and whether it was better to keep looking or to try to capture some of it on camera.  As a result not much was captured on camera but it was very enjoyable!

 

Steve