Yes Tony – the summary of last year’s exercise is in the list archive for 3 August 2010. There were 5 reports of reed-warblers for those 8 weeks, single birds at various locations.
My impression is that there are less of the targeted species around this year. Whatever the actual temp readings, I think this Winter has a harder edge to it.
From: Tony Willis [
Sent: Tuesday, 28 June 2011 3:45 PM
To: canberrabirds chatline; Ian Anderson; David.Clark
Subject: [canberrabirds] winterbirds 2011
Last year Geoffrey Dabb conducted an interesting survey on birds that overwinter in Canberra but belong to species that are generally accepted as being migrants, that leave us in autumn and return the following spring.
Last Saturday, 25th June, a group of us did a circumnavigation of Lake Ginniderra, and in the vicinity of the boat ramp at MacDermott Place we observed this Australian reed-warbler. It was originally in the reeds but ascended a casuarina as we watched, apparently searching for food. As far as I remember, it was silent the whole time.
I think it has been proposed previously that some A. reed-warblers might stay through winter but are generally overlooked as they are not calling through this period. We reported an A. reed-warbler last year in the same location, on the 31st July.
Tony Willis
