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I did the Red Hill Woodland survey in the cool heavy overcast conditions of Saturday morning, 24 September. Although it seemed to get off to a slow start, the final numbers of birds (332) and species (32) were spot on average for a Red Hill spring survey (these numbers include all inter-site observations as well as site counts). Very little breeding activity was noted, an Australian Raven rearranging sticks in an almost completed nest being the only solid indicator. A couple of starlings were loitering around hollows, and a male Gang-gang half-heartedly looked into another hollow. A Shining Bronze-Cuckoo was a welcome highlight (third record out of 52 surveys, all in spring), as was the first White-winged Triller for these surveys, a furtive female that flew up from some grass-enshrouded fallen timber to peer at me from behind a screen of gum leaves until seen off by a very stroppy Red Wattlebird. Other good birds were a hobby and Brown Goshawk, and an unseen but vocal Sacred Kingfisher. It was the first survey for two years in which Speckled Warblers were not recorded.
Harvey
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