|
This afternoon being the cracker that it was I
decided to paddle my favourite part of Lake Burley G and environs from the
ramp near the Hospice to the new bridge over Jerrabomberra Creek. A
"pre-blitz" survey I guess, recorded 38 species including one new for the area,
plus a couple of new nests and some interesting behaviour.
I had several excellent views of the "new"
species after discovering it lurking in a small willow and observing it
fly upstream to several different willow clumps, each
landing generating alarm calls from resident birds, only one of which I
identified - a New Holland Honeyeater. Based on plumage, size and rounded
tail I am pretty certain the raptor was an adult male Brown
Goshawk.
There were several Black Swans around incl. a pair
with 5 very small cygnets. Also, the grey and white (Egyptian?) goose
resident there for the last three years or so is still present.
I have never seen it do anything other than paddle around with the swans
(or Pelicans if present) so I found its behaviour today was interesting.
Honking loudly and with neck extended downward it charged adult swans on three
occasions that I saw, and at one stage had the cygnets isolated from parental
protection. It appeared to herd them into the reeds, I thought with
sinister intent, but it allowed them to "escape" back to the side of one
parent. After things settled down I was treated to the harmonious sight of
an adult Swan with 5 little ones 3 metres away on one side, whilst on the other
side the goose and another adult swan (looking almost like an Item)
paddled serenely across the glassy surface. After I had left them
behind things irrupted again with the goose launching another attack
and one adult swan making a very vicious attack on another. I really
don't know what was going on!
The old Whistling Kite nest is totally gone, but
there is a new nest in a tall tree set back a bit from the water where creek and
lake merge - it looks to me big enough for a WK nest, but although it
looked new there was no sign of activity. Hopefully a clearer picture will
emerge by blitz weekend.
Non - avian treat was excellent close up views of
two native rats, one swimming strongly (as often seen before), and the second
walking on water! actually on a fallen log slightly below the
surface.
Cheers
Rod
Rod Mackay
Tel. 0407 456 330
| 