A few snaps from Callum Brae yesterday, not as great photos but to show a few points of interest. First the plumage of the dependant L Flycatcher might best be described as ‘scruffy’ - in fact an unkempt version of the female adult, with the tail feathers fully grown while the bird is still being fed. The DY Grey Fantail is characteristically pale and buffish, while, again, roughly of the proportions of the adult bird.
Cries from a plurality of goshawks suggested a successful recent fledging, and, indeed, a closer look at the flying birds showed that a couple of the complainants had the brown stripes and mottling of juveniles.
Then, at a dam, an adult grebe reluctant to dive or let go of its prize: a small yabby. This was fed to a chick, which swallowed it in a couple of gulps.
Having walked over Callum Brae regularly for over 20 years, my assessment is that, relatively speaking, there are not a lot of birds there at present, in particular there are less migrants than in most years. The usual bush birds are to be found in pockets. However,
a species that has certainly increased is the Noisy Miner. Movement into the suburbs is under way. I have had a butcherbird calling persistently in my backyard for a few day now.
