The river is awesome and scary, running very fast. Water has been close to the cycle path and over it in one place.
There was no sign of previous nests since my last visit on 6 February. The landscape of the river is very much changed, especially the low branching areas that hung in previous calm.
Good news is that I counted 14 Darters. Some were drying wings while some others were flopping about in family groups in the eddies from the river.
8 Little Pied Cormorants were mostly perched in the vicinity of others on dead branches above the rushing water.
4 small Dollarbirds were perched high on dead trees in different locations.
More than 30 Ravens were scavenging among the beaten-down grass on the cycle path side of the river. From their number and calls I would guess most them to be Little Ravens, many of which had pinkish skin around the gape area. Their behaviour was also a bit weird, as for young birds.
Other birds in this area included, 1 Speckled Warbler, Dusky Woodswallows, 1 Double-bared Finch, 1 Grey Fantail with pale rufous underbelly, 1 Yellow-faced Honeyeater.
Further on past the Scrivener Dam below the Aboriginal Art Gallery were 55 or more Tree Martins perched in the same tree, brownish from the muddy water. White-plumed Honeyeaters and 1 White-browed Scrub Wren.
My journey continued around Lake Burley Griffin and back to the RSPCA car park. Darters were perched drying wings singly in various places on the eastern side of the lake, a group of 5 near the boat shed.
Lovely to be out after the rain!
Jean
