Fern H Pond, UC Woodlands, John Knight

["boy nature" <>]

I decided to visit some sites today that used to often be visited, but haven't recently. Although the sun was out, the wind was strong and cold, and birds where scarce (hiding I guess). There were a few interesting/ unusual obs (c.f. ABR). Sites- Canberra Hospital, Fern Hill Ponds, UC East Woodland, UC Hub, John Knight Memorial Park.
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Canberra Hospital: (7 spp)- 2 welcome swallows, 6 sparrows, 2 spotted pardalotes.
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Fern Hill Ponds: (7 spp) I like these ponds, but it was so windy, so not many birds. 2 little pied cormorants, 12 coots, 4 moorhens, 2 swamp hens, 1 spinebill, 6 wood d. Many hundreds of Crinia frogs (?) up the creekline.
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UC East Woodland: only 5 spp). On closer investigation this site was native kangaroo grassland, planted with rows/sections of gum trees and casuarinas (typical!). The native grassland was cut very short, but I could still make out kangaroo grass, lomandra filiformis (??), Chryso apic, hibbertia, and 1 dead rat (strange). Few birds (5 spp), but these dense plantings should be good for small birds, saw 1 spotted pardalote, 2 silvereyes, 2 weebills, yr thornbills, 1 Fox and plenty of kangaroo poo.
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UC Hub: (13 spp) Most interesting was a pair of magpies with two large dy young. This seems amazingly late, but the grass and gardens are well watered and green, plus students leave out plenty of scrap food. lots of ravens, 3 king; @ ovals-  12 Eastern rosellas, 16 galahs; @ carpark, 4 weebills, 6 yr thornbills, 2 b rumps, 5 wattlebirds, 2 spinebills,
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John Knight Memorial Park: (17 spp) 1 darter, 2 Masked Lapwing, 1 white plume honeyeater (havent seen many this year), 16 ww choughs (9 & 7), 38 coots, 14 moorhens, 8 black ducks, 7 swamp hens, >6 seagulls, 8 wood ducks,  9 Eastern rosellas, 10 magpies, 6 peewees, 3 wattlebirds, 1 spinebill, 6 sc cockatoos landed on the island.
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I didnt see my target species, but you can still see some interesting things. If only the weather was better.
Benj Whitworth