Mid-month walk to Urriara

[martin butterfield <>]

The editors of Gang-gang may wish to take the following deathless prose as a submission for their journal!

15 members and guests met at Urriara West to start our visit to three sites in the area.

Things were happening even before the sign on sheet was produced with discussion as to whether  a raptor was (a) Whistling Kite; or (b) Little Eagle or (c) two birds, one of each of those species.  Shortly thereafter the matter was resolved in favour of option (c).  A Nankeen Kestrel then attacked the Little Eagle while a Dusky Woodswallow performed that duty in favour of the Kite.  A Brown Goshawk and 2 Wedge-tailed Eagles were also seen.  Away from Raptors some breeding was noted.  Australian Magpies had a Nest with Young in the car park,  A family of Australian Wood Ducks with four fluff balls swam across the Murrumbidgee - which was in good flow.  The most interesting sighting was a pair of Striated Thornbills feeding two young perched on a twig.  The other most exciting birds of the 36 species seen here were at least 3 Black-fronted Dotterels on sandbars; an Olive-backed Oriole (from species account in HANZAB the bill colour seems to indicate a young bird); and a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo.

We then migrated to the big dam at Urriara Homestead.   Compared to past visits there were few waterbirds around.  3 Hardhead, 2 Grey Teal and another Black-fronted Dotterel (unless the species has a very unexpected turn of speed).  A Golden-headed Cisticola posed nicely on a fence just in front of us.  18 species in total were recorded in a fairly brief stop.

Moving to the Village (21 species)  we were immediately greeted by a male White-winged Triller.  A flock of at least a dozen Tree  Martins posed nicely on a dead tree (until we got close enough for photographs at which point they all disappeared.  Breeding activity was Australian Magpie (dependent young),; Common Starling (Nest building) and House Sparrow (nest building).

A full (49) species list will appear \in the trips page of the COG website in due course.

Many thanks to Judy for suggesting the sites and for the excellent cakes and tea!

--
Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/