the crake package

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Similar to these comments from Denis, when Tuggeranong lake was started about 1989, there was a great opportunity to watch Spotted and Baillon's Crakes at very close range (about 2 to 4 metres and I point out, not hidden behind any kind of hide) from a grate over the rising water level. This is near to where the current boat ramp is. I expect that this was due to the rising lake displacing a large area of previously hard to observe in swampy ground to the few spots of reed covered edges and there was by good fortune a walkway and grate to stand on overlooking the water edge.

 

Also, for what it is worth, I'll copy in this other message sent to birding-aus from David Adams :

 

I'm located on the far south coast of NSW near Bermagui where I've been seeing Spotless Crake (1) and Spotted Crake (up to 3 at a time) in a location where I've not seen them before. There's also Buff-banded Rail there, which is not a surprise Further south in the shire, the crakes are showing up as well. The Canberra bird list has been alive with crake and rail sightings (Spotted, Spotless, Baillon's, Buff-banded and Lewin's.) There have also been a few reports of crakes from various places along the east coast from people on this list.

Is this just an excellent year for crakes and rails generally? I've been figuring that after so many years of drought followed by a few good, wet seasons that there's been a lot of breeding inland. Does anyone know about the breeding activity of these groups of birds? Are we seeing dispersals from breeding events inland or locally?

Any thoughts or information welcome.

-----Original Message-----
From: Denis Wilson [
Sent: Monday, 7 January 2013 9:56 AM
To: John Leonard
Cc: Canberra Birds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] the crake package

Just on John's point
that Crakes and Rails are "likely to turn up" in a suitable site, I vividly
remember the excitement when various Crakes turned up in the centre of Canberra
when the Lake started to fill and then stalled because of a 9 month dry
spell.
Crake heaven in a previously crake-free environment.

Of course
I realise that the Crake-free comment can also reflect the "observer-free"
status of the Molonglo River prior to the Lake starting to fill.

But
clearly these birds, lousy fliers as they are, are quite capable of getting
around over large distances. The related Black-tailed Native Hen is the most
famous "irrupter" in that clan.

Denis Wilson

On Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 9:40 AM, John Leonard <> wrote:

Interesting that several different spp of Rails/crakes are being observed at the dam at Namadgi Visitors Centre (Buff Banded Rail/Lewin's Rail/Spotless Crake).

 

Along with my memories of reported observations at various wetlands in the ACT, this suggests that the spp in the ACT "crake package" (the above spp plus Spotted and Baillons Crakes), are equally likely to turn up in suitable wetlands, that is once a wetland becomes suitable (enough mud &c) then any or all of the five can be expected.

 

Or does anyone have any observations that suggest that these spp have slightly different requirements?

--
John Leonard

-- 
Denis Wilson
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