At the rapidly disappearing Kelly's...

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Just like me. I had to get some car parts in Fyshwick, so dropped in thereafter. I was there mid morning today. The highest simultaneous count I got to was 8 Spotted Crakes (at least 4 or 5 in view for the whole 30 minutes or so that I was there), as well as two Spotless Crakes and one Buff-banded Rail that was seen so many times and in so many places that I suspect there were 2 or 3. Most of these were fairly close, out in the open and with generally very little aggression shown between any of them. The Spotless Crakes spend much shorter time out in the open mud than the others and one ran back into the reeds when a Willie Wagtail flew over it. At one time the two Spotless Crakes were out on the mud within a metre of 2 Spotted Crakes. Another two metres away one Coot was pecking with no great enthusiasm at what might be the decaying remains of a fish (or just some biological flotsam). Another Coot standing a few cm away. The Buff-banded Rail approached between them and began picking little bits of whatever it was, out of the Coot's beak. This went on about 30 seconds. The Coots didn't seem overly concerned and walked off.  The Buff-banded Rail continued picking over this bit of whatever it is then wandered off. A Spotted Crakes about 50 cm away didn't seem interested in sampling the food item. Strangely I didn't see any Baillon's Crakes or Latham's Snipes. Also Little Grassbird there.

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: sandra henderson [
Sent: Friday, 25 January 2013 12:48 PM
To: Cog line
Subject: [canberrabirds] At the rapidly disappearing Kelly's...

Sitting in Ardea hide this morning I
had clear views of NINE spotted crake all out in the open at once, as well as
three Lathams snipe and a buff banded rail.  Noticed over 20 straw necked
ibis on the grass near Questacon, and yesterday a white necked heron at small
dam on Mugga Lane.

Sandra H