First thing this morning the Sandwash was like heaven. Sunny, clear and calm, and birds in full song everywhere. For all that, I didn’t get any “great shots”, because I happened to plant myself close to a T-tree thicket, and the birds remained hidden, or at best visible behind leaves/sticks. A bit before 10 am I decided to pack up and leave, and just in time. The “normal” humans began to arrive by the carload, replete with eskys, loud noises and brightly coloured clothes. Suddenly it was no place for a bird watcher. Whoever decided to turn it into a picnic spot? Is this what they want to do to the Jerrabomberra wetlands too?
The river was full of itself this morning, muddy and running very fast. No hope of seeing the platypus if it was there. I can report these species with a high degree of certainty.
· Rufous whistlers, very vocal.
· Dusky woodswallow
· Brown thornbill
· Yellow-faced honeyeater
· Superb fairy wren
· Red-browed finch
· Grey fantail
· Willie wagtail
· Blackbird
· Australian reed warbler
· Gerygone (probably Western, ID on song alone)
· Eastern Yellow robin
· Gang gang (feeding in what I think is a native cherry tree)
· Galah
· Corella
· Crimson Parrot
· Sulphur crested cockatoo
· Magpie
· Raven
· Currawong
· Heard only, something that might have been a speckled warbler or white-browed scrubwren.
· Wood ducks
· At one stage I heard what sounded like black-fronted dotterels on the wing. Perhaps they were searching, in vain, for a still muddy flat.
Also
· Wombat (unfortunately he saw me first, and I hadn’t a hope of getting a shot)
· Roos
· Long-necked turtle
Cheers
Margaret Leggoe
