I also noticed that White-winged Trillers were generally common on
the weekend and today I was at the Grant Cameron Community Centre on Mulley
Street Holder and there was one in the trees out the front there too. Another
comment is that Hooded Robins were a regular at Castle Hill area for years and I
have not encountered them there for maybe 2 or 3 years. Not that this means
they aren't there but are presumably well down. The Brown Treecreepers have been
in a stable little group of about 5 birds for years. The only Little Eagle I got
for the 2 days was one just out from Tharwa.
Philip
Alison Russell-French and I had a very nice morning at
Mulligans Flat Sanctuary last Sunday, recording 71 species
of birds. While nothing rare/unusual was seen, highlights were a large
number of White-winged Trillers (an ACT vulnerable species) on the eastern side
of the reserve doing display flights and calling, and two Little Eagles (ACT
vulnerable species), one a light phase bird and one a dark phase.
Years ago a pair of Little Eagles (one light phase/one dark phase) used to
be regularly recorded on our woodland surveys at Mulligans, but we had not
recorded them there for a long time. Good numbers of small bush
birds were around including Sacred Kingfisher, Scarlet Robin, Speckled Warbler,
Leaden Flycatcher, Varied Sittella (another ACT vulnerable species) Rainbow
Beeater (flying high overhead) and 3 species of cuckoos. Superb Parrots
were heard, but did not seem to be flying over the usual routes/corridors.
We also recorded White-eared Honeyeaters at several places, mostly on the
eastern side of the reserve. Unfortunately, White-plumed Honeyeaters and
Hooded Robins seem to have disappeared from the reserve. The large dam
area was quieter birdwise than in recent months, but we did record Whistling
Kite, Aust. and Hoary-headed Grebes and Australian Shoveller there, amongst
other ducks and coots. An echidna foraging in the open north of the large
dam and a large Bearded Dragon with beautiful, sandy coloured markings were also
spotted.
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