I know of one other breeding record for the Buff-banded Rail in Canberra but unfortunately don’t remember the date. Back in the early 1970’s just after I started work at CSIRO Wildlife I was told that a nest of the B-b Rail had been found near the home of the then Division’s Chief, the late Harry Frith. Harry lived in Brown Street in Yarralumla and the nest was in a reed bed near the junction of Brown Street and Weston Park Road in Orana Bay. The exact site of the nest was kept quiet in case Harry decided to take the eggs for the then very infant CSIRO egg collection. I don’t remember how many eggs were in the nest, about 10 I think, but when I went down to photograph it, the eggs were in various stages of hatching. I still remember having my hand savagely pecked by the bird on guard as the hatching took place; it showed no fear of me whatsoever! The photos I took have long since disappeared but I have always thought the species is a regular breeding species locally.
Perhaps some of the “old time” CSIRO staff can shed some light on the actual date of the record - potentially it may be in the old RAOU (now Birdlife Australia) Nest Record Scheme if someone wants to try and chase it up.
The Nest Record Scheme could be a good resource for breeding information of birds in the local area from the 1960’s and 70’s if the whole thing has been computerised.
Mark
From: Wallaces [
Sent: Friday, 27 December 2013 11:07 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Buff-banded Rail 16/12/13 Jerra Wetlands
There are 6 breeding records for Buff-banded Rail in the database – three with dependent young and three with no details of the type of breeding. All except one are since Dec 2011 and at Jerrabomberra Wetlands or Fyshwick Sewerage Works. The exception is one record of dependent young from Jerrowa Crk, 'Yellangalo' 12 km SW of Gunning in December 1995. Three of the records are in December and three in January.
Steve
Not one, but four buff-banded rails at Kelly’s Swamp this evening. Two some distance south of Cygnet hide, then a few minutes later two the other side of the hide. What’s more, the first two were accompanied by a briefly glimpsed small black fluff-ball of a chick. Is much known of their breeding in the ACT?
Steve
Very active yesterday was the Buff-banded Rail 16/12/13
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