RFI: a Darwinite in Canberra for the weekend

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Hi Tom,

 

Some of the top of my head comments inserted in blue. I can only find Ginninderry Homestead in the phone book at Parkwood road Wallaroo NSW. Not a place I know of, so I looked for it on Google. The venue is over the border in NSW, west of Charnwood.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: Tom McCrie [ Sent: Monday, 20 January 2014 10:29 AMTo:
Subject: [canberrabirds] RFI: a Darwinite in Canberra for the weekend

Good morning

I will be in Canberra for a wedding next weekend and i'm hoping to sneak away for a couple of hours once or twice over that time to go birding. I'm still very much an amateur, but enthusiastic.

We are staying at Gininderry Homestead and have arranged to hire a car.

Reading the canberra birds website and emails over the last few weeks (and checking eBird) a few targets are:

• superb parrot     Should be fairly easy. I wonder if they would be in the garden of Ginninderry Homestead. That would not surprise me. Lots breeding or at least with dependent young around northern Canberra.
• crakes     Should be fairly easy provided you have the time to sit around at the relevant places. There have been some likely spots mentioned in the north of Canberra recently. I don't know any of these places.
• fan-tailed cuckoo     A likely species to find in any woodland area in summertime Canberra, whether you can do so in couple of hours is questionable.
• shining-bronze cuckoo     Somewhat less likely but would hardly unexpected. Horsfield's is the likely more common one. 
• blue-billed duck     Only place they have been semi regular over the past x years is Fyshwick Sewage Ponds but I think they haven't been there for a year or two. Anyway the site is off limits now, so little to nil chance.  
• flame robin or any pink robins (although these may be more in autumn?)   Likely in winter, not at all likely in summer unless you have time to go into the ranges, which seems unlikely.  
• gang-gang cockatoo (who wouldn't want to see these if they are around!)      Possible but not likely in summer unless you have time to go into the ranges,

'Tthe Complete Guide to Finding Birds in Australia' says that Red-Browed Treecreeper, Not unless you have time to go into the ranges.  

regent honeyeater,  a rare visitor that could turn up anywhere at any time but chances of stumbling across one in a couple of hours is remote to nil. 

 

 black honeyeater,  have been recent records local but these are rare.

 little lorikeet and (maybe only in winter?) a rare visitor could turn up anywhere at any time but chances of stumbling across one in couple of hours is remote to nil. 

 crescent honeyeater  fairly likely in winter, in summer sort of possible if you have time in the ranges or along the river.

 and pwerful owl  only if you know of someone who can take you to a known roost, otherwise little to nil chance of a random find.

are possible? Not sure how accurate or likely these are though.

Irrespective of the above targets, really i'm just looking forward to getting out somewhere different!

I will probably have a couple of hours to go out birding perhaps first thing Saturday and Sunday morning. Any advice on a few good places to check out would be wonderful?

Also, is there much close by the Ginninderry Homestead? It sounds like Ginninderra creek is dry.

Cheers

Tom