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
