Quietish afternoon at Jerrabomberra

["Philip Veerman" <>]

I would think that an association of Silvereyes and Red-browed Finches is quite normal. As is Red-browed Finches and Superb Fairy-wrens. 

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: calyptorhynchus . [
Sent: Sunday, 2 March 2014 4:53 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Quietish afternoon at Jerrabomberra

Silly me, should have realised the wetlands would be dry and overgrown, so there I was this afternoon in the Ardea hide looking over the weeds and puddles....

Then a Blackbird flew very fast one way, and , more or less at the same time, a New Holland HE flew fast the other. A Cisticola flew down the one remaining puddle and stayed in nearby reeds for a few minutes.

Then a bizarre MFF flew by at the back:

15 Silvereye

10 Red-browed Firetails

25 immature Goldfinches

You wouldn't think these three spp would associate, but they did, in the mid level of the bushes round the back.

Things were getting a bit surreal by this stage, so I watched a young Dollarbird trying out some hawking moves at the back of the wetland area, and a young Black-Shouldered Kite also trying out hunting moves. Behind these in the far far distance over Mt Mugga the Mt Mugga Wedge-tailed Eagles were circling.

And then I saw a Swift. It was behind the wetlands, quite  long way away and in the middle of Swallows (for comparison). It was moving fast, but it was quite small, and I think it was a Pacific Swift.

In the end, not too bad an hour or so.

--
John Leonard