Julie - That snake, and its predecessors in title, have lived in the hole by Cygnus hide before the name was attached to the structure. They know all about people, and even understand a few words of English, like ‘snipe’ and ‘crake’, and, of course ‘snake’ - and ‘crikey’ and its synonyms, although they believe ‘theresasnake’ is a kind of snake.. They usually disappear before all but the most soft-footed birdwatcher comes into view. Cool weather torpidity was probably the reason you were able to make its acquaintance. Today, ‘Living with snakes’ is the subject of various enlightened notices and pamphlets, although we are overdue, I think, for a publication on ‘Birdwatching With Snakes’. (or ‘Birdwatching Without Snakes’ as it will be in the Irish and New Zealand editions)
From: Julie Clark [
Sent: Friday, 12 September 2014 8:38 PM
To: COG Chatline
Subject: [canberrabirds] Jerra Wetlands
I visited the wetlands today and the highlights were a freckled duck and several shovelers. Also plenty of small birds ... reed warblers, honeyeaters, finch, silvereye, fairy-wrens, grey fantails etc
A not so pleasant sighting ... I almost stepped on a brown snake just to the right of the Cygnus hide. My first ever snake encounter & I was probably very lucky that the weather is still on the cool side and the snake was moving slowly. No more tramping through the long grass and reeds for me until winter!!
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