Good afternoon all,
Yesterday (Sunday) I took my wife out to the Tidbinbilla
Nature Reserve to show her a live platypus, a species she had never seen in the
wild before. We had excellent looks at a single animal on the “weir pond” just
after the top entry to the “Sanctuary”. Before moving down to the weir I spent a
couple of minutes looking out from the viewing platform near the beginning of
the walk, I could hear numerous squeaking calls coming from the pond at the
front and below the platform that sounded like chicks of some sort. After
watching an Australian White Ibis fly in to the area I finally managed to see
one bird feeding at least two small black chicks.
Today at around 1pm , I received an email from Pam Cooke, a
volunteer at Tidbinbilla NR, letting me know that Australian White Ibis were
breeding on Pond 2. I know of one other site in Canberra where AWI have bred
(Yowani Golf Course near North Lyneham), and am aware of the records on the
Federal Highway that have been placed on the chat line. I replied to Pam
advising her that this was an important record and that I would put in an
“Incidental Report Record” to COG.
While there I also noticed a Dusky Moorhen nest building in
what I think is the “Brolga Pond”. I will also put in a record for this as
well.
mark
