New use for a little dam

[Megan Mears <>]

Hi Philip,

There's a tiny shallow dam in one corner of Justice Robert Hope Park, where Wood Ducklings fall prey to something or other. Early in the spring last year there were about 7 ducklings and 3 pairs of ducks. They lasted under a week with just one miserable male duck wandering around for a few days after the others all disappeared. This season same story but less ducklings. This time I saw a streak of orange and saw a cat in a drainpipe, which gives a rough guide.

I do not know of any successful breeding at that dam, but it does seem to be a useful stopover point for some birds and it provides water for the regulars.

I was a lot more hopeful for PB ducklings at the much larger North Watson wetlands, that I wrote to the chatline about last week, as I know of various successful breeding there. But the fate of those ducklings still remains a mystery.

Megan

On Thursday, November 13, 2014, Philip Veerman <> wrote:

I went there again at mid day today. No sign of the Maned (Aust Wood) Duck
family. The chicks would not be capable of flying away, they could have been
grazing nearby but I did not see them. Maybe possible all the chicks were
taken by predators and the parents left. I don't know. While I was there,
one Great Eel (to use Geoffrey's mondegreen - though I have used that one
too) flew on to the pond.

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Veerman [mailto:m("pcug.org.au","pveerman");')">]
Sent: Sunday, 9 November 2014 2:38 PM
To: 'm("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");')">'
Subject: New use for a little dam


This is so borderline trivial that I've pondered about posting it but over
the last about 30 years I have somewhat regularly strolled the Kambah foot
track on the west side of Mt Taylor (off Colquhoun st). The dam at the bend
of the track before it goes up to meet the power lines track often has some
species of water bird there but rarely the same one present at the next
visit (it is a FIFO resource). Last few times a pair and then a male Maned
(Aust Wood) Duck (once accompanied by a Grey Teal). The pair had flown off
together, I wondered about a nest somewhere near. Yesterday at this dam the
(presumably same) pair had 8 ducklings looking probably less than a week
old. This is the first settled use of the dam I have seen by any water bird
in all that time. The nearby dead big old kangaroo makes the place rather
odiferous.

Philip


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