went to CP this morning just to find out how many White-browed WSWs have stayed after Jack Holland announced only late last week that a large flock (including some Masked WSWs)
had arrived.
My estimate/count is about 50 birds are still in the area. This is based on:
# Counting at least 16 pairs (displaying/mating; nest building, squabbling between pairs and warnings by a pair as the observer approached as indicators); there could well
be 20 pairs.All concentrated around the horse gate, on either side of the fence. I checked out sites further S and N, but negative.
# At 9:18 h most birds, perhaps all, took to the air, no doubt feeding, following insects. There were around 40+ birds. Since the pairs are still at the early stage of their
breeding cycle (i.e. not yet eggs), most birds would have joined in this feeding effort. I certainly found no longer birds at some of the sites where they were present early in the morning.
# One young bird (full size, still with streaks on back and head) from a brood before the birds arrived here (have seen this also in the past), it appeared to still be begging,
but there was some disturbance, it flew off, and I didn't find it again. This is an indication that at least some of the arrivals have already raised a brood earlier elsewhere.
# One male White-br. WSW is paired with a female hybrid (White- br./Masked). They were preening each other. They may have already a nest or not. While I was there no indication
of nesting, but the pair stayed in a small area for the about 15 min that I observed it..
