If I were to venture a martinesque (or butterfieldian) mini-excursion report, I could relate that I awoke this morning to the cries of bowerbirds, koels and lorikeets. Looking out to where a late-rising peacock was still in its street tree, I saw that the mild conditions promised a pleasant hour or two, so at 0700 I committed myself to the streets where a much reduced flow of traffic showed the holiday season had indeed arrived, this being confirmed by the screened-over speed sign near CGS on La Perouse. First stop was the recently notified Sparrowhawk Central, along that little path that I know well, this being a much-used orienteering venue. Standing on the BMX mounds I saw the chough nest but had to accept that there was a relative absence of sparrowhawks at that particular moment. Looking up through the gloomy pines, though, I did see that there were DEFINITELY A COUPLE OF THINGS up there (see below). Next stop was the Turner Bowling Club owl. This chap was certainly there, dangling the tail of a new (late) ringtail possum, the extreme length of this suggesting that it might have been of veteran status. After that it was to Campbell Park to find that the nestling Little Eagle had apparently quit the nest successfully, putting its timing very close to the one at Strathnairn. I also noticed juvenile fledged gerygones and the wine-glass nest of a grey fantail with very small young. Then it was off to Fyshwick markets to stock up with salmon tails and lemons well before the crowd arrived, the whole excursion occupying a mere 95 minutes. When I got back 20 lorikeets were feeding on buds in the one large yellow box, occasionally making noisy dashes to a nearby prunus tree for dessert.
