Ravens at Lake George

[John Harris <>]

Thanks Michael,

You confirm my later thoughts. I put in an incidental report and qualified it by saying that the only ravens I saw up close were Australian Ravens near the road and on the escarpment and that the distant and very large flocks could well have been Little Ravens. I did not stop driving to make a clear ID. I am glad you confirmed the later deduction I submitted and I agree that I was seeing large flocks of Little Ravens and much smaller groupings of Australian Ravens in the trees near the road.

Another person in the car estimated the Ibises at 150 by counting about 30 and multiplying by 5 which seemed to be the correct factor.

John

From: Michael Lenz <>
Date: Thursday, 22 January 2015 6:38 pm
To: chatline <>, John Harris <m("biblesociety.org.au","john.harris");">>
Subject: [canberrabirds] Ravens at Lake George

In the afternoon of 12 Jan about 500 Little Ravens were concentrated around the Weereewa Lookout on the West side of Lake George. On 17 January John Harris reported hundreds of Ravens and a good number of Straw-necked Ibises while driving along the lake on the Federal Highway. 

Today I surveyed the SW part of Lake George from  Lake Rd. and the rest areas at Lake George and the Weereewa Lookout, including walking out for some distance from Lake Rd.

My total of Little Ravens was 630 in several flocks, no doubt the total was higher. There were a couple of Australian Ravens calling from the escarpment. But all Ravens on the lake bed were Little Ravens.

 I could find only 80 Straw-necked Ibises, and only when they were in the air. They landed in tall grass towards the eastern side of the lake. Once down, they were completely hidden in the tall grass.

No doubt, the situation is very dynamic, and the distribution of birds may change daily.

Michael Lenz