Below I meant ‘over-summered’ of course. The recent arrivals are probably down from the ranges. There has been a development. These young birds engage in noisy wheeling, dare-devil flights close to trees - also persons and structures. An hour ago a neighbour over the road showed me an injured Gang-gang in her garden, a young male. I have just taken it to RSPCA Weston Creek. Initial diagnosis is not promising.
From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Friday, 13 February 2015 12:46 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Gang-gangs
In this, what I would call the February influx (on the assumption that the very active birds now being seen have not over-wintered in Canberra) there are regularly about a dozen in the eucs in Brockman St and on Rocky Knob. At least half seem to be young birds. From this morning, a snap of a presumed older female (left)and one, feeding on boxthorn leaves, presumably from the recent season. The main difference is a matter of impression, particularly a shorter tail on the young bird, but I would also register the pale versus partly-dark bill and the fresh cream-tipped wing coverts on the bird on the right. Doesn’t help with the issue of red feathers on the heads of recent fledglings though.
