Upper Wark's Road today

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I traversed Wark's Road today in the wet from the junction with Bendora Dam Road and saw good things:

- Wonga Pigeon (1 near junction with New Chums Road, they seem to be getting commoner than they were in this area)

- many Gang-gangs

- heard dozens of Fan-tailed Cuckoos and saw several

- 1 Shining Bronze-Cuckoo

- good views of male Cicadabird a few hundred meters after the road turns the corner and goes down the slope. It was moving in the middle story, not doing its usual "I'm annoyingly elusive in the canopy" shtick. It looked kind of cold and wet so I guess it was just feeding quickly.

- several pairs of Satin Flycatchers

- several Bassian Thrushes, including one singing, very like a Blackbird's song

- many Sacred Kingfishers

- Superb Lyrebirds, I saw 25 (sic) birds, all seemed to be females/immatures, one sighting was a group of 7 individuals all chasing each other and making strange noises, in various places the forest was just ringing with Lyrebirds calling and singing. I'm trying to make sense of this, do they sing more in the rain or on overcast days? Was this the day when all juveniles left their mothers and started going nuts?

As you all know I'm a treecreeper pessimist and I just noted that it's been four years since I've seen a Red-browed on Wark's Road.

--

John Leonard