Increasing coots & other great birds in the Fadden area this morning

[Ryu Callaway <>]

This morning, because the unpromising weather looked as though it might hold out for a bit, I went for a short stroll around Fadden Hills Pond. The main reason was because I suspected we might have had a contradictory increase in coots. This was indeed the case, in fact, I found the largest population of coots I have recorded there all year, a whopping 6 coots. However, rather then weather, or all of the other missing coots moving here, I would attribute this to a successful breeding event. 4 chicks, probably hatched in the past 10 days. This is a week or two earlier than last year.

As I was photographing the young coots, suddenly, a Great Egret circled down. A first for this pond.

As I then went to quickly check the gully adjacent to the pond, I heard a descending trill, which I thought was some cuckoo. It turned out the call was coming from much further than I had thought, and I found myself following it up Wanniassa Hills. Once I got a fair way up, I came across a nice flock of birds. It contained a extraordinary number of White-naped HE, among Yellow-faced HE, Rufous and Golden Whistlers, White-throated Treecreepers, some very low down Striated Pardalotes, and many Grey Fantails. Among the flock, I located what I was about to dismiss for a brief moment as a Willie Wagtail. Upon closer inspection, the bird was a flycatcher, and whats more, it appears to be a Satin Flycatcher with its down-curving breastband and overall darkness with that extra bit of sheen. Special at any time of the year but more so that this is probably the first for the season. I would appreciate confirmation on the ID, images are at http://ebird.org/ebird/australia/view/checklist/S31864802

As I was photographing the flycatcher, a pair of Gang-gangs flew over quite low and calling. They are pretty much absent from north Tuggeranong and this certainly was my first sighting in the area. 

I never ended up finding the cuckoo (and as it turns out it was probably a treecreeper doing a slightly unusual call), but it was a great morning nonetheless.

Ryu