On the two McKellar Ponds that I blitzed yesterday afternoon there were, for the first time ever, NO coots on either pond. There was a pair of Dusky Moorhens
with 3 chicks and a pair of Australasian Swamphens with 1 chick on the small pond . It was raining and blowing a gale when I did the small pond and somewhat wet when I did the larger pond but this should not have had any impact on the species. As I (and many
others) have noted in earlier emails, coots have dropped dramatically in numbers locally following the flooding rains to the “west”.
Mark
From: Perkins, Harvey [
Sent: Monday, 31 October 2016 10:54 AM
To:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] missing coots!! [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]
In the same vein, I noted that the only coots I recorded during the Blitz (at the Murrumbidgee golf course in Kambah) were a pair
and their 6 small young. And that the pair of Grey Teal on the same dam were also accompanied by five ducklings about 2-3 weeks old.
Harvey
From: Con Boekel
Sent: Monday, 31 October 2016 10:45 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] missing coots!!
The two breeding pairs still occupy North Watson Pond and are still working hard at feeding their cootlets.
The low numbers of other species may partially be explained by the sustained ferocity with which the breeding Coots attack anything else on the water.
regards
Con
On 10/31/2016 10:29 AM, John Harris wrote:
Many of us have observed the absence of coots in the ACT, particularly here in the north where I once estimated the coots in Yerrabi pond at 1000+ and now sometimes closer to zero. The presumption is that they are responding to the recent
inland flooding and breeding there. This raises the question of whether we need another El Ninjo in order for them to seek the watered safety of Canberra. Having said that my other observation is that ALL of those I have seen this week were breeding. I did
not go to Yerrabi but there are three pairs with chicks in Gungahlin Pond and for those who wish to see them, easier to find are the two breeding pairs with chicks in The Valley Ponds.
From: Wayne Gregson <>
Date: Monday, 31 October 2016 at 10:13 AM
To: chatline <>
Subject: missing coots!!
Peter Roberts down at Merimbula reports that – very unusually - there are no coots to be seen at the Panboola reserve on the outskirts of Pambula.
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