Tawny Grassbird records for the ACT (was Fwd: [eBird Alert] Needs Alert for Australian Capital Territory <daily>)

[Martin Butterfield <>]

David

With the records claiming to be Jerra wetlands but with co-ords in Bruce it looks to me as though the GPS reading is indeed daft.  I recall when I returned to New York after a mission to Europe the first attempt by my eTrex  GPS to give my location put me somewhere in North Carolina!  That was a common occurence.

However there is no evidence that I can see in the ALA records that the ID is incorrect (nor that it is correct).  I'd suggest the rarities Panel need to contact ALA to find out "further and better particulars" before a judgement is made.  I note that both of the 2006 records were submitted by the same observer (ALA# 22937) whereas a different (ALA#22836) person appears to have submitted the 1975 record.

With regards to the dead bird I am intrigued that neither Steve Wilson (Birds of the ACT) nor Harry Frith and his colleagues (Birds of the Aust High Country first or revised editions) were aware of the Australian Museum corpse.  I suggest that is equally, if not more, dodgy and should be followed up by the RP.

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 31 December 2016 at 14:54, David McDonald (personal) <> wrote:

Congratulations to Kim Larmour, and subsequently Milburn, Alastair and Frank, on observing and reporting this vagrant grassbird at Jerra wetlands, an excellent tick. I wish I were in the Canberra region at the time!

eBird checklist annotations suggest that this is the first ACT record but I note five others:
One in Birdata from Casey but it may be a programming error as the record details do not load

Four in the Atlas of Living Australia, below. The first two look wrong (I have seen this type of error in the NSW Bird Atlassers' data in the ALA before). The third may or may not be valid. The fourth looks valid, considering the source of the record (the Australian Museum) and the fact that it is shown as a 'preserved specimen'.
NSW Atlassers Jerrabomberra Wetlands - Kellys Swamp Fyshwick STP Supplied date "2006-01-01/2006-01-31" co-ords are Bruce

NSW Atlassers Jerrabomberra Wetlands - Kellys Swamp Fyshwick STP Supplied date "2006-07-01/2006-07-31" co-ords are Bruce

NSW Atlassers Jerrabomberra (Kingston, close to Jerra wetlands) 1975-08-29

Australian Museum Ornithology Collection, Collector Coppin, B., Preserved specimen, Supplied date "1957" "Australia, Australian Capital Territory, CANBERRA AREA (35° 18' S, 149° 08' E) 1957 - 1957, COPPIN, B.(Collector), Accession". The co-ordinates give the location as Reconciliation Place, ie between Old Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin, but as they are at the accuracy of one minute the actual location could be nearly two km from there. Furthermore, the collection date is before the creation of Lake BG so the bird was probably collected in the Molonglo River.

David

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	[eBird Alert] Needs Alert for Australian Capital Territory <daily>
Date:	Thu, 29 Dec 2016 11:00:41 -0500 (EST)
From:	m("cornell.edu","ebird-alert");" target="_blank">
To:	m("dnmcdonald.id.au","david");" target="_blank">

*** Species Summary:

- Tawny Grassbird (2 reports)

---------------------------------------------
Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> Needs Alert for Australian Capital Territory.The report below shows observations of species you have not seen in Australian Capital Territory, based on your eBird observations.  View or unsubscribe to this alert at http://ebird.org/ebird/alert/summary?sid=SN35039
NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated

Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis) (1)
- Reported Dec 29, 2016 11:17 by Peter Milburn
- Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=-35.31596,149.1615&ll=-35.31596,149.1615
- Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33260877
- Comments: "Seen initially at  a distance of about 100 m and later down to about 50m. General jizz was lark-like with short, broad, rounded wings but disproportionately long spathulate tail evident in fluttering flight.  Mostly observed in short flights but also observed perched in thick sedges and foraging at the margin of an Azola sp, covered shallow pool. Head pattern plain, best described as a rufous crown contrasting with a white face and throat.  Upperparts dull tawny brown heavily streaked with black.  Much brighter in flight when the rufous inner webs of both remiges and retrices were on display.   Also heard  trill-like calls not dissimilar to Rufous Songlark. First record for the ACT."

Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis) (1)
- Reported Dec 29, 2016 07:00 by Kim  Larmour
- Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory
- Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=-35.31596,149.1615&ll=-35.31596,149.1615
- Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33253690
- Comments: "I heard fragments of the first raspy part of its call on and off in the dry tussocky gassy area between Kelly Swamp and the boardwalk by Jerra Creek and thought it sounded like a TG, but dismissed this as my audible error. I heard then the full call, usually made in flight, with the repeated raspy chirp followed by the long more melodic falling away trill. Certain now that it was a TG I waited and saw the bird feeding on Dock seed heads in the strip of green vegetation about 40 metres from the boardwalk. Much larger than a Reed Warbler or Little Grassbird with a longer tail and rusty coloured crown. Obligingly it flew up, giving its distinctive rasp and trill call, holding its tail and wings in a somewhat drooping manner. Flew only about 2 metres above the vegetation before dropping back down and finishing the call back in the grass."

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