Rural leasehold near Tharwa
The survey was conducted on the morning of 29 March 2017. Canberra was enveloped in deep fog, but the other side of the Murrumbidgee was in bright sunshine by the time I commenced the survey. Both species diversity and bird abundance were
fairly low, with just 26 species recorded within the sub-sites plus two others outside. Only five species had five or more birds:
Yellow-faced Honeyeater,
White-winged Chough, Rufous Whistler,
Galah and
Superb Fairy-wren. The most widespread species were
Yellow-faced Honeyeater (at six sub-sites) and
Rufous Whistler (at four sub-sites). The
Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were migrating through the site, mostly in small flocks. At one point was a noisy chattering (is that the accepted collective noun?) of
White-winged Choughs, about 40 of them whereas the median shown in the soon-to-be-published 2015-16
Annual Bird Report is just seven. Threatened species highlights were two
Brown Treecreepers and one
Diamond Firetail at sub-site 2, a locality that they frequented decades ago but not recently, and a
Speckled Warbler at an unusual location.
David
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David McDonald
1004 Norton Road
Wamboin NSW 2620
Australia
T: (02) 6238 3706
M: 0416 231 890
F: (02) 9475 4274
E: m("dnmcdonald.id.au","david");">
