Big flocks of birds

[Ryu Callaway <>]

Today I had to be in a few places and rode my bike from Fadden - Jerrabomberra Wetlands - Cook - Fadden.

At the Fyshwick Sewerage Ponds the pond closest to the wetland offices is drying up and there was a group of 9 Red-kneed Dotterels amongst a group of 18 Masked Lapwings (more of the latter could be heard from multiple other directions).

On Kelly's Swamp a handful each of Pink-eared Duck, Freckled Duck, Australian Shovelers, and Hardheads.

 

Returning from Cook came the highlight of the day. I'd just ridden across Scrivener Dam when I could hear many Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos calling. Slightly further down the path where the Molonglo River meets Yarralumla Creek, I got a clear view of a massive flock of YTBC over the pines to the west. I estimated just over 100 at the time but photos show that there were at least 140 birds. They circled for a bit before heading west, probably towards the even more pines across the parkway. This was shortly after 3pm

Later on, I was surprised to encounter a very large flock of Crested Pigeons on the Melrose High School Oval. The group consisted of exactly 65 birds, the biggest flock of the species I have seen. 

An update on the Gull flocks - I have seen them back on what I'm now confident is a roost flight on another 3 evenings since (5 evenings in the past fortnight and I wasn't at home or looking all the time), each time still a few hundred birds (2 different flocks on one evening 10mins apart). Slight north/south shifts to the westbound flight route had sent them behind my house on one evening (seen from Fadden Hills Tennis Courts) and directly over my GBS on Saturday, which may explain why they may have been overlooked assuming this is not a new phonemonen. Still no closer to solving the mystery of where they go - I have had a look at the map and if not Lake Tuggeranong there is the Murrumbidgee Golf Course which could be a better possibility(?) then Kambah Pool after that before they hit Bullen Range but really not much else.

Ryu