I blitzed Wanniassa Hills and Fadden Pond on Saturday. On Sunday morning, I
covered Gilmore Horse Paddocks and in the afternoon rode many of Tuggeranong's
lakes.
Highlights included the successful fledging of 2 Frogmouth chicks as well as 2
Musk Lorikeets feeding in an Ironbark in Fadden, the return of Rufous Songlarks
and a lone Diamond Firetail carrying a down feather at Gilmore Horse Paddocks,
Coot chicks (for which I missed their downy stage) at Fadden Pond, Hybrid
Rosella and nesting Yellow-rumped Thornbills on Wanniassa Hills, rather high
numbers of both black cormorants roosting at Lake Tuggeranong and a Great Egret
at Stranger Pond.
It was particularly interesting to me to see a great variety of waterbirds at
Isabella Lake (Upper Stranger). Being a spot which has always been devoid of
waterbirds comparable to the silt trap at Jerrabomberra Wetlands, I wonder if
the earlier draining to remove carp has somehow improved the water quality to
better suit the waterbirds. Alternatively, it may have more to the with the
draining of the adjacent Isabella Pond which has always been popular with the
waterbirds for the wetland and weir upgrades, however, it was drained at the
same time as when Isabella Lake was previously drained so I wouldn't have
thought it was displacement.
A non-birdy highlight was a very large congregation of flying foxes feeding in
the profusely flowering Ironbark on the corner of Clive Steele and Ashley Dr in
Monash. Probably over a dozen and very vocal, and I have not previously seen
such high numbers of them in the area.
I am behind in putting up lists because of school work, but they will be
entered on ebird in due course.
Ryu
--- Barbara Allan <> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Many thanks to all enthusiastic blitzers who have already submitted their
> records. A great response thus far and some really interesting observations,
> including at least one new bird for the blitz, the Scarlet Honeyeaters at the
> ANBG. I shall work my way steadily through the records and give periodic
> updates to the chat line and through the newsletter. Again many thanks to all
> participants and a plea to those who haven’t yet submitted their
> records to do so asap. And to share any interesting back-stories with the
> chatline. I really enjoyed my weekend even though I didn’t see anything
> particularly new or different. Highlights were Fuscous Honeyeaters, Dusky
> Woodswallows and a pair of Flame Robins feeding on ??? on the road (Smokers
> Trail); a handsome male Satin Flycatcher (also Smokers); Speckled Warblers
> feeding young (Pinnacle NR); a pair of kestrels vocalising (Pinnacle NR); a
> Great Egret and a pair of Crested Shrike-tits (Lake
Ginninderra); and two poor Brown Thornbills feeding a great lump of a
Fan-tailed Cuckoo chick (Tidbinbilla). b
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