I just checked in HANZAB about this. Prompted by that I thought that BfD is usually in pairs or small groups. (I can’t recall ever seeing such a group.) HANZAB
confirms this but does list some reports of congregations, Sufficiently few reports to demonstrate that such gatherings as in Geoffrey’s photo, are very unusual, though with precedent. Maybe there was a super hero convention in progress.
Philip
From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Wednesday, 9 May, 2018 9:44 AM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Kelly's Sunday at dusk
I didn’t report it at the time but on 28 April (the fox day) there was a group of 16 plus BFDs in the shallows of the billabong area, While I was there one
of them was complaining about the shop where they got their Zorro costumes.
From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Tuesday, 8 May 2018 10:51 PM
To: 'COG List'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Kelly's Sunday at dusk
I was also there, for only about 20 minutes at dusk on Sunday 6 May, in Ardea hide. I noted, among the more usual: 4 Black-fronted Dotterels, 1 Spotted Crake
and something like 100 Common Starlings coming in to roost in the reeds. I don’t recall seeing this reed roosting by Starlings there before, maybe due to not been there at dusk often, although it is hardly anything new.
Philip
From: Martin Butterfield
Sent: Tuesday, 6 March, 2018 8:14 PM
To: COG List
Subject: [canberrabirds] Kelly's today
Highlights of a brief visit this afternoon:
-
White-necked Heron
-
Latham's Snipe (late?)
-
5 Black-fronted Dotterel (Ardea hide)
-
4 Red-kneed Dotterel (Cygnus hide)
-
1 Freckled Duck (Cygnus hide)
-
624 Common Starling on power lines near car park - counted from photo: I had estimated 500)
