Paul wrote “and the odd thornbill here and there” Michael wrote: “We failed to find any mixed feeding flocks. Overall small birds were largely absent
or only present in small numbers.”
Most of what little birding I am doing has been “a walk around the block” (Most of which is obviously outside my GBS). I have been surprised at how many thornbills
there have been around my area in the past few weeks. Not that this is odd for winter in the suburbs. Mainly large mixed flocks of Striated & Brown Thornbills & Weebills, including curiously several occurrences of about 15 to 30 Brown Thornbills within about
3 or 4 adjacent trees. Usually Brown Thornbills are in pairs, rather than flocks. One flock of about 25 Yellow-rumped Thornbills seen over a few days, within my GBS Site 4 weeks ago. A collection of about 30 Buff-rumped Thornbills near the Kambah Pool car
park 2 weeks ago.
Philip
From: Paul Fennell [
Sent: Friday, 29 June, 2018 11:57 AM
To: Canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Majura Firing Range Woodland Survey
Barbara Allan and myself were driven around the Range to our 8 sites by Environmental Officer Clare Joseph, because the previous Friday I had written off my Toyota Prado in a slight altercation with a Ford Falcon on Belconnen Way. Many
thanks to Clare for taking the time to escort us around.
It was a beautiful winter’s day, cold, sunny and bright and no wind. Not many birds either. A miserly total of 24 species observed in or around the sites. Mostly the usual suspects - starlings, rosellas, magpies, ravens and the odd thornbill
here and there. A couple of Grey Teal on the dam at site 9 replaced the grebes that are normally there. Water level on the dam as low as we have ever seen. The only bright spot was the sighting of a couple of Scarlet Robins at site 10, a rare event there.
Between the sites we saw some pipits, a white-faced heron, a common Bronzewing and a brace of choughs (fewer than usual).
So bird wise the soup was a bit thin, but it was a lovely day to be out contemplating the wonders of nature. Looking forward to a brighter spring.
Paul Fennell
Editor, COG Annual Bird Report
0407105460
