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g'day all,
Its all happening at the Isa !
Last week, I saw a dark Crake at the Clear Water
Lagoon, which I realise now, I did not fully identify. (During repeated visits
I've only seen several Baillon's sometimes feeding within
4m of me.)
But two days later, fellow Birdo Darlene
Kneen, advised me she had seen a Spotless Crake at our
Sewage Ponds.
On two subsequent visits to the Ponds I've now also seen
the Spotless.
The bank at the SW corner of the ponds is quite high and gives
a grandstand view into the reeds growing in the back water of the
overflow from the ponds. The overflow runs into Depot Creek,
which feeds into the Leichhardt River.
This vantage point provides a view of a open area
about 4m X 3m in the middle of the reeds.
Late yesterday I maintained watch on this area and got good
views of a Baillon's, a Australian Spotted and
the Spotless...all within 5 mins. I got
repeat views over the next 30 minutes.
Afterwards, about 25m to the South, I saw 2
Australian Spotted feeding out in the open on a the
muddy edge of the outflow in company with a Baillon's. At
the southern edge of the SE pond were the now resident Black-tailed
Native-hens (B-t N-h)
2 days ago, Darlene and I saw a Spotted where
Depot Creek flows under the access road and later on a
Buff-banded with the B-t N-h on the grass at the edge
of the SE Pond.
Why am I excited ?
.. I believe our sightings of the Spotless are the first
for this area !
.. These are my first local observation of both Spotted and
Spotless (tick)
.. It is several years since I saw a few B-t N-h at
Lake Moondarra
.. The Baillon's seem to breeding in the area now ( They are
seen every day walking on the Lily's at the Clear Water
Lagoon)
.. The Buff-banded is only sighted several times each
year.
The first Atlas (p126, 131,132) did not have any records in NW
Qld for Buff-banded or Spotted or Spotless
Hanzab (V2), Buff-banded Rail p495-506 and Spotless Crake p559-566 do not have any records in NW Qld
The more recent field guides (P&K, S&D' Mor) show
territorial limits to the east of Mount Isa.
It is interesting that the Field Guide authors have
territory information not included in Hanzab.
Regards, Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.
ps
We must thank Mr Crapper for designing the toilet bowl and
the people who developed open Sewage Pond water purification systems.
Is there a Saint of Sewage Ponds ?
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