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G'day all,
The Isa, like most of Oz is having a drought. We
only got a few inches during the 'wet" season. Lake Moondarra is 1/3 full and
the shoreline (on the west side) has moved out over 600 metres. Last Saturday I
recorded 40 species.
But strangely the number of waterfowl is reducing. The
number of Black Swan is down to a 1/10th. I wonder where they
are going ? The range of species on the water is the same, but the area
surrounding the lake is very quiet. The only honeyeater was a Brown
H/e. Only a few of the overseas Waders have
turned up. Mainly Sharp-tailed S/p, a few Marsh
S/p and several dozen Red-necked Stint which are an
irregular visitor to the Isa. But Saturday I recorded at least 18
Freckled Duck. It could have been more, as I was not sure if I
was seeing them several times over. There were also plenty of Red-capped
Plover with the parents keeping an eye on their fluffy stumpy
tailed chicks.
At the Sewage Ponds area (45 species last Monday)
there were
18 Red-necked Avocets... 3 times more than I
have seen before. 1 Black Swan (a first
there for me)
1 Freckled Duck, 1
Curlew S/p, 2 Wood S/p,
2 Common S/p, 2 Marsh S/p
The Spotted Crake is still in residence.
I was told that a Black-necked Stork had
been there for a week. Could be the one that had been at the Isa Street Bridge
also for a week, and now next to the Moondarra Caravan Park. I have recorded 127 species at the ponds
I was informed that Ian Clayton's "Birds & Bush Tours"
from Townsville saw a Grey Falcon at Clem Walton Park on
10/9/02.
That cheers me up. BA queried my record of one along the
Gunpowder River (in identical habitat) some time back & suggested the
GF not found in this area.
Sunday afternoon I saw a pair of Brown
Goshawks about 200 m from home. I suspect they may have started a nest.
I wonder how they will accept the Blue-winged Kookaburras that
live in the same area.
At the Golf course early Friday morning the common bird seemed
to be our local Ringneck, the Cloncurry Parrot. Perhaps the
same 3 just followed us around the course.
My own home is now regularly visited by the noisy birds.
Lately Little Corellas, Galahs and Sulphur-crested
Cockatoos take over in the evening from daytime visitors
Grey-crowned Babblers, Spotted Bowerbirds & a
Grey-shrike Thrush
But no Dollarbirds, Koels or Channel-billed Cuckoos
yet.
The birdwatching visitors from down south (Mexicans ?) have
virtually ceased passing through the City with the current
temp a very pleasant 37C. Only a few had success recording the
Carpentarian Grasswren at the McNamara Rd site (60km NW of
Mount Isa)
Regards, Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.
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