g'day all
1
Gina Hopkins a visitor from Victoria rang me late Wednesday to advise
she was at our Sewage Ponds and
- she was looking at an Australasian Shoveler
- it was missing from my check list that she had obtained from the Isa
Visitor Centre
Minutes later, driving from the other end of town, I met her and after
a few minutes she pointed out the rear end of a duck presenting its
orange legs skywards. At the 100m distance, when it resumed a normal
paddling position, it was soon lost amongst the mob of Hardheads . We
tried to get closer but the birds flushed to the adjacent ponds and
the failing light put an end to getting another view.
However yesterday I revisited the ponds and at the 3rd pond that I
checked I got good view of it.
It was a male in eclipse plumage as illustrated in Pizzey p38
Southerners may be astonished to learn that sighting was a lifer for
me !
Thank you Gina !
My List of Lists by previous Isa Birdwatchers did not include it.
However the New Atlas p52 does show observant visitors have recorded
it both in this area and Camooweal.
Once again, I am reminded not to assume that all dark birds in the far
distance are the same species.
When we had our big rains earlier this year, the ponds were deserted
by the waterfowl.. The usual 1000 or so Pink-eared ducks were down to
a handful. But they have returned and once again are getting dizzy
swimming around in circles following their mate.
2
Many birding visitors are passing thru town and virtually all want to
know where to find the grasswrens. My standard reply is to "do not
restrict yourselves to the sites published in Thomas & Thomas." E.g.
the Ballara Grasswren has been sighted at a dozen locations south of
Mount Isa but on any one hill there is probably only clan ... so heaps
of time, patience & stamina clambering up and over the spinifex
covered rocky hills is mandatory prerequisite..
The CGw have being seen by different visitors a couple of km south of
the cairn in McNamara's Rd (Unfortunately, the visitors book has
disappeared) But one visitor checking out similiar habitat 40km east
of Camooweal got excellent views of them) Once again I encourage
Birdwatchers to check out other locations .. we have no shortage of
spinifex.
3
Cloncurry Parrot numbers seem to be increasing . This morning at the
9th tee of the Golf Course 6 birds were feeding on the ground only 5m
from us. And at the 9th Green a male red-winged Parrot and 2 females
were upset when we moved in on their territory. Little Corellas were
doing a better job than Agent Orange defoliating the eucalypts. One
small flock of Cockatiels flew over not stopping. And on the back
nine, the din of Varied Lorikeets in the flowering Bloodwood trees was
my excuse for missing a couple of shots.
Regards
Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.
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