birding-aus

Ash Island, etc

To: "birding-aus, birding-aus" <>
Subject: Ash Island, etc
From: John Clifton-Everest <>
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 11:32:44 +1100
Many thanks to all those who kindly responded to my request for recent information about the Painted Snipe.

I visited the known spot on both the outward (Sunday) and return (Tuesday) legs of a flying visit to Armidale from Sydney. I was unsuccessful on both occasions, but did have some compensatory excitement on the second visit. I was scanning the paddock through binoculars, c. 4.30 p.m., when suddenly the numerous White-faced Herons rose up in alarm. I whipped down the glasses in time to see a big falcon coming low and fast down the line of the right-hand fence. When I got the bins on it I had a fine view of a Black Falcon going hell-for-leather until it disappeared behind the foliage of the regeneration area. It was all the nicer as not an hour before I had been watching a large Peregrine (presumably female) spooking the Sharp-tailed Sandpipers at Swan Pond.

There was not much time birding in New England, but Dangars' Lagoon at Uralla (a favourite haunt of mine) now has much more water than at the worst of the drought, though still far less than normal. Waterfowl numbers are down -- in the hundreds rather than thousands, but Blue-billed, Musk, and Pink-eared Duck were all present in low numbers. I had the best ever views of an Australian Spotted Crake only a few metres from the hide.

Elsewhere there was a barely fledged Brown Goshawk making begging calls at a secluded nest I have known about for some years.

Christmas greetings to all,

John Clifton-Everest

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