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Dropped in to Centennial Park for an hour or so on
friday (31/3) afternoon. Autumn is definitely here, with 5 Grey Fantails
seen within a 100m stretch of shrubby undergrowth bordering one field.
Last year was my first Grey Fantail for the park, which was a (presumably)
single bird which stayed for the whole of winter, so 5 so close together
was a nice surprise. Additionally a lone immature Rufous Whistler nearby,
also a bird for the park which I've only ever seen before on passage. Also
nice was to see the Brown Quail still hanging around in the same area as
previously(have seen quite a few of these this season in a number of
Eastern Suburbs locations).
Also large numbers of Willy Wagtails present.
I had at 8 on lawn near the Mackay Sportsground within a 50m radius at one
point, with more further ahead, gave up counting them after 20 or so. A
return visit on Sunday (2/4) showed substantially fewer, although still more
than at other times of the year. Does anyone know
if Willy Wagtails move around with any sort of pattern
(migration/dispersal) here in coastal NSW at this time of year, becasue this
seemed to indicate something of the sort. The Grey Fantails had gone, but
a (the same?) Rufous Whsitler was hanging aorund in the same area as on the
Friday.
Also (Sunday) recorded a new species for my park
and Eastern Suburbs lists - a Restless Flycatcher. Great views of this
bird hawking for insects over the Kensingotn Pond near Allison Rd.
Cheers.
Frank
Frank Hemmings
Curator
John T. Waterhouse
Herbarium
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental
Sciences
University of New South Wales
UNSW SYDNEY
2052
AUSTRALIA
Tel +61 2 9385 3274
Fax +61 2 9385
1558
CRICOS Provider
Code:00098G
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