I spent about 20 minutes at the pond about 6pm tonight. The water level is
still dropping and the Spotless Crakes were easily seen all around the edge - I
counted 8.
I didn't see the rail, but had a long look at a Baillon's Crake feeding and
bathing directly opposite the southern platform - the first I've seen since
19/1/08 when the water level rose.
While sneaking across the noisy gravel on the approach to the northern platform
I suddenly had fat little birds running around my feet and into the grass to my
left. I had an excellent view of a (male?) Brown Quail standing still about 5m
from me - close enough to see fine white shafts and little black marks on the
wing feathers and inverted scalloping on the breast. This is the first time
I've seen anything but a rear view as they fly away when flushed. I could hear
the others making contact calls from the bushes around me.
I turned my head for a second to look for others and he'd gone. Can these
birds tell when you're not looking?
Peter Shute
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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