Birdline ACT Weekly Update

Birdline ACT

Published sightings for the week ending 30 Jan 2011.

Sun 30 Jan	Chestnut-rumped Heathwren; Brown Quail Pierce's Creek A single Chestnut-rumped Heathwren observed where the species has been seen previously. Two Brown Quail heard calling then observed near a small ephemeral wetland. Alastair Smith
Sat 29 Jan	Musk Duck Tin Hut Dam, Googong Reported by Robin Hide. This afternoon a Musk Duck family were enjoying the high water levels at Tin Hut Dam. The male was diving by himself at one end, while in the middle the female was swimming with three very young ducklings in tow. Martinn Butterfield
	Diamond Firetail Mt Ainslie Nature Resreve A single Diamond Firetail 30 metres from our back fence in Mt Ainslie Nature Reserve this morning. It was feeding on the ground near 3 Yellow-rumped Thornbills but flew off shortly after and hasn’t been seen again. A first for our GBS site, my closest previous records are from the Campbell Park end of Mt Ainslie NR (once) and the occasional sighting in the southern half of Goorooyarroo NR. I note Frank's sighting of 10 from last weekend - apparently they have bred at Campbell Park this summer. Steve Holliday
	Black Falcon O'Connor Just had a nice view of a male Black Falcon over the house. That was the first one for the summer, as usual just as it starts to heat up. One could almost use them as a predictor for when to start watering the shrubs!! It headed off (rapidly towards Ainslie). Milburn
	Hooded Robin, Diamond Firetail, Restless Flycatcher, Rufous Songlark, Rainbow Bee-eater Namadgi Visitor's Centre A trip to Geigerline Reserve was made impossible this morning by a closure to Smith Road because the bridge has been washed away. Instead I diverted to Namadgi Visitor's Centre where I found all the birds I was looking for and more. Two adult (M&F) and two juvenile Hooded Robins at times sitting with Diamond Firetails on the same stag; a single male Restless Flycatcher; a single Jacky Winter , Rufous Songlark (heard) and four Rainbow Bee-eaters flying west. As was to be expected, no sign of last year's Spotless Crake. Alastair Smith
Wed 26 Jan	Musk Duck Jerrabomberra Wetlands Female, first reported by Alastair Smith on 21 January, still present (1). Frank Antram
	Spotted Dove Macquarie Oval First I've seen at Macquarie Oval, although I've had a couple of previous records in the last year or so from the Hawker/Cook area which is not far away. It appears that the species is continuing to expand in the Canberra region. (1). Frank Antram
	Common Myna 35 13S 149 21E 1' Cell Very unusual to see this urban bird in this rural area. (1). David McDonald
Mon 24 Jan	Stubble Quail Carwoola, Woolcara Lane On a bike ride down this road there was a constant background of calling Stubble Quail. The species is not uncommon per se but the numbers were very high. Another observer in the area has described it as an eruption. Martin Butterfield
	White-throated Needletail Shepherd's Lookout Spent a nice 40 minutes at Shepherds Lookout (Stockdill Drive) from 8pm till dusk. The obvious highlight were a dozen White-throated Needletails racing around just above the trees giving excellent views - always a stunning sight when they are feeding so low. There were good numbers of the other common aerial insectivores, particularly Welcome Swallows and Tree Martins but also a few Dusky Woodswallow. Other nice birds on the walk to the lookout were Diamond Firetails and Rufous Songlarks (definitely more around the ACT now than this Spring). A large female Peregrine capped things off at the lookout. Dan Mantle
	Pilotbird and Crescent Honeyeater Blundells Ck and Warks Road, Brindabellas One adult and one juvenile Pilotbird observed on the major left hand bend before the power lines. Rufous Fantails and Satin Flycatcher seen on the track down to Warks Road and Crescent Honeyeater observed on Warks Road. Notably absent were Red-browed Treecreeper, Cicadabird, Bassian Thrush, Eastern Whipbird, and Robins (other than Eastern Yellow). Alastair Smith
	Musk Duck Uriarra Station Dam Single female. Only three other species of water birds, which included Australian Shoveller, Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck Alastair Smith
Sun 23 Jan	Pied Butcherbird Woolshed Road, Wamboin On Sunday Noela and I were driving along Woolshed Road, Wamboin, when a Pied Butcherbird flew across the road in front of us - and kept going. We had good enough views to be fully confident that it was not a Grey Butcherbird. This is my first obs of this species in the Wamboin/Bywong area. Note to moderator: already entered in COG's data base so pls do not send to BA or we will have duplicate records. David McDonald
	Diamond Firetail Campbell Park 10 Diamond Firetails (including juveniles) at Campbell Park – the largest number I’ve seen there, as far as I can recall. The diversity and numbers of birds at Campbell Park at the moment make this a location well worth visiting. It is good to see it getting back to something like it used to be – although I guess the Brown Treecreepers of 20-odd years ago will never return, unless they are reintroduced as they have been at Mulligan’s Flat! Frank Antram
	White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Scullin Allerted by strange unfamiliar call - "shrieking baby" one. Dark morph in suburban backyard Apple Box. Hung around for half an hour or so before flying off to the East Alex McLachlan
Sat 22 Jan	Superb Parrot, Australian Owlet Nightjar Campbell Park Both male and female Superb Parrots observed. First time I have observed the birds in the Park. Owlet-nightjar in a hollow between horse gates and dam. Alastair Smith
Fri 21 Jan	Musk Duck Fyshwick Sewage Ponds A single adult female observed in pond 3. See attached pond map. Alastair Smith

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