Birdline ACT Weekly Update

Birdline ACT

Published sightings for the week ending 6 Jan 2013.

Sat 5 Jan	Red-backed Kingfisher Dairy Flat Road, Fyshwick A male Red-backed Kingfisher was perched on the power lines that cross Dairy Flat Road at the Sewage Treatment Works construction site gate #1, Fyshwick, at about 14:30 this afternoon in blistering 40 °C sunshine. The bird flew down to the ground behind an earth bank and a security fence and was not seen again from our vantage point on the road. It should be noted that the Sewage Treatment Plant is currently not accessible to birdwatchers so I was not able to investigate further. PJ Milburn
	Musk Duck, Australian Painted Snipe West Belconnen ponds The male Australian Painted Snipe is still around at West Belconnen ponds. Also a female Musk Duck. Both seen on or near the North Island this morning. PJ Milburn and Christine D
Fri 4 Jan	Crested Shrike-tit Norwood Park Crematorium One Crested Shrike-tit seen in Eucalypts between Bellenden Street and the large pond at the Crematorium. [Moderator's comment: this species seems to be increasingly scarce around suburban Canberra] Christine D
Thu 3 Jan	Barn Owl Mulligans Flat One Barn Owl, perched in tree. [Moderator comment: this is the first sighting reported to Eremaea of a Barn Owl at Mulligans Flat]. Alberta Hayes
	Barn Owl Horse Park Drive, just near the Goorooyaroo entrance. Flying across at about 9pm. Alberta Hayes
	Australian Painted Snipe Birrigai @ Tidbinbilla Australian Painted Snipe (1) Single bird flushed from beside dam & landed on opposite side. Remained in view until dark. Was there again at 07.00 this morning. Possibly male. (Note-permission needed to enter property) Scott Ryan
Wed 2 Jan	White-necked Heron, Spotless Crake Namadgi Visitors Centre Single White-necked Heron took off when observed and flew west. Also, a single Spotless Crake appeared briefly in the shade of reeds. [Moderator's comment: first record of White-necked Heron reported to Eremaea for this site. There have been increased sightings of this species in the ACT in recent months, and large numbers (double figures) reported from nearby wetlands in NSW, such as Rowes Lagoon and Wet Lagoon.] Margaret Leggoe
Tue 1 Jan	Blue-billed Duck Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, Gungahlin Blue-billed Duck (1) Male. First record to our knowledge of this species in the ACT for about 12 months, and the first record for Mulligans Flat - ongoing evidence of the growing importance of the 'Big Dam' since the dam wall was reconstructed. Other ducks included Freckled, Musk, Pink-eared; plus Red-kneed Dotterel, Buff-banded Rail, egrets and spoonbills, etc (full list on Eremaea). Alastair Smith, Frank Antram
Tue 1 Jan	Lewin's Honeyeater Blundells Creek and Warks Roads Lewin's Honeyeater (1) Heard only, but called several times with typical 'machine-gun rattle'. Called in response to playback but unfortunately failed to show itself. Most of the usual Warks Road specialities also seen (refer to full list on Eremaea). Alastair Smith, Frank Antram
Tue 1 Jan	Australian Painted Snipe West Belconnen Pond One male on the northern island. Stephen Wallace
Sun 30 Dec	Red-necked Avocet Forde Pond Red-necked Avocet (4) seen together in the swamp next to Horse Park Drive, I watched them for a couple of minutes before they were spooked. They then circled high above Gungahlin and then disappearing, also seen by fellow bird watcher Bill Graham. Brendan Sheean
	Buff-banded Rail Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve A Buff-banded Rail seen briefly skulking along the edge of the big dam at Mulligans before disappearing into long grass. The same species was seen by me on 8 December in the same area. Another potential first record for a species at Mulligans Flat. Marnix Zwankhuizen
Sun 23 Dec	Intermediate Egret Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve Single bird foraging along shoreline of big dam at Mulligans. Possible first record for this species for the reserve. Most likely the same bird which had been seen several times at nearby Forde wetland. Marnix Zwankhuizen

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