Dear birders
Was checking the large gum trees in front of the Gloucester Hospital on
Tuesday 8th March (without my binoculars handy) for nesting herons and
saw action!
One nest had 2 "ready to go" Royal Spoonbill chicks and another nest one
White-necked Heron, not quite so ready, standing beside its nest.
Returned yesterday Thursday 10th March (with binoculars) and found the
spoonbills had flown, the single large chick WNH was still standing by
its nest, and three other nests had a chick in each - could just see the
heads. There were five empty nests.
Out of the 7 large gumtrees here (Eucalyptus tereticornis), only four
are used for nesting. I've been told that herons have nested here "for
years."
It seems these birds have taken full advantage of our long hot summer,
as I noted WNHerons here with chicks in December 2015.
The Cattle Egret on their dam further south on the other side of
Bucketts Way, finished mid February and have not renested here. The
willow tree on their small dam has been reduced to a heap of mainly dead
twigs and they are roosting now beside a large deeper dam at a closed
timber yard nearby.
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