[Birding-Aus] Birdline ACT Weekly Update

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Birdline ACT

Published sightings for the week ending 25 Mar 2012.

Sun 25 Mar	White-bellied Sea-Eagle Stony Creek Nature Reserve Adult flushed out of a casuarina at close range (less than 10 metres away) Frank Antram
Sat 24 Mar	Superb Parrot Belconnen Town Centre 18.30 hours. 1 Superb Parrot flew across Belconnen Way, near Bunnings, calling. First I've seen for a while. Frank Antram
Fri 23 Mar	Barn Owl West Kambah Seen perched, in flight, and even on the ground - being mobbed by a group of ravens and magpies along (what I call) Village Creek, behind the Jenke Circuit Buddhist temple and the Indoor Sports Kambah, at 8.25am this morning. Matthew Frawley (per F Antram)
Thu 22 Mar	Cattle Egret Kelly's Swamp & Jerrabomberra Wetland, Fyshwick Cattle Egrets still around at Kellys, and there are now 4. Frank Antram
Tue 20 Mar	Black-shouldered Kite Callum Brae Autumn-breeding pair seem to have just laid, or about to. Much mating has been happening. Julian Robinson
Mon 19 Mar	Barn Owl Mort Street, Civic At around 11am I saw a Barn Owl being mobbed by a large group of ravens and magpies. They flew up Mort Street before the owl landed in a tree on the corner of Elouera St and Northbourne Ave. It continued to be mobbed pretty ferociously even while in the tree. Peter Murphy
	Red-capped Robin Shepherds Lookout Male Red-capped Robin still present. 10 or more Rainbow Bee-eaters and my first Grey Butcherbird at this site. Frank Antram
	Peregrine Falcon Shepherds Lookout A Peregrine Falcon flew up onto a dead tree by the lookout and allowed very close views for a minute or so before flying off. Frank Antram
	Grey Currawong, Australian Hobby Scullin ACT Heard the clinking, head straight up, great way to get your attention early Monday morning! Then it was chased into the backyard by a raven. Still calling 10min later as I was leaving for work I think but the Hobby on the power lines distracted me. [Moderator's note: Grey Currawongs, like Grey Butcherbirds, seem to enter the suburbs at this time of year - usually young birds.] Alex McLachlan
Sun 18 Mar	Diamond Firetail, White-winged Triller, Australian Hobby Callum Brae Largest flock I've seen of 18 Diamond Firetails including at least 3 juvenile (probably more) at east end on the creek. 1M 1F 1Juv DY WW Triller still present and a juvenile Goldfinch at same location. The resident pair of Black-shouldered Kites were also there; a Hobby flew over the main gate. Julian Robinson
Sat 17 Mar	Peregrine Falcon Kingston ACT While watching Skyfire Festival aerial activities from 4 Jardine St roof (16 floors up), an adult Peregrine Falcon flew by with probable Noisy Miner prey in claws. Alighted on top of 9 Jardine St Kingston (also 16 floors) and nervously stood on prey for 20 minutes, the prey being out of sight below a rim. Ultimately consumed it after the local Australian Ravens and Currawongs had investigated but decided to steer clear. Many feathers floated between the two buildings until the falcon was finished. Afterwards it took several more minutes before it took off, which I missed. The buildings are about 50 metres apart, so wonderful views were afforded. Shaun Bagley
	White-throated Needletail Florey Late afternoon...around a dozen White-throated Needletails zooming around overhead.... John Brannan (per F Antram)
	White-throated Needletail Mount Taylor At 17:38 three White-throated Needletails flew within about 50 metres of each other, from somewhere close over the summit of Mt Taylor travelling over me, very rapidly and directly pretty much straight west. I could well have missed others but this time there was no group of them. Philip Veerman (per F Antram)

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Birdline ACT

Published sightings for the week ending 1 Apr 2012.

Sun 1 Apr	Brush Cuckoo Newline One Brush Cuckoo (apparently of the less common morph) quietly inside a eucalypt in back paddock. See photo. Also two White-bellied Sea-Eagles, one adult and one immature, gliding for some time low over the front paddock. As well as the usual, there were many finches (double-bar, red-brow, a diamond firetail and goldfinches), Hobby, 2 Brown Treecreepers and a White-throated Treecreeper (drinking from a puddle), Speckled Warbler, Varied Sittella, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Currawong, Leaden Flycatcher, Tree Martin. Sue Lashko and Julian Robinson
	Rose Robin, Peregrine Falcon, Diamond Firetail Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve 1 male Rose Robin (possibly 2), a Peregrine and 2+ Diamond Firetails were the highlight of the woodland survey in the southern half of the reserve this morning. Also 5+ Scarlet Robins at one spot were an unusually large number for this site, they may have been moving through as there were 10+ Grey Fantails in the same area. Steve Holliday
	Cattle Egret Mitchell Pond 1 Cattle Egret - first record for this relatively new wetland site on the corner of Flemington and Randwick Roads. Frank Antram
	Rufous Fantail, Red-capped Robin, Shining Bronze-cuckoo Shepherds Lookout 1 Rufous Fantail near the lookout - displaying its rufous tail beautifully. The male Red-capped Robin is still around, also Scarlet and Eastern Yellow. A Shining Bronze-cuckoo called on two occasions - seems quite late for it to be vocal. Immature Collared Sparrowhawk chasing Magpies. Frank Antram
Tue 27 Mar	Superb Parrot Cook suburb, ACT One flock of 29 feeding under casuarinas along bike path between Lyttleton Cres and Redfern St; Flock of 11 flying into Cook from Mt Painter Reserve this afternoon around 1850 a & c drake
	Cattle Egret, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Satin Flycatcher Kelly's Swamp & Jerrabomberra Wetland, Fyshwick 1 sub adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle flew over paddocks towards Lake Burley Griffin and returned about 10 minutes later, and disappeared from sight over the sewage ponds. 11 Cattle Egrets flew over paddocks and Kellys and then settled in a willow by the sewage ponds. 1 female Satin Flycatcher seen well. Frank Antram
Mon 26 Mar	Rufous Fantail Beach Place, Holt. ACT. Appeared in our garden for about 30 seconds before moving next door and then into another garden and out of sight. Seemed to be heading N.E. John K. Layton
	Superb Parrot Cook suburb, ACT Superb Parrot (2) A single individual seen flying north across the lower end of Mackellar Cres at ~6.05. 30 mins later an individual seen perched in a Ribbon gum while another bird was calling from a nearby tree, so at least two individuals still around. Geoff Larmour
	Speckled Warbler Shepherds Lookout Two birds near a nest. The male entered the nest and was still inside when I left about 10 minutes later. Nest construction activity was observed at this site on 6 March and a partial structure located at that time. Stephen Wallace
	Red-capped Robin Shepherds Lookout Male and female together. Female exhibited interesting behaviour - when on or near ground she would frequently raise wings and bring them forward into 'umbrella' position - only momentarily but she did it constantly. I think Steve Wallace managed to get some video footage. Frank Antram
Sat 24 Mar	White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Peregrine Falcon Shepherds Lookout White-bellied Sea-Eagle Wedge-tailed Eagle Peregrine Falcon Three marvellous raptors hunting at Shepherds Lookout on Saturday morning. Christine D