Chifley Chronicle #9

Drake Australasian Shoveler

Another week!
On Monday I returned to Tidbinbilla for another try for some good shoveler calls and nearly lost my high gain directional microphone in the water when a gust of wind tipped over the tripod. Fortunately, the Rycote windshield with its cloth covering was water resistant long enough for me to rush in and retrieve it, tripod and all, before the assembly lost buoyancy and sank to the bottom!

A pair of vortexing Australasian Shoveler

Swamp Harrier soaring at Tidbinbilla



Australian Pelican at Tidbinbilla

At the end of the week I had an enjoyable morning outing with a few keen members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group seeing what we could make of the behviour of ducks. I had agreed to do this some months ago and at least I was able to show them how to distinguish drakes from ducks in Pacific Black Duck both by plumage and by behaviour, including their diagnostic calls. It was a very cold and foggy morning on Sunday when we assembled at Regatta Point on the northern shoreline of Lake Burley Griffin. From here we walked the short distance down to the nearby Nerang Pool. I had done a recce of the site (in colder and even foggier conditions!) the morning before and was reasonably happy that we would see some courtship activity. Sure enough we were able to watch the Pacific Black Duck perform some group displays amongst drakes and also some advertising displays brought on by inciting behaviour of ducks. We also observed some encounters where intruding drakes were seen challenging established pairs. We observed some activities suggesting that a few ducks might have already started egg laying. A large Water Rat Hydromys chrysogaster at one time swam across the pool and hauled out on a log close by a male Darter. The rat then began grooming almost within reach of the Darter providing us with a most unusual confrontation. Dusky Moorhens were abundant with many large groups present at this site but we saw lesser numbers of Swamphen, scattered pairs and a group of 20-30 Maned Duck, along with a few Black Swans, a Little Pied Cormorant, a White-faced Heron and one Australasian Grebe. All adding to the waterbirds listed during this morning.

Some loafing Pacific Black Duck and a drake giving the Preen-behind-wing signal

Pair of Pacific Black Duck

Not a lot has changed on the local scene at the house although larger numbers of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo are now arriving in the garden each morning. That is often the problem of putting out seed for the parrots; the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo soon catch-on and become a nuisance because they are dominant and keep the King Parrots, rosellas and others away from my feeding stations. Also, these big cockatoos quickly scoff most of the contents of my feeders or spill it from the hopper or dish!

I notice that larger numbers of House Sparrow seem to have been present lately. Usually, I have been seeing only 3-4 at a time but this week I have noticed a small flock of 10-20 birds in the garden. For some time past this species has been a scarce visitor to my part of Chifley. House Sparrows are generally not regarded with much enthusiasm by Australians being an introduction to the continent during the heyday of Acclimatization Societies. According to John Long, by far the best authority on these matters, the first liberations occurred in 1863 (Long, J. L. 1981. Introduced Birds of the World, Reed: Sydney 528pp).
Frogs have been calling a few times of late from near my small ponds in the back garden. I only seem to have a few individuals with, I reckon, at best 6 males. There has not been a lot of calling recently, and as far as I can tell only two individuals, but at least I know that they are still present. The species is Crinia signifera the Common Eastern Froglet. A stupidly long name for such a tiny frog! It always seems to me remarkable that these frogs should call at all at this time of the year. However, they often chirp up during overcast days or if it threatens to rain but sometimes they can be heard in the coldest of Canberra winter conditions.

Early morning and an Australian Magpie in the garden