The drought and perhaps the slightly later timing clearly affected the bird activity (particularly when it warmed up after about 10 am) during this annual COG event despite the 27 pairs of eyes and the cooler start compared with the previous days. However, we still recorded 41 different species, 14 of which were observed to be nesting or showing some breeding behaviour.
To me the undoubted highlight was watching four White-winged Chough arriving to feed four young in a large mud nest. As they did, the bird that had been brooding hopped off and the chicks, which could be seen with their necks and heads extended limply over the sides (eliciting some concern for their welfare) immediately perked up, craning their heads at the end of their long thin necks skywards as the food was delivered. The witness of an excellent example of cooperative breeding! Unfortunately the family of Tawny Frogmouths which had been photographed occupying a nearby chough's nest (most unusual according to the literature) only three weeks earlier had departed and could not be found.
Given the poor breeding conditions a surprising number of species were still nest building including two nests each by pairs of Grey Fantails and Willie Wagtails, as well as the Noisy Friarbird and Dusky Woodswallow still in the very early stages of nest construction. More advanced were Weebills and White-plumed Honeyeaters either sitting or with eggs in the nest, with the Rufous Whistler and the White-browed Woodswallow also both seen sitting on typically flimsy nests. The latter has been observed breeding over much of the ACT this season courtesy of the drought. Not such a highlight were the considerable numbers of active Common Myna and Common Starling nests, with one tree having at least 3 different hollows into which food was being carried for each species.
A number of the usual species seemed to be absent and while we had good views of White-throated Gerygone and the White-winged Triller, neither seemed to be nesting. In fact the trillers were relatively silent, as they have generally appear to be this year, with a male seen foraging amongst the gum blossoms, most untriller like, but perhaps taking insects. A family of Fairy Martins sitting high on some dead branches in the heat of the day allowing easier than usual examination of the diagnostic rufous heads rounded off the morning nicely. My thanks again to Anthony Overs for both encouraging me to hold it for a fourth successive year and helping me to lead this "workshop", which has now become a permanent fixture on the COG field trips program.
Jack Holland