Wednesday walk – Campbell Park

The Wednesday Walk in August will be to Campbell Park on 19 August. Meet at the Northern end of the car park off Northcott Drive at 9:00am.

Thirty-two members and guests gathered at the appointed time and place and headed off for a loop including elements of both the Defence land and the Nature Park.  Some birds from the adjoining rural property were also noted.  The weather was brilliant, being mild and sunny.

As we set off along the eastern fence line our first Flame Robins (1 of each sex) were sighted.  Before we got to their nesting area a Long-billed Corella was seen peering out of a hollow.  It was agreed that this was an IH record, but since it was peering out of the hollow it was agreed that this was Inspecting Humans rather than Inspecting Hollow.  Other birds seen checking out hollows included Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eastern Rosella and Australian Wood Duck.

A female Flame Robin was seen flying into a nest site.  A female Common Bronzewing was sitting firmly on a nest and as we concluded the outing an Australian Magpie was seen building a nest near the car park.  Recording 7 species in various stages of the breeding process was very pleasing for this early in the season.

Returning migrants were rather thinner on the ground.  The only migrants definitely seen were Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and Rufous Whistler.  One distant bird might have been a cuckoo and a possible cuckoo call was heard, but in neither case was identification possible.

A pile of feathers indicated that there had previously been one more Laughing Kookaburra in the area than was currently the case.  There was then some discussion as to the cause of death.  This may have been resolved by the sighting of a Peregrine Falcon later in the outing.

Other less common birds sighted included a Jacky Winter, Brown-headed Honeyeater (8) and Speckled Warbler (1).  Weebills were everywhere in uncountable numbers and an estimate was made of 40 Buff-rumped Thornbills.

In total we recorded 46 species.