Bush birds at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra

2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #2

Yesterday I wrote about my first visit to the Jerrabomberra Wetlands in Canberra. The water birds were a little quiet and I only saw a handful of species. The bush birds around the wetlands were quite another matter. A range of trees and bushes have been planted around the ponds and these are now creating a buffer zone between the water and the road and car-park.

This zone has a very presentable number of birds occupying this little niche, which is no more than about twenty metres wide at any one point. Probably the most prominent species is the Superb Fairy-wren; they are everywhere and very tame. The same could be said for the Grey Fantails; there must be about 6 to 8 present in the section I checked out. Infuriatingly, not one of them was prepared to pose for my camera.

Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Canberra

Yellow-rumped Thornbills were feeding young in a well camouflaged nest. I also saw a Yellow Thornbill in the same tree. According to a local birder I met also at the nest, this species is uncommon in the Canberra area. Local knowledge is always good to tap into.

Yellow-rumped Thornbill nest, Canberra

I saw a large flock of House Sparrows near the car-park. After not seeing any in Sydney I was beginning to think they had all disappeared. The same with the Common Starlings – I saw a few in Sydney and only a few around Canberra. A single Goldfinch flew overhead and landed in a tree nearby. In the flowering bushes near a hide I saw one New Holland Honeyeater. A small flock of Red-browed Finches seemed to be following me around, but they too, were a little camera shy. The only parrot I saw during my brief stay was a single Crimson Rosella feeding on the grass.

Crimson Rosella, Canberra