Only a small number of members joined me on this visit to some of my favourite bits of grassy woodland remnants at Kelly Road, north of Michelago. Despite the strong southerly wind and occasional skiff of rain, well over 40 species were seen or heard during the morning's viewing.
The main purpose of the outing was to help beginners and new members to identify birds and to learn about their calls. While this would normally focus on common birds, many of the less common species that occur there were particularly obliging and allowed great views. These included the Hooded Robin, with two males seen together for over 5 minutes at the top end and then a female feeding a very mottled dependent young in TSR 36, with a young male sporting a grey-brown hood nearby. Close views of Brown Treecreepers (at least 6 birds in 3 different spots), Restless Flycatchers, Diamond Firetail, Rufous Songlark and Fuscous Honeyeaters, all calling clearly, were also obtained. Both White-browed and Dusky Woodswallows were common, the latter with two very mottled young, but unfortunately the masked woodswallow, present in small numbers only a fortnight before, could not be located. However, probably the most spectacular viewing was of a male Common Bronzewing (a species not often recorded here) doing a clear broken wing act on the ground in front of us, apparently in an attempt to lure us away from a nest which we could not locate. Both Tree and Fairy Martins as well as Welcome Swallows were hawking continuously low over a paddock adjacent to the road, allowing a clear demonstration of their diagnostic features.
Like many other grassy woodland remnants around the ACT, the bird life at Kelly Road has been excellent this spring/early summer, with in particular a 200 metre stretch at the southern end of TSR 36 containing a mix of some very interesting birds. Well worth a visit, including for those who thought about coming but may have been put off by the early start after a night of pre-Christmas excesses.
Jack Holland