Friday, June 4, 2010

Mists Over Black Creek













Another long spell between drinks in the Bloggersphere.

Not that Fay and I have been idle in the interim. Far from it. Staffordshire in September draws ever nearer and we still have preparations in hand for that. The post-graduate studies continue apace, as does my self-initiated course in basic statistics [for ornithologists]. Above all, our project at the Tarong Power Station has stepped up a few notches.

Recently we were granted permission to access the Meandu Creek Dam, the largest water storage reservoir on site, from its "shallow end", that is the end from which the creek flows into the dam. Further, Tarong Energy have asked us to begin a monitoring program of their revegetation project adjoining the Ash Dam. It abuts Black Creek Dam which we have rather neglected over the past few weeks.

The day we chose to survey Black Creek Dam turned out to be a misty morning which rather restricted viewing. Nevertheless we persevered trusting that as the morning progressed the heat would disperse the mists. It did! We had magic views of several of the passeriforms and delighted in the feeding frenzy of the Welcome Swallow.


A pair of ravenous juveniles begging

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