Bird confusion

 Not an uncommon situation for me!  The morning began for previously stated reasons with a walk through the nearby suburb of Reid.  I think it is unique in not having (and neve having had) a retail centre: Civic is supposed to fill that void.

This egregiously out of focus shot (and we will return to egregiously bad shots later) still illustrates my belief  that 'Reid' is a Ngunnawal word meaning "Country with many Photinia hedges".

There are digital signs warning that ANZAC Parade will be closed next Tuesday for some reason.  I think these marquees indicate the site, but I was having great trouble finding out what the event is!  It turns out it is because of opening/installing/whatever the Australian Peacekeepers Memorial: interestingly this didn't show up in the list of NCA road closures but is on that site under "Parking"!  NCA is the most incompetent in public administration in OECD countries.

Back into the suburb and we approached a house where I have noticed art before.  I hadn't noticed th chimney before.  (I suspect that is a security camera on top of the cowl.) 

Here is part of the front yard!

After breakfast I took myself birding to Campbell Park.  Here is where the promised confusion starts.  To save my self typing here is what I said on Bird A Day Facebook:

I am trying to think of some nice, non-obscene cussing to describe my BAD efforts today. just doesn't cut the mustard.

After my outing to Campbell Park I was happy with my efforts at comparative sampling methodology. Method 1 was to look at have the hollows in half the trees, seeking an Australian Owlet-Nightjar. That means it is 3:1 against me finding the species so my outcome followed the market. Method 2 was to hint to another birder that I was looking for an Australian Owlet-Nightjar. He gave me directions to a spot (marked as 2 in the map below) and Bingo. See first two images.

As insurance I took the second two images of a Red-rumped Parrot searching for a nest hollow (at 3).

On getting back to my computer, Moriarty's negative waves began breaking on the shore. I'd already used the Owlet Nightjar at home and Red-rumps at Belconnen.

The third wave was my conclusion about sampling methods was trashed when I revisited the hollow 30 minutes later with trace of an Owlet-Nightjar.

BAD is thus Eurasian Skylark: should be a gimme at the airstrip as the weather warms up, but better than anything else I have seen today.

Point 1 in the map is a small dam, with no birds, but the nosiest bunch of frogs I have heard in years.  This is with luck a video with sound.

The Owlet Nightjar is in the long spout just below the centre of the image.

Here is a better shot of the spiffy little bird.

The promised return to egregiously bad shots refers to the croquet games I played in the afternoon.  I think I must get back to practising more when we return to Mallacoota.  The most amusing effort was a roquet which hit the right target ball but then ricocheted and knock the other opponents ball through the hoop.