Now before anyone from Sydney jumps all over me (Simon summed it up nicely by saying to me "Oh man, the ACT is a S***thole. the way that a Poweful Owl is an amazing sighting") I'd just like to say:
Firstly: Simon, Powerful has an R. ;)
and secondly, this is the second PO in the ACT that I know of since 2009. So it's pretty exciting!
I went out this morning not expecting much, and I wasn't disappointed. No owl in the area it had been the day before.
I spent the 40 minutes to home on the bus rather dejected. Powerful Owl isn't a life tick for me (or even a year tick) but seeing as I missed the 2009 bird, I really wanted to see it in the ACT.
About an hour after I got home, my birding friend Matt called, saying he had eyes on the owl. Begin another 40 minute bus trip back to the gardens!!
Matt had to leave before I arrived, but when I got to the site there were 5 or 6 other people wandering the area. No one had seen it yet, but they'd all come for a look.
Following Matt's directions, I quickly located the owl waaaaaaaayyyyyyy up in a very twiggy tree (where he was very well camouflaged and, as Matt said, looked suspiciously like a beehive). Everyone got a look, and I took about 50 photos (none of which are really any good).
I hung around for a while watching him, and then forayed off into the gardens, dismally failing to find the Crescent Honeyeaters and Bassian Thrush for the second time in one day. Next time.
Here's my best picture of the owl :D
Julian
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