August 2007

During the month of August 2007 I have recorded 57 species of birds in a 3 hectare area around our house on Whiskers Creek Road (or, for those in brackets, other parts of the area). 

The month has been notable for warmer weather and the return of the migrant species.   As I noted last month some birds are getting down to breeding: I have put an asterisk in the list below for those species which I have noticed undertaking such activities (mainly nest building thus far).

Water birds:  White-faced heron, Australian wood duck, Pacific black duck, (Little pied cormorant  Masked Lapwing, Australasian grebe, Purple Swamphen, Musk duck)

Birds of prey: Wedge-tailed eagle, Brown goshawk, (Nankeen kestrel, Black‑shouldered kite)

Parrots and relatives:, Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Galah*, Crimson rosella, Eastern rosella, Gang-gang cockatoo (Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo).

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Laughing kookaburra, Common bronzewing, Pallid Cuckoo*, Crested pigeon (Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo)

Honeyeaters: Eastern spinebill, White-eared honeyeater, Yellow faced honeyeater, Red wattlebird, Noisy Miner.

Flycatchers and similar species: Golden whistler, Magpie-lark Welcome swallow (Willie wagtail, Flame robin,)

Other, smaller, birds: White-browed scrubwren, Weebill, Striated thornbill, Yellow-rumped thornbill, Buff-rumped thornbill, Superb fairy-wren, White-throated treecreeper, Silvereye, Spotted pardalote, Varied sittella, (Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Common starling, , Skylark, , House sparrow, Richard’s Pipit)

Other, larger, birds: Pied Currawong*, Grey currawong, Grey butcherbird, Australian Magpie*, Australian Raven, Little Raven (White-winged chough)

Bird of the Month

This is based upon material in the very good book “bringing birds back” published by Greening Australia.  Comments in brackets are by this author.

(This month sees the first appearance in this column of a member of the thornbill family: often regarded as the typical ‘small brown birds’.   Clues to identifying the various members of the family are given by the details of appearance and the habits (especially the level at which they feed).)

Yellow-rumped thornbill: Acanthiza chrysorrhoa

Appearance: Small but distinctive with butter-yellow rump (very obvious when flying away), black crown with delicate white spots and white eyebrow.

Voice: Bright tinkling song.

Habits:  In small flocks, sometimes with other small insectivores including other thornbill species.  Feeds mostly on the ground (more so than other thornbills), bobbing and jerking as it hops along.  Frequently seen feeding in open paddocks, flying for shelter when disturbed.

Food: Mostly insects and small invertebrates.

Nest:  Domed with a hidden side-entrance.  And with an open cup like ‘decoy nest on top; made of grass bound with spider web.  In shrubbery or low foliage of trees

Occurrence in Revegation:  Found at least once in 91% of revegetation sites, of all shapes and sizes from 3 years of age onwards.  

July 2007

During the month of July 2007 I have recorded 54 species of birds in a 3 hectare area around our house on Whiskers Creek Road (or, for those in brackets, other parts of the area). 

Water birds:  Little pied cormorant, Australian wood duck, (Pacific black duck, Masked Lapwing White-faced heron, Australasian grebe, Purple Swamphen, Australasian Shelduck, Black-fronted plover,)

Birds of prey: (Wedge-tailed eagle, Nankeen kestrel, Collared sparrowhawk, Black‑shouldered kite)

Parrots and relatives: Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo, Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Galah, Crimson rosella, Eastern rosella, Gang-gang cockatoo (Red-rumped parrot).

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Laughing kookaburra, (Common bronzewing, Crested pigeon)

Honeyeaters: Eastern spinebill, White-eared honeyeater, Yellow-tufted honeyeater, Red wattlebird, Noisy Miner

Flycatchers and similar species: Scarlet robin, Golden whistler (Welcome swallow, Willie wagtail, Flame robin, Magpie-lark)

Other, smaller, birds: Weebill, Striated thornbill, Yellow-rumped thornbill, Superb fairy-wren, White-throated treecreeper, Silvereye, Spotted pardalote, Varied sittella, (Common starling,  Buff-rumped thornbill, Skylark, European goldfinch, House sparrow)

Other, larger, birds: White-winged chough, Pied Currawong, Grey currawong, Grey butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Australian Raven, Little Raven

Following the heavy rain in mid-late June water birds, including up to 20 Australian shelduck, have remained on Hoskintown Plain.   The flock of up to 150 Australian magpies reported last month at Plains Road and Briars-Sharrow Road was still around.

There have been many reports of unusual honeyeaters from Canberra recently and the appearance of a yellow-tufted honeyeater at our house suggests they may be spreading here.  Some species of birds seem to be getting down to nest building (and other preparations for breeding).  This seems to be a little earlier than usual.

Bird of the Month

This is based upon material in the very good book “bringing birds back” published by Greening Australia.  Comments in brackets are by this author.

Superb fairy-wren: Malurus cyaneus

Appearance: Small bold bird with long tail held erect.  Breeding males metallic blue and navy (unmistakeable in this area).  Females and immatures brown: non-breeding males also brown but with blue tail.

Voice: Often detected first by its brisk “prip-prip call; also a merry trilling song.

Habits: Family groups (often large – up to 16 birds at our patch, with non-breeding males ‘helping out’ the females).  Found wherever there is some dense cover.  Often perches on fences and feeds in the open outside revegetation plantings, fleeing for cover. 

Food: Mostly insects and other invertebrates, occasionally seeds and other plant matter.

Nest:  Domed, made of fine twigs, grass and moss, bound with spider web.  Usually in grass tussocks or dense shrubbery close to the ground.  (Because of the position of the nest they are rarely seen.  Most breeding records are of dependent young.)

Occurrence in Revegation:  The most commonly occurring bird in the Greening Australia survey of revegetation sites, recorded at 91% of sites.  (This is a higher frequency than recorded in the COG Garden Bird Survey, probably reflecting the bird’s preference for habitat with some dense cover.)