In December 2007 I have recorded 68 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). An *
in the list below shows those species which I have noticed undertaking breeding
activities, while a # indicates a species reported
to me by other observers.
It has been notable that this year I have recorded 6 species
of cuckoo along Whiskers Creek Road.
Also worthy of note has been the reduced number of ‘obvious’ small birds
in our garden as the young Pied Currawongs have fledged. Hopefully sightings will return to their
previous levels in the near future.
Water
birds:
White-faced heron, Australian wood duck, Pacific black duck (Little pied cormorant, Australian White
ibis, Masked Lapwing, Australasian grebe*,
Grey teal)
Birds
of prey: Collared sparrowhawk;
Parrots
and relatives: Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Galah*,
Crimson rosella*, Eastern rosella, Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo (Gang-gang
cockatoo, Red-rumped parrot).
Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds:, Pallid Cuckoo; Horsfield’s
Bronze-cuckoo; Common Bronzewing, Laughing kookaburra: Southern Boobook (Brush cuckoo, Crested
pigeon, Common Koel)
Honeyeaters:,
White-eared honeyeater, Yellow faced honeyeater, Red wattlebird, Noisy
friarbird, Eastern spinebill (Noisy Miner, Brown-headed honeyeater ).
Flycatchers
and similar species: Rufous whistler, Grey shrike-thrush,
Welcome swallow, Willie wagtail, Grey fantail, Tree martin, Magpie-lark, (Dusky
woodswallow, Leaden flycatcher, Scarlet
robin, White-winged Triller))
Other,
smaller, birds: Western gerygone, White-browed
scrubwren, Weebill, Striated thornbill, Yellow-rumped thornbill, Buff-rumped
thornbill , Superb fairy-wren, White-throated treecreeper, Silvereye, Spotted
pardalote, Striated pardalote, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole,
Red-browed finch* (Common starling, House sparrow, Richard’s Pipit,
White-throated Gerygone)
Other,
larger, birds: Pied Currawong*, Grey currawong, Grey
butcherbird, Australian Magpie*, Australian Raven, Little Raven (White-winged
chough, Satin bowerbird#)
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.
Willie Wagtail: Rhipidura leucophrys (When visiting this
area some years ago Bill Oddie, of TV Goodies fame, found it hard to believe
that a bird was called Willie Wagtail!)
Appearance: Black
with white underparts below the breast and white eyebrow. Long black fanned tail wagged from side to
side.
Voice: Cheerful song ‘sweet pretty creature’; also
scolding rattle ‘chicka-chicka-chicka’.
Habits: Familiar farm bird, particularly near
dams. Bold and active, perches on fences
and low branches, launches into twisting flight after insects, takes them from
foliage or chases them along the ground.
Food: Insects
(they have a big job in front of them this year!)
Nest: Neat
cup; of fine grass and bark covered on the outside with spider web until grey
and smooth, lined with hair, wool and feathers; on a small horizontal branch
from 1-15 metres high
Occurrence in Revegetation: Found in 60% of sites from small narrow
windbreaks to the largest sites, from 3 years onwards. Seen perched at the edge or chasing insects
out over the paddock returning to shelter when disturbed.
(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens
of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, records this bird as fairly
common, being observed in 60 – 70% of sites each year.)
