In late April to the end of May 2008, 62 species of birds have
been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, mainly the species reported
by an observer in Hoskintown, as I have spent quite a bit of the time
overseas. It was particularly pleasing
to get a report of Hooded Robin as they are quite scarce in the region, and I’d
welcome any other reports of them (or other interesting birds). The other addition to my “Gazette list” was a
Tawny Frogmouth which flew into Frances’ study window while hawking moths (this bird and the rest of its family are intensively covered in my main blog: select for the label "Frogmouth"). This makes a total of 111 species in 16
months!
Water
birds:
Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant, Black Swan, Australian Wood
Duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey Teal*
Birds
of prey: Wedge-tailed Eagle, Australian Hobby; Nankeen
Kestrel
Parrots
and relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo:
Gang-gang Cockatoo; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Galah; Crimson Rosella; Eastern
Rosella.
Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds: Brown Quail, Common
Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Feral Pigeon; Laughing Kookaburra; Tawny Frogmouth
Honeyeaters:,
Brown-headed honeyeater; White-naped Honeyeater, Eastern spinebill;
Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird;
Flycatchers
and similar species:
Welcome swallow; Dusky Woodswallow; Grey fantail; Willie Wagtail;
Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Hooded Robin; Varied Sitella, Golden Whistler;
Grey Shrike‑thrush; Magpie-lark,
Other,
smaller, birds:
Weebill; Brown thornbill; Striated Thornbill;
Buff-rumped Thornbill*; Yellow-rumped Thornbill; White-browed Scrubwren; Superb
Fairy-wren; White-throated Treecreeper; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote;
Mistletoebird, Silvereye; Diamond Firetail; Common Blackbird; House Sparrow;
European Goldfinch; Common Starling
Other,
larger, birds: White-winged chough; Pied Currawong;
Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Australian Raven; Little Raven
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.
White-plumed
Honeyeater: Lichenostomus
penicillatus
Appearance: Plain
olive-grey honeyeater, yellowish on head and wings, with slender white line (ie
a ‘plume’) on the side of the neck.
Voice: Brisk cheerful ‘chickowee’; various
penetrating alarm calls.
Habits: Singly, pairs or parties. Constantly active, feeding from low foliage
to tops of trees.
Food: Nectar,
insects, other invertebrates.
Nest: Deep but
thin cup; of grass bound with spider we, lined with horsehair and soft plant
material, slung from small outer branches in low shrubbery or trees up to 25
metres high.
Occurrence in Revegetation: Usually close t sources of water such as
rivers creeks or dams with surrounding trees.
Recorded in 49% of sites some as young as 3 years old, also in small
narrow windbreaks as well as large sites
(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens
of members of COG, records this bird as moderately common, being observed in
about one third of the sites each year possibly reflecting the limited number
of sites close to water sources. It is
usually recorded in at least 1 site nearly all weeks of each year.)
