July 2008

In late June to late July2008, 59 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by an observer in Hoskintown.

Waterbirds: Purple swamphen; Grey teal; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant;           Masked Lapwing; Pacific Black Duck; White-faced heron; Australian Wood duck

Birds of Prey:             Little eagle; Brown Falcon; Nankeen Kestrel

Parrots and Relatives: Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Galah; Sulphur-crested cockatoo; Yellow‑tailed black‑cockatoo;

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Crested pigeon; Common bronzewing; Rock dove; Brown quail; Laughing Kookaburra; Tawny Frogmouth

Honeyeaters; Brown-headed honeyeater; White-naped honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird

Flycatchers and similar species: Magpie-lark; Grey fantail; Welcome swallow;        Willie wagtail; Scarlet robin; Golden whistler; Rufous whistler; Grey shrike-thrush

Other, smaller birds; White-throated treecreeper; Silvereye; Common blackbird; House sparrow; Yellow-rumped thornbill; European goldfinch; Weebill; Buff-rumped thornbill;  Brown thornbill; Striated thornbill; Striated pardalote; Spotted pardalote; Richard's pipit; Superb Fairy-wren; Common starling

Other, larger birds; Satin bowerbird; Pied Currawong; Grey currawong; Australian Magpie; White-winged chough; Grey butcherbird; ; Little Raven; Australian 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. 

Yellow Thornbill: Acanthiza nana

Appearance:  Plain dull yellowish Thornbill, with faint streaking on the ear-coverts.

Voice: Brisk, repeated “chi-chit”.

Habits: Characteristic of trees with feathery or needle-like foliage such as wattles (especially black and silver wattles) and she-oaks. Singly, pairs or in small groups usually with other insect feeding birds including Brown Thornbills and Superb Fairy-wrens.  Constantly moving through the foliage or hovering outside to pick off insects.

Food:  Insects and other invertebrates.

Nest:  Untidy dome with side-entrance; of grass, shreds of bark, moss and lichen, bound with spder web, usually suspended high in foliage or outer branches.

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 45% of sites from 4 years of age onwards.  More common in direct-seeded sites which tend to have a higher proportion of wattles than tubestock sites.  Foud in small narrow sites as well as large sites, wherever feathery wattles occur.

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of COG, records this bird as uncommon, only being observed in about 10% of the sites, and in about half the weeks each year.  This probably reflects the habitat needs of the species, not commonly satisfied in gardens.)