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.)
