In May 80 species of birds were recorded in the
catchment area of the Gazette. Thanks to
several observers in: Hoskinstown; the Molonglo Valley, Widgiewa Road, An Emu
was seen near Hoskinstown: is anyone aware of any farmed emus in the area? Two other species were added to the list:
Red-capped Robin and Dusky Moorhen.
Migrants are shown in italics below and species for which breeding has been observed this
month are underlined.
1 Waterbirds: Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey
Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; DarterLittle Pied Cormorant; White-faced
Heron; Dusky Moorhen; Eurasian Coot;
Masked Lapwing
2 Birds of Prey: Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Peregrine
falcon.
3 Parrots and
Relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo; Gang‑gang
Cockatoo; Galah; Sulphur‑crested Cockatoo;
Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped parrot.
4 Kingfishers
and other non-songbirds: Emu; Brown quail; Rock Dove; Common
Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Laughing Kookaburra;
5 Honeyeaters: Eastern
Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared
Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird;
Brown‑headed Honeyeater; White-naped
Honeyeater.
6 Flycatchers
and similar species: Golden
Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Magpie-lark; Scarlet
Robin; Red-capped Robin, Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Tree Martin
7 Thornbills,
Finches and similar species:
Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Speckled warbler; Weebill;
Striated Thornbill; Yellow-rumped Thornbill; Buff-rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill;
Southern Whiteface; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Double‑barred Finch;
Red-browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch
8 Other, smaller
birds: White-throated Treecreeper; Spotted Quail-thrush; Varied Sitella; Black‑faced Cuckoo-shrike; Dusky
Woodswallow; Skylark; Common Blackbird; Common Starling; Mistletoebird; Australasian Pipit;
9 Other, larger birds: Satin Bowerbird;
Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Currawong; Grey Currawong; Australian
Raven; Little Raven; White-winged Chough
Birds of Cuumbeun Nature Reserve
This Reserve is at the start
of the Captains Flat Road with components on both sides of the road. In compiling this commentary I have been
assisted by information from the NSW Wildlife Atlas, run by the NSW National
Parks and Wildlife Service.
In total 55 species of birds
are recorded for this area, suggesting that there has not been a great deal of
time put in to birding in the area. If
anyone else goes there are builds up a bird list I’d welcome their
information. 17 of the species are
migrants suggesting that the warmer months may give a good range of
species. This includes the 5 commonest
species of cuckoo (Fan-tailed, Pallid, and Brush Cuckoos plus Shining and
Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoos) together with the commoner migrant
flycatchers.
Scarlet Robins have been seen
in the bush generally and Eastern Yellow Robins (less common in the area) have
been seen in the damper gullies on both sides of Captains Flat Road. The only species of diurnal (ie daylight
hunting) raptor seen has been Wedge‑tailed Eagle but both Southern Boobook Owl
and Tawny Frogmouth have been recorded.
All the common bush Parrots and
Cockatoos have been recorded, with the exception of the Gang‑gang Cockatoo,
probably reflecting absence of their favourite seed foodstuffs. A similar situation is evident with
Honeyeaters: Yellow-faced, White-eared, Brown-headed and White-naped
Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebird and Noisy Miner have all been recorded in the
Reserve.
As theer is limited open
water in the Reserve no ducks or other waterbirds have been recorded. The absence of grassland has also led to the
absence of species found in that habitat such as most finches (Red-browed have
been recorded) Skylarks and Pipits.
