In February 2011 a good score of 89 species of birds were recorded in the
catchment area of the Gazette. This is one
more than in February 2010 and an increase of 10 species on the 2 years before
that. 11 species were recorded as breeding (and
possibly the vocalising cuckoos suggest that they too have love on their mind!). Thanks to several observers in: Hoskinstown;
the Molonglo Valley, Captains Flat Road, and Widgiewa Road.
The
calls of Stubble Quail continue to resonate around the area, particularly on
the Hoskinstown Plain. The Fairy Martins
that reside along Plains road appear to have departed.
Migrants
are shown in italics below and species
for which breeding (broadly defined) has been observed this month are underlined.
1 Waterbirds: Australian Wood Duck; Pacific Black Duck;
Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron; White-faced
Heron; N Eurasian Coot; Masked
Lapwing.
2 Birds of Prey: Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen
Kestrel; Brown Falcon; 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: Stubble Quail; Brown quail; Rock Dove;
Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Australian Owlet-nightjar;
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo; Shining Bronze-cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Southern Boobook;
Laughing Kookaburra; Dollarbird.
5 Honeyeaters: Eastern
Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; White‑plumed Honeyeater;
Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird;
New Holland Honeyeater; Brown‑headed Honeyeater; Noisy Friarbird
6 Flycatchers
and similar species: Golden
Whistler; Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie
Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark;
Scarlet Robin; Red‑capped Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Tree Martin
7 Thornbills,
Finches and similar species:
Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Weebill; White-throated Gerygone; 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; Varied
Sitella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive‑backed
Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Australian
Reed-warbler; Common Blackbird; Common Myna; 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 Prey
The list
for the area includes 12 species in this group, which is restricted to the day‑hunting
(or diurnal) raptors. (In November 2011 a 13th species, Black Falcon, was added from the Hoskinstown Plain.)
The
commonest species are the Wedge-tailed Eagle and the Nankeen Kestrel. The former species is seen either singly or
in groups of up to three and has been recorded in 40 of the 48 months for which
I have records. Their presence is often
signalled by the Magpies in the area rising- often to great heights to give
battle.
The Kestrel has been seen in 43
months usually as a single bird but sometimes in pairs. They are usually
spotted hunting by hovering or sitting on convenient perches watching prey in
the paddocks.
Brown
Falcon and Brown Goshawk have also been seen in more than half the months. The Goshawk has been seen nesting in the area,
while most of the raptor tend to nest out of the places people often go.
