In September an astonishing 101 species of birds
were recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette. This is 11 more than in August this year and 15
more than September 2010. I have noticed
a significant increase in the diversity on our property in the past few weeks
and other observers have noticed things ‘picking up’, especially with some dry
country birds arriving.
This graph has been added to show the growth in number of species recorded each September since we moved here. The trend is a little bogus since observer effort has increased.
Thanks
to several observers in: the Molonglo Valley, Captains Flat Rd, Hoskinstown,
Radcliffe and Widgiewa Road.
There
have been a number of notable sightings in the month. A King Parrot was reported from the
Hoskinstown Plain: this is the third month in a row that this species has been
reported instead of the usually infrequent reports. (I regard this as a
positive!)
There
has been another record of Barn Owl (which have irrupted into Canberra this
year as the mouse plague declines in the West of the State). It is likely that the increased sightings of
Black-shouldered Kites are also due to this cause. These sightings have included an unusually
large group of 6 hunting around 2 properties overlooking the Hoskinstown Plain
which by 29 September had risen to an extraordinary (I am beginning to run low
on superlatives) 14 birds in a single tree.
It
is also noteworthy that after a shortfall for several months waterbirds especially White-necked Herons are
returning
Migrants
are shown in italics below. Note that most of the regularly reported
migrant species have begun to return already although there are a few more to
come. 16 species which have been seen to
have commenced breeding (broadly defined) this month are underlined. I’d welcome records of any breeding
activities seen in the area as well as first arrivals of any migrants not
recorded below.
1 Waterbirds: Musk Duck; Black Swan; Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck;
Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied
Cormorant; White‑necked Heron; White‑faced Heron;; Australian
White Ibis;; Dusky Moorhen;
Eurasian Coot; Masked Lapwing;
2 Birds of Prey: Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk;
Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon;
Peregrine Falcon.
3 Parrots and
Relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo; Gang‑gang
Cockatoo; Galah; Little Corella;
Sulphur‑crested Cockatoo; Australian King-parrot; 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; Painted Button-quail;
Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo;
Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Eastern Barn
Owl; Laughing Kookaburra.
5 Honeyeaters: Eastern
Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared
Honeyeater; White‑plumed Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird; Brown‑headed Honeyeater; White-naped 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; Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow;
Fairy Martin; 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; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive‑backed
Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; 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
