February 2012

In January a very good  96  species of birds were recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette.  This is 2 more than the total in January 2011 and 7 more than  February 2011.  Here is a graph of the situation, showing the long term trend (as assessed by a 12 month moving average) to continue rising!

Thanks to several observers in: the Molonglo Valley, Captains Flat Rd, Hoskinstown, Radcliffe and Widgeiwa Rd.

The most interesting sighting this month was 2 Spotted Harriers (an adult and a juvenile) on the Hoskinstown Plain.  The grassy areas to the East of the Ranges appear to be favoured by the Spotted Harrier rather than the related Swamp Harrier (which has not yet been reported in this project).  This difference possibly reflects their different food preferences (well done Swamp Harrier for preferring rabbits and mice!)  

A wide range of other raptors were also observed with the further sighting of the uncommon Black Falcon being a highlight.   A Nankeen Kestrel - the commonest local raptor - disapproved of the appearance of the Harrier and vigorously swooped it. 

13 species have been reported as breeding in this month (as shown by bolding in the list below).  All records were of dependent young, out of the nest and being fed by the adults.  Four of these species were Honeyeaters, quite possibly with second broods.  They have had a lot of food around recently with nectar being available from the Yellow Box as well as the hordes of insects attracted to the flowering eucalypt.  I’d welcome records of any breeding activities seen in the area and, of course any other records which readers feel interesting..

Migrants are shown in italics below.  The Summer migrants will now be thinking about moving off although most of the usual suspects were reported in the month.  (The absence of several Cuckoo species from the list most likely reflects them not calling, rather than absence).  

Blue text links to a photograph.   

1  Waterbirds:  Musk Duck;  Australian Wood Duck;  Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe;  Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; Great Cormorant; White‑faced Heron; Australian White Ibis;  Dusky Moorhen;  Eurasian Coot; ; Masked Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite;  Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon;  Black Falcon, Peregrine Falcon.

3 Parrots and Relatives:  Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo; Gang‑gang Cockatoo; Galah;  Sulphur‑crested Cockatoo; Australian King‑parrot; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped parrot  

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Emu; Stubble Quail; Brown quail; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Australian Owlet-nightjar; White-throated Needletail; Painted Button-quail; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo;  Laughing Kookaburra.

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird; New Holland Honeyeater; Brown‑headed Honeyeater; White-naped Honeyeater; Noisy Friarbird

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush;  Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Tree Martin

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species:  Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Speckled warbler; Weebill; Western Gerygone; 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; 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

Harrier Pottering

As far as I am aware J K Rowling has not been sighted in the Shire.  However Harriers have been seen.  Since they have all been Spotted one assumes they are from the earlier stages of the Hogwarts saga.

The first observation of a Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) of which I am aware was of one near the junction of Woolcara Lane and Captains Flat Road in January 2010.  This was followed up by a sighting in December 2011 in the middle of Briars Sharrow Rd.

Since then there had been a couple of reports of a Spotted Harrier on a property off Plains Rd Hoskinstown.  On 12 February two Harriers were seen on the property on at least two occasions.  Both were Spotted Harriers - probably an adult and a juvenile.  (Unfortunately no photographs are available at this stage.)

The most surprising point is that there have been no sightings of Swamp Harriers (Circus approximans)
 in the area covered by this blog. This may be explained - or at least illustrated -  by the following distribution maps from the Birds Australia Birdata project.

Spotted Harrier

Swamp Harrier

It appears from this that (in SE NSW) the Swamp Harrier favours areas along the Coast and Murrumbidgee while the Spotted Harrier is found more in areas such as the grassy plains of the Molonglo and Western Slopes.  (A response to this post on the COG Chatline notes that a slightly different picture - in terms of number of observations - emerges if the map is zoomed. However the pattern of distribution says the same: Spotted along the Monaro Highway, Swamp in the valleys of Namadgi.) I wonder if this is due to the difference in food preference: although HANZAB is not definitive it would appear that from analysis of pellets that the Spotted Harrier takes more mammals and grassland species than the Swamp Harrier.

A further point of interest from HANZAB about the feeding behaviour of Spotted Harriers: I just noticed a line in my big reference book about Spotted Harriers.  "Often observed hunting with Black Falcons.  Harrier hunting low, Falcon overhead" citing very authoritative observers."  A Black Falcon has indeed been observed in the area where the Spotted Harriers have been seen.

January 2012

Happy New Year!  

In January a very good  94  species of birds were recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette.  This is 5 less than the remarkable total in December 2011 and 1 less than  January 2011.  Here is a graph of the situation, showing the long term trend (as assessed by a 12 month moving average) to continue rising!

The raptorial hordes on the Hoskinstown Plain appear to have returned to more normal numbers and the Water birds are continuing to be seen (it would be nice to get some rain to ensure that continues!).  For a change there are no rarities to report  but in the sense of life being normal the Tawny Frogmouth family left our garden on schedule and returned about 3 weeks later minus the young birds - also as normal.  Slightly less usual was the appearance of a nest with young Noisy Friarbird chicks therein.  Despite a Brown Goshawk hanging around the area the three chicks have all fledged succesfully.

Thanks to several observers in: the Molonglo Valley, Captains Flat Rd, Hoskinstown, Radcliffe and more recent observations are included in this intro but not the list for October.

Migrants are shown in italics below.   22 species which have been recorded breeding (broadly defined, and as expected most of these are Dependent Young records) this month are in bold.  Species for which there are photographs in the blog are underlined.  I’d welcome records of any breeding activities seen in the area and, of course any other records which readers feel interesting..

1  Waterbirds:  Australian Wood Duck; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Darter; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant;  White‑necked Heron; White‑faced Heron; Dusky Moorhen;  EurasianCoot;  Masked Lapwing;  

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown 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; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Australian Owlet-nightjar; White-throated Needletail; Painted Button-quail; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Southern Boobook; Eastern Barn Owl;  Laughing Kookaburra;Sacred Kingfisher; 

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird;  Brown‑headed Honeyeater; Noisy Friarbird

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher;  Magpie-lark;  Scarlet 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; Varied Sitella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White‑-winged Triller; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Australian Reed-warbler; 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