March 2012

In March a very good 95 species of birds were recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette.  This is 1 less than the total in February 2012 (a small drop was expected between these months) and 7 more than March 2011.  

Thanks to several observers in the Molonglo Valley, Hoskinstown, and Widgeiwa Rd.

The most interesting sightings this month include:

• a group of up to 19 White-faced Herons on a property in the Hoskinstown Plain;
• several sightings of small flocks (up to 12) White-throated Needletails over Whiskers Creek;   
• a small flock of Rainbow Bee-eaters on Whiskers Creek ( the first for this site); 
• up to 5 New Holland Honeyeaters from a property on Widgiewa Rd.  

Also of note was the return of Eastern Yellow Robins to our property.  We did not record these at all in the first 4 years of our tenure and they then appeared in late 2010, staying around for a year.  After departing in late 2011 they have returned, with the rain, in March 2012.  They are usually thought of as birds of damp forest, on the Coast or on the western side of the Ranges

Only 2 species have been reported as breeding in this month (as shown by bolding in the list below).  Both records were of dependent young, out of the nest and being fed by the adults.   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 moving off and the birds which leave the high country for the Plains (notably Flame Robins and Golden Whistlers) will be moving in.

1  Waterbirds:   Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Darter; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant;  White‑faced Heron; Purple Swamphen; Dusky Moorhen;  Eurasian Coot; Masked Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk;Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; Australian Hobby; 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: Brown quail; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; White-throated Needletail; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Eastern Barn Owl;Laughing Kookaburra; Rainbow Bee‑eater; 

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;Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Tree Martin

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species:  Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Weebill; Western Gerygone; White-throated Gerygone; Striated Thornbill; Yellow‑rumped Thornbill; Buff‑rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Double‑barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Brown Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Dusky Woodswallow;  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;