April 2012

Report compiled by Julienne Kamprad (thanks Julienne) 

During April a very respectable number of 93 bird species were recorded in the catchment area
of the Gazette. This is only 2 less than the total of the previous month March and 18 more than in April last year. There were no breeding records for the month. The one cuckoo I have seen, a Shining Bronze-cuckoo, was not calling but quietly accompanying a mixed feeding flock of small birds. Right on target the Flame Robin and Golden Whistlers have arrived although not all of the summer migrants have left. Several Red Wattlebirds, Noisy Friarbirds and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters remained to feed on and around the abundantly flowering Brittle Gum.

April’s special sightings
Black Falcon, Spotted Harrier and numerous Black-shouldered Kites graced our sky once again this
month.  Also of note were groups of 4 Cattle Egrets, 4 Varied Sittella, 20 Gang-gang Cockatoos, 20 Crested Pigeons, 50 Southern Whitefaces, 50 Silvereyes, 15 Masked Lapwings, 6 White-faced Herons and 300-400 Little Ravens.

Full List-
Migrant birds are shown in italics below. Thanks to several observers in the Molonglo Valley,
Forbes Creek, Hoskinstown, and Widgiewa Rd.

1 Waterbirds: Musk Duck; Black Swan; Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal;
Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Darter; Little Pied Cormorant; Cattle Egret; White-faced Heron; Australian White Ibis; 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; Black Falcon, Peregrine Falcon.

3 Parrots and Relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo; Ganggang Cockatoo; Galah;
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped parrot

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Stubble Quail; Rock Dove; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Shining Bronzecuckoo; Eastern Barn Owl; Laughing Kookaburra.

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler; Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Hooded Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species: Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Weebill; White-throated Gerygone; Striated Thornbill; Yellowrumped Thornbill; Buffrumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Southern Whiteface; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Doublebarred Finch; Red-browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds: White-throated Treecreeper; Varied Sittella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; 
Olive-backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; Common Blackbird; Common Myna; Common Starling; Australasian Pipit;

9 Other, larger birds Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Currawong; Grey Currawong; Australian Raven; Little Raven; White-winged Chough