September 2012

In September 2012 97 species were reported to me.  This is the same number as in August 2012, although the species mix was different.  Although slightly (4) lower than the number recorded in September 2011 it indicates the season is progressing pretty much on schedule.  In the Chart below I have used only the last three years in forming the average to reduce the variability due to changes in number of regular contributors.

A further species, Great Egret has been added to the list from a swamp on Plains Rd.  This species is quite regularly seen in the broader area but this is the first time one has been reported to me.  The total list for the area now stands at 172 species.

Most of the migrants expected by September have returned although the number of reports of cuckoos have been a bit 'thinner than would be expected.  Several more migrant species are likely to return in October.  There have been a number of reports of the less common Woodswallows (White-browed and Masked) in Canberra in the last few days so it is worth keeping an eye open for these species, which often travel in flocks of >100 birds feeding on insect swarms.

A few species have started breeding  as indicated in red in the list below.

1  Waterbirds:  Musk Duck; Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal;  Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe;  Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron;  Great Egret: White‑faced Heron;  EurasianCoot; Black-winged Stilt; Masked Lapwing

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk; Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed 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: Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Laughing Kookaburra;

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; White‑plumed 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; 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; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White‑-winged Triller; Olive‑backed Oriole; 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