February 2013

The month has been a bit more 'normal' after the excitements of the previous month.  Of course, 18 months ago it would have been really exciting to report Banded Lapwing, Glossy Ibis and Spotted Harrier.  These days it is just very enjoyable to have such diversity in our small area.  The most unusual sightings of the month were:

• Two records of Black Falcon (from the Plain and close to Taliesin); and
• Another record of Nankeen Night-Heron - in this case two birds at a billabong on Wanna Wanna Rd - seems to reflect a general increase in this species in the Canberra area

A first sign of the change of season has been a marked decline in reports of breeding birds.  Only two such records have been received, both of dependent Young.  The first was very pleasing: Diamond Firetail which are far from common generally but are quite often reported in this area.  The other species reported as breeding was Dusky Woodswallow.

The Dusky Woodswallows also showed another sign of Autumn creeping up on us with a flock of about 20 birds nestling together on a dead tree on Whiskers Creek Rd.  Also in larger numbers than seen in Summer were Pied Currawongs making their usual raucous noises.  The final report of larger flocks comes from Wanna Wanna Rd which was rated as "Gang-gang Central".

A few White-throated Needletails have been seen around the storms  late in the month.  This species is studied Australia and any reports of them would be welcome.  Indeed all comments and observations welcome: my address is martinflab <at> gmail <dot> com.

Thanks to all who have reported information to me with observations coming in from Wanna Wanna Rd, Radcliffe, Widgiewa Rd, the Molonglo Valley, Hoskinstown Plain and Hoskinstown Village. 

In total for the month we recorded 112 species  This was 13 less more than the astonishing number of species recorded in January 2013 but 16 species more than February 2012.  

Most of the migrant species (in Italics below) are still around, although cuckoos have been thin on the trees, as are the invertebrates they feed on.  However with dropping temperatures the food will diminish and the migrants will head off.  I have done a post about that.  Species which are likely to disappear in March seem to be: Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo; Shining Bronze-Cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Western Gerygone; Rufous Songlark and Fairy Martin.

1  Waterbirds:   Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck;  Grey Teal; Chestnut Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead;Australasian Grebe;  Darter; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant;  White‑necked Heron; Great Egret: White‑faced Heron; Nankeen Night Heron; Glossy Ibis; Australian White Ibis;  Purple Swamphen;  EurasianCoot;  Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Spotted Harrier; Swamp 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; 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; Australian Owlet-nightjar; White-throated Needletail; Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Southern Boobook; 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: Golden Whistler;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher;  Magpie-lark;Scarlet Robin; Red‑capped Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow;Fairy Martin; 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; Golden-headed Cisticola; Australian Reed-warbler; Brown Songlark; 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

Eagle-eyed readers will note that Dollarbird doesn't appear in the list.  I thought I heard some calling near Stoney Creek Nature Reserve a few days ago.  Strangely the call appeared to be coming from low down.  Getting a better view I found ....

Presumably exploring from a nearby house.  Hopefully they won't go feral.