March 2013

In March 2013 we recorded 101 species of birds.  While this is a drop of 11 species since February2013 (and there is usually a decline between February and March) it is 6 species more than were recorded in March 2012 and is the greatest number we have recorded in the month of March.

Much of the drop is due to many of the migrant species leaving the area for more nutritious climes to the North, particularly the  insectivorous ones.  The only cuckoo recorded this month was a Common Koel (which eat fruit rather than insects as do most cuckoos in this area).  With Flycatchers the only species recorded are the partial migrant Willie Wagtail and Grey Fantail (and of course the Magpie-lark).

Waterbirds were also 'light-on', including sightings on the Foxlow Lagoon and the Swamp-on-the-Plain.  This is a surprise since the very limited rain in the last few months has caused most small dams to be well below capacity and I would have expected those two larger waterbodies to be fulfilling a refuge role.  Such puzzles are one of the things that make birding interesting.

Also seasonal has been the appearance of White-throated Needletails (aka 'Swifts') generally travelling on the front of storms.  Some of the local sightings have been part of a very low number of obserations reported to the guy who coordinates records of such sightings.

Thanks to observers on the Hoskinstown Plain and Village, Widgiewa Rd and Wanna-wanna Rd.

Three species, shown in red below, were observed undertaking breeding related activities during the month.  The Dusky Moorhen and Buff-rumped Thornbill had dependent young (probably both second broods) while the Satin Bowerbird was active at its bower, getting ready for next season.

1  Waterbirds:  Musk Duck; Australian Wood Duck;  Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Darter; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant;  White‑necked Heron; Great Egret: White‑faced Heron; Nankeen Night Heron; Australian White Ibis;  Purple Swamphen; Dusky Moorhen; EurasianCoot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing.

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel;Brown 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: Stubble Quail; Brown quail; Rock Dove; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Australian Owlet-nightjar; White-throated Needletail;  Common Koel; Southern Boobook; 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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush;  Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail;  Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin;  Eastern Yellow 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; Masked Woodswallow; 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

I have put up a couple of extra posts this month, summarising the Tawny Frogmouth experience and reporting on a number of flocks of small birds which turned up yesterday.