September 2013

This pair of Laughing Kookaburras were sitting adjacent to the Fairy Martin culvert on Plains Rd.  I use the term 'pair' with caution as it implies they are more than 'good friends' and I don't know the sex of the one on the right.  The blue rump, just visible on the leftie, indicates adult male.

The migrants are continuing to return with the first Noisy Friarbird call (ruckus) being heard on the 2^nd, the first Grey Fantail on the 3^rd, and the first Leaden Flycatcher on the 26^th.   Of the 12 migrant species which have returned so far 4 are early, 5 as expected and 3 are a tad late.  (The variation is typically +/- a single month.)

Two species have been added to the district list in the month.  A Whiskered Tern was seen (from the road) on Foxlow Lagoon  on 13 September.  A  Rose Robin passed through Whiskers Creek on the  23^rd:  this has led me to compile a separate note on the various robins seen in the area.

In total we have recorded 95 species for the month.  A pleasant return towards the values of recent years and reflecting the return of some observers from distant climes.

Breeding is also happening with 8 species, indicated in red in the list below, recorded as undertaking some component of the reproductive process.  .  Our Tawny Frogmouths are now sitting on eggs.  I have been told of Black-fronted Dotterels having a nest with three eggs which seem to have hatched on 22 September, and Kookaburras nesting.  Striated pardalotes are using and investigating nesting sites.  

Thanks to observers in Wanna Wanna, the Molonglo Valley, Plains Rd and Widgiewa Rd for their contributions.

1  Waterbirds:  Musk Duck; Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑faced Heron; EurasianCoot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Whiskered tern.

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk; Swamp Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle;  Nankeen Kestrel; Brown 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: Brown quail; Black‑eared Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Eastern Barn Owl; Tawny Frogmouth;  Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; 

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird;  Brown‑headed Honeyeater; White-naped Honeyeater; Noisy Friarbird

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Fairy Martin; Tree Martin

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

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; 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

August 2013

Update from last month: as a result of my trip away I omitted to include as a significant observation a report of Superb Lyrebird heard displaying in Cuumbeun Nature Reserve.

The exciting observation this month begin with a Nankeen Night-Heron seen in a garden in Clydesdale (thanks Terry and Ellie).

August is the month in which we can hope to see or hear the first returning migrants.  They are beginning with the first Pallid Cuckoo call coming on 20 August and being heard daily from then on, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters being seen from mid-month; the first Rufous Whistler on 29 Augusut; and several Dusky Woodswallows on the 31^st.

Some breeding records are beginning to be reported as shown in the list below.  I am delighted that for the 6th year in a row the Tawny Frogmouths are building a nest at our place.  I have written a special post about the timing of breeding in our patch.

The number of species observed is again a good bit lower than last year (but does show the seasonal kick from the depths of July.

An analysis of (some of) the reasons for the decline is in a separate post.

Thanks to observers in Wanna Wanna Rd, Clydesdale, Captains Flat Rd, Widigiewa Rd and the Molonglo Valley for August reports. Please let me know if you see evidence of breeding, or other interesting birding sightings, by email to martinflab@gmail.com I'd stress that observations of what you think of as 'ordinary birds' because they are common on your patch can be very useful particularly when observers are few.

Breeding species are marked in red below and migrants are in italics.

1  Waterbirds: Musk Duck; Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe;  Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron; White‑faced Heron; Nankeen Night Heron;  EurasianCoot; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing;

2 Birds of Prey:  Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Brown Falcon;  Peregrine Falcon.

3 Parrots and Relatives:  Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo;Gang‑gang Cockatoo; Galah;   Sulphur‑crested Cockatoo;  Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; 

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: ;Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon;  Tawny Frogmouth; Pallid Cuckoo; Laughing Kookaburra; 

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

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

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper;Varied Sitella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike;  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

Why have all the birds gone?

The title is a little reminiscent of a famous Pete Seeger song, but unfortunately that doesn't supply any answers.  As far as I can tell none of the missing bird species have gone to young girls; husbands, the army or graveyards.

We have had a reduced number of observers in the lower parts of the area this year and this would certainly explain part of the 'problem'.  Here follow my other thoughts on the comparison of the  number of species observed in August 2012 and 2013.

		2013
		Yes	No
2012	Yes	72	25
	No	4	na

To deal with the four species 'added' in 2013 first, 1 is unusual (Nankeen Night-heron); the Pallid Cuckoo was an early return; and the Gang-gang and Silvereye are just chance.

More interest is in the (much larger number of) species seen in 2012 but not 2013.

Late arriving migrants
From comments in the COG bulletin 'Gang-gang' it seems that many migrants are delayed in their return to the Canberra Region, despite the warm winter.  For the purpose of this note I take that to be an explanation for 5 species: Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Grey fantail; Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo; Noisy friarbird; Shining Bronze-cuckoo.  Interestingly I first heard a Noisy Friarbird on 2 September, so they are only a little late.

Waterbirds
Apart from good rain in June and adequate rain in July, we have been through a relatively dry Autumn-Winter.  Although the dams and other wet areas aren't as dry as in 2009 there isn't a lot of water around.  (interestingly, an observer who has moved to Corryong comments that there is water everywhere down there).  5 species of waterbirds are MIA this year: Australasian Shoveler; Hoary-headed Grebe; Black Swan; Hardhead; Latham's Snipe.

Raptors
There was a surprising absence of reports of raptors in August 2013.  The Spotted Harriers which were regular over the swamp in the Plain have not been reported for a while; neither the relatively common Nankeen Kestrel nor Black-shouldered Kite have been seen; and the less frequently reported Little Eagle and Australian Hobby have been absent.  Perhaps the dry weather has decreased prey numbers?  Perhaps it is an outcome of reduced observer numbers on the Plain?

Quail
These birds are often hard to spot unless a lot of time is spent in the grassy areas.  This is an area where we have been lower on reports in August.  Neither of the local species (Brown Quail and Stubble Quail) were reported this month.  (This could also cover the Spotted Harrier; Latham's Snipe and Golden-headed Cistcola also found - like the rain in Spain - mainly on the Plain.)

Others
This leaves a group of 8 species.  Of these 2 (Red-rumped Parrot and Double-barred Finch) are usually easy to spot along the roads of the Plain but I haven't done so in August 2013.  The other 6 species are all relatively unusual in the area, and their absence is not remarkable.