December 2013

Well, I did it again.  I mentioned Painted Honeyeaters in last month's post and they turned up in Hoskinstown with dependent young birds.  A major, major addition to our list.  I have put a few details about this species in a special post.

The other very unusual (for this area) bird seen in the month was an Australian Pelican seen swimming in a dam.  This is only the second sighting in 7 years.  A remnant of Eucalyptus pauciflora and E. mannifera has continued to produce very interesting birds with White-winged Triller and White-browed Woodswallow both breeding there as covered in another additional post.

Overall 114 species were recorded in this month,  This is 8 species more than November 2013 but 2 less than December 2012.  A more general comparison is shown in the following chart.

We are also recording large numbers of breeding species.  27 species, including the Painted Honeyeaters and Eastern Yellow Robins, have been recorded undertaking some form of breeding activity with 12 species observed at nests.  Most breeding records are dependent young: this is not surprising since the young birds are very noisy in contrast to the secrecy most species cultivate around their nests.

Thanks to observers in Pony Place, Wanna Wanna Rd, Captains Flat Rd, Radcliffe, Widgiewa Rd, Molonglo Valley,the Hoskinstown Plain and Hoskinstown.  Keep them coming people, by email to martinflab@gmail.com!

OVERALL LIST

In the list which follows migrants are shown in italics and breeding birds in red.

1  Waterbirds:  Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal;  Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead;Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; Great Cormorant; Australian  Pelican; White‑necked Heron; White‑faced Heron; Nankeen Night Heron; Australian White Ibis; Yellow-billed Spoonbill;  Eurasian Coot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; B

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite;  Brown Goshawk; Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle;  Nankeen Kestrel 

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;  Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo;  Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Southern Boobook; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher;  Dollarbird; 

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush;  Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark; Scarlet 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; 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; White‑-winged Triller; Olive‑backed Oriole; Masked Woodswallow; White‑browed Woodswallow; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; Golden-headed Cisticola; Australian Reed-warbler; Rufous Songlark; 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

Over the next month I expect to compile an overall review of the Birds of Carwoola in 2013.  When I do this depends on other activities but watch this space.