November 2013

November 2013

Following my comment last month requesting any evidence of the two large Cuckoos I heard an Eastern Koel calling in the middle of the night.  Further sightings/hearings welcomed (as long as one isn’t trying to sleep in the vicinity of the bird).  Any sightings of Channel-billed Cuckoo would be exciting - their call is very distinctive being described by one local observer as like Miles Davis in his most experimental phase!

The other unusual species reported in November is a Glossy Ibis.  This is possibly a refugee from the drying out in the West of the State.  This is causing some uncommon Honeyeaters to turn up in the western parts of Canberra and along the Murrumbidgee.  The current 'suspects' in this group are Painted Honeyeater (image by Geoffrey Dabb from COG Photogallery)

and Black Honeyeater (image by Lindsay Hansch from COG Photogallery)

Keep an eye open on your Grevilleas and Callistemons (and of course any mistletoes flowering on your block).   Breaking News from December: Painted Honeyeaters have been observed in Hoskinstown by several folk including your humble reporter.

Breeding is in full swing.  By the time all records were collected for November we had a good haul of 19 species recorded with some form of breeding activity.  Our Tawny Frogmouths have fledged the remaining chick and are now touring the property, introducing it to their territory.  Sometimes they turn up in Fleur-de-lys pose.

Overall we are up to 105 species for November, which is an excellent outcome and for which praise is due to the many folk who have given me recordings.   While we are 2 species below October we are 1 above the average for the last 4 Novembers.

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!

1  Waterbirds:  Musk Duck; Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead;Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron;  White‑faced Heron; Glossy Ibis; Australian White Ibis; Straw-necked Ibis; Eurasian Coot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed 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

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Stubble Quail; Brown quail; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth;  Common Koel; Channel-billed Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; ;Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Dollarbird

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark; Jacky Winter;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; 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; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White‑-winged Triller; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow;Skylark; Golden-headed Cisticola; 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