Bungendore is Dux

On 24 February I needed to go to Bungendore a couple of times, and on the second time remembered to take my bins and camera with me.  I stopped at a couple of spots, labelled in this image ....

to count (mainly) waterbirds.  There were no ducks on the Trucking Yard Lane Dam (just North of the Bungendore Meadow Dam).

In total the birds I counted, in about 10 minutes at the Meadow and 20 minutes looking through the fence at the WTP were as follows.  I have highlighted the more exciting sightings.

	Sewage ponds	Bungendore Meadow Dam
Plumed Whistling-Duck	31
Freckled Duck	1
Maned Duck	65	23
Pacific Black Duck	40	16
Australian Shoveler	9
Gray Teal	54	35
Chestnut Teal	6
Pink-eared Duck	7
White-eyed Duck	18
Australasian Grebe	3
Eurasian Coot	2
Masked Lapwing	2
Little Raven		13

This next image gives a bit of context to the Water Treatment Plant observations.

This is a close up of part of the group of Plumed Whistling Ducks (yes I know I have put up many photos of this species, but they are photogenic).

 It is unusual to find them swimming, other than to escape predators.

The haul observed today emphasises the importance of the sewage ponds as a drought refuge.

As a late update, a few days later a local friend reported 41 Whistling Ducks and 10 Pin-ears on these ponds.

January 2014

What a hot and dry start to a year!  I have posted in my home blog about the alleged weather we have been having.  I suspect my experience, of finding it difficult to get out after about mid-morning on the really hot days, has been shared by other observers (and the birds).  As a result we are 10 species down on December 2013 and 19 down on January 2013.

• 96 species were recorded in both January 2014 and January 2013.  
• It is difficult to see a pattern in  the 10 'extras' for 2014 (ie species found in 2014 but not in 2013) other than that none of them are common birds.
• Of the 29 species found in 2013, but not found this year, again, none are common (except 'my' Tawny Frogmouths which have not been recorded since Christmas).  12 are associated with wet places and most of those were on the now bone-dry swamp in the Plain. A further 6 are raptor species, possibly indicating that prey (other than grasshoppers) is scarce.

The Painted Honeyeaters have continued to hang around in Hoskinstown, while those along the Murrumbidgee have disappeared.  The most exciting bird this month has been the appearance of Red-capped Robins in our garden.  At least two birds were present and they are celebrated in a separate post.

(On the topic of separate posts I have completed the Annual Report for 2013 and it starts in this post.)

9 species have been observed in the month with dependent young.  This is similar to 2013, but about half the number of species seen breeding in January in 2010 and 2011.  They are shown in red below.

Thanks to observers in Hoskinstown, the Hoskinstown Plain, Pony Place, Wanna Wanna and Widgiewa Rds.  Keep them coming people, by email to martinflab@gmail.com!  Thanks also to other property owners who have observation on their land.

 1  Waterbirds:  Black Swan;  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; Australian White Ibis; Straw-necked Ibis;  Dusky Moorhen;  Eurasian Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Masked Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon.

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

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Stubble Quail; Brown quail; Rock Dove; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Australian Owlet-nightjar;  Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Eastern Barn Owl; Powerful Owl; 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; Red‑capped Robin, Flame 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; Varied Sitella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White‑-winged Triller;  White‑browed Woodswallow; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; Golden-headed Cisticola; Australian Reed-warbler; Brown Songlark; Common Blackbird; Common Myna; 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