May 2014

Despite the rather dry and warm weather in the middle of the month bird diversity was quite reasonable.  I ended up entering 81 species in the database, an increase of two species on those recorded in April 2014 (there is normally a slight decrease between those months) and three more than recorded in May 2013.

In terms of 'excitements' a Freckled Duck ...

.. was seen on a farm dam and photographed by Garry.  This was only our second record in the area: they seem to have disappeared from Canberra, but there are still a few around in Queanbeyan.  Also a second record for this project was a Restless Flycatcher seen on Wanna Wanna Road.  (This species looks somewhat like a Willie Wagtail but usually reveals itself by a loud churring call made as it hovers over tussocks seeking insects.)

A Musk Duck was also spotted (from the road) on Foxlow Lagoon.  This was the first seen since November 2013 - not 2011 as I said in the Gaxzette article!  That water is a hotspot for the species in the Canberra area.  It appears that they prefer dining on yabbies which become plentiful when water inundates a well vegetated area: this seems quite sensible with the water level n the lagoon rising recently after the dry of 2013.

Thanks to observers in Wanna-wanna and Widgiewa Roads,and the Hoskinstown Plain.   Please advise any interesting sightings to me at martinflab@gmail.com.

1  Waterbirds:  Freckled Duck; Musk Duck; Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal;  Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron;  White‑faced Heron; Straw-necked Ibis; Purple Swamphen; Dusky Moorhen;  Eurasian Coot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Red-kneed Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Brown Goshawk;  Wedge-tailed 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: Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Laughing Kookaburra

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler;Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; WillieWagtail;Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin;Red‑capped Robin, Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; 

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; Double‑barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow

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