November 2014

This month has been pretty much business as usual for the time of year.  A couple of relatively unusual, in recent times, birds – Eastern Barn Owl and Black-shouldered Kite - have been reported from the Plain.  An Australian Koel has visited Whiskers Creek Rd in the past few days, which is becoming normal for this time of year.

In all 102 species have been recorded this month. That is the same as October 2014 and 4 less than November 2013.

The migration period is pretty much over with most species recorded on time.  A surprise has been the total absence of records of Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoo this year.  They have been heard in Canberra but not, thus far, out here.  Two other cuckoos (Bush and Channe-billed are also missing, but they are much less common.  The less usual Woodswallows (White-browed and Masked have also been absent this year, after a major arrival last year.

13 species have been recorded breeding as indicated by red in the listing below.  'Our' Tawny Frogmouths are now well out and about with their parents.  I have put a couple of comparative roost-snaps in this post.  The camouflaged chick in the final image lost the plot completely 1 minute later:

But they are cute!

For November I thank observers in Forbes Creek, Widgiewa Rd, Knox Close, the Plain, Pony Place, Captains Flat Rd and Wanna Wanna Rd.for their efforts in reporting.   I'm always happy to hear of other sightings of interest to you, in the current season especially of breeding actvities or first sightings of migrants, 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; Little Pied Cormorant;  White‑necked Heron;  White‑faced Heron; Australian White Ibis; Straw-necked Ibis; EurasianCoot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing

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

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

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds:  Stubble Quail;  Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth;  Common Koel; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo;  Eastern Barn Owl; 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; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark;  Scarlet Robin; 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;  Weebill; White-throated Gerygone; Striated Thornbill;  Yellow‑rumped Thornbill; Buff‑rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Double‑barred 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; 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