July 2015: Now is the discontent with our Winter!

Speaking for ourselves we were more discontented with the Winter on offer further up the East Coast so spent considerably more of July at home that we had intended.  Thus I have contributed more to the tally than I had anticipated.  Others have likewise made great contributions, as listed below.

The major story started with a post to the COG chatline in mid-month drew my attention to a sighting of White-fronted Chats just North of Hoskinstown.  This is a new species for the area (#189).  No-one has been able to relocate them.  (That was true for July, but I did track them down in early August - they have a distinctive call a bit lit a toy trumpet.)

Also at the same site were 11  Banded Lapwings, which we haven’t had on the Plain since October 2013 (although they did appear at Wanna Wanna Rd in December 2014).  A variable number of them are still being seen 10 days later.  Indeed there seems to have been a fair parade of out of area COG members to Hoskinstown on 31 July, with well known local photographer Geoffrey Dabb capturing this remarkable image (and comment thereon).

Other excellent sightings this month have included:

• Tree martins at Hoskinstown (they have usually migrated away by now)
• Varied Sitella and White-plumed Honeyeater at Pony Place; and
• A huge flock of 200 Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos recorded on the 19^th, feeding in pines off Wanna Wanna Rd
• At least 1 Fan-tailed Cuckoo has been calling through the month around Whiskers Creek.

Overall we have recorded 79 species for the month: a better haul than the past couple of Julys, probably reflecting more boots on the ground.  That is 2 more than June 2015 and 28 species more than last July, when nearly everyone was away for nearly all the month!  It is also above the average for the past 6 years.

I have done a couple of blogposts, on my main blog which may be of interest.  One relates to the Banded Lapwings while the other is a sort of exploration of the road more or less parallel to the proposed Bungendore to Captains Flat Rail Trail.

In the next month the early breeding records can be expected.  The first record of this season is Striated Thornbills displaying.

Thanks to observers in Widgiewa Rd, Hoskinstown (both on the Plain and in the village); Knox Close, Pony Place; Bowen St; Captains Flat Rd and Wanna Wanna Rd.  Please pass on interesting sightings to me by email to martinflab@gmail.com.  

The appearance of the detailed list is a bit different this month.  As we have added species over time the old list has seemed to develop a mind of its own about formatting which looked gross (and more importantly hard to read).  Due to the mass of hyperlinks to images it was difficult to discipline it so I have re-done the list restricting the links to pages rather than specific images.  I hope you can still find what you want.  (The colours of link has also changed: red for unread, and green for followed.  That might also make life simpler for you.)

1  Waterbirds (pt 1):  (pt 2); (Pt 3); (Pt 4): Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Pink-eared Duck; Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Darter; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑faced Heron; Eurasian  Coot; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; 

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 (Pt 1) (Pt 2) (Pt 3): Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Southern Boobook; Laughing Kookaburra; Superb lyrebird

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Tree Martin

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species (Pt 1) (Pt 2):  Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Speckled warbler; Weebill; Striated Thornbill; Yellow‑rumped Thornbill; Buff‑rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Double-barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Varied Sitella; Common Blackbird; Common Starling; Mistletoebird; 

9  Other, larger birds: Satin Bowerbird; Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Currawong; Grey Currawong; Australian Raven; Little Raven; White-winged Chough

June 2015

In case you think it has been cold recently, I have recorded 22/30 minimum temperatures in June as below 0^oC and the temperature didn't get above  15^oC all month.  I have put a full weather report on my main blog.

I will begin the bird stuff with a bad sighting: 9 Common Mynas near the top of Douglas Close.  Possibly thought should be given by the residents in that area to contacting CIMAG to get a trap!

Overall the month has not been too bad for diversity  with 77 species recorded.   This is slightly above average (mainly due to a very low score in June 2011) and 2 species down on last year.

Raptors were particularly low in presence and abundance, with only three species recorded.  A former resident - now living  in Greeeleigh - commented that 

"while raptors do not have a regular presence in Greenleigh, this past few months have been leaner than usual, with no records so far in June and a similar void in March and April.  WTE and LE both recorded in May."

So we are not alone.

Waterbirds were also few in number in the spots visited, possibly reflecting them being widely distributed on the extent of water around the countryside after a soggy May.  However diversity was quite reasonable.

On a positive note a Superb Lyrebird was seen near Wanna Wanna Rd.  The seasonal mixed flocks have also appeared with one at Whiskers Creek including Speckled Warbler, Scarlet Robin and Varied Sitella. Less expected in the season was Fan-tailed Cuckoo: one was heard calling near Wanna Wanna Rd late in the month and then a call was heard 2 days later at Whiskers Creek Rd,  I believe this to be an over-wintering bird rather than an early return.

Thanks to observers in Widgiewa Rd, Hoskinstown (both on the Plain and in the village); Knox Close, Pony Place; Captains Flat Rd and Wanna Wanna Rd.  Please pass on interesting sightings to me by email to martinflab@gmail.com.  

Thanks also to the owners of a property on the Plain who have allowed us to bird there in the past. They are now selling the place and mention the birding delights in the sale notice.  It is a magnificent birding site with old Eucalypts and I commend it to any readers (or reader's friends) looking for a great tree change site for birding.

Enough with the advertisements already: here is the bird list for June!

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

2 Birds of Prey:  Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; 

3 Parrots and Relatives:   Yellow-tailed Black-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; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo;  Laughing Kookaburra; Superb lyrebird

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

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

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species:  Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren;Speckled warbler; Weebill; Striated Thornbill; Yellow‑rumped Thornbill; Buff‑rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Red‑browed Finch; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Varied Sitella; Skylark; 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