Breeding Birds: 2015 expectations.

I thought it might be interesting to try to do a post on birds that have bred in the area and identify those likely to breed in the next few months.

Thus far we have recorded 99 species undertake some form of breeding activity, covering the range from Display to Dependent Young in the area.  The peak period is October - December, as shown by the polynomial curves in this chart.

The red shows the number of observations of breeding activity per month and the blue line the number of species observed in activity each month.  Although the numbers are different (hence two scales) the pattern is, as near as makes no difference, identical.

It is a bit difficult to present information about 98 species in a blogpost so I have restricted the following table to the 29 species for which >5 observations of breeding activity have been made.  (I can supply the full table to anyone that wants to see it - send me an email.)

I have taken images of some of the nests seen in the area in the past month.

Little Raven: Hoskinstown Plain

Pied Currawong; Whiskers Creek Rd

Australian Magpie; Whiskers Creek Rd

Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Briars-Sharrow Rd

The large pile of twigs is a decoy: the eggs are laid in a tunnel structure underneath. 

The Tawny Frogmouths have started building their nest at our house, in the same site as the past three years.