September 2015

After the dramatics of August, September has seemed a bit quiet as we haven't added any new species to the list.  The most excitement was from the swamp on the Hoskinstown Plain which following very good rain over Winter was a sheet of water again.  (Following the lowest September rain I have recorded it was drying out rapidly).  This added Black-winged Stilt to the list and provided a safe(ish) haven for a brood of 14 Shelducklings.  Another less common sighting was two Purple Swamphens on the billabong in Molonglo River Park.

The Banded Lapwings are still on the Eastern extent of the Plain but no-one has actually seen chicks yet so we don't know if the presumed breeding has happened.  Masked Lapwings had 4 runners on a property on the Plain early in the month.

Overall we recorded 99 species in the area in the month, which is 5 more than Ausgust 2015 and 9 more than September 2014.

The expected migrants have pretty much arrived on or before schedule.  There are still a few species to get here.

Breeding is happening all over with those species marked in red in the list below.  Getting two nests for White-faced Heron (Bowen Place and Pollock Rd is very good).   WRT to timing matters seem more or less on schedule, with perhaps a tendency towards early rather than late.

As always thanks to the observers who have provided reports to me for the month.  These have covered sites in Widgiewa Rd, Wanna Wanna, Pony  Place, Bowen Street, Clydesdale Rd, Hoskinstown Plain and Village, Captains Flat Rd and Molonglo Valley. 

Summer migrants arte highlighted in orange, and Winter migrants in blue.  

1  Waterbirds (pt 1):  (pt 2); (Pt 3); (Pt 4): Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron;  White‑faced Heron; Australian White Ibis; Purple Swamphen; Eurasian  Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing.

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Peregrine 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):  Rock Dove; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth;Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo;  Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; 

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

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

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species (Pt 1) (Pt 2):  Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren;White-throated Gerygone; 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; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Varied Sitella; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive‑backed Oriole; 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