March 2016

There have been no surprise species this month.  An unusual number of Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos have been sighted flying back and forth across the Hoskinstown Plain, and trashed cones under many pine trees are signs of their passage.  The biggest surprise is the relatively low number of species seen in total.

I have compiled a separate post about possible reasons for this, concluding that the main factor is that a number of species, mainly less common ones just weren't seen, attributing this to observers travelling more than last year.

The Summer migrants have started to depart in earnest, with small flocks of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters moving to the East. On 8 March Rainbow Bee-eaters were migrating in the Molonglo valley.  No Cuckoos have been reported this month.  A further sign of changing seasons has been the first sightings of Golden Whistlers, returning from the mountain breeding grounds.

In my Gazette note I commented that only Red-browed Finch had been reported as breeding in the month.  Since then I have had a report of fledgling Australian Wood Duck.  Both are marked in red below.

As always, thanks to the observers who have provided reports to me for the month.  These have covered sites in  Whiskers Creek Rd, Widgiewa Rd, Douglas Close, Wanna Wanna, and Hoskinstown Plain and Village. I'm always happy to receive reports, my email address is martinflab@gmail.com.

Before getting to the list of species observed readers might like to check out a post showing the international readership of this blog.

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

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

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 (Pt 1) (Pt 2) (Pt 3): Stubble Quail;; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Australian Owlet-nightjar; Southern Boobook; Eastern Barn Owl;Laughing Kookaburra; Rainbow Bee‑eater.

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: Golden Whistler;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush;  Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Magpie-lark; Scarlet 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; Weebill; Western Gerygone; 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;Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike;Dusky Woodswallow;Common Blackbird; Common Myna; Common Starling;Australasian  Pipit;

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