January 2017

I like this image of some Superb Fairy-wrens taking advantage of our bird bath.

Since the last monthly report I have done the annual report and circulated links: if you missed it, it starts here.  A summary of migrant arrival dates is  here. Also my friend Ian Fraser has done a very thoughtful piece on the impact of climate change on birds and other forms of life.

We have done very well indeed for diversity this month, scoring 118 species - the second highest month in the 10 years of the project.

This was definitely helped along by the wide range of birds on the marsh in the Plain.  We also added a species (#195) when an observer came across 2 Azure Kingfishers near the Queanbeyan Escarpment  - just inside the study area!  This species needs water in which to feed and nest and that appears to be on offer at a dam near the site.  I had an unsuccessful, but strenuous, effort to relocate the birds and will try harder later.

Recording 9 species of raptor also helped!  Several of them will be enjoying the huge numbers of grasshoppers in the grassland.

The time for migrants to arrive has finished although an Eastern Koel was heard at Whiskers Creek earlier in January.  I'm not sure if that reflects the time that Noisy Friarbirds build nests or plum-ripening time!  In contrast some species may soon be leaving us and will be commented on in future bulletins (and a special blog post when I have written it).

16 species have been recorded breeding in the past month (shown in red below) with most being dependent young records.  The major highlight was the Whiskered Terns raising chicks in the marsh.

This is being written up for Canberra Bird Notes over the next few months.

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, Knox Close, Radcliffe Circuit, Douglas Close, Captains Flat Rd, Molonglo River Park, Molonglo Valley, Wanna Wanna, and Hoskinstown Village and  Plain. I'm always happy to receive reports, my email address is martinflab@gmail.com.


1  Waterbirds (pt 1):  (pt 2); (Pt 3); (Pt 4): Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Chestnut Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Blue-billed Duck; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe;  Little Pied Cormorant; Great Cormorant; White‑necked Heron; Eastern Great Egret: White‑faced Heron;  Australian White Ibis; Straw-necked Ibis;  Baillons Crake; Eurasian  Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing; Australian Painted Snipe; Latham’s Snipe; Sharp-tailed Sandpiper; Whiskered tern,, Silver Gull

2 Birds of Prey:  Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk;Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; Australian Hobby; 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): Stubble Quail; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Australian Owlet-nightjar; Painted Button-quail; Common Koel; Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Southern Boobook; Azure Kingfisher; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Dollarbird.

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: ;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; 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; White-throated Gerygone; Striated Thornbill; Yellow‑rumped Thornbill; Buff‑rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Double‑barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch;House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Spotted  Quail-thrush;Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White‑-winged Triller; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; 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