December 2017

A magnificent photo of 2 magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagles.  Many thanks Rachael Due Madsen!

But wait: zooming in, there's more.  Not a set of steak knives but proof that they are, as is well known, doing their bit to improve rabbit numbers.!

I was also sent an image of a 60% yellow plumaged Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo seen at the end of Briars-Sharrow Rd.  Thanks for the image John Hyles.

A somewhat similar patterned bird was reported to COG from Wamboin in 2004 and earlier.  Given the longevity of many parrot/cockatoo species it is possibly the same bird.

Overall, birds were a bit low in diversity this month.  We only recorded 95 species in contrast to the average (since 2010) of 107 species.  The major group missing are waterbirds, and comment on the COG chatline suggests most of them have gone to breed in the flooded areas of Victoria.

11 species have been recorded undertaking some form of breeding activity.  The most notable has been Banded Lapwings which have not only returned to the Hoskinstown Plain but have raised 2 chicks despite choosing to nest in a paddock full of large cattle!  A pair of Noisy Friarbirds have nested in a pin oak in our lawn.  When I last checked they had 3 young.  They also have, as described in the linked post a Very Bad Attitude.  Breeding species are marked in red in the list below.

As always, thanks to the observers who have provided reports to me for the month.  These have covered sites in Nummerak Close, Douglas Close, Whiskers Creek Rd, Widgiewa Rd, Knox Close, Wanna Wanna Rd, and Hoskinstown Village and Plain.  Please pass on interesting sightings to me by email to martinflab@gmail.com.  

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

2 Birds of Prey:  Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk; Spotted Harrier; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; 

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; Common Koel;  Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Southern Boobook; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Dollarbird

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; ; Magpie-lark; 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; Red‑browed Finch; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White‑-winged Triller; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; Australian Reed-warbler; Rufous Songlark; 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