April 2018

The weather for April was rather warm and desperately dry.  Despite that, the birds were rather 'normal'.

For less common birds a Royal Spoonbill was seen at Foxlow Lagoon and a Rose Robin at a birdbath in Walga Close.  A visit to the billabong in the community land at the end of Molonglo River Park also delivered Australian Swamphen and Dusky Moorhen, neither of which are common in this area.

Powerful Owls are still being heard on Wanna Wanna Rd, and a pair has also been heard in Wamboin (surely different birds).  Perhaps the "controlled" burns in the bush are driving this species into more settled areas?

A good sighting, of a species viewed with some concern in the ACT, was a flock of 20+ Gang-gangs doing laps over the Molonglo.  At this time of year they often appear in larger flocks, like this, feeding on the hawthorns on the Plain.

Overall we recorded 96 species this month.

This is shown as well above average which surprised me a little.  It appears that the average is depressed by low numbers seen in April 2014: a cool and wet month.

Being in Autumn there is no breeding activity but outwards migration is in full swing, with flocks of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters (maximum ~80 birds) coming over Whiskers Creek Rd more or less constantly.  As expected some White-naped Honeyeaters were also in the flocks: some dropped into our bird bath for a drink.

The few species which return to the area for Winter have also appeared.  Golden Whistlers have replaced Rufous Whistlers  and Flame Robins have been reported.

As always, thanks to the observers who have provided reports to me for the month.  These have covered sites in Whiskers Creek Rd, Walga Close, Molonglo Valley, Widgiewa Rd, Wanna Wanna Rd, and Hoskinstown Village and Plain.  A member of COG also visited our area and provided a helpful list.  

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 Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Chestnut Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑faced Heron; Australian White Ibis; Straw-necked Ibis; Royal Spoonbill; Purple Swamphen; Dusky Moorhen;  Eurasian  Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Red-necked Avocet; Red-kneed Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing.

2 Birds of Prey:  Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown 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; Powerful Owl; Laughing Kookaburra.

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush;  Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin; Red‑capped Robin, Flame Robin; Rose Robin,  Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow;

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; Southern Whiteface; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Red‑browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; 

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Dusky Woodswallow; Horsefields Bushlark, Skylark; Australian Reed-warbler; 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