June 2018

I wrote my notice for the Gazette just before the end of the month and on compiling the final list I find that my opening statement

"A rather quiet month in terms of birding, possibly reflecting some observers taking a break from the cool (or lower) temperatures." 

... is rather on the "glass half empty" side of pessimism.  In fact we ended up recording 83 species, the equal highest number for the month of June.

The less common species seen this month were:

• Superb Lyrebird seen adjacent to Cuumbeun;
• On different days, an unusual over-Wintering Olive-backed Oriole and a Brown Treecreeper from the Molonglo Valley; 
• Red-necked Avocets and Pied Stilts (formerly known as Black-winged Stilts) are still at Foxlow Lagoon, which is now about the only source of open water in the area:  
• Reports, and photos, of Banded Lapwings continue from the Plain;
• Yellow Thornbill and Spotted Quail-thrush reported from Hoskinstown;
• 2 Australian Swamphen (formerly known as Purple Swamphen) seen at Molonglo River Park.

As we are still at the start of biological (as opposed to astronomical) Winter it is not surprising there has been no action by migrants.  However a few species seem to be getting down to their self-continuance:

• Skylarks singing loudly all over the Plain; 
• A Striated Thornbill also flaunting itself noisily at Wanna Wanna; and 
• a pair of Australian Wood Ducks quacking loudly from a tree with hollows.

None of these are definitive enough for me to count as breeding records but they suggest things could soon be hotting up.  The first nest building is usually one of the Raven species.

Thanks to observers from Wanna Wanna Rd, Captains Flat Rd, Molonglo Valley, Forbes Creek and Hoskinston 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 Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Pink-eared Duck; Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑necked Heron;  White‑faced Heron; Purple Swamphen;  Eurasian  Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Red-necked Avocet; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Red-kneed Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey: Wedge-tailed Eagle; Nankeen Kestrel; Brown Falcon; Australian Hobby; 

3 Parrots and Relatives:  Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; Gang‑gang Cockatoo; Galah;  Sulphur‑crested Cockatoo;  Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped Parrot

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds (Pt 1) (Pt 2) (Pt 3): Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Laughing Kookaburra;Superb lyrebird

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: Golden Whistler;Grey Shrike-thrush; Willie Wagtail; Magpie-lark; Scarlet Robin;  Flame Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; 

7 Thornbills, Finches and similar species (Pt 1) (Pt 2):  Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Weebill; Striated Thornbill; Yellow Thornbill; Yellow‑rumped Thornbill; Buff‑rumped Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Double‑barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch; Diamond Firetail, House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Brown Treecreeper; Spotted  Quail-thrush; Varied Sitella;  Olive‑backed Oriole; Skylark; 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