October 2018

My response to this great image of a Common Bronzewing

 by Micheáilín Ní Lochlain on the Carwoola Facebook page might be of interest/assistance to a few folk:

The best collection of bird calls is on Avibase https://goo.gl/t32sbu Unfortunately, as with the text descriptions of calls in all Field Guides, you have to know the possibles and then play the recording to compare. There is no equivalent of Shazam which takes a recording and assesses it against a database giving an ID, Also, some of the recordings for this species are pretty much the "before" section of a workshop on removing background noise!

The month has been fairly quiet overall, possibly reflecting observers being elsewhere as well as some migrants not yet turning up and of course the on-going dry weather.  90 species were recorded in total.

The Stilts and Avocets have returned to Foxlow Lagoon where there is still a surprising amount of water.  In a late look-down into the Lagoon they were accompanied by 4 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers which have rarely \been recorded in the area.  Another rarity was a Channel-billed Cuckoo, heard calling in Whiskers Creek at daybreak.

The final comment on unusual species relates to Woodswallows.  Dusky Woodswallows are quite common here but for the ;at few weeks they have been outnumbered by Masked and White-browed Woodswallows.  Even more unusually Masked Woodswallows have outnumbered the White-browed.  The biggest flock, feeding on the ground in  a paddock off PLains Road amounted to around 500 birds.

Breeding continues, including the Tawny Frogmouths at Whiskers Creek Rd.  They have again hatched 2 chicks: still at the small white fluffball stage at the time of writing.  Species noted as breeding are marked in red below.

A fair proportion of migrant species have arrived but 15 of 30 species have yet to be recorded.  3 species were early while 8 were late.  So the season is definitely not early.

Thanks to observers from Wanna Wanna Rd, Knox Close, Captains Flat Rd, Whiskers Creek Rd,  Hoskinstown Village and Plain and Forbes Creek.   Please pass on interesting sightings to me by email to martinflab@gmail.com.

1  Waterbirds (pt 1):  (pt 2); (Pt 3); (Pt 4): Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck; Pink-eared Duck; Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Hardhead;  Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Great Cormorant; Eastern Great Egret: White‑faced Heron;  Eurasian  Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Red-necked Avocet;  Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing; Sharp-tailed Sandpiper; 

2 Birds of Prey:  Collared Sparrowhawk; 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): Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon;  Tawny Frogmouth;Channel-billed Cuckoo; Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo;  Southern Boobook; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Dollarbird; 

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

6 Flycatchers and similar species: r;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; ; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher;  Magpie-lark; Flame Robin;  Welcome Swallow; 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; Masked Woodswallow; White‑browed Woodswallow; Dusky Woodswallow;  Skylark;  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

September 2018

The month has been quiet overall with limited diversity. We have only managed 82 species for the month: an increase on July and August but well below the average for September of 93 species.

The major excitement has been breeding Banded Lapwings on the Plain. By mid-Month 2 birds were brooding and a 3^rd pair had produced 3 chicks.  Very exciting for this broad area.  

A  Powerful Owl is still heard occasionally along Wanna  Wanna Rd, but no nest site has yet been located.  The Pied Stilts and Avocets appeared to have left Foxlow Lagoon when the site was checked from the road in September, but they were back again in early October.

Quite a few other species are breeding including ‘my' Tawny Frogmouths where the male is now incubating.  Striated Pardalotes are building nest and Magpies are nesting in several places.  Pallid Cuckoos are calling and displaying regularly.  Breeding birds have red text below.

Return migration has started with strong movements of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters in flocks of 20-30 birds moving up from the Plain on several mornings but the cool weather is keeping the insects down and thus most of the insectivorous birds have not yet appeared.  The smaller cuckoos in particular are not yet evident although the calls of Pallid Cuckoos are very evident.

Summer migrant species are highlighted in orange below. 

Thanks to observers from Wanna Wanna Rd, Knox Close, Captains Flat Rd, Whiskers Creek Rd,  Hoskinstown plain and Forbes Creek.   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; Grey Teal; Chestnut Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe;;White‑faced Heron; Eurasian  Coot; Black‑fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Banded Lapwing; 

2 Birds of Prey:   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): Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon;  Tawny Frogmouth;  Painted Button-quail; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Powerful Owl; Laughing Kookaburra

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced 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; Magpie-lark; , Flame Robin; RWelcome Swallow; 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; Diamond Firetail; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Brown Songlark; 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