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