December 2008

In December, 83 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by observers in Hoskintown, Whiskers Creek Road and the Molonglo valley.   We have also added  1 more species to the list: Peregrine Falcon. I have underlined breeding birds (where there has been evidence of this).

Waterbirds: Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; Masked Lapwing; Black-fronted Dotterel; White-faced heron; White-necked Heron; Australian Wood Duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal.

Birds of Prey: Brown Goshawk; Collared Sparrowhawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle; Brown Falcon; Peregrine Falcon; Nankeen kestrel.

Parrots and Relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; Gang-gang Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Galah; Australian King-parrot; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped parrot.

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Common bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Feral pigeon;  Southern Boobook;  Tawny Frogmouth; Dollarbird; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Shining Bronze-Cuckoo; White-throated Needletail.

Honeyeaters:  Brown-headed honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow‑faced honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird; Noisy friarbird.

Flycatchers and similar species: Welcome swallow; Fairy Martin; Grey fantail; Willie wagtail; Leaden flycatcher; Golden Whistler; Rufous whistler; Grey shrike thrush; Magpie-lark

Other, smaller birds: Black-faced cuckoo-shrike; White-throated gerygone; Western gerygone; Weebill; Striated thornbill; Brown thornbill; Buff-rumped thornbill; Yellow‑rumped thornbill; White-browed scrubwren; Superb Fairy-wren; Dusky woodswallow; White-throated treecreeper; Mistletoebird; Spotted pardalote; Striated pardalote; Varied Sitella; Silvereye; Richards Pipit; Olive-backed oriole; Common blackbird; Skylark; House sparrow: Diamond Firetail; European goldfinch;  Common starling.

Other, larger birds: White-winged chough: Pied Currawong; Grey currawong: Grey butcherbird: Australian Magpie; Australian Raven; Little Raven

Bird of the Month

From the Greening Australia book “Bringing Birds Back.  Comments in brackets are by this author.  

Red Wattlebird:  Anthocaera carunculata

Appearance:  Large honeyeater, grey with strongpale streaks, pale yellow belly; red neck wattles (sometimes hard to see), red eye.

Voice: Harsh loud coughs as though clearing throat.  

Habits: Single or pairs when breeding, loose flocks when migrating or congregating on food source. Loud and aggressive (very - I have seen them attack Magpies to defend a nest site).  Bounces around through through trees or shrubs feeding on nectar or chasing insects. 

Food:  Insects, nectar, fruit.

Nest:  Untidy shallow cup of sticks, grass and bark in fork of shrub or branchlet 2-16m high.

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 30% of sites from small narrow sites to large, from 4 years onwards small and large sites from 3 years of age onwards, but not recorded in the narrowest windbreaks.

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of COG, records this bird as very common, in some years the commonest honeyeater.  It is usually observed in all sites, and in every week of the year – albeit not every week in every site. )

November 2008

In November 2008, 84 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by observers in Hoskintown, Whiskers Creek Road and Stoney Creek Place.   We have also added 3 species to the list: Black-winged Stilt, Rainbow Bee-eater and Fairy Martin. I have underlined breeding birds (where there has been evidence of this). An unusual breeding record is a domestic goose adopting some Australian Wood Duck ducklings!  A very pleasing breeding record is the brood of 3 Black-fronted dotterels at a farm dam off Whiskers Creek Road.

Waterbirds: Purple swamphen; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; Masked Lapwing; Black-fronted Dotterel; White-faced heron; White-necked Heron; Australian Wood Duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal.

Birds of Prey: Brown Goshawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Brown Falcon; Nankeen kestrel.

Parrots and Relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; Gang-gang Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Galah; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped parrot.

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Brown Quail; Common bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Feral pigeon;  Southern Boobook;  Tawny Frogmouth; Dollarbird; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Rainbow Bee-eater; Pallid Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo.

Honeyeaters:  Brown-headed honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow‑faced honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; New Holland Honeyeater: Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird; Noisy friarbird.

Flycatchers and similar species: Welcome swallow; Tree Martin; Fairy Martin; Grey fantail; Willie wagtail; Leaden flycatcher; Golden Whistler; Rufous whistler; Grey shrike thrush; Magpie-lark

Other, smaller birds: Black-faced cuckoo-shrike; White-winged Triller; White-throated gerygone; Western gerygone; Weebill; Striated thornbill; Brown thornbill; Buff-rumped thornbill; Yellow‑rumped thornbill; White-browed scrubwren; Rufous Songlark; Superb Fairy-wren; Dusky woodswallow; White-throated treecreeper; Mistletoebird; Spotted pardalote; Striated pardalote; Silvereye; Richards Pipit; Olive-backed oriole; Common blackbird; Skylark; House sparrow: European goldfinch;  Common starling.

Other, larger birds: White-winged chough: Pied Currawong; Grey currawong: Grey butcherbird: Australian Magpie; Australian Raven; Little Raven

Bird of the Month

From the Greening Australia book “Bringing Birds Back.  Comments in brackets are by this author.  

White-eared Honeyeater:  Lichenostomus leucotis

Appearance:  Distinctive olive-green honeyeater with black hood and large white ear patch.

Voice: Variety of calls including loud, full ‘beer-brick, beer-brick’ and rapid but mellow machinegun call.

Habits: Ususally seen singly, active and bold, forages amongst leaves and under bark.  Rapid flight with distinctive “flop-flop’ sound. 

Food:  Insects and other invertebrates, also nectar but less than other honeyeaters.

Nest:  Deep cup of grass and bark shreds bound with spider web, lined with hair and wool; slung from small branches amongst foliage, 1-3 metres high

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Recorded at least once in 32% of sites . Found in small and large sites from 3 years of age onwards, but not recorded in the narrowest windbreaks.

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of COG, records this bird as moderately common, being observed in about 40% of sites, and every week of the year.  However it is unusual in the urban area other than in Winter, and most of the records for the rest of the year come from the area covered by this blog.)

October 2008

In Octber 2008, 84 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by an observers in Hoskintown and Widgiewa and those seen on a COG excursion to Wanna Wanna Road.).  This is the highest number recorded in the 20 months I have been recording here.   We have also added 2 species to the list: White-necked Heron and Glossy Black-Cockatoo. I have underlined breeding birds (where I have seen evidence of this).

Waterbirds: Purple swamphen; Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; Masked Lapwing; White-faced heron; White-necked Heron; Australian Wood Duck; Australian shelduck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal.

Birds of Prey: Collared sparrowhawk; Wedge-tailed Eagle; Brown Falcon; Nankeen kestrel.

Parrots and Relatives: Glossy Black-Cockatoo; Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Galah; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella.

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds:   Common bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Feral pigeon;  Southern Boobook;  Tawny Frogmouth; Dollarbird; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑Cuckoo.

Honeyeaters:  White-naped honeyeater; Brown-headed honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow‑faced honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; New Holland Honeyeater: Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird; Noisy friarbird.

Flycatchers and similar species: Welcome swallow; Tree Martin; Grey fantail; Willie wagtail; Leaden flycatcher; Scarlet robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Rufous whistler; Grey shrike thrush; Magpie-lark

Other, smaller birds: Black-faced cuckoo-shrike; White-throated gerygone; Western gerygone; Weebill; Southern whiteface; Striated thornbill; Brown thornbill; Buff-rumped thornbill; Yellow‑rumped thornbill; White-browed scrubwren; Superb Fairy-wren; Dusky woodswallow; White-throated treecreeper; Spotted pardalote; Striated pardalote; Silvereye; Richards pipit; Diamond Firetail; Red‑browed finch; Olive-backed oriole; Common blackbird; House sparrow: European goldfinch;  Common starling.

Other, larger birds: Satin bowerbird; White-winged chough: Pied Currawong; Grey currawong: Grey butcherbird: Australian Magpie; Australian Raven; Little Raven

Bird of the Month

From Greening Australia.  Comments in brackets are by this author.  

Buff-rumped thornbill:  Acanthiza reguloides

Appearance:  (Archetypal small brown bird!)  Small, fairly non-descript bird.  Olive grey above, yellowish below; the yellow-buff rump most visible when flying.

Voice: Musical tinkling call, rapidly repeated.  (Some observers say it is like two coins clinked together.).

Habits: Pairs or groups.  Feeds on the ground or amongst shrubs and lower parts of trees. Constantly active, hopping quickly over ground or around branches.  Often with other small ground feeding birds.

Food:  Insects, and other invertebrates.

Nest:  Untidy, domed; of grass, bark and spider web.  On the ground or in tree fork.

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 40% of sites.  More often in tubestock sites than direct seeded and in oolder sites where ground layer developed.

September 2008

In September 2008, 78 species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area of the Gazette, including the species reported by observers in Hoskintown and Widgiewa.).  Clearly, species diversity continues the seasonal rise reflecting the return of migrants.  We have also added 3 species to the list: White-bellied Sea-eagle, Royal Spoonbill and New Holland Honeyeater.  A great joy was seeing a brood of 13 baby Shelduck on a dam off Woolcara Lane: a very unusual event in this area.  I have underlined breeding birds.

Waterbirds: Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal; Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood duck; White-faced heron; Royal Spoonbill;Masked Lapwing; Little Pied Cormorant; Australasian Grebe.

Birds of Prey:             Brown Goshawk, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle; Little Eagle, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel

Parrots and Relatives: Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Galah; Sulphur-crested cockatoo;

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Crested pigeon; Common bronzewing; Brown quail; Laughing Kookaburra; Pallid Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo; Southern Boobook.

Honeyeaters; Brown-headed honeyeater; White-naped honeyeater; Eastern spinebill; Yellow‑faced honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; New Holland Honeyeater, Noisy Miner; Red wattlebird, Noisy Friarbird.

Flycatchers and similar species: Magpie-lark; Grey fantail; Welcome swallow;        Tree Martin; Willie wagtail; Scarlet robin; Golden whistler; Rufous whistler; Grey shrike-thrush

Other, smaller birds; White-throated treecreeper; Silvereye; Weebill; Buff-rumped thornbill; Brown thornbill; Striated thornbill; Yellow-rumped thornbill; White-browed scrubwren;  Western gerygone, Hhite-throated Gerygone; Superb Fairy-wren; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive-backed Oriole; Spotted Quail-thrush; Striated pardalote; Spotted pardalote; Dusky Woodswallow; Mistletoebird; Richard's pipit; Skylark;  Diamond Firetail; European goldfinch; House sparrow; Common starling; Common blackbird;

Other, larger birds; Satin bowerbird; Pied Currawong; Grey currawong; Australian Magpie; White-winged chough; Grey butcherbird; Little Raven; Australian Raven

Bird of the Month

This is based upon material in the very good book “bringing birds back” published by Greening Australia.  Comments in brackets are by this author.   I have departed from the main section of the book, to “birds to look out for” for this month since I feel the constant calls of the Pallid Cuckoo truly make it a bird of the month!

Pallid Cuckoo:  Cuculus pallidus

Appearance:  Slender long-tailed cuckoo, grey with faint dark curving line through eye, prominent white markings on edge of tail.  In flight underwings speckled white and tail barred white.  Immatures grey with buff, black and white mottling.

Voice: Call of the male is ascending scale of 8 – 10 notes. Female has harsh whistle.

Habits: Single or pairs.  Usually first noted by call. Swift undulating flight.  (They parasitise many species, but most commonly Honeyeaters.)

Food:  Insects, especially hairy caterpillars – one of few birds able to eat these.

Nest:  Parasitic bird lays one egg in the nest of host species (see above).

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 9% of sites from small and narrow to large, from 4 years of age onwards. 

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of COG, records this bird as uncommon, only being observed in about 10% of the sites, and about 10% of week of the year.  The low rate probably reflects them being recorded when calling mates in the early breeding season.)