March 2008

In March 2008 I have recorded 72 species of birds in the catchment area of the Gazette (again the list benefits from a large list of species reported by an observer in Hoskintown).  A hash (#) in the list below indicates a species reported to me by someone else. An * shows those species which have been noticed undertaking breeding activities which usually means seeing an adult feeding a dependent young bird. 

Some of the summer migrants have gone and others (especially the honeyeaters) appear to getting ready to head off: this may be a bit earlier than usual.

Water birds:  Australasian Grebe; Little Pied Cormorant; Darter^#; Australian White Ibis; Australian Wood duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey Teal*

Birds of prey: Collared sparrowhawk, Wedgetailed Eagle, Australian Hobby; Brown falcon; Nankeen Kestrel

Parrots and relatives: Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo: Gang-gang Cockatoo; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Galah; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella.

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds: Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Feral Pigeon^#; Southern Boobook^#, Australian Owlet-nightjar; Laughing Kookaburra;.

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

Flycatchers and similar species:  Welcome swallow; Tree Martin; Dusky Woodswallow*; Grey fantail*; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher”; Scarlet Robin; Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike‑thrush; Magpie-lark,

Other, smaller, birds:  Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White-throated Gerygone; Western Gerygone; Weebill*; Striated Thornbill; Buff-rumped Thornbill*; Yellow-rumped Thornbill; White-browed Scrubwren; Superb Fairy-wren; White-throated Treecreeper; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Double-barred Finch; Red-browed Finch; Diamond Firetail; Olive-backed Oriole^#; Satin Bowerbird^# ; 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

This is based upon material in the very good book “bringing birds back” published by Greening Australia.  Comments in brackets are by this author. 

Rufous Whistler: Pachycephala rufiventris.

(Some comments below about the distinction from the Golden Whistler. 

Appearance:  Male with white throat bordered by thick black line, rufous underparts, grey back. (Male Golden is brilliant yellow on breast). Female and immature, grey-brown, pale buff throat; chest with dark streaks.

Voice: Glorious spirited song, particularly in the breeding season, including loud ringing “eee-chong” and repeated warbling “joey–joey-joey”

Habits: Usually single (although pairs are common in breeding season), in autumn may join feeding flocks of  small insect-eating birds.  Searches carefully for food on branches, trunks, under bark, amongst leaves. Strong undulating flight.

Food:  Insects, other invertebrates, small reptiles, frogs; small mammals and  birds.

Nest:  Thin fragile cup of few thin twigs in upright fork .amongst leaves; mostly 1 - 5 metres high

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Spring-Summer migrant (Golden is more Winter migrant from ranges).  In warm months found at 56% of sites.  Most common in sites from 5 years onwards in all types of sites except narrowest windrows.

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of COG, records this bird as fairly common, being observed in about 63% of sites each year and usually recorded in at least 1 site in  about 40 weeks of the year.)

February 2008

In February 2008 I recorded 73 species of birds in the catchment area of the Gazette (this month the list benefits from a large list of species reported by an observer in Hoskintown).  A hash (#) in the list below indicates a species reported to me by someone else. An * shows those species which have been noticed undertaking breeding activities which usually means seeing an adult feeding a dependent young bird. 

Water birds:  Australasian Grebe^#; Little Pied Cormorant; Australian White Ibis^#; Australian Wood duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey Teal^#

Birds of prey: Brown Goshawk, Wedgetailed Eagle^#, 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; Laughing Kookaburra; White-throated needletail^#; Pallid Cuckoo^#; Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo

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

Flycatchers and similar species:  Welcome swallow; Tree Martin; Dusky Woodswallow*; Rufous Fantail*^#: Grey fantail*; Willie wWagtail; Leaden Flycatcher”; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike‑thrush; Magpie-lark,

Other, smaller, birds:  Spotted Quail-thrush^#; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; White-throated Gerygone; Western Gerygone; Weebill*; Striated Thornbill; Buff-rumped Thornbill*; Yellow-rumped Thornbill; White-browed Scrubwren; Superb Fairy-wren; White-throated Treecreeper; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Silvereye; Richards Pipit, Double-barred Finch; Red-browed Finch*; Diamond Firetail^#; Olive-backed Oriole; 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

This is based upon material in the very good book “bringing birds back” published by Greening Australia.  Comments in brackets are by this author. 

Straiated Pardalote: Pardalotus striatus.

Appearance:  Small stubby bird, pale olive back, black wings with white streak, black cap with white streaks (striations), strong white eyebrow and yellow throat.

Voice: Hard two note “chip-chip” or stuttered note “wid-a wit”.  (The three note call is sometimes represented as “rig-by dick” while the similar, albeit more colourful, species Spotted pardalote has a call with different stress “Sleep Ba-by”)

Habits: Singly, pairs or small groups, may form larger groups in autumn-winter with other small insect-eating birds.  Difficult to see amongst foliage, usually located first by calls or the sound of the beak clicking as it picks lerps off the leaves.

Food:  Insects, particularly lerp and scale insects, other small invertebrates.

Nest:  Cup or dome shaped, of grass or bark shreds (but rarely seen as it is made) in hollow of tree 10 metres or higher or (less commonly in this area) in burrow in earthbank.

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 57% of sites, both large and small but rare in narrowest of windbreaks.  Found in fast growing tubestock sites from 3 years of age onwards, other sites from 5 years onwards, increasingly common as trees mature (note preferred breeding sites?)

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, records this bird as fairly common, being observed in about  75% of sites each year and usually recorded in at least 1 site every week of the year.)

January 2008

In January 2008 I have recorded 69 species of birds in the catchment area of the Gazette.  (I have decided not to differentiate between those in our patch and elsewhere: this allows me to present the birds in a more standardised order!)  An * in the list below shows those species which I have noticed undertaking breeding activities.  For this month that usually means seeing an adult feeding a dependent young bird: there has been a lot going on.

Last month I referred to currawongs as possible predators.  Perhaps coincidentally but this month I trapped a feral kitten (passed to the RSPCA) and have had small birds everywhere.  Not only has the number of species been high, but so has the number of birds, as the young fledge and start moving around, scrounging food off their parents.

Water birds:  Australasian Grebe*; Masked Lapwing; Australian white ibis; White-faced heron; Australian Wood duck; Pacific Black Duck; Grey teal

Birds of prey: Brown Goshawk,  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:, Common bronzewing; crested pigeon; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Pallid Cuckoo; Brush Cuckoo; Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo

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

Flycatchers and similar species:  Welcome swallow; Tree Martin; Dusky woodswallow; Grey fantail*; Willie wagtail; Leaden flycatcher”; Scarlet robin; 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; Rufous songlark; Superb Fairy-wren; Dusky woodswallow; Varied Sitella; White-throated treecreeper; Spotted pardalote; Striated pardalote; Silvereye; Red-browed finch*; Olive-backed oriole; Skylark; House sparrow; European goldfinch; Common starling

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

Eastern Rosella: Platycercus eximius. (The bird from the soup can!)

Appearance:  Bright, colourful, unmistakeable. Head and shoulders red with white cheeks; yellow-green underparts. blue shoulders, greenish tail.

Voice: Three note bell-like call.  Also soft chitterings and, in flight, ‘chink-chink’.

Habits:.Pairs or (more in Winter) flocks.  Feeds largely on ground, fleeing noisily for cover when disturbed.

Food:  Various plant matter, seeds, nuts etc.  (A feeding party of these is a good indicator that something has seeded.)

Nest:  Hollows in mature eucalypts, 2 – 15m above the ground.

Occurrence in Revegetation:   Found in 58% of sites.  More common in sites 5 years or more old.  Small windbreaks as well as large blocks.

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, records this bird as common, being observed in more than 90% of sites each year and recorded in at least 1 site every week of the year.)

December 2007

In December 2007 I have recorded 68 species of birds in a 3 hectare area around our house on Whiskers Creek Road (or, for those in brackets, other parts of the area).  An * in the list below shows those species which I have noticed undertaking breeding activities, while a ^# indicates a species reported to me by other observers.

It has been notable that this year I have recorded 6 species of cuckoo along Whiskers Creek Road.   Also worthy of note has been the reduced number of ‘obvious’ small birds in our garden as the young Pied Currawongs have fledged.  Hopefully sightings will return to their previous levels in the near future.

Water birds:  White-faced heron, Australian wood duck, Pacific black duck  (Little pied cormorant, Australian White ibis, Masked Lapwing, Australasian grebe*,  Grey teal)

Birds of prey: Collared sparrowhawk;  

Parrots and relatives: Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Galah*, Crimson rosella*, Eastern rosella, Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo (Gang-gang cockatoo, Red-rumped parrot).

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds:, Pallid Cuckoo; Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo; Common Bronzewing, Laughing kookaburra:  Southern Boobook (Brush cuckoo, Crested pigeon,  Common Koel)

Honeyeaters:, White-eared honeyeater, Yellow faced honeyeater, Red wattlebird, Noisy friarbird, Eastern spinebill (Noisy Miner, Brown-headed honeyeater ).

Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous whistler, Grey shrike-thrush, Welcome swallow, Willie wagtail, Grey fantail, Tree martin, Magpie-lark, (Dusky woodswallow,  Leaden flycatcher, Scarlet robin, White-winged Triller⁾)

Other, smaller, birds: Western gerygone, White-browed scrubwren, Weebill, Striated thornbill, Yellow-rumped thornbill, Buff-rumped thornbill , Superb fairy-wren, White-throated treecreeper, Silvereye, Spotted pardalote, Striated pardalote, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Red-browed finch* (Common starling, House sparrow, Richard’s Pipit, White-throated Gerygone)

Other, larger, birds: Pied Currawong*, Grey currawong, Grey butcherbird, Australian Magpie*, Australian Raven, Little Raven (White-winged chough, Satin bowerbird^#)

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. 

Willie Wagtail: Rhipidura leucophrys (When visiting this area some years ago Bill Oddie, of TV Goodies fame, found it hard to believe that a bird was called Willie Wagtail!)

Appearance:  Black with white underparts below the breast and white eyebrow.  Long black fanned tail wagged from side to side.

Voice: Cheerful song ‘sweet pretty creature’; also scolding rattle ‘chicka-chicka-chicka’.

Habits: Familiar farm bird, particularly near dams.  Bold and active, perches on fences and low branches, launches into twisting flight after insects, takes them from foliage or chases them along the ground.

Food:  Insects (they have a big job in front of them this year!)

Nest:  Neat cup; of fine grass and bark covered on the outside with spider web until grey and smooth, lined with hair, wool and feathers; on a small horizontal branch from 1-15 metres high

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 60% of sites from small narrow windbreaks to the largest sites, from 3 years onwards.  Seen perched at the edge or chasing insects out over the paddock returning to shelter when disturbed.

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, records this bird as fairly common, being observed in 60 – 70% of sites each year.)

November 2007

In November 2007 I have recorded 69 species of birds in a 3 hectare area around our house on Whiskers Creek Road (or, for those in brackets, other parts of the area).  An * in the list below shows those species which I have noticed undertaking breeding activities, while a ^# indicates a species reported to me by other observers.

Water birds:  White-faced heron, Australian wood duck, (Little pied cormorant, (Masked Lapwing, Australasian grebe*, Pacific black duck, Grey teal, Nankeen Night-heron^#)

Birds of prey: Little Eagle, (Brown goshawk, Nankeen kestrel)

Parrots and relatives:, Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Galah*, Crimson rosella*, Eastern rosella, Gang-gang cockatoo, Yellow-tailed black-cockatoo.

Kingfishers and other non-songbirds:, Pallid Cuckoo*, Sacred kingfisher, Crested pigeon, Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, (Laughing kookaburra , Southern Boobook, Australian Owlet-nightjar, Dollarbird)

Honeyeaters:, White-eared honeyeater, Yellow faced honeyeater, Red wattlebird, Noisy friarbird, (Noisy Miner, Brown-headed honeyeater ).

Flycatchers and similar species: Rufous whistler, Welcome swallow*, Willie wagtail, Grey fantail (Tree martin, Dusky woodswallow,  Scarlet robin, Magpie-lark, White-winged Triller, Rufous songlark⁾

Other, smaller, birds: Western gerygone, ,White-browed scrubwren, Weebill, Striated thornbill, Yellow-rumped thornbill, Buff-rumped thornbill* , Superb fairy-wren, White-throated treecreeper, Silvereye, Spotted pardalote, Striated pardalote*, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Red-browed finch (Common starling, House sparrow*, Richard’s Pipit, White-throated Gerygone, Speckled warbler,  European goldfinch)

Other, larger, birds: Pied Currawong*, Grey currawong, Grey butcherbird, Australian Magpie*, Australian Raven, Little Raven (White-winged chough, Satin bowerbird^#)

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.

Brown thornbill: Acanthiza pusilla

Appearance: One of a group of small grey‑brown birds, this one distinguished by dark streakings on the chest, dark brown eyes and tawny brown rump. (Perhaps the archetype of “small brown bird” this author finds that the ‘plainer’ brown crown is also helpful.)

Voice:.Wide range of calls from a loud deep song to fussy squeaks and a harsh scolding.  Also an excellent mimic.

Habits: Common in shrubs and understorey.  Singly pairs or small groups often with other small insectivorous birds.  Constantly active, feeding in shrubbery, hanging from foliage, fluttering after insects.  Bold and curious, often attracted to a disturbance , scolding loudly ar intruders.

Food:  Insects and other invertebrates

Nest:  Untidy dome with side entrance; of grass, shreds of bark green moss bound with spider web, usually near the ground.

Occurrence in Revegetation:  Found in 66% of sites from 3 years of age onwards including small and narrow sites, isolated sites and large sites. 

(Garden Bird Survey: This Survey, run in the gardens of members of the Canberra Ornithologists Group, shows that the bird has increased steadily in numbers from the start of the Survey in 1980 and continues to do so.  Perhaps this reflects the increasing scrubbiness of gardens?.)