November 2016

The above cartoon was originally published in Punch in November 1895.  It is pretty much a fair comment on birding in Carwoola 121 years later!

To deal with the less good bits first, this chart shows overall diversity was significantly lower than other recent Novembers.

We fell short in Waterbirds and Raptors with most of the MIAs in other categories being less common birds in this area.

Getting on to the better bits, despite the comment above the more unusual birds were all waterbirds.  I presume this means the change of seasons has led to the waterbirds moving around somewhat with many of those that left the area to seek the floods in Winter still being away and other species turning up.  

The star of the month, from a marsh on the Hoskinstown Plain, was the first record in this area of a Red-necked Avocet, featured below hiding behind an Australian Shelduck.  (I had not previously realised the similarity in colour of the head of the Avocet and the breast of the Shelduck.)

Other unusual sightings for this area, also from the marsh, were the second sighting of Whiskered Terns (8 birds)

 and the fourth of a Silver Gull.  Later in the month I received 2 sightings of Latham's Snipe at other sites on the Plain.

Breeding is still happening with 14 species being recorded in various stages of the process.  " Our" Frogmouths have successfully fledged 2 chicks after a drawn out process.  They have then vanished. A particularly interesting report is of a pair of Sacred Kingfishers occupying a tree-hollow in Knox Place: hopefully they'll complete the process.  The species are marked in red in the list below.

Migration has pretty much finished.  I had initially noted White-winged Triller (which seems to turn up some years and not others) as absent this year but have since got a report of them from Capatans Flat Rd.  Still missing is Rufous Songlark (COG has noted that they seem to have found enough habitat in the West to not need to come this way in 2016).  Neither of the big cuckoos (Channel-billed Cuckoo and Eastern Koel) have definitely turned up here yet, but are in Canberra.

As always, thanks to the observers who have provided reports to me for the month.  These have covered sites in Molonglo River Drive, Whiskers Creek Rd, Widgiewa Rd, Knox Close, Radcliffe Circuit, Douglas Close, Captains Flat Rd, Wanna Wanna, and Hoskinstown Plain.. I'm always happy to receive reports, my email address is martinflab@gmail.com.

Readers might like to also see this post from our block - noting that it shows a Sparrowhawk feeding in a rather sanguinary fashion.

1  Waterbirds (pt 1):  (pt 2); (Pt 3); (Pt 4): Black Swan;  Australian Shelduck; Australian Wood Duck;  Australian Shoveler; Grey Teal; Chestnut Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Hoary-headed Grebe; Little Black Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; White‑faced Heron; Australian White Ibis; Eurasian Coot; Masked Lapwing; Latham’s Snipe;  Whiskered tern, Silver Gull

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; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped Parrot

4 Kingfishers and other non-songbirds (Pt 1) (Pt 2) (Pt 3): Stubble Quail; ; Common Bronzewing; Crested Pigeon; Tawny Frogmouth; Horsfield's Bronze‑Cuckoo; Shining Bronze‑cuckoo; Pallid Cuckoo; Fan‑tailed Cuckoo;  Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; 

5 Honeyeaters: Eastern Spinebill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; White-eared Honeyeater; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird; White-naped Honeyeater; Noisy Friarbird; 

6 Flycatchers and similar species:;Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; ; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Leaden Flycatcher;  Magpie-lark;Scarlet Robin; Eastern Yellow Robin; Welcome Swallow; Fairy Martin; 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; Double‑barred Finch; Red‑browed Finch; House Sparrow; European Goldfinch

8 Other, smaller birds:  White-throated Treecreeper; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Olive‑backed Oriole; Dusky Woodswallow; Skylark; Golden-headed Cisticola; Australian Reed-warbler; 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