ISSN 0314-8211 canberra

Volume 33 bird Number 3 December 2008

notes

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If members wish to access the COG library, please contact Barbara Allan on 6254 6520. To borrow equipment, please contact the field trips officer. Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

A RECORD OF THE FIRST BIG YEAR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Alastair Smith

6 Henderson Street, Garran, ACT 2605

Abstract: This article documents the author’s planning and conduct of a ‘Big Year’ in the Australian Capital Territory. In the 2006 calendar year he observed 208 bird species within the geographical boundaries of the ACT.

Introduction So, where had this Big Year started? A quest to see 200 birds, in a I was watching a Royal Spoonbill calendar year within the Platalea regia flying over the geographical boundaries of the ACT grassland paddocks to the north of … Jerrabomberra Wetlands, when I turned to Milburn, and jokingly said, ‘I Background think I saw a yellow bill’. I desperately wanted a Yellow-billed Spoonbill My father is a birdwatcher, so it was Platalea flavipes for my Big Year list, not surprising that as a boy I should and I was willing every Royal become interested in birds. While I Spoonbill we saw that morning to cannot remember where or when it morph into the required species. We all started for me, I recently found were at the Wetlands specifically to the logbook for my Duke of follow up a sighting of Yellow-billed Edinburgh Award which stated the Spoonbill from the previous day. purpose for my bronze award Milburn’s reply was a nonchalant, ‘I expedition (as a 16 year-old in 1979) don’t think so’ but less than five was ‘to observe birds’. minutes later, there it was; great views as a Yellow-billed Spoonbill flew over On leaving school I joined the Navy the two of us in amongst a flock of and served from 1982 to 1996. Australian White Ibis Threskiornis During those formative years birding molucca. I was ecstatic - for me this largely took a back seat. I never let was more than just a sighting - it was on that I was a birder for fear of bird number 199 for calendar year being ridiculed by my colleagues, 2006. One to go , or so I thought.1 who I could hear saying ‘yeah, I like birdwatching too … not the feathered ones … ha ha’.

1 I recall the account of the Spoonbill as a It was only after leaving the Navy later reconciliation of my count would and moving to Canberra in 1996 that indicate that it was this bird and not the my interest gradually reawakened Glossy Ibis that was bird number 200. and birdwatching became more than just a passing hobby. It still took me

125 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 a few years to realise the birding Twitch’ – a goal of 700 Australian potential of Canberra, but by 2000 I species in calendar year 2002 was no longer in denial and I was (Dooley 2005), or (b) leave myself in actively birdwatching again. It was the lap of the gods and just see what that year I joined the Canberra total I had achieved by year’s end. I Ornithologists Group (COG). reasoned that the goal of aiming for a total would provide my quest with In 2004 I accepted an offer from the much needed impetus. The question Navy to teach leadership for 12 was then, ‘just how high should that months at the naval college at Jervis total be?’ Bay. I continued to subscribe to the Canberrabirds discussion forum and According to the most current read about a great year for vagrants revision of the COG checklist (COG and rarities in the ACT, with my 2003a), some 282 species of birds birding contemporaries adding many have been recorded in the ACT.2 A new species to their totals. I also read a supplementary list documents a number of books about twitching further 38 species that have been which included Mark Obmascik’s The recorded in the ACT but are Big Year, Kingbird Highway by Ken generally considered to have been Kauffman, Call collect ask for escapees, birds deliberately released Birdman by James M Vardaman and (both native and feral) or Arrivals and Rivals by Adrian Riley. misidentifications. I maintain my bird sighting records in a ‘Birdinfo’ When I returned to Canberra in database3 and I have 290 species January 2005 I was keen to make up listed in my personal ACT checklist. for lost time and I birded steadily, adding 22 new species to my ACT list. To help me decide on a total, I The idea of a Big Year had its genesis extracted from my database all six during this 11 months of intensive years worth of sightings and ‘coded’ birding and I made this announcement the birds. Code One were birds that I public when I reviewed Sean Dooley’s had been seen at least five years out The Big Twitch in Canberra Bird Notes with the words, ‘as for me after reading the book … I am attempting 2 my own big year in 2006, within the Two records in the supplementary list are seabirds - one a White-faced Storm- ACT … stay tuned (Smith 2005). Petrel Pelagodroma marina found on the road to Kelly’s Swamp and the other a Planning for a Big Year Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus found at a petrol station. I am not aware of any previous attempt Anecdotally, I have heard that the at an ACT Big Year and so there was remains of a jaeger were found in a no total for me to challenge. I had to Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus nest. decide to either (a) aspire to a 3 These records are exported to Birds hypothetical total like Sean Dooley Australia on an annual basis and later had done in his Australia-wide ‘Big extracted by COG for its database.

126 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 of six – I had a near certain chance of Several years of severe drought and seeing these 108 birds in 2006; Code below average rainfall in eastern Two were birds that I had seen at least Australia had helped gradually three years out of six – a pretty good increase the total number of species I chance of seeing these 38 birds; birds I have observed. This weather pattern had seen only once were labelled Code has seen an easterly movement of Three – it would be much more species not normally recorded in the difficult to add any of these 71 birds to ACT, illustrated by the Painted my list. The most unlikely or difficult Honeyeater Grantiella picta, a very birds for me to see were Code Four - rare vagrant in the ACT. Normally birds that I have not previously confined to western NSW and observed in the ACT – my list southern Qld, between 1951 and contained 73 Code Four birds. 2002 there were only five published records of single birds or a pair. From my coded list I concluded a total During an influx of the species in of 200 species was a nice round 2002 (thought to be because of an number that sat agreeably between my abundance of mistletoe in our local highest annual total to date (183 region and drought conditions species seen in calendar year 2005) further west), I recorded seven and my ACT regional total of 216 individuals on three occasions in species.4 Additionally, 200 species October that year. Since this influx, was a number at the very top end of all only two subsequent sightings have probabilities. At the time my annual been endorsed. I certainly was average number of species over the hoping - but not counting on - seeing previous six years (including the big this bird in 20067! total in 2005) was just 139 species per year. Indeed, the 2003-2004 annual The final requirement for my Big bird report (COG 2005) reported an Year was a set of rules for me to annual average of only 215 species5 follow. I had to see (visually acquire) recorded in the whole COG area of each bird, within the geographical interest (AOI)6 by in excess of 100 boundaries of the ACT and the birds 8 birdwatchers. had to be alive and wild. A final rule was that birds had to be positively identified by me - I could

4 My record of sightings placed me some 7 A Painted Honeyeater was seen by way behind the top ACT lister, Milburn, birdwatchers looking for the Black who had recorded 246 species. Honeyeater at Mulligan’s Flat in 5 In both 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, 233 December. species were recorded in the COG AOI 8 For example, birds like the Common (COG 2008). Peafowl Pavo cristatus resident in 6 The ACT comprises 2 357 km2 - only Narrabundah and domestic geese Anser 17.2 per cent of the COG area of interest anser on Lake Burley Griffin could not at 13 675 km2 (COG 2008). count towards my total.

127 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 not rely on someone else’s identification of a fleeting bird. Later in March I received word that for a month a single White-browed Despite my relative inexperience Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus birding in the Territory, armed with had been observed on private land in this information I reasoned I had an Aranda. Prior to this record, Wilson understanding of the temporal and (1999) reported that the last sighting spatial movement of birds in our of White-browed was a group near region. With large doses of both Mt Stromlo ‘until at least 1950’. determination and luck, observing 200 species in a calendar year was On 17 March I spent a very cold achievable. morning locating the babbler, obtaining only fleeting glimpses as it The Big Year Begins flitted through tea tree understorey. I was able to observe the diagnostic With my planning behind me, it was brown head and thin white with both excitement and trepidation supercilium, which was enough to that I embarked on my quest, making add it to my list as bird number 168. my first birding excursion a visit to I made another three visits over the Kelly’s Swamp on 1 January 2006 ensuing week in order to obtain with Michael Wright. In the first five better views and also to guide other months of the year I was able to find birders, including David McDonald, all the ‘usual’ resident species and Sue Lashko, Ian Fraser and ABC migrants, which would ensure that I journalist Louise Maher. did not have to spend time in the second half of the year mopping up A Big Week in a Big Year those species. The first 100 birds came in the first five days of January and Every Big Year needs a ‘Big Week’ included my first new bird for the and for me this was 14-20 May - a ACT, a single Common Greenshank week that started and ended with Tringa nebularia observed at Kelly’s emails which belatedly reported Swamp. I have included some of the Code 4 birds.9 A timely report of a other individual highlights of the year. third Code 4 bird was reported in between. Un-extinct Babblers The first Code 4 was the report of While babblers have been recorded in two Musk Lorikeets Glossopsitta the ACT, there were no recent records concinna at a suburban oval in and they were presumed to be locally Chapman, observed by a non-birder extinct until a lone female Grey- earlier in the week and not made crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis was reported in the grounds 9 of the Royal Military College in 2005. Code 4 birds were those I have not I ticked this species off on the last day previously seen in the ACT. of January as bird number 147.

128 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 public for four days. I made two trips de résistance was the report of a to Chapman on Friday afternoon and Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon Saturday morning with no hint of their cyanotis at the Australian National existence. On Saturday night their University. Again, this bird had been presence was again confirmed on around a while (indeed since the first Canberrabirds and so on Mother’s week of May) but the general birding Day, with the blessing of my long community was not alerted to its suffering (non-birding) wife, I made a presence until 19 May. third trip. As soon as I got out of the car, I heard the unmistakeable call of a I was at the campus just after sunrise lorikeet and within two minutes I on Saturday 20 May, looking for a found two birds feeding in an Argyle bird that had last been observed in Apple Eucalyptus cinerea. the ACT in 1943 (Wilson 1999). I walked around likely habitat for 45 Just after lunch on 17 May I received a minutes without a sighting nor call, call from Marnix to say that he had when all of a sudden there was bird seen two, possibly three, Brown number 182 in front of me, perched Gerygones Gerygone mouki in about 2.5 metres above the ground in Westbourne Woods on the south- a eucalypt. I watched as it moved to western shore of Lake Burley Griffin. a Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia Another Code 4 bird so, straight after where it fed on the ‘brushes’. work, I hurried out to the location. Within 10-15 minutes I had found one, The Blue-faced Honeyeater is known possibly two birds, but the views were for its aggressive behaviour and I fleeting and in poor light with the sun observed this first hand when it disappearing behind the Brindabella chased a Crimson Rosella Ranges so I could not add them to my Platycercus elegans for list. I met Martyn Moffat and Sue, approximately 30 seconds. A second who were also looking for the birds crimson rosella was observed and we agreed to return in the early following the two. A very satisfying morning. At 0645 the next day we morning indeed. I was later to see were out looking but, despite the another Blue-faced honeyeater appearance of mixed feeding flocks, (probably the same bird) in Garran in we saw no gerygones before Sue and I September when it flew, calling, into had to leave for work. Of course soon a next door neighbour’s Eucalyptus after we disappeared, Martyn found blakelyi. them. It was back again at lunchtime, where again in the company of other 24 May birders, I found three birds and was rewarded with wonderful views of this In response to another ‘off-hand’ tiny passerine, normally associated report on Canberrabirds of an Olive with wetter forest on the coast. Whistler Pachycephala olivacea at the Australian National Botanic If Brown Gerygone and Musk Gardens (ANBG), I was picked up Lorikeets were not enough, the pièce from a conference I was attending by

129 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Michael Wright and together we went and while probably reasonably to the gardens. I had visited the ANBG common, difficult to observe. the previous Sunday in the hope of seeing the first Crescent Honeyeaters My final trip to the ANBG that week Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera of the season was early on Sunday 28 May, just but no Crescents were seen nor heard. after the gardens opened. One of the first birds I saw was a small dumpy The Olive Whistler was another Code non-descript brown robin bouncing 4 and one that I was expecting to put along a path. I made a note of its in a fair bit of time locating in its appearance and ‘mentally identified’ summer range at Ginnini Flats in the it as a female Rose Robin Petroica Brindabella Ranges, so to have one rosea - a number of males had been close at hand was like manna from observed in the gardens during the heaven. In the car park we spied week and I was to see at least two Geoffrey Dabb with camera in hand during my walk. That afternoon as I and the three of us made our way to entered the morning’s sightings into the last known location of the Olive my Birdinfo database I thought I had Whistler. If I was looking to add better consult the field guides … birdwatchers to my Big Year list I then HANZAB. Female Pink Robin would have scored well, as Marnix and Petroica rodinogaster and bird 185! his brother Maurits were also out I had only seen this species once looking for the whistler. Despite a previously, a male in 2000 at Blue combined 90 minute search we saw Range hut before the 2003 fires and heard nothing, but there is nothing devastated the area. Best described like a dip to sharpen the senses. as brown jobs, the variation in plumage between all female and I made a total of five trips to the immature robins is slight; I felt that I gardens that week looking for the was putting my credibility well and whistler but it was to be a species that truly on the line by reporting its either didn’t exist or the one that got presence. I was relieved to hear away. I did pick up a Tawny Milburn confirm my sighting the Frogmouth Podargus strigoides following morning. perched in a Eucalyptus viminalis and looking very much part of the tree as 21-23 September they are want to do. If one nocturnal bird in a week wasn’t enough, Lindsay In another good week of sightings, a Northrupp and I met on Mt Ainslie the Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela following Saturday morning for what sanguinolenta (Code 4) was reported turned out to be my only sighting of an in suburban Cook by Nicki Taws. Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles Responding quickly to the report, cristatus. Right on cue we found the Anthony Overs picked me up from bird sunning itself in an Eucalyptus work and we met Marnix (notably all rossii hollow. I can never tire of these Commonwealth public servants) in birds, so mammal-like in appearance, Wybalena Grove, where the three of us and Nicki found a single male

130 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 bird calling. Our decision to leave Closing on my goal work was justified as this bird only remained in the area for a short period During a trip to Campbell Park in the of time, and those whose jobs dictated last week of September I saw a they stay at work, dipped. White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina papuensis (race robusta) Later that week I followed up a report and on returning home via the turf from Michael Lenz of Glossy Black- farms at Dairy Flat, I observed the Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus lathami first Whiskered Terns Chlidonias drinking at a dam on Mt Majura. Just hybrida of the season. It was only prior to sunset on 23 September I was then, that I thought with three rewarded with the sight of two males months still to go until the end of the and one female coming to drink at the year, and with birds 195 and 196 dam. The birds flew in from the south under my belt, 200 species was calling loudly and landed in a eucalypt within my grasp. I still had a small where they remained for about five number of outstanding Code 1 and minutes before disappearing out of Code 2 birds on the list, and also sight at the dam. They then flew into a Code 4 birds that had recently been eucalypt before flying off and fading reported on Canberrabirds. At this from view. While waiting for the time, Ian Fraser arranged for me to Cockatoos I was watching four be interviewed by Louise Maher Common Bronzewings Phaps about my Big Year on ABC local chalcoptera drinking at the dam when radio. The goodwill that this a noticeably smaller and more compact interview generated provided me bronzewing approached. It also with further incentive to reach my appeared to be darker in overall goal. appearance – a Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans (bird number 194). The On 1 October I eventually made the grey dorsal plumage contrasted with trip to Ginnini Flats in search of the the pink of the Common Bronzewings Olive Whistlers and found two in and I was also able to discern the two some tea tree. On the downside, I left wing panels, which I compared with home very early that morning and in the iridescent panel on the Common the dark I dropped my Swarovski Bronzewings.10 binoculars on the driveway, which knocked the lenses out of alignment. The consequence of my carelessness was that they had to be returned to Austria for repair and a four week 10 turnaround time. Every cloud, Nicki Taws had previously reported however, has a silver lining: Brush Bronzewings on Mt Majura in May Swarovski very kindly loaned me a 2003, approximately 2.5 km from my sighting (COG 2003b). Interestingly for similar pair and when my binoculars both these sightings, this species is usually returned from their overseas associated with wetter habitat in the convalescence, Swarovski did not Brindabella Ranges (Wilson 1999). charge me for the cost of repairs.

131 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Number 200 been with me when I counted bird number one (for the record a Crested Saturday 14 October (the day the Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes at Kelly’s Yellow-billed Spoonbill was bagged) Swamp on 1 January 2006. He had had dawned six hours earlier when I passed the wetlands earlier that was joined by five other birders at morning and reported ‘nothing of Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve in the interest’. I was still abuzz when the hope of finding a Little Button-Quail departing ‘uber twitcher’ Milburn, Turnix velox. A week previously I had told me he was going to attempt a searched for the bird in the general Big Year in 2007. I was somewhat vicinity of where Steve Holliday had deflated as I knew my record would flushed one bird in January. I had only stand for one year! obviously been close to at least one Little Button-Quail as I heard its The Birds Keep Coming distinctive ‘oom, oom’ call. My Big Year rules stated I could only count Once I had cracked the 200, the birds visual records, so I was hoping to kept coming in relatively quick ‘nail’ it with a little help from succession with Southern Boobook twitchers who also needed the bird for Ninox novaeseelandiae (a bird in their ACT lists. I anticipated that the Pearce found for me by Michael Little Button-Quail would be bird Wright) and Turquoise Parrot number 199 for the 2006 calendar year Neophema pulchella (albeit a dilute but despite our combined efforts no mutation). A trip up to the button-quails were seen (nor indeed Brindabella Ranges and a four hour heard). walk along Moonlight Hollow Road with Milburn, Frank Antram and With little time to celebrate the Yarden Oren failed to produce sighting of the Yellow-billed Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia Spoonbill, I observed a dark coloured melanoleuca or Cicadabird Coracina bird with what appeared to be a long lineata but on the trip back down the bill flying over the Molonglo River mountain I received a message from near the hospice. It banked to the left Ian Fraser alerting me to a ‘stint’ at and I caught a hint of purple gloss - Kellys Swamp. We scrambled to Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, I Kelly’s and, armed with scopes and called expectantly. Milburn found the field guides, the four of us finally bird and concurred with my settled on the identification as Red- identification - and there (I thought) necked Stint Calidris ruficollis. was bird number 200. We watched the ibis as it flew for quite some time over Stubble Quail Coturnix pectoralis the whole Jerrabomberra Wetlands fell the following week at Mulligan’s complex, apparently reconnoitring the Flat with Steve Holliday, Singing site before landing which probably Bushlark Mirafra javanica on indicated it was arriving in the ACT Coppings Crossing Road with Frank from somewhere drier out west. I sent and again at Mulligan’s Flat, the a message to Michael Wright who had

132 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 only new bird for November, Little browed Babbler, the Black, Scarlet Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla. and Blue-faced Honeyeaters and the White-fronted Chat Epthianura On 7 December 2006 my last new bird albifrons, which announced an for the year and, appropriately, also a irruption of the species in the ACT. new life bird (or lifer) for my Interestingly, I dipped on Wonga Australian list, a Black Honeyeater Pigeon, a bird that I would have Certhionyx niger was observed at considered an absolute certainty Mulligan’s Flat. I was to spend a total prior to the 2003 fires, and also of seven hours over four visits looking Cicadabird. I had also dipped on for this bird, the first ACT record since Pied Butcherbird Cracticus 1991 (Wilson 1999). If there is one torquatus, despite at least five trips thing more satisfying than seeing two across town to Mulligan’s Flat to Black Honeyeaters after seven hours look after reports from multiple of searching over two days, then it is observers. From postings to seeing the birds with five other birding Canberrabirds, I am also aware that I colleagues. After nearly two hours dipped on at least 11 other species searching late on the fourth day, that were recorded by birders during Martyn Moffat observed the birds the year. These included Little whereby Sue, Michael, Yarden, Frank Button-Quail (of course heard but and I joined the visual feast. not seen at Goorooyarroo), Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus, Painted Final Tally Honeyeater, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Little Bittern Ixobrychus On 31 December I finished the year sinesis and three species of raptor - with a trip to Boboyan Road with Black Falcon Falco subniger, Black Michael Wright and a final Kite Milvus migrans and Spotted unsuccessful attempt at Wonga Harrier Circus assimilis. Pigeon. I was well and truly over my Big Year when the clock struck Of course, there are the bird- midnight that night, with my tally for watching purists who will look the year at 208 birds. derisively at the pursuit of ‘twitching’ in general and my Big As for the birds I had categorised, I Year in particular, but I hope my had observed all 108 Code 1 birds, all record-keeping in 2006 will assuage 38 Code 2 birds and 47 out of the 71 even their doubts. I submitted birds I categorised as Code 3. I had sixteen ‘unusual bird reports’ to the increased my ACT list by 15 species COG Rarities Panel and importantly out of the 73 possible Code 4 birds, for the COG database, records for thus bringing my ACT total to 230 228 surveys during the year were species. submitted (see Figure 1).

Of those Code 4 species, I had observed some amazing birds which included the now un-extinct White-

133 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Footnote to the Big Year COG (2003b) Annual Bird Report: 1 July 2002 to 20 June 2003. Canberra While 2007 should have been a year in Bird Notes, 28 (4). which to slow down and unwind, after my mad scrambling in 2006, the COG (2005) Annual Bird Report: 1 July 2003 to 20 June 2004. Canberra Bird number of rarities that kept arriving in Notes, 30 (1). Canberra conspired to make that impossible. With much less effort than COG (2007) Annual Bird Report: 1 July in 2006, I again cracked the double ton 2005 to 20 June 2006. Canberra Bird and ended the year with 203 species. Notes, 32 (1). That of course was eclipsed by Milburn who, as I anticipated, on 4 COG (2008) Annual Bird Report: 1 July October passed my total and finished 2006 to 20 June 2007. Canberra Bird the year with 220 species. Notes, 33 (1).

Dooley, S. (2005) The Big Twitch. Allen Acknowledgements & Unwin, Crows Nest.

I would like to thank all those who Pizzey, G. and Knight, F. (2003) The encouraged me along the way, those Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. who joined me out birding (many I 7th Edition, Harper Collins, Pymble. have named but many others I have omitted), and those that provided me Smith, A. (2005) Book Review: The Big with information in my quest to find Twitch, by Sean Dooley. Canberra species. Bird Notes, 30: 165.

Wilson, S.J. (1999) Birds of the ACT: Thank you to Amanda and Phoebe Two Centuries of Change. Canberra Wright for reviewing the manuscript. Ornithologists Group.

Most importantly I would like to thank my wife and three children, who tolerated a year of outrageously obsessive behaviour.

References

COG (2003a) The Canberra Ornithologists Group Annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Australian Capital Territory, , viewed 18 July 2008.

134 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Figure 1 Species and Surveys

Figure 2. Coverage of the ACT during my Big Year in 2006. Each placemark indicates a survey site, visited at least once.

135 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

A ROYAL SPOONBILL BREEDING ATTEMPT AT KELLY’S SWAMP

Martin Butterfield

101 Whiskers Creek Rd, Carwoola, NSW 2620

Abstract: This article documents breeding attempts by several pairs of Royal spoonbill at Kelly’s Swamp in the ACT

To some extent this story is told in the pair of Royal Spoonbills Platalea order that events occurred to me, regia perched in a willow tree on the rather than strictly according to their small island in front of Cygnus hide. chronological sequence. This approach The birds appeared to be courting, has been adopted to rationalise some and I noticed one bird break a branch of my decisions, which might off the willow and appear to place it otherwise seem rather strange! in a rudimentary nest. The location of this small island, and the location On 28 October 2008, while visiting of some earlier events described Kelly’s Swamp (35°19’S, 149°10’E) below are shown in the below image, in Jerrabomberra Wetlands, I noticed a extracted from Google Earth.

On returning home I consulted the I then consulted Blakers et al. (1984) most recent Annual Bird Report (COG and Barrett et al. (2003). The former 2008), hereafter ABR, to determine the showed this species as having been status of the species in the ACT. It is recorded breeding to the south-east designated “Uncommon, Visitor” and of the ACT and the latter to the north no breeding information was shown. of the ACT, but neither showed the

136 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 species as recorded breeding within people to email me directly the ACT. At a more local level, Taylor regarding their observations of the and COG (1992) only show the birds. Subsequently, I received only species as a Minor Species, noting it to one email over two weeks, rather be an uncommon, irruptive summer than the one posting per day on the visitor. chatline. Fortunately, I was able to visit the site approximately every Wilson (1999), the book regarded by fourth day ensuring some continuity. many as the authoritative source of recent information about the birds of Timetable of events at the nesting the ACT, also describes the species as site an irruptive summer visitor and makes no reference to breeding activity in the The image below illustrates the region. positions of the three nests referred in the following material. It thus seemed that this might be the first breeding record for the ACT, if not for the COG Area of Interest (COGAOI) and I decided that some detail should be compiled on the breeding event. As I am not able to visit the site every day I placed a request on the COG chatline for observers to post on there any observations they might make of this event. I was very pleased with the response. Details of the postings are available through the archive of the chatline located at http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archiv What is reported here is my es/html/canberrabirds and I note the summary of what happened on the potential importance I attach to such a island and its vicinity. I have record of “eye of the beholder” detail, presented this according to the date without filtering through a third party of event (rather than when I became such as necessarily occurs in this aware of it). This may give a sense summary. of how complex breeding events can be. In response to some adverse comments about the number of chatline postings about this event, I subsequently asked

137 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Date Event(s) Observer(s) 25 Oct (1) Birds in tree, but no breeding activity. (1) Julian Robinson (2) four birds seen nearby: two nests? (2) Sue Lashko 26 Oct Bird carrying stick to tree. Alastair Smith and Geoff Duggan 28 Oct (1) Birds pulling branches from tree for (1) Martin nesting material. Butterfield (2) Bird carrying stick to tree. (2) Leo Berzins 29 Oct (1) Possible copulation. (1) Robin Hide (2) Stick carrying and courtship display. (2) Julian Robinson 2 Nov Co-operative nest building. Suzanne Gardiner 3 Nov “Looks like a serious nest-building attempt”. Geoffrey Dabb 4 Nov (1) A second nest appears to commence (1) Lindell Emerton construction on the RHS of the tree. (2) Martin (2) Bird flies a circular route to RHS nest Butterfield with a long stick in bill. 6 Nov Birds arranging sticks in their nest. Marnix Zwankhuizen 8 Nov Bird sitting on LHS nest – perhaps on eggs. Frank Antram One bird standing next to RHS nest. 9 Nov Three pairs. LHS on nest, RHS copulation Shaun Bagley and building, Upper nest in initial build. 11 Nov Bird sitting on LHS. Male standing in Upper Martin Butterfield nest, defending against birds from RHS. 13 Nov Birds sitting in LHS and RHS, each with Martin Butterfield another standing over them. Two birds standing in Upper nest, both adding twigs from nearby vegetation. 18 Nov (1) Birds sitting in all three nests. (1) Martin (2) Birds sitting in all three nests. Attempts to Butterfield definitely spot eggs unsuccessful. (2) Steve Holliday

Further Research On 3 January 1999 dependent young Earlier records emerge were reported from Rose Lagoon (COG 2000). This may be the There are two earlier breeding records breeding record contained in the for this species in the COGAOI, one of Barrett et al. (2003). However this which was in the same general area as ABR record also contains a cryptic this event. They are both recorded in reference to another breeding event the COG General Records database in the previous year. In the ABR for and there were notes in the ABRs as the year ended 30 June 1998, a nest follows. with young is recorded for this

138 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 species on 5 February 1998. It was review; (iv) to make some noted that this is “the first breeding suggestions for the future. record for the species in the region and involved one nest”. This section essentially reviews HANZAB, Volume 1B (Marchant (At this point, following my research and Higgins 1990), with page into records of Black-chinned numbers from that volume cited. Honeyeaters (Butterfield 2007) I began to wonder if any research into (i) Unusual Behaviours: HANZAB “firsts for the ACT” was going to notes that flying from place to place result in discovering little-publicised carrying a stick was reported “on one earlier records!) occasion“ (p. 1100), which may well be represented by the circular flight Unfortunately the observer who on 4 November. HANZAB also reported the 1998 nest has passed notes that there is no information away and no-one else appeared to about laying: Frank Antram’s remember the nest. Fortunately, the observation of 8 November suggests original hard copy record was able to that the first egg was laid 7 or 8 be located and was accompanied by November, approximately two some further detail including a sketch weeks after pair bonding (assuming map. This indicated the nest site was my interpretation of Alastair Smith to the west of, but visible from, Fulica and Geoff Duggan’s observation is hide (this location is shown in the correct). Google Earth extract above). The nest was close to that of a pair of (ii) Expected behaviours not Australian White Ibis Threskiornis observed: Customary behaviour molucca. appears to be for males to build a rudimentary nest at which it waits, I have subsequently been advised that initially driving off other birds of in 2007 a pair of Royal Spoonbills both sexes. This was either not commenced construction of, but observed (or not recognised) initially abandoned, a nest in that area (Rod as my first sighting involved both Mackay, pers. comm.). This nest site birds at the nest site. However one was also close to ibis nests. example of this was observed at the third nest. Review of HANZAB (iii) Questions raised by The purposes of this section are (i) to observations: attempt to pick out any unusual behaviours displayed by these birds; a. Several observers suspected that (ii) to describe any expected they observed copulation: as it is behaviours that were not observed; “frequent during pair bonding and (iii) comment on questions raised by laying” (p. 1101). It is likely that observations possibly resolved by the they did see it.

139 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 b. One observer questioned whether d. Given the number of people the stick gathering was nest building birding in this area, and that the site or display: HANZAB suggests that - of the earlier event which, while not for the LHS nest in particular - pair easily seen from the bicycle path, formation was complete by the time was visible from Fulica hide, why observations commenced. was there only a single report - or at least a single formal record - of the (iv) There seem to be several messages 1998 event? Surely other observers for the future in this event. must have spotted this? a. Pair formation seems to require Looking forwards some persistence by the female and “not until male leaves to collect nest As the deadline for this edition of material c5-8 days after establishment CBN arrived before the breeding of nest site can birds be considered event was complete it is intended to paired” (p. 1100). Thus it seems that continue the observations for the there may well have been over a week near future. A brief follow-up article of preliminary activity at this site will be submitted for a later edition. before the potential breeding event was noticed. Perhaps observers need to More generally, it is recommended be particularly alert to bird-bird that members of COG make efforts interactions as a likely indicator of to write up details of ‘first breeding’ potential breeding? events as they would for a ‘first occurrence’ record. This article has b. Although the species has been been compiled to plug the gap accepted as having bred at least once evident from the first event. in the ACT and twice in the COGAOI there is no indication of this in its Summary status as far as COG is concerned. Had it been noted, since 1999 as This report covers the initial stages “occasional breeder” (or something of observed breeding activity of a similar - I am not wedded to those number of pairs of Royal Spoonbill words), it is possible that observers at Kelly’s Swamp. As well as may have been more alert to the recording the second breeding event possibility of behaviour leading to of this species in the ACT (and the breeding. It is suggested that the third in the COGAOI) it provides a designation of the species in the ACT detailed timeline for the should be revised to indicate that it development of the nests. breeds in the Territory. It was pleasing to note that nearly c. Given the threat of development every posting on the chatline close to the swamp, breeding of such a described an additional form of species in the wetlands could be a behaviour by the birds or a change in crucial input to planning decisions. the structure of the site. I believe that having this type of on the spot

140 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 recording preserved in a general access Butterfield, M. (2007) Sleuthing the archive (rather than hidden in a private Black-chinned Honeyeater in the data holding) provides a valuable ACT. Canberra Bird Notes 32: 125- resource for the future. The postings 128. also give a considerable amount of Marchant, S. and Higgins, P.J. (Eds) qualitative information which is at best (1990) Handbook of Australian, New difficult to access through the Zealand and Antarctic Birds, Vol. 1: conventional COG quantitative Ratites to Ducks. Oxford University database system. Press, Melbourne.

References Taylor, I.M. and COG (1992) Birds of the Australian Capital Territory: An Barrett, G., Silcocks, A., Barry, S., Atlas. COG and NCPA, Canberra. Cunningham, R. & Poulter, R. (2003) The New Atlas of Australian Birds. Wilson, S.J. (1999) Birds of the ACT: Royal Australasian Ornithologists Two Centuries of Change. Canberra Union, Hawthorn East, Vic. Ornithologists Group.

Blakers, M., Davies, S.J.J.F. & Reilly, P.N. (1984) The Atlas of Australian Birds. Melbourne University Press, Carlton.

141 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

SOME IMPACTS OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF GARDEN BIRD SURVEY SITES ACROSS SUBURBS OF CANBERRA

Martin Butterfield

101 Whiskers Creek Rd, Carwoola, NSW 2620

Introduction having largely a rural environment). It does not include sites, whether In the early years of the Garden Bird urban (e.g. Queanbeyan) or rural in Survey (GBS), results were reported nearby NSW. This reflects the in the Canberra Ornithologists Group availability of some of the Annual Bird Report (ABR) with supplementary metadata for the sites. some spatial disaggregation over zones and regions of Canberra. The Representation across regions of zones were very broad (North, the ACT Central and South) with the regions effectively equivalent to the Although the sample for the GBS is “township” concept (Belconnen, self-selecting, by observers North Canberra, Central, Woden, indicating a willingness to Weston Creek and Tuggeranong). As participate in the survey, it is not time has passed the use of these technically possible to attribute a attributes of the sites has fallen into probability of selection to any site. disuse, although Dobbie and Welch However if there were no biases in (undated) did use the Regions in the self selection process it could be their analysis. expected that the sample would reflect the distribution of potential More recently, it has been suggested sites (in theory at least, private that the developing areas of the ACT dwellings) across the ACT. Although are under-represented in the sample a number of people have reported of gardens reporting for the GBS. “work sites” (notably in ANU) from This paper commences with an time to time, these have contributed investigation as to the validity of this relatively few responses to the GBS suggestion and its significance in and for this analysis will be terms of the distribution of the considered as reflecting aspects of sample. It will then investigate the the avifauna in the areas where the impact of the differential spatial sites are located in the same way as a distribution on the abundance domestic site might do. The author measures for two species. does not believe that this introduces any significant bias into the analysis. It should be noted that this investigation is limited to the ACT The basic unit of aggregation of the elements of the GBS (including site data could be the suburb: this is some sites that might be regarded as the basic planning unit for Canberra,

142 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 has well defined boundaries and is split into Kambah and Other used as the basic aggregate for Tuggeranong. Despite this departure official statistics on the number of from the ABS set of SSDs, and the dwellings published by the restriction of this paper to the more Australian Bureau of Statistics urban elements of the ACT, for (ABS). However suburbs are convenience the Regions so defined relatively small units and while will use the acronym SSD. calculations can be carried out at that level, the distortions due to the The initial parameters investigated impact of small numbers of sites and were the number of occupied private changes in the households dwellings in each suburb - taken as contributing are likely to be an indicator of the benchmark - and significant. In addition, it is felt that the number of sheets completed for if a suburb is deficient in sample it is the GBS (a site in for one year possible that sample from its contributes one to this count, a site in neighbouring suburbs may for 20 years contributes 20, etc.). compensate for this when suburbs’ values are combined to units The number of occupied dwellings resembling the Regions previously came from publications of the ABS, used in the ABR. mainly from the 2001 Census but supported by results from the 2006 There are some differences in what Census for some suburbs in follows to the list of Regions Gungahlin developed since 2001. As previously used in the GBS. At the the number of occupied dwellings is most simple level, a new region fairly stable once a suburb is “Gungahlin-Hall” is introduced to developed I do not believe this cover the new township of flexibility causes any significant bias Gungahlin and nearby suburbs. to this exploratory analysis. An Secondly, the previous “Central expected number of sheets was also Region” is split with the suburbs to calculated by assuming that the the north of Lake Burley Griffin given total number (1596) was being merged with those previously distributed in proportion to the classified as the northern region and number of private dwellings. those to the south of the Lake becoming a new Region of South This analysis showed clearly that Canberra. These changes make the Gungahlin-Hall and Other Regions consistent with the Tuggeranong are seriously under Statistical Sub-Divisions (SSD) used represented in the sample (South by the ABS (2002) to disseminate Canberra to a lesser extent). The official statistics. Finally it was value of a chi-square statistic noticed that a very high proportion comparing the actual and expected (approximately 56%) of the reports values is significant at the 0.01% for Tuggeranong came from the level. As this analysis is replaced, suburb of Kambah (including and improved upon, by the following Gleneagles). Thus, that SSD was

143 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 material the details are not included 1981 - Year 1 of the GBS - for here, but can be provided if required. the older suburbs); and ƒ the number of occupied private There are different lengths of dwellings in each suburb. occupancy of the various suburbs so an indicator value was created as the This indicates the “site-years product of: available” for reporting in each suburb; again these results are ƒ the number of years between aggregated by SSD and presented in 2008 and the date of first Table 1, together with information occupation of the suburb (or on sheets submitted.

Sheet ID SSD Site-Years Prop Years A-E available available Actual Expected count count BELCONNEN 799006 0.2624 477 419 58 GUNGHALIN-HALL 145706 0.0479 27 76 -49 NORTH CANBERRA 412182 0.1354 352 216 136 SOUTH CANBERRA 246726 0.0810 104 129 -25 KAMBAH 155628 0.0511 125 82 43 OTHER TUGGERANONG 704028 0.2312 100 369 -269 WESTON CREEK 237033 0.0778 149 124 25 WODEN 344700 0.1132 262 181 81 Total 3045009 1.0000 1596 1596 0 Table 1: Expected and Actual numbers of GBS Sheets by Statistical Sub-Division (SSD)

The value of chi-square is again similar to those in Table 1 so are not significant at the 0.01% level, and further explored here. the same suburbs are under- represented (although the amount of The sketch map below, based on sites below standard is reduced Map 3 in the Annual Bird Report for reflecting the relative “newness” of 2006-07, illustrates the location of the suburbs in most of the areas). the suburbs with nil or one charts over the 26 years of the GBS. It will A further adjustment was considered be seen that these are concentrated in in which the ‘years available’ the Gungahlin-Hall and South measure described above was Tuggeranong SSDs. compared with the total number of active weeks for each SSD over the 26 year period. The results were very

144 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Figure 1. Location of suburbs with nil or one charts over the 26 years of the GBS.

Of the other suburbs with nil or one (Belconnen) and O’Malley (Woden) sheets, Philip (Woden Valley), and the author leaves that to others. Kingston (South Canberra), City (North Canberra) and Belconnen Does it Matter? Town Centre/Emu Ridge (not surprisingly, in Belconnen) are all Whilst it is of technical interest that areas of very dense settlement. It the sample is so unrepresentative, the might thus be considered that both in key issue for use of the data in policy terms of habitat and type of resident or research is what impact does this they are somewhat similar to the biased sample have on the data to be under-represented areas in analysed? This section looks at a Gungahlin-Hall and Tuggeranong. It form of sensitivity analysis of the is more difficult to explain the total results, replacing the data for the lack of observers in Mckellar small samples with alternative

145 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 imaginary (but hopefully reasonable) corniculatus (suggested by Dobbie values. and Welch (unpubl.) as being more common in Tuggeranong than other As a first step in addressing this areas in the ACT, and thus possibly question the 26 year values of A, more affected by the under- based upon the actual GBS dataset, representation of that Region). As were calculated for Australian shown in Table 2 below, the values Magpie Cracticus tibicen (a common of A vary considerably across the bird across the whole of the ACT) SSDs. and Noisy Friarbird Philemon

Sum of Number of birds A values SSD weeks active Magpie Friarbird Magpie Friarbird BELCONNEN 20333 54197 16666 2.67 0.82 GUNGAHLIN-HALL 1103 2862 534 2.59 0.48 NORTH CANBERRA 14237 40070 15185 2.81 1.07 SOUTH CANBERRA 4102 10268 1639 2.50 0.40 KAMBAH 5127 17095 7944 3.33 1.55 OTHER TUGGERANONG 3918 12167 3843 3.11 0.98 WESTON CREEK 5994 13884 4172 2.32 0.70 WODEN 10455 34044 7446 3.26 0.71 TOTAL 65269 184587 57429 2.83 0.88 Table 2: Numbers of birds and A values by SSD, Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen and Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus.

The A value for Noisy Friarbird in 0.6% higher than the raw value Kambah is particularly interesting, shown in table 2; and but this author does not attempt to ƒ the adjusted A value for Noisy explain the observed value. Friarbird was 0.86 - 2.75% lower than the raw value shown As a first step in data substitution, A in table 2. values were weighted by the proportion of dwellings in that SSD The relatively small percentage and the resulting values summed to differences lead me to quote Manuel, give a weighted A value for the ACT from Fawlty Towers: “Que?”. as a whole. This gave the following Perhaps more helpfully, Professor results: Julius Sumner Miller used to ask “Why is it so?”. It appears that the ƒ the adjusted A value for regions most affected by under- Australian Magpie was 2.84 - representation include a region with, for these species at least, very low A

146 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 values (Gungahlin-Hall) and one Conclusions with relatively high A values (Other Tuggeranong). These tend to balance This paper demonstrates the current out in the re-weighting. under-representation of the newer suburbs in the Garden Bird Survey A second line of investigation was to and illustrates the level of variability focus on Year 26, weighting the in a measure of abundance that observed A values in each SSD by might result from that lack of the proportion of years available. representation. Given the range of This became a little problematic as other issues affecting the precise there were no sheets submitted for values of results from the GBS the Gungahlin-Hall in that year. The first levels of distortion in the measure of approach to overcoming that issue abundance are not currently such as was to give an allowance in the total to inhibit the use of the Survey. value as though Gungahlin-Hall contributed the mean value of A for The reasons for this under- other components of the ACT. representation are not clear. Possible However this seemed unrealistic reasons might include: given the information in Table 2. Thus the relationship between the 26 ƒ there are few birds in the year A values for Gungahlin-Hall densely settled suburbs typical and the ACT was applied to the year of the most under-represented 26 A values for the ACT as a whole. parts of SSDs (and thus the Using that estimate, the A values for occupiers of the dwellings the ACT as a whole given by mistakenly - repeat, mistakenly weighting the SSD values by “years - feel that their data recording available” in each SSD showed: efforts would not be worthwhile); and ƒ the adjusted A value for ƒ the type of people who are Australian Magpie was 3.081 - interested in recording the 6.02% lower than the raw value number of birds they observe do (3.279) for this species in all not choose to live in such areas. ACT sites (note that this is different to the values shown in Both of the suggested explanations the latest ABR which include a present great challenges in few sites in NSW); and attempting to promote the uptake of ƒ the adjusted A value for Noisy the GBS in the afflicted areas (and Friarbird was 0.481 - 6.05% probably also in promoting the lower than the raw value (0.512) general interests of birds). for this species in all ACT sites (with the same caveat as the The three areas particularly affected previous species). by under-representation are probably more typical of the type of settlement for future developments in the ACT. At present they account

147 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 for approximately 33% of the up GBS Charts for the 28th year of dwellings in the ACT. However by the Survey. I thank them for this the time the development of action and encourage others to Gungahlin is complete and the follow them for future years. proposed areas along the Molonglo have been developed, the dense References ‘McMansions’ and apartment complexes will account for closer to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2002) half the dwellings in the ACT. In Selected Social and Housing, plain language, the problem of lack Characteristics for Statistical Local of reliable data is going to get worse, Areas, Australian Capital Territory, and may begin to impair the 2001. usefulness of the GBS, unless Dobbie, M.J. and Welsh, A.H. (undated “someone” works out a way of and unpublished). The Canberra getting reports from such areas. Garden Bird Survey: analysis of counts of the Golden Whistler As a final note, since this paper was Pachycephala pectoralis, Noisy originally drafted a number of Friarbird Philemon corniculatus and members of COG and other residents Australian Magpie Gymnorhina of Gungahlin, Kingston and tibicen. Southern Tuggeranong have taken

148 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

ODD OBS

Rufous Whistler feeding on was inflicted by the whistler is open to Yellow-rumped Thornbill conjecture.

On Saturday 13 September 2008 we HANZAB (Higgins and Peter 2002) entered a patch of regrowth does not include birds in the list of food (Eucalyptus spp) off the western side items of the Rufous Whistler, however of Drake-Brockman Drive, Holt that Taws (2007) notes “occasionally small was some 20 metres long by eight mammals and birds”. metres, wide with saplings averaging around two metres in height. References

Immediately, three or four Brown Higgins, P.J. and Peter, J.M. (Eds) (2002) Thornbills Acanthiza pusilla flew Handbook of Australian New Zealand about above our heads emitting ‘tzzt’ and Antarctic Birds. Volume 6: Pardalotes to Shrike-thrushes. Oxford calls. Thinking we might be University Press, Melbourne, pp. 1143- disturbing nesting activity we left the 1144. immediate area and entered the regrowth from another direction. My Taws, N. (2007) Bringing Birds Back. A young companion walked into the glovebox guide for bird identification & scrub ahead of me then hurried back habitat restoration in the ACT & SE to say she'd seen a Rusty-fronted NSW. Greening Australia Capital Butcherbird [sic] eating a Yellow- Region, Canberra, p. 22. Rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa. I suspected she'd seen John K. Layton an immature Collared Sparrowhawk 14 Beach Place, HOLT, ACT 2615 Accipiter cirrocephalus, investigated and saw a Rufous A Little Button-quail in the ACT Whistler Pachycephala rufventris pecking at a dead Yellow-Rumped On 10 October 2008 I was birding Thornbill laying prostrate on the around the Uriarra Rd area in the north- ground. west of the ACT. I had just turned onto Mountain Creek Rd when I noticed We crept to within four metres some birds on a farm dam about 80 before the whistler flew away, and I metres from the road. I stopped and got examined the thornbill. The breast out of the car to have a look. As I was extensively lacerated, walked along the road verge a small apparently caused by the whistler quail erupted from near my feet. To my pecking it. The only other obvious surprise it was a Little Button-quail injury was a deep wound at the base Turnix velox. It rocketed low across the of the nape which probably damaged road and managed to crash straight into or broke the spine, but whether this the chicken wire at the base of the fence on the other side of the road. It slid down the wire and disappeared into long

149 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 grass at the bottom of the fence. I further reports on the COG email list went over to see if it was alright; it archive, at Amaroo (January 2005, Mark appeared to have recovered as it Clayton), and Goorooyarroo again quickly jumped from the grass and (heard October 2006, Alastair Smith). zoomed off again, this time clearing This apparent increase in sightings could the fence, and flew south into a be due to drought pushing birds further paddock for some 100 metres before east than usual, but it is impossible to dropping to the ground behind a pile know with any certainty. In any case, of logs. the species is likely to be significantly under-reported locally, as finding them The area around the site was mostly is largely a matter of chance. treeless grazing land. There was reasonable cover of low grass, Reference although the surrounding paddocks looked quite heavily grazed. What Wilson, S.J. (1999) Birds of the ACT: Two was presumably the same bird was Centuries of Change. Canberra found again the following day in the Ornithologists Group. same area by Frank Antram, Sue Steve Holliday Lashko and Alastair Smith (COG 90 Duffy St, Ainslie, ACT 2602 email list). I am not aware of any other successful attempts to locate it. Willie Wagtail 'sky surfing' a Little I have been lucky enough to have a Eagle reasonable number of field encounters with Little Button-quail, On Sunday 9 November 2008 I and consider them fairly witnessed an interesting interaction straightforward to identify, even in between a Willie Wagtail Rhipidura flight, given a decent view. The leucophrys and a Little Eagle small size, combined with the Hieraaetus morphnoides over the West unstreaked underparts, the pale Macgregor grasslands in the ACT. reddish-brown colour of the upperparts and the contrasting white At 0945 a Little Eagle was circling over flanks are distinctive and readily the grasslands at a height of about 50 separate them from other local quail metres when a Willie Wagtail rose from and button-quail. the ground and climbed to meet the

eagle. It approached the eagle from Wilson (1999) noted very few ACT behind and proceeded to perch on the records of Little Button-quail, the flying eagle's rump. The Willie Wagtail last in 1988, and considered it to be a would then back off before making rare non-breeding summer visitor. another approach and doing the same There have been a couple of more thing. This went on for about a minute recent records published in COG and six approaches before the Willie Annual Bird Reports; Gungahlin Wagtail broke off the ‘sky surfing’ and grasslands (January 2007) and returned to terra firma. While this could Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve be explained as agonistic behaviour, (January 2006). There were two

150 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 during the interactions the legs of the at least two years in succession (2007- Willie wagtail were fully extended 2008), using the same nest site. and the bird never made contact with the eagle with its bill. In 2007, the pair was seen roosting together in a Eucalyptus mannifera at HANZAB makes mention of this the edge of Corroboree Park between type of in-flight perching interaction 15-20 August. Between 25 August and between Willie Wagtails and two 19 October, only a single bird was other raptors but not involving Little roosting in this tree, and the nest was not Eagles. There is a reference to a seen. On 24 October, both adults and Willie Wagtail perching on the wing two well developed young were seen of a Whistling Kite Haliastur together on a neighbouring tree (the sphenurus and another perching on presumed nest site). One young spent the back of a Brown Goshawk part of the morning of 27 October across Accipiter novaehollandiae. the street on a recycling bin that had fallen over – presumably marking A series of photographs from the fledging, as both young were back with United States circulated around the the adults on the nest site branch later internet in 2007 showed a Red- the same day. The family were present winged Blackbird Agelaius in the roosting tree throughout phoeniceus perched on the back of a November, and were last seen there Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis. together on 2 December. It would appear that this type of behaviour is not common, and this A pair of adults was again roosting was certainly the first time I have together in the same E. mannifera by 6 observed such behaviour. March 2008. Although no observations were made between 18 March and 16 Reference April (absent from Canberra), the pair were there between 18 April and 13 Higgins, P. (Ed) (2007) Handbook of May. They were then not seen until 2 Australian, New Zealand and August when they were found in another Antarctic birds. Volume 7 Part 1: E. mannifera about 80 metres away (and Boatbills to Starlings. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. may have been unobserved in that one for some time). They returned to the Alastair Smith earlier roosting tree on 19 August. On 6 Henderson Street 10 September, only one bird was Garran, ACT 2605 roosting there, and the following day it was still there, while the other was seen Tawny Frogmouths breeding at on a nest on the same branch of the Corroboree Park, Ainslie same tree that young were first seen the previous year. This continued until 13 A pair of Tawny Frogmouths October when both birds were seen on Podargus strigoides have now bred the nest site branch. On 18 October, one successfully at Corroboree Park for small chick was first seen (and photographed) by Lindell Emerton. By

151 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

23 October (if not earlier) two young from the same location and interrupt the were in sight. The second adult thornbill call. Perplexed, I stood and remained in the nearby roosting tree listened again. I heard a Yellow-rumped until 26 October when both adults Thornbill call that quickly changed into were again seen on the same nest site a White-throated Gerygone call, and branch. Though they were separate then morph back into a thornbill call at again the following day, they were the end. I located the bird, a Yellow- usually together with the young until rumped Thornbill, and watched it as it 9 November. Fledging was proceeded to repeat this call with the presumably achieved on or just prior inserted gerygone song. The transition to 9 November (Michael Lenz noted between calls was seamless, the quality that chicks looked well developed in of the mimicry was superb - or at any the few days before that day), as I rate, good enough to fool me - and the did not see any of the birds from 10 thornbill devoted most of the call to the November until 17 November, when gerygone song, bookended with its own all four reappeared together in the call. original roosting tree. They remained there until 21 November. Intrigued, I referred to Volume 6 of the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand Robin Hide and Antarctic Birds (Higgins and Peter, 7 Toms Crescent, Ainslie, ACT 2602 2002). Yellow-rumped Thornbills are, like most other thornbills, very Yellow-rumped Thornbill mimicry competent mimics and are known to reproduce the calls of Noisy Miners On a sunny, warm Sunday afternoon Manorina melanocephala, Speckled (16/10/08) at 2pm I visited Mugga Warblers Chthonicola sagittata and Mugga Cottage in Narrabundah White-throated Gerygones, according to Lane, Symonston and I drove to the studies published by Lord (1941) in Emu carpark located at the Mugga-Mugga and Chisholm (1950) also in Emu. Memorial Educational Centre, which serves as the visitor centre for Reference Mugga Mugga. The Centre has a few low native shrubs around it and is Higgins, P. J. and Peter, J. M. (Eds) (2002) situated in an open paddock, with Handbook of Australian, New Zealand some mature pine trees behind the and Antarctic Birds, Vol. 6: Pardalotes centre near the carpark. to Shrike-thrushes. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

I got out of the car and noticed a Suzi Bond Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza The Fenner School of Environment chrysorrhoa calling from near the and Society pine trees adjacent to the carpark. Australian National University Almost immediately I was surprised Canberra ACT 0200 to hear a White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivacea suddenly call

152 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

COLUMNISTS’ CORNER

On bird photography can easily collect snaps of the birds they see, thus having a visual record of each Those huge, great big fancy cameras sighting. In fact the main purpose of a - unlike ‘my teensy (quite normal) bird trip now can be to collect such camera’ that sometimes takes ‘quite snaps. Such a tangible record of a good shots’. sighting can be more satisfying than a tick on a sheet or an entry in a diary. Now that four out of five birdwatchers are keen bird At the same time, digital editing offers photographers (or so it seems), there the means to crop down those snaps to is much more discussion among the actual bird. This has changed the them of other people’s photographic way magnifying capacity is regarded. gear. Stentoreus has noticed that The role of the magnifying lens was to anyone carrying what looks like a narrow the angle of the field captured. former standard unit for bird For example that bird photographer’s photography is now regarded by 300mm outfit might capture about 7° of owners of small digital cameras as the horizontal plane, compared to about having a ‘HUGE’ camera - maybe 40° for the standard 50mm lens. even a ‘fancy’ one. Today, the extent of narrowing of the Before the digital revolution, field depends largely on the size of the relatively few people pursued serious sensor that records the image. The bird photography. You needed a angles given above apply to 35mm film, relatively expensive lens, nothing and equally to a digital camera with a less than 300mm (6x magnification sensor the same size as 35mm film (a in the old terms) and preferably so-called ‘full-frame’ digital camera). 500mm (10x), together with a tripod Small digital cameras have small as heavy as you could carry, the sensors that even with their small fitted latter being a measure of your lenses can readily narrow your angle to seriousness. If you had a camera 5° or less. In terms of angle this is the designed for family and holiday same result as if you cropped a ‘full- snaps, you simply wouldn’t expect to frame’ 50mm shot to one eighth of its be able to photograph birds with it. original width.

In these digital times, almost anyone You can probably see where this is can have a comparatively going. Magnification as a problem for inexpensive, pocket-size camera that the bird photographer has, in crude offers perhaps 6x or 10x or greater terms, been solved. The problem magnification. In fair conditions this remains one of obtaining an image of will be able to take a passable photo good quality, preferably one that will of even a small bird. The great tolerate substantial cropping so that that advantage of this is that observers little - or distant - subject fills the frame.

153 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

An initial point to consider is the Today, the serious bird photographer is ‘megapixel’ capability of the camera, likely to use the same-looking gear as the number of dots that will be has been used for the last 30 years - an needed to allow for trimming. At the SLR (single-lens reflex) camera fitted present time each successive model with a detachable telephoto lens of of the current generation of small between 300mm and 600mm focal digicameras offers an ever- length. One difference is that today’s increasing quantity of pixels, so it camera, instead of using film, will have will surely be only a matter of time a digital sensor. In most popular digital before this ceases to be an issue. SLR models, the size of the sensor will further narrow the angle of view so the Megapixels aside, you will not focal length of the lens will be increased achieve a crop of reasonable quality by 1.6x. unless your image is sharp and free of defects in ordinary photographic This means that a 400mm lens will terms. ‘magnify’ the subject about 13x compared to a 50mm film camera. This A small angle of view, however is comparable with some small fixed- achieved, still requires elimination so lens digitals, although the specified far as possible of camera movement. maximum zoom of the latter, e.g. ‘12x’, Small-camera users rarely carry probably represents the degree of field- tripods, sometimes getting the narrowing from the widest angle benefit of an in-built stabiliser. That possible with the same camera. benefit is often countered by snappers who wave the camera at At present, with those abundant arms-length in front of them while megapixels, differences in results are using the display screen to frame the likely to come back to the capacity of shot. the lens. Higher-end detachable lenses are of very good optical quality, as they Birds are difficult subjects. Apart always have been. Furthermore a large from their small size and wariness, lens admits more light, which means not they move, frequently inhabit shade only better performance in low-light and places of mottled or uneven conditions but a faster speed for the light, and often present harsh shot, which helps freeze subject- reflective surfaces. Slight wisps of movement and also helps counter vegetation can impede the autofocus. camera-shake. A digital camera attached In more difficult situations birds to a cheap telescope will produce a large present problems even for the image but not usually one of good experienced photographer, who, quality. moreover, is usually seeking a shot of a rarity or of interesting or As a general rule, for a telephoto lens dramatic behaviour - in view of the the cost escalates more sharply with its abundance of routine snaps of the speed (reflected in its bulk and weight) easier targets. than with its reach or focal length (reflected in its physical length). In that

154 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 respect not a great deal has changed with those, at a cost in portability - and for the large-lens enthusiast. money.

Several other things have changed, Small digi-cameras are relatively such as the possibility of self- inexpensive and incredibly convenient, processing. Moreover, sensor-related and have largely overcome the distance field-narrowing has an advantage in problem. It is inevitable, surely, that depth of focus, and ‘fast’ film carried these pocket wonders will overcome the a penalty in quality, something not problems of difficult light, camera-shake so evident with ‘fast’ digital settings. and subject-movement. As for However, one consideration is by far processing, any kind of desired image- the most important. The costless enhancement will probably be nature of digital recording compared achievable at will. to expensive film enables speculative machine-gun-snapping to the point Then those people lugging around all where field technique is usually quite that glass in their ‘great big cameras’ different, particularly in that pursuit will seem not so fancy, in fact they will of interesting or dramatic behaviour. seem prehistoric - if there are any of them left. Perhaps there will be a few. So those persons carrying the ‘huge We do have enthusiasts for steam trains. great big fancy cameras’ should not, in fact, look much different from A. stentoreus their pre-digital counterparts of 30 years ago. Because of greatly reduced operating cost and the fact Birding in cyberspace, Canberra-style that it’s got a whole lot easier there are now a lot more of them - for the Some strange words are used in time being. birding, as illustrated in the thought- provoking contribution from my fellow However, it is those growing columnist, A. stentoreus, in the numbers now toting their tiny September 2008 issue of Canberra Bird digitals who have the truly ‘fancy’ Notes. There he drew attention to the cameras. For their size, the capability challenges that we face in characterising of those traveller-friendly units is bird calls. The ‘pripping’ call of fairy- astonishing, and is being increased wrens was instanced, as it is a word and enhanced month by month. which apparently has yet to find its way Improvements are so regular that one into any dictionary. Recently, on the suspects they depend only on the nod national birding announcement and of the marketing strategists. discussion list Birding-Aus, a contributor pointed out that ‘Referring Much of the challenge of bird to the foraging techniques of Welcome photography arises from an equation Swallows, HANZAB says: “Forage in which the competing elements are aerially, taking prey by sallying or light, distance and speed. A large screening ...”‘. He continued, ‘I can’t lens offers the best means of dealing find the term “screening” in the

155 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 glossary, and none of the dictionary Nesting boxes for birds is always a topic definitions seem to fit. Can someone of interest, with some birders skilled explain what “screening” means in with hammer and nails, able to build this context?’ Another subscriber their own, while others prefer something added ‘and “sallying” too, please, pre-fabricated. The Melbourne Wildlife while you’re at it’. Sanctuary, part of La Trobe University, has a web site on Nesting Boxes A useful reply was proffered by for Australian Animals Merrilyn Serong: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/wildlife/nboxes.ht ml. The topics covered are natural nest There’s a very interesting paper by hollows, native species that use nest Remsen and Robinson in Studies in boxes, looking after your nest box, feral Avian Biology No.13, entitled ‘A species, research, and nest box prices. classification scheme for foraging Apparently the boxes, designed behavior of birds in terrestrial specifically for particular types of birds habitats’. Sally and screen are both and other animals, can be ordered via attack behaviours categorized as wing-powered aerial manoeuvres. the web site. According to R and R, to sally is to fly from a perch and attack a food In the past, this column has drawn item that is either in the air or on a attention to the many rural communities hard substrate like a branch. There of Australia that have established bird are several subcategories of sallying, routes and published their bird routes like sally-strike, sally-hover, etc. In information online. People from the contrast, to screen is to attack in Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists advise continuous flight. Screening is both a that they have recently released bird method of searching and a method of route brochures for Leeton and attacking prey. Different authors use different terminology. For example, Narrandera. These are in addition to hawking can mean sallying to some the Bird Routes of Griffith brochure people and screening to others. The published earlier this year. valuable thing about R and R’s Disappointingly, these bird routes article is that they explain their resources do not appear to be available classification scheme in great detail online. Instead, the Murrumbidgee and also indicate how other Field Naturalists have a section on their researchers use the terminology. website http://www.mfn.org.au/ ‘Places to visit’ that presumably has some of the A quick visit to SORA, the material found in the bird routes Searchable Ornithological brochures. It covers such favourites as Research Archive the River Red Gum forests at the http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/ reveals Narrandera 5 Mile Reserve and that the article is available in full text Narrandera Wetlands, the dry area at reserves Gillenbah mixed woodlands, http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/coo Pulletop Nature Reserve, Stackpoole per/sab_013.pdf but beware, it is a State Forest and the Round 42MB pdf file. Hill/Yathong/Nombinnie Nature Reserves.

156 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

In previous columns I have drawn ƒ validating the use of temperature attention to the availability of data loggers to measure survival of ornithology journals online, pointing songbird nests; out that some are available in full ƒ a non-damaging blood sampling text free of charge, while others need technique for waterfowl embryos; a subscription or, alternatively, ƒ using egg flotation and eggshell readers need to purchase articles evidence to determine age and fate online. Pleasingly, an announcement of Arctic shorebird nests; was recently made on Birding-Aus, ƒ measuring egg size using digital by the British publisher Wiley- photography: testing Hoyt’s method Blackwell, about a free journal using Florida Scrub-Jay eggs; offering: ƒ Ipecac: an improved emetic for wild birds; To read the Special Issue on ƒ a non-destructive method for Ornithology Methods from the extracting maternally derived egg Journal of Field Ornithology for free, yolk carotenoids; visit ƒ a portable system for continuous http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp monitoring of bird nests using ?p=6642293&m=13526&u=194782 digital video recorders; The Journal of Field Ornithology’s ƒ sex determination of Red-tailed Special Issue on Ornithology Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis calurus) Methods is of interest to researchers using DNA analysis and in Ecology, Conservation and morphometrics; Ornithology and emphasizes the ƒ an inexpensive method for remotely descriptive or experimental study of monitoring nest activity; and birds in their natural habitats with a ƒ comparison of survey methods for specific focus on conservation. wintering grassland birds

The articles contained in the special I found particularly interesting that, issue cover the following topics: among this list of articles, there is a great emphasis on the use of technology ƒ an economical wireless cavity- rather than on methods as such. And nest viewer; what is the inexpensive method for ƒ a comparison of plucked remotely monitoring nest activity? It feathers versus blood samples as entails installing in nests tiny data DNA sources for molecular loggers that are programmed to record sexing; temperature at regular intervals ƒ a novel use of Passive throughout the nesting cycle. All the Integrated Transponder (PIT) researcher needs to do is retrieve the tags as nest markers; loggers after nesting has finished and ƒ remote monitoring of nests download the data for analysis. This using digital camera technology; removed the need for repeated visits to ƒ a solar-powered transmitting the nests with potential negative impacts video camera for monitoring on the nesting birds. cliff-nesting raptors;

157 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Have we mentioned before, in this killed in a motor vehicle rollover while column, The Biggest Twitch? on a birding trip in Madagascar in 1999, Details are online at ticked over 8,500 species—but that was http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com/. The over her lifetime, not in a single year! twitching couple are Alan Davies and Ruth Miller who hail from North In 1988 the Australian National Wales. They advise that their goal is Dictionary Centre, a joint initiative of ‘To see more bird species in a the Australian National University and calendar year than anyone has ever Oxford University Press, published The done before’. Australian National Dictionary: A Dictionary of Australianisms on We have set ourselves the target of Historical Principles. Although 20 seeing over 3,662 different species of years has passed since the date of birds in twelve months, from 1st publication, the Dictionary (known as January to 31st December 2008. We the AND) remains an invaluable have given up our jobs [at the Royal resource. Like the giant Oxford English Society for the Protection of Birds] and are dedicating a whole year to Dictionary, it is not intended to be travelling around the world to set a prescriptive but rather to illustrate the new world record by seeing more way Australian English is actually used birds in a single year than ever now and how it has been used in the achieved before. We will be visiting past. Although a second edition of the every type of habitat on earth: desert, AND is currently being prepared, the rainforest, high altitude, open seas, wonderful news is that the first edition and sweeping savannah. has been made available online, free of charge, by the Oxford University Press, The global bird lists for 2008 is at as a gift to Australia to celebrate 100 the Surfbirds web site reviewed in years of the operation of OUP: the previous issue of CBN: www.oup.com.au/and. http://tinyurl.com/5nr2a8. Davies and Miller cracked the world record here Fine, you may be saying, but what has in Australia. Where, exactly? The that got to do with birds and birding? In Griffith Golf Course, on 31 October: fact, the dictionary has much to interest birders. After all, many Australian birds As we walked out onto the edge of have peculiarly Australian names, in the fairway, we saw six parrots contrast to others that have been named, feeding in the rough. Frantically focusing binoculars, we saw Blue often in a quite silly way, after totally Bonnet parrots, bird number 3663 for unrelated European species. Consider, the year, a new world record!’ for example, the Galah. The first two written records are reproduced in the The last time I checked they were dictionary thus: 1862 J. McKinlay Jrnl. frantically ticking the birds of Exploration Interior 6 May 88 ‘A vast Malaysia, having attained a score of number of gulahs, curellas, macaws … 3,904 species. The famous American here’. 1867 F.J. Byerley Narr. Overland birder Phoebe Snetsinger, who was Exped. Northern Qld. 3 ‘The creek received the name of Galaa Creek, in

158 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 allusion to the galaa or rose cockatoo interface (i.e. just like YouTube)’. At (Cacatua Rosea).’ this site people can:

What about Rosella, named after ƒ upload, tags and share videos Rose Hill, the original European worldwide; name for Parramatta: 1789 A. Phillip ƒ browse hundreds of original videos Voyage to Botany Bay 130 ‘This spot and pictures uploaded by a is very pleasant, and has been named community of members growing by the Governor, Rose-Hill’. 1810 E. daily; BentLett. 27 July 187, ‘I have now ƒ find, join and create video groups to … two Rose Hill Parrots.’ connect with people who have similar interests; Or the delightful Wonga Pigeon: ƒ customize the experience by 1821 L. Macquarie Jrnls. of Tours subscribing to member videos, 20 Nov. (1956) 223 ‘Major Morisett saving favorites (sic), and creating has most kindly sent his young playlists; friend Lachlan the following very ƒ integrate videos on websites using handsome present of pets; vizt. four video embeds or APIs; and black swans … and one wanga- ƒ make videos public or private so wanga pigeon.’ (Wonga is a word users can elect to broadcast their from the Dharuk (Sydney area) videos publicly or share them Aboriginal language.) privately with friends and family upon upload. Meanwhile, back at images of birds on the web. Readers of CBN will I know that this will excite some readers know, make heaps of use of, and and bemuse others. So what about wonder at the excellence of the clicking on the ‘Most viewed’ photos in CanberraBird’s online section of the site at gallery of bird photos http://birdcinema.com/video.php?category= http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/. mv&viewtype and see what’s there? In We acknowledge the fantastic work the search box you can enter ‘Australia’ of David Cook, the web site (if that’s what you are interested in) and manager, and the photographers who see what bird videos have been provide the images. submitted from this austral continent. With increasing numbers of bird So what about Bird Cinema photographers using video, it could be http://birdcinema.com/? It is described that this will become an especially by Doug Myers, who launched it in popular birding web site in the future. July last year, as ‘… a video website for bird enthusiasts to watch and Let’s conclude with another ambitious share original bird videos worldwide, venture, one focussing on Birds and through the web - it’s simply a People http://www.birdsandpeople.org/. website for user-submitted videos of We are now venturing into the next birds, combined with a sharp and stage of development of the internet, well-working real-time onscreen known as Web 2.0

159 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0. from 35 countries around the world have This site is described as a submitted stories and reflections. On its ‘Collaboration between British completion Birds and People will be a author Mark Cocker and acclaimed major record on the innumerable wildlife photographer David Tipling. connections between humankind and birds. In total it will tell the story of a They are supported by the eminent singular and universal relationship. author and research fellow Jonathan Elphick.’ It is ‘A global celebration Interestingly, this web presence and of birds in human culture’: work towards a book is a joint venture with Birdlife International If you love birds and they are an http://www.birdlife.org/. The project important part of your daily experience then read on. This seems to be commencing slowly, but has website and blog are dedicated to an lots of potential. I suggest you visit exciting and important new book http://www.birdsandpeople.org/ and project. Birds and People is a consider making a contribution. radically different book about birds, Australian birders have much to exploring not just their natural contribute to something focussing on history, but their cultural significance Birds and People. What say we get to human societies. behind this project?

Birds and People is a unique kind of T. javanica book because it solicits contributions from anyone. So far over 200 people

This column is available online at http://cbn.canberrabirds.org.au/cbnInfo.htm

Details on how to subscribe to Birding-Aus, the Australian birding email discussion list, are on the web at www.birding-aus.org/. A comprehensive searchable archive of the messages that have been posted to the list is at bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/birding-aus.

To join the CanberraBirds email discussion list, send an email message with the word ‘subscribe’ in the subject line to [email protected]. The list’s searchable archive is at bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/canberrabirds.

160 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

BOOK REVIEW

Bowerbirds by Peter Rowland

Colour photographs, illustrations; 144 pp Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING Publication date: May 2008 ISBN 9780643094208

Reviewed by Beth Mantle

Australia is home to some of the great particularly vocal and charismatic construction crews of the bird world: species. Wedge-tailed Eagles Aquila audax build towering nests of sticks that are As the latest offering from the the product of years of labour, while enormously popular Australian the mound-builders, such as the Natural History Series, and with such Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata and a fascinating subject, “Bowerbirds” Australian Brush-turkey Alectura was highly anticipated. The book lathami, move tons of earth and leaf consists of six chapters, two of which litter in order to provide their eggs deliver species accounts for both with exactly the right temperature and Australian and New Guinean moisture. The bowerbirds, however, bowerbirds, while the first four are the great architects of the chapters focus on the classification, Australian avifauna, and their bowers distribution, anatomy, evolution, and are fascinating from both a behaviour of the bowerbird group. construction and behavioural viewpoint. At a local level, the As I finished reading the Introduction, residents of many Canberra suburbs I realised that I was a little are delighted to share their gardens disappointed with Rowland’s with the Satin Bowerbird composition. I expected to read a Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, a broad and interesting summary of the

161 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 bowerbird group, their origins, what Behaviour in bowerbirds (Chapter 4). makes them such a unique and diverse I was interested to read the author’s avian family, and their place in thoughts on the size distribution of scientific and cultural history. Instead, bowerbird species and how this might the Introduction is slightly bland and be related to Bergmann’s Rule, an one gets the feeling that the author eco-geographical hypothesis stating was not particularly inspired to write that, amongst closely related birds and about these beautiful creatures. mammals, the largest forms occur at Furthermore, the Introduction seems higher altitudes and latitudes. to lack focus and direction, so instead However, as Rowland goes on to of creating an opening pallet upon state, the evidence to support this rule which to paint the biological narrative in bowerbirds is weak, and I was left of the bowerbirds, the reader is wondering why the author had provided with segmented scoops of decided to discuss it at all. Some information taken from the other book quick and dirty research of my own chapters. For example, the opening has revealed that Bergmann’s Rule is paragraph in the Introduction now considered by many ecologists to describes the geographic distribution be controversial, with its validity of the 20 species of bowerbirds being questionable, at best. I suspect (including the catbirds), which is then that Rowland was seeking a repeated almost verbatim in the hypothesis or theory to underpin this opening paragraph of Chapter 2 book, rather than being satisfied with (Classification & Morphology). Much producing a comprehensive and of the introductory text is given over carefully researched overview of the to the description of bowers, and how bowerbird family. Unfortunately, their structure and composition varies Rowland’s critical writing appears amongst species, but once again, this weak and was emphasised by a lack information is repeated in Chapter 4 of referencing throughout the text. (Bower Evolution & Sexual Although there is a comprehensive Behaviour). There is a lovely bibliography, it is not possible to reference to early zoologists’ reactions match statements in the text with the when they first observed bowers in the appropriate reference, which can be New Guinean rainforest, and I would frustrating for a reader who wishes to have enjoyed reading more anecdotes follow up on a particular point. like this. I expected that the third chapter The second chapter (Classification & (Habitat, Distribution & Morphology) describes the Conservation) would summarise the relationship between the bowerbirds preferred habitats of each species, and catbirds, and discusses the role of whilst highlighting current threats to polygyny and monogamy in bird their conservation in the wild. Early social groups. I felt that this discussion in the chapter, the author discusses was slightly out of place in this the potential impact of climate change chapter, particularly when there is a in very general terms, which is whole chapter dedicated to Sexual interesting, but Rowland fails to link

162 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 these impacts to the bowerbird family, species’ behaviour when displaying. I or even birds in general. This is thoroughly enjoyed the mental image followed by several paragraphs of a displaying Tooth-billed illustrating where there are significant Bowerbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris gaps in the understanding of peeking out from behind a small tree, bowerbird habitat requirements and and was fascinated by the theories on threats, and includes a strategy for bower “painting” and how this might approaching bowerbird conservation. affect male sexual behaviour. For example, Rowland points out that once key threats are known then The remaining two chapters of the “conservation strategies can be book provide species accounts of all assigned a high, medium or low twenty Australian and New Guinean priority”. This is commonly known as species of bowerbird, and a “ecological triage”, and is now a well- dichotomous key to all species, which established procedure for managing is probably a bit extraneous given that threats to animal populations. The very few bowerbirds have remainder of this chapter discusses the overlapping distributions and those challenges associated with managing that do (e.g. Satin Bowerbird and bowerbird populations in New Guinea, Regent Bowerbird Sericulus but I felt that it lacked depth and chrysocephalus, or Tooth-billed detail. Overall, this was an interesting Bowerbird and Golden Bowerbird chapter and it touched on some very Amblyornis newtonianus) are quite important issues for bowerbird easy to distinguish in the field. conservation, but I would have However, it is a useful section for enjoyed reading more on bowerbird learning the distinguishing distribution and habitats. characteristics of each species. The species accounts include Australian I particularly enjoyed the chapter on distribution maps, descriptions of the evolution of bowers and sexual adults, immatures, juveniles, and behaviour (Chapter 4). Bowerbirds nestlings, courtship behaviour, feature very heavily in this chapter vocalisations, and feeding. since catbirds do not build bowers or engage in sexual displays. Rowland Overall, this book provides a good capitalises on the array of fascinating overview of the bowerbird family and literature on the behaviour of summarises the latest research bowerbirds, and does a wonderful job findings in a format that is easy to of summarising some of the most read and understand. I felt that parts interesting findings from recent of the book could have been expanded studies. This chapter details the upon, particularly some of the more characteristics of different bower types interesting aspects of bowerbird (e.g. stage, mat and avenue bowers) behaviour. However, I genuinely and the species that build them. enjoyed reading “Bowerbirds” and it Rowland’s passion for this family of will make a valuable addition to my birds is evident in this chapter, and he anyone’s bookshelf. paints a wonderful picture of each

163 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

It is with pleasure that I present my into account core COG objectives, first President’s Report covering the recognised two categories of tasks; period October 2007 to September major and minor. 2008. This past year has been a major learning curve for me as I Of the major tasks, progress has slowly get to know the membership occurred on various fronts: better and as I get to know Canberra Ornithologists Group’s (COG’s) 1) Review of the first 25 years many areas of interest. of the Garden Bird Survey. This has been completed. I would like to First, I would like to thank Jack thank Martin Butterfield, Michael Holland for all that he has done. Jack Lenz and Nick Nicholls for all their took on the role of President for hard work on this project. The major three years and then, as no one items to come from the review were stepped forward to take his place, he that the survey was well supported accepted the position for another by the membership although sites are year whilst I as Vice-president not evenly distributed over the urban learned the ropes. In October last area, with Gungahlin and year we swapped roles and for the Tuggeranong in particular requiring past year his guidance and participants. Professional statistical experience has been invaluable. expertise will be required to examine Throughout this period Jack had to the dataset and that will need to be rebuild his home and garden yet paid for. The survey is now in its business at COG has continued 28th year and the report recommends without missing a beat. Jack will that appropriate expertise be sought now stand down from the Committee with the view to analyse a but like the old trooper that he is I representative set of species after am glad to say he will, for a while, year 30; the final product being continue to find speakers for our suitable for a peer reviewed monthly meetings and continue to scientific publication. In addition, write his monthly contribution to there was a recommendation that the Gang-gang. GBS database be redesigned with appropriate documentation. Again, Forward Plan this will require professional, paid expertise. Finally, it was The Committee’s activities are recommended that a new edition of guided by the Forward Plan that was the publication ‘Birds of Canberra agreed to last year and published in Gardens’ be produced with the the May 2007 Gang-gang. As I am additional 9 years of GBS data. The sure the Plan has been avidly read production of this new edition is now and digested by all members I do not in hand with the formation of a need to remind you that it, taking steering group consisting of Paul

164 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Fennell (Database Manager), Kathy study conducted to examine the Walters (design), David Cook feasibility of updating the ACT Bird (photographs), Martin Butterfield Atlas. It has now been 19 years since (GBS Coordinator) and Chris Davey. the end of the survey period that culminated in the publication of the 2) Develop sets of display Atlas. This project desperately needs material. Julian Robinson has kindly someone who would be prepared to offered to examine ways to improve lead the scoping study. The study and expand on the COG display would determine whether coverage material and he will report back to over the past 19 years has been the Committee with extensive enough to provide recommendations on what needs to meaningful supplementary data. be done. Of the minor tasks: 3) COG database update. It is intended that whilst a consultant 1) Updating the COG pamphlet examines the possibility of on bird-attracting garden plants is redesigning the GBS database, still required and again I would urge consideration will also be given to anyone with an interest in this area to examine the General Observations come forward to help with this database in particular with the aim of project. improving the documentation. 2) The CD ‘Field Guide to the 4) Support for the Mulligans Birds of the ACT’ continues to sell Flat/Goorooyarroo Ecological well but there is a need for a second Community research project. CD that will complete the series. Members of COG continue to Funds have been made available and participate in the project’s bird recording equipment purchased to survey and financial assistance has progress this project. Peter Fullagar been provided to support the has compiled a list of recordings that research project that aims to re- need to be made and all equipment is establish a viable Brown Treecreeper now available to be lent to anyone population in the area. with the appropriate expertise who wishes to collect some of the 5) Support for the Common required material. I urge anyone who Myna research project. The may be willing to participate in this Committee is pleased that a Ph.D. project to contact any Committee student has now been appointed and member. looks forward to supporting any research into the impacts of the 3) New members/ visitors Common Myna on native birds in packs are available at the Sales Desk the local region. but the idea of members wearing name tags at meetings still needs to 6) ACT Bird Atlas- an update. be encouraged. To date there has been no scoping

165 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

4) The first of the Bird Route ƒ submission and subsequent brochures has been developed and is provision of evidence to the now available on the Web. I would Standing Committee on like to thank Sue Lashko and Planning and Environment on Geoffrey Dabb for making this the Draft to Variation to brochure available. There are now an Territory Plan # 281, Molonglo additional two brochures in the pipe- and North Weston; line. ƒ successful nomination of the Little Eagle as a vulnerable Committee species in the ACT; ƒ location of the proposed gas I would like to take this opportunity power station and data storage to thank the 2007-08 Committee. hub off Mugga Lane; This year two Executive positions ƒ concerns about the proposed become available. The Treasurer, Lia selling of Defence land at Batterson, will stand down, having Newline Quarry; filled the position for the last three ƒ concerns about willow clearing years. Lia has brought great and nesting cormorants along professionalism to the job with her Molonglo Reach; dedication and an eye for detail. I am ƒ successful listing of Lake pleased to say that she leaves the Bathurst as an ‘Important Bird books in a healthy state. The Vice- Area (IBA) and input into the president, Jack Holland, will also management plan for the area; stand down this year but as already ƒ input into the management of mentioned I am delighted that Jack White-fronted Chats at Stromlo will continue to support the Group in Forest Park; and other ways. I am pleased to say that ƒ submission to the Googong Sandra Henderson, Jenny Bounds, Foreshore Management Plan. Anthony Overs, David Cook, Sue Lashko and Tony Lawson have all In addition, COG has had an input to agreed to remain for another year. the ACT National Resource Management Council, is a member Conservation of the Stakeholders Forum, ACT Parks, Conservation and Lands and Conservation concerns within our is associated with the ‘Bush on the area continue to increase and during Boundary’ project run by the the past year COG has had an input Ginninderra Catchment Group. A into many of the issues. Jenny Memorandum of Understanding Bounds has been extremely busy in between COG and the Department of her role as Conservation officer and Territories and Municipal Services also as President of the Conservation has been updated and renewed. COG Council of the ACT Region. COG was represented on a committee set has had an input into many issues up to provide advice to Conservation including the following: Volunteers Australia and the

166 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Sanctuary Project at Tidbinbilla particularly like to thank Jack Nature Reserve. Holland, Ian Fraser, Tyto alba and Acrocephalus stentoreus for their Outings regular contributions over the past year. I note that under the new Once again COG has been able to Christidis and Boles taxonomy both run a very comprehensive outings latter contributors will need a name program with Anthony Overs change and that one has already done managing the trips program. In so! addition, the ad hoc group of ‘Wednesday Walkers’ with a life of Canberra Bird Notes. There have their own, have been most successful been three editions of CBN produced in providing outings for those by Anthony Overs as Editor. Major fortunate enough to not be working. publication items include the 2006- Overall, since October last year there 07 Annual Bird Report and articles have been 40 outings. Of these, 10 on the Black-chinned Honeyeater, have been outside the local region Pied Currawong, Whistling Kite, ranging as far as Green Cape, West Little Eagle and the 2007 Canberra Wylong, Ulladulla, Lady Elliot Bird Blitz. Island, Chiltern Forest, Jervis Bay, Round Hill Nature Reserve and Annual Bird Report. I would like to Bungonia State Park. There have thank Paul Fennell for being been six specific purpose outings responsible for the 2006-07 ABR including the Blitz, Nest workshop, published in Volume 33, March Bush Birds for beginners, Waterbirds 2008 Canberra Bird Notes. Thanks for Beginners and the Robin and to the ABR compilers Barbara Allan, Raptor twitchathons. There have Con Boekel, Grahame Clark, Paul been outings to seven of the local Fennell, David McDonald, Ian nature reserves with the remainder of McMahon, Harvey Perkins, David the outings to local hot spots. I Purchase and Nicki Taws with each would like to thank the many contributor, as usual, responsible for organisers and leaders and those who a group or groups of species. The write up the trip reports for Gang- 2007-08 ABR will need to reflect the gang. name changes that have resulted in COG’s adoption of the Birds Communications and Publications Australia recommended names.

Gang-gang. Greg Ramsey and Sue Website. David Cook continues to Lashko have continued with editing provide an excellent website. Over and publishing our newsletter. On the year there have been 169,224 occasions Tanya Rough has stood in visits to the site and 115,474 visits to for Greg when he was away. Also, I the very popular photo gallery. would like to thank Judy Collett and Additions to the site over the past helpers for the preparation and year include a link to the Canberra mailing of the Newsletter. I would Bird Conservation Fund as

167 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 appropriately highlighted by a the web indices covering CBN Dollarbird. Thanks to Alastair Smith, volumes 21 to 28 and partial volumes 1 to 4, 8 to 16 and 32 to 33 coverage of volumes 29 to 32. Past are now available on the Web. I indices have been made available would like to acknowledge the through CBN. COG continues to considerable effort that Alastair has support the Canberra Indian Myna put into this project. The volumes are Action Group website. They have text searchable and it is intended that received 10,521 visits to date and I all will be made available in this now understand that their way. Due to the efforts of Harvey membership is approaching 450. Perkins we now have available on

Number of visits (%)

Canberra Birds Photo Gallery CBN CIMAG BOCG Atlas

Discussion list and email Other communication issues. COG announcements. COG’s chat-line continues to be an active participant ‘Canberrabirds’ continues to be in BIGnet, the network of bird clubs managed by David McDonald. The in NSW. Meeting are held every six membership to the list stands at 232, months to discuss issues of concern an increase of 12 from the previous and it is a particularly important year. The chat-line is an excellent venue through which the various forum for the latest sightings, points clubs are able to learn from each of interest and provides an other and if necessary act jointly on invaluable starting point for those particular issues. COG held a most wishing to discuss their unusual successful meeting at the Botanic sightings. Gardens in April and it was pleasing to see the Chief Minister join us for our outing to Mulligans Flat. Since

168 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 then COG has been represented by Box/Red Gum grassy woodlands. Jenny Bounds and me at the Data on threatened species have been September meeting run by the Blue provided to the ACT Government. Mountains Bird Observers. This coming year we will be seeking funds for a major analysis of the data A progress report on the Woodland as most sites have now been surveys has been provided to the surveyed for 10 years. I would like State of Australian Birds Report to acknowledge the hard work of all produced by Birds Australia which I the site coordinators and participants understand will be found in the next and to Jenny Bounds and Alison edition of Wingspan. Also to be Rowell for administrating the found in the forthcoming issue will project. I would also like to welcome be a report by Michael Lenz on some Helen Mason to the project. Helen is aspects of the waterbird surveys at responsible for data entry. Lake Bathurst. The GBS is now in its 28th year The President attended the opening under the enthusiastic leadership of of the BASNA Discovery Centre at Martin Butterfield. I particularly Olympic Park in Sydney during May commend his regular input to Gang- and was able to take the opportunity gang on interesting aspects of the to make arrangements for back data. I would also like to thank Kay issues of CBN to be sent to the Hahne and Anne Hall for their help BASNA library. These additions in entering the GBS data. Kay really have now completed their holdings deserves a medal as she has now put of CBN. her hand up for this job for over a decade. Surveys and record management The COG database continues to COG continues to be active in the expand with 461,551 observations important area of collecting and from 30,110 datasheets in the recording data on the birds within General Observations database and our area of concern. In the ACT 1.25 million records in the GBS State of Environment Report (2007) database. The databases continue to it was recommended that “ACT be managed by Paul Fennell and Government agencies work with Martin Butterfield. The on-line data qualified community groups (such as entry system is now up and running the Canberra Ornithologists Group) and I urge more members to enter to ensure data collected are made their observation in this way. With available for use in planning and the inbuilt checks and balances the managing the Territory's natural system greatly reduces the amount of resources”. checking required to ensure records are correct. Essential support for the Fifteen woodland sites continue to be COG database is provided through surveyed once a season to document the Records Management Team and the species in the threatened Yellow the Rarities Panel. I would like to

169 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008 acknowledge the contributions that concern our local species such provided by Nicki Taws as Records as Melithriptis honeyeaters, Robins Officer, Harvey Perkins for his role and Quail, Cormorants, Swift on the Records Management Team, Parrots, Fairy-wrens and Regent Tony Harding and many others for Honeyeaters to those found or used data entry and to the members of the to be found further afield such as the Rarities Panel consisting of Richard Beautiful Parrakeet, Hooded Parrot Allan, Jenny Bounds, Grahame and the birds of Oolambeyan, birds Clark, Dick Schodde, Nicki Taws of Jervis Bay, birds of Glue Pot and Barbara Allan (Secretary). Reserve and the Birds in Backyards.

New technologies always throw up In addition there have been particular challenges and we still presentations of a more general struggle to get many of the nature such as Evolution in Birds, interesting observations recorded on Habitat Productivity and the chat-line into the database. Conservation and Birds of Ecuador, the BIG ACT Twitch and Birds of One area that I am afraid we are all Japan whilst Paul Fennell has going to have to face this coming reminded us about the on-line data year concerns scientific and common entry system and Martin Butterfield name changes. Tony Lawson has provided a presentation on the GBS. been assessing the problems COG has in adopting the name changes A feature of the monthly meeting which have now been accepted by continues to be the Sales Desk. Due Birds Australia. Although there are to other commitments Bruce Ramsey not many common names that will and Esme Barker had to need to be changed, the ordering and unfortunately relinquish the changes to scientific names are more marvellous job they had done with significant. COG has already the Desk after taking over from adopted the changes and you may Carol Macleay. I would like to well have noticed the changes as you thanks them for all their efforts and read Gang-gang and Canberra Bird also to thank Roy Harvey who Notes. Changes will need to be made managed to step into the breech for a to GBS charts, General Observations short while. The Desk is now being datasheets and in the database, all of managed by Beth Mantle who has which will take some time. I ask for taken on the position with great your patience as the next Committee enthusiasm. slowly works through these issues. A critical part of the monthly Monthly meetings meetings is the raffle and the tea/coffee get together after the Jack Holland has once again been meeting. Many thanks to Julienne responsible for a most interesting Kampad and Margaret Ashton who and varied program of speakers. work quietly behind the scenes to Presentations have varied from those provide the refreshments and to

170 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Sandra Henderson, helped by Jane Notes. The publication has been Green, for taking on the reduced from four editions to responsibility of providing the raffle three yet it is increasingly prizes and selling the tickets. difficult to find articles that will fill each edition despite the first Canberra Birds Conservation edition containing the Annual Fund Bird Report. There may be reasons for this with Gang-gang There had been problems this and the chat-line’s coverage of financial year spending money from field outings, interesting the Fund. Despite repeated contacts observations and the general with universities and conservation discussions on subjects of groups and despite a couple of initial interest. I would appreciate the expressions of interest there were no membership’s thoughts on applications for the financial period where COG should be heading 2007-08. I am please to say that with CBN and how best to since the start of the present financial capture the chat-line year the CBCF has been able to observations for inclusion in provide a considerable grant to the CBN. Brown Treecreeper reintroduction ƒ We will continue to play a role project. As previously mentioned to ensure that the environment is there is now a link on the COG not forgotten when planners and website that provides details about developers consider the triple the Fund and how to apply. It is bottom line. hoped that this will encourage ƒ We will continue to provide applications from individuals and support to those activities that organisations with project aimed at are important to the membership supporting COG’s objectives. Conclusion So, where are we heading in the forthcoming year? I would once again like to thank the 2007-08 Committee for all their hard ƒ The Forward Plan will need to work. I look forward to my second be updated with outstanding term as President and finally I would tasks to be completed. like to thank you all for your support ƒ We intend to make progress over the past year. with a new edition of the publication ‘Birds of Canberra Chris Davey Gardens’. 8 October 2008 ƒ We aim to seek ways to update and improve the COG database. ƒ An area of concern involves the COG publication Canberra Bird

171 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

RARITIES PANEL NEWS

In the course of the year the Rarities additional information afforded by a Panel exposed for comment its revised detailed description or photograph list of “unusual” birds for the ACT adds weight to the value of the record. and COG area of interest. That list was And the Panel welcomes descriptions formally adopted at the Panel’s of species which the observer has September meeting and can be found been unable to identify. While it may on the COG website not be able to offer a positive www.canberrabirds.org.au. The Panel identification, it is prepared to offer had considered the viability of possibilities. separate lists for the ACT proper, and for the wider area of interest, but Self-evidently, the revised “unusuals” decided in the end on the advantage of list does not include species which simplicity of a single list. That list have not been recorded previously in contains only those species for which the ACT or COG’s area of interest. there have been fewer than ten Neither does it include species for endorsed records of presumably which reports have been received but distinct individual birds (or groups of which have not been endorsed. The birds) in the last 25 years. So the Panel acknowledges that some of White-fronted Honeyeater, for these reports may have been correct; example, so widely viewed in Kambah the standard of proof required for a last winter, counted as one record. “first” for the region is high, and Birds which have not been reliably frequently the Panel has been unable reported in the past 25 years have been to endorse a record simply because dropped from the list as well. The the observer did not obtain a good resulting list is heavily weighted enough view of the species, despite towards waders, whose presence or pleas of “what else could it have absence on Lakes Bathurst and George been?”. A detailed unusual bird is dependent on the water levels of report, supported by a photograph or those lakes. Some observers have been sound recording if possible, is surprised at the omission from the list required for any such species. of birds they consider unusual. And indeed, of the endorsed list published It is further worth noting that the below, only two species, the Musk species which feature on the COG Lorikeet and the Lewin’s Honeyeater, unusual birds list are, largely still feature on the “unusuals” list. speaking, not unusual at all in the broader Australian context. The Panel stresses that, in addition to Exceptions in the past 25 years have reports on the listed birds, it welcomes been the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, the unusual bird reports of ANY species reports of which were submitted to which the observer believes to be and endorsed by Birds Australia’s unusual, or in an unusual location, or Rarities Committee; and the Painted present in unusual numbers. The Snipe.

172 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

The avifauna of the ACT region is encounter there, the more complete constantly evolving, so undoubtedly picture we will have of our local birds the 2008 “unusuals” list will need to and their status. be revised in the light of expected changes. The more frequently COG Since its September meeting, the members get out and explore the less Panel has received seven more frequented parts of our area of interest, unusual bird reports, which it will and record the bird species they consider at its December meeting.

ENDORSED LIST 73, September 2008

White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela 1; 23, 28 Jun 08; I. Baird; Fairfax St, O’Connor GrK13 Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus 20; 11 Mar 08; J. Layton; Beach Place, Holt GrI12 Black Falcon Falco subniger 1; 7 Feb 08; S. Holliday; Goorooyarroo NR GrM11 Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis 3; 20 Jul 08; J. Bounds; Namadgi Visitors Centre GrJ19 Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna 2; 4 Mar 08; D. Parker; Antill St, Queanbeyan GrN15 Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor 1; 6 Jul 08; J. Bounds; Newline Quarry GrM14 1; 7 Jul 08; J. Bounds; Campbell Park GrM13 Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella 1; 8 Feb 08; S. Holliday; Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve GrF18 Lewin’s Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii 1; 23 Jul – 19 Aug 08; R. Lawrence & L. Berzins; Stuart St, Queanbeyan GrN15 Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis 1; 1 Jun 08; K. Walter & J. Goldie; Irvine St, Watson GrL12 Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis 1; 17 Jan 08; S. Holliday; Mulligans Flat NR GrM10

173 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

REVISED LIST OF ‘UNUSUAL’ BIRDS IN THE CANBERRA REGION, SEPTEMBER 2008

Notes. This list was devised, after consultation with the membership of COG, by COG’s Rarities Panel and applies from September 2008. It comprises species for which there have been fewer than 10 endorsed records of probably distinct individuals or groups since the formation of the Rarities Panel in 1984. Species which were formerly listed as unusual but which have not been recorded since 1984 have been dropped from the list, as have species recorded ten or more times. Records of any of the species listed or of any species new to the COG area of interest (CAI) or of any species which is not listed on a revised COG datasheet will not be published as an official COG record unless endorsed by the Panel. If in doubt about the status of a given species, please contact [email protected] for clarification. Unusual bird report forms are available at COG’s monthly meetings or may be downloaded from the COG website; they should be returned either to the “red box” at meetings, to the rarities email address above, or mailed to Rarities Panel, COG, PO Box 301 Civic Square ACT 2608.

Species Most Comments recent date seen Magpie Goose 2003 Excludes birds at Tidbinbilla NR. Anseranas semipalmata Status of 2003Brindabella Stn bird unclear – may have been from Tid Plumed Whistling Duck 1998 2 records only from ACT Dendrocygna eytoni Bar-shouldered Dove 1992 1 ACT Geopelia humeralis Superb Fruit-Dove 1987 Ptilinopus superbus White-throated Nightjar 2007 ACT & CAI Eurostopodus mystacalis Black-necked Stork 1989 1 record only nr Murrumbateman Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Australasian Bittern 2002 Never ACT; Rose Lagoon, primarily Botaurus poiciloptilus Black-tailed Native–hen 2007 ACT & CAI Tribonyx ventralis Grey Plover 1991 Only LBath Pluvialis squatarola Banded Lapwing 2007 Only CAI Vanellus tricolor Australian Painted Snipe 2007 ACT only Rostratula australis

174 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Black-tailed Godwit 1987 CAI only (LBath) Limosa limosa Bar-tailed Godwit 2007 ACT rare; prev not uncommon LBath Limosa lapponica Little Curlew 1997 only LBath Numenius minutus Common Greenshank 1991 2 ACT, 6 LBath Tringa nebularia Wood Sandpiper 1994 Tringa glareola Ruddy Turnstone 1993? Mainly CAI; 1 record only ACT Arenaria interpres Great Knot 1995 1 only LBath Calidris tenuirostris Red Knot 1999 1 ACT; a few LBath Calidris canutus Long-toed Stint 2002 ACT only Calidris subminuta Pectoral Sandpiper 2002 ACT & more often CAI Calidris melanotos Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1997 CAI only Tryngites subruficollis Ruff 1996 Philomachus pugnax Little Button-quail 2006 ACT only Turnix velox Australian Pratincole 1991 Only CAI - LBath Stiltia isabella Gull-billed Tern 2002 1 ACT; 5 CAI - LBath Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern 2005 3 ACT; 1 CAI Hydroprogne caspia White-winged Black Tern 1990 2 CAI - LBath Chlidonias leucopterus Musk Lorikeet 2008 ACT only – nearly off list Glossopsitta concinna Black-eared Cuckoo 2007 ACT only Chalcites osculans Barking Owl 1998 ACT only Ninox connivens Azure Kingfisher 2001 2 ACT; 2 CAI Ceyx azureus Red-backed Kingfisher 2002 ACT only Todiramphus pyrrhopygius

175 Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Variegated Fairy-wren 1991 none since 1991 Malurus lamberti Brown Gerygone 2006 mainly ACT; 1 CAI Gerygone mouki Chestnut-rumped Thornbill 2007 1 CAI; 1 historic ACT Acanthiza uropygialis Pied Honeyeater 2002 1 CAI Certhionyx variegatus Lewin’s Honeyeater 2008 ACT & CAI (Tallaganda) Meliphaga lewinii Singing Honeyeater 2006 ACT & CAI Lichenostomus virescens White-fronted Honeyeater 2007 ACT only Purnella albifrons Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater 2004 ACT & CAI Acanthagenys rufogularis Little Wattlebird 2007 ACT only and nearly off list Anthochaera chrysoptera Crimson Chat 2003 1 ACT Epthianura tricolor Black Honeyeater 2007 seen 1991 and again 2007 Sugomel niger Tawny-crowned Honeyeater 2000 ACT & 1 CAI Glyciphila melanops Black-chinned Honeyeater 2007 ACT only Melithreptus gularis Blue-faced Honeyeater 2006 ACT only Entomyzon cyanotis Striped Honeyeater 2006 1 ACT Plectorhyncha lanceolata Grey-crowned Babbler 2004+ ACT Pomatostomus temporalis White-browed Babbler 2006 1 ACT Pomatostomus superciliosus Spangled Drongo Dicrurus 2007 ACT only bracteatus

176 Canberra Bird Notes is published quarterly by the Canberra Ornithologists Group Inc, and is edited by Anthony Overs. Major articles of up to 5000 words are welcomed on matters relating to the distribution, identification or behaviour of birds in the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding region. Please discuss any proposed major contribution in advance. Shorter notes, book reviews or correspondence are also encouraged. All contributions should be sent to [email protected].

Please note that the views expressed in the articles published in Canberra Bird Notes are those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Canberra Ornithologists Group. Responses to the views expressed in Canberra Bird Notes articles are always welcomed and will be considered for publication as letters to the editor.

Canberra Bird Notes 33 (3) December 2008

Articles

A record of the first Big Year for the Australian Capital Territory Alastair Smith ...... 125 A Royal Spoonbill breeding attempt at Kelly’s Swamp Martin Butterfield ...... 136 Some impacts of spatial distribution of garden bird survey sites across suburbs of Canberra Martin Butterfield ...... 142

Odd Obs

Rufous Whistler feeding on Yellow-rumped Thornbill John K. Layton ...... 149 A Little Button-quail in the ACT Steve Holliday ...... 149 Willie Wagtail ‘sky surfing’ a Little Eagle Alastair Smith ...... 150 Tawny Frogmouths breeding at Corroboree Park, Ainslie Robin Hide... 151 Yellow-rumped Thornbill mimicry Suzi Bond ...... 152

Columnists’ Corner

On bird photography A. stentoreus ...... 153 Birding in cyberspace, Canberra-style T. javanica ...... 155

Book Review

Bowerbirds Beth Mantle ...... 161

President’s Report for 2007-08 Chris Davey...... 164

Rarities Panel News and Endorsed List 73 ...... 172 Revised list of ‘unusual’ birds in the Canberra region ...... 174

Printed December 2008