Birds South East
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Birds South East Number 78 December 2016 White-fronted Honeyeater – Dennis Kuhlmann A notable highlight for Bob was enjoying a peaceful Another successful cuppa after a long morning of surveying when a small flock of Red-tails flew directly overhead. We Bangham Bird also enjoyed being entertained around the campsite by Purple-crowned lorikeets and Black- Monitoring weekend chinned Honeyeaters. A similar number of species were recorded as The Bangham bird surveys have just been completed for the third year in a row and the previous years (around 90 species), although this weather was certainly a bit different this year. Last year there were some waterbirds around too. Preliminary results suggest that robin sightings year we sweltered in 35 degree heat, whereas this year, we needed rubber boots to access some were down a bit this year. This could be due to the sites. I’m told that Bryan and Jeff even went drought of the last couple of years. White-browed and Masked Woodswallows were also noticeably barefoot and waded through one of their sites. absent - there must be better food elsewhere in We surveyed 30 transects using the 2ha 20 minute Australia this year! methodology, which were all repeated three times – so that’s a whopping 90 individual surveys. Contents: Once again, we saw a great mix of birds. Highlights 1. Another successful Bangham Bird of the weekend included: Hooded Robin, Red-tailed Monitoring weekend Black-Cockatoo, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, 2. Bush canaries in the SE Brown Treecreeper, White-fronted Honeyeater, 3. Thankyou Maureen Black-chinned Honeyeater, Sacred Kingfisher, 4. Shorebird Notes Dusky Woodswallow and Restless Flycatcher. 5. Contacts Birds South East We recorded all eight species of parrot likely to On the Saturday night everyone enjoyed a BBQ be found in the area (Crimson Rosella, Eastern dinner as a thank you for their hard work. A big Rosella, Ringneck Parrot, Purple-crowned thank you to Bryan, Bob, Angela and Jeff Davies Lorikeet, Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Blue- who volunteered their time and have been at all winged Parrot and Red-rumped Parrot). The SA three surveys so far. Without the support of Birdlife Blue Gums were still flowering and many of the SE SA these surveys wouldn’t happen. lorikeets were feeding on the blossoms. Cassie Hlava Eaglehawk list for the 4– 7 November 2016 Wedge-tailed Eagle Welcome Swallow Black-chinned Honeyeater White-plumed Honeyeater Brown Treecreeper New-Holland Honeyeater Restless Flycatcher Yellow-faced Honeyeater White-browed Babbler White-eared Honeyeater South-Eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Grey Shrike Thrush Red Wattlebird Australian Owlet-nightjar Red-rumped Parrot Southern Boobook White-throated Gerygone Australian Raven Willie Wagtail Little Raven Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Jacky Winter Purple-crowned Lorikeet Australian Magpie Musk Lorikeet Galah Wood Duck White winged Chough Crimson Rosella Laughing Kookaburra Eastern Rosella Striated Pardalote Rainbow Lorikeet White-throated Treecreeper Brown Thornbill Sacred Kingfisher Buff-rumped Thornbill Crested Pigeon Superb Fairy-wren Rufous Whistler Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Grey Fantail Dusky Woodswallow White-faced Heron 2 Birds South East White-throated Gerygone – Luke Leddy Birds South East In 2016 she was a finalist in the Conservation Bush canaries in the Council of South Australia Jill Hudson Award for Environmental Protection. South East Her role as Wader Notes contributor and BirdLife SE committee member has been taken over by Whilst I was wandering around Eaglehawk Waterhole in November I heard an incredibly Jeff Campbell. beautiful musical call that sounded vaguely familiar. I wracked my brains trying to think of Thanks for your hard work Maureen your fellow what it could be and suddenly thought; perhaps committee members, and BirdLife members really appreciate your contribution. it might be a White-throated Gerygone (see photo above). I listened to the call on my phone and sure enough - it was a match! Shorebird Notes It took me over 30 minutes to get a look at the After many years of producing Wader Notes for tiny yellow and white bird, which flitted from tree the Birds South East, Maureen Christie has decided to take and has passed the baton over to tree and was an expert at hiding amongst the leaves high up in the canopy. My patience was to me. I hope that I may be able to keep up the eventually rewarded and the Gerygone landed excellent standard she has produced. The only alteration which I envisage making is to change out in the open on a dead branch. A few weeks later, Luke Leddy photographed a White-throated the title to Shorebird Notes, a title more in Gerygone at Padthaway CP– I wonder if it’s the keeping with our group’s name Friends of same bird. White-throated Gerygones are known Shorebirds SE (FoSSE) and modern parlance. colloquially as ‘bush canary’ and if you’ve ever Much has been happening in the world of heard their call you’ll certainly know why. So if you hear a long descending musical call – make shorebirds since the last edition of Notes. The sure you investigate. most important is the decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to largely Cassie Hlava upheld our appeal which was based on the fact that the original licence conditions did not protect migratory shorebirds until they depart on Thankyou Maureen migration. The original seasonal closure to harvesting extended only until the end of March Maureen Christie retired from the BirdLife South however we were able to show, through long East committee in June this year, and also ended term studies, that the majority of Ruddy her Wader Notes for the BirdLife Newsletter. Turnstone and Sanderling did not depart until Maureen started a modest form of Wader Notes late April or early May. The long term studies in the second edition of the local newsletter put also showed that the later period was critically out in February 2002. She reported on a catch of important for pre-migration weight gain for waders on February 2002 and a proposed these species. Victorian Wader Study Group visit to the South The decision by the Appeals Tribunal means a East Coast later in the year. Since then Maureen number of things including: has missed only one newsletter with the much 1. That harvesting is now to be by hand, expanded Wader Notes, nearly 15 years of field assisted by mechanical winch if required. work and writing up. The use of a grapple is no longer permitted. Her regular outings to catch and band waders on 2. No harvest is permitted within 100 our local shores, and extended visits to work at metres of either side of any area where the Broome Bird Observatory have equipped Hooded Plover are currently nesting Maureen with an exhaustive knowledge of local and/or caring for dependent young. waders and migratory species who visit each 3. Areas closed in the original Assessment year. Many of us have enjoyed her enthusiasm, remain closed and to this is added the energy and knowledge. area from Beachport Conservation Park through to approximately 1 km north of In recognition, Maureen was a 2007 Grant Blowhole Road. District Council Australia Day Award nominee. In 4. Rather than Seasonally Closed Zones 2014 she was awarded a Premier’s Certificate of there are now areas best described as Recognition for outstanding volunteer service. Managed Zones. Birds South East These zones are managed from 1 September to Given the minimal movements of the birds for 15 May and harvesting is permitted in them on some time after arriving they were assumed to eight days per month. This means that in be breeding there. Contact was lost with bird Managed Zones, harvest days have been CYA on 7 August when it had travelled to reduced from 275 days to 176. mainland Siberia. Bird CYB however flew to Bohai Bay, China, then left there on 13 Although FoSSE still has concerns about the September and flew to West Arnhem in the expansion of this industry we believe that Northern Territory and settled on a beach near significant gains have been made. The original Maningrida. It had then flown 11,592 km from proposal allowed for harvest to be permitted in the Wrangel Island breeding grounds. Since most of the licence area with a take rate of leaving Thompson Beach it has flown 25,187 75%. This was later reviewed and revised to km. allow for 100% take from 50% of the licence area with at least some protection given to On the local scene, the Hooded Plover fledged Important Shorebird Areas. However, FoSSE young survey carried out in May produced a considered the protection given to shorebirds fantastic result our highest ever numbers of both was inadequate and resolved to challenge it adult and fledged young birds. The total of 92 through the AAT. The appeal was only successful birds is exciting in itself, but the total of 18 because of the considerable efforts of a number fledged young is even more so. It is believed of people including Maureen and our panel of that at least 21 young reached fledgling age but voluntary experts. some were not seen during the survey. In other news the two Grey Plover caught and Interestingly an article in The Advertiser (June fitted with satellite transmitters by Maureen and 24) reports a similar increase in fledged young crew have completed their northward journeys. on the Fleurieu Peninsula. One of the adults One bird, flagged CYA, left Thompson Beach on which produced young this season was a bird 14 March and flew non-stop to Taiwan travelling with an orange leg flag engraved AH. This bird 6,800 km in five days.