Gang-gang AUGUST 2018 Newsletter of the Canberra Ornithologists Group Inc. AUGUST MEETING Summary/analysis of the past month and Wednesday 8 August 2018 what to watch out for this month 7.30 pm Over the four weeks from the last couple of days of June covered by this Canberra Girls Grammar School, column there has been virtually no rain, and even though the ACT isn’t yet Multi-media centre, corner Gawler Cres and drought-declared it is seriously dry out there. Together with the many Melbourne Ave, Deakin heavy morning frosts we’ve experienced, the effect has been that bird activity in the COG area of interest (AoI) seems to have been extremely quiet, with mixed feeding flocks (MFF) proving increasingly difficult to find, The two presentations this month will be as noted in the 18 July report from the COG Wednesday Walkers elsewhere by long-time COG members. in this issue of Gang-gang. The short presentation will be by Stuart Rae on “Local or not so local Little Eagles”. This will give details of their For the first time in a number of months there have been no reports of new breeding status in 2017-2018 and an “unusual” species, though many of those first reported earlier in 2018 have update on the movements of the bird continued to be observed. These include the following still from the same currently being tracked by satellite. spots; the Brown Gerygones at the ANBG (3 last reported on 11 July), the Scaly-breasted Lorikeets around the National Library/High Court (2 last Continued Page 2 The main presentation will be by Richard Allen on “Birds at the Weddin Mountains – some results from a long-term study.” Since 1986 Richard has coordinated a banding project adjacent to the Weddin Mountains National Park near Grenfell NSW. With the assistance of many participants (including COG members), thirty years of banding data and observations has been collected. Richard will present some of the findings including long term trends and seasonal variations, as well as a few surprises. Everyone welcome Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Kym Bradley Gang-gang —August 2018 1 Summary/analysis of the past month and what to watch out for this month —continued from Page 1 reported on 16 July), and the White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike at There has been just a single report of Restless Flycatcher so Lake Ginninderra (last reported on 12 July). far in July, but none of Swift Parrot or Olive Whistler, and none of Pink Robin for 2018. A single Rose Robin was There were no further reports of the Yellow-plumed reported from only 3 locations in July. More of the last- Honeyeater from Hall but remarkably on 11 July Sue Lashko named may be expected during August as it moves through found one in the Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve. It was an to its preferred habitat in the mountains. While in mid- unusual chap chap call that alerted her to the bird, which she month I was still able to find around 8 Flame Robins each in watched for about 3 minutes before it was chased off by a 2 different spots on the south-west side of Cooleman Ridge, Red Wattlebird. There was also a further as yet they seem already to have moved away from other open unconfirmed report on 18 July from Bluetts Block. Assuming areas around Canberra, with observations from only 4 such these were all of the same bird, it appears very lost locations, and only one report after early July. Given the considering the apparent movement in a southerly direction cold, frosty conditions, it would be surprising if they have well away from its preferred Mallee country habitat. Also already started to move back to the mountains, similar to reported from different spots have been an Azure Kingfisher what we found them doing in large groups at the end of perched on a branch overlooking the Murrumbidgee River at August/beginning of September on the COG bus trips in 2016 the Stony Creek Nature Reserve on 9 July, and 2 Red-necked and 2017. Avocets at Kelly Swamp from 29 June to 4 July, this time staying around long enough for many observers to admire them. There have also been reports of a Black Kite from the Jerrabomberra Wetlands on 2 and 3 July (the new Bird Info data on the COG website confirms it to be the month in which they have been least reported), a Grey Goshawk at the Cork Oak Plantation on 4 July, and Barn Owls at West Hume and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands on 11 and 14 July, respectively. Please continue to look out for the above species, some of which may be here due to the very dry conditions. In particular, look out for Barn Owl for which an ABC news article www.abc.net.au/news/2018( -07-12/ something-killing-barn-owls-in-victoria/9980016) reports that, so far in 2018, Wildlife Victoria has received over 117 rescue requests, compared with only 12 for the same period in 2017. This has been put down, at least in part, to the lack of food in the very dry conditions. Of the less common winter altitudinal migrants, the Yellow- tufted Honeyeater has been reported from a work carpark in central Tuggeranong and a number of times from Flame Robin Gail Neumann Tuggeranong Hill, with up to 3 seen there on 21 and 23 July. A Crescent Honeyeater was also reported from there during In contrast the Scarlet Robin has still been reported from this time, as well as from Bibaringa and Bluetts Block, where around 25 locations in peri-urban Canberra. Unusually this 3 were recorded on 19 July. After noting in my last month’s winter I have been able to find more in my local patch on the column that it may possibly be one of the rare winters I north-west of Cooleman Ridge compared with the southern won’t record it in my Chapman GBS site, a male was outside half of Narrabundah Hill where I have recorded just a single our TV room window for around 90 minutes on 29 June. female. While some of this species will leave during August, Unlike previous winters, he stayed there attracted by the many will stay into early/mid September, as will the White- newly flowering Banskia cones. He also spent a lot of time eared Honeyeater and Golden Whistler. As I’ve mentioned looking at himself it the window, undeterred by the a number of times in this column, the last two species tend occasional lunges our two Beagles made at him from the to be quieter and less conspicuous from early July; in fact, I inside. In the end he was attacking the window so have only observed two of the former in my local patch and aggressively we were concerned he would harm himself and a female and then a male of the latter separately on 24 July we had to shoo him away. He’s been around since and back in my GBS site since the end of June. However, this there a few times, but luckily only at the window for short periods. Gang-gang —August 2018 2 Australian Ornithological Services PO Box 385 South Yarra 3141 Victoria Tel: 03 9820 4223 Mob: 04173 10200 [email protected] Good birding, good food Top End birding tour includes Kakadu Mistletoebird Geoffrey Dabb NP, Kununurra and Mitchell Plateau 23 May to 6 June 2018 Mitchell Plateau charter for black contrasts with the eBird Australia maps which show widespread grasswren open to non-tour birders. observations elsewhere in Canberra during this time. Atherton Tablelands Of the summer migrant species still present in June, the Dusky 13 to 18 June 2018 Woodswallow has been reported from 7 locations in July, again mainly from the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, including 19 birds seen there on 16 Gulf of Carpentaria Cairns Karumba, July, and with all spots except for one close to the shores of Lake Burley Cloncurry, Mt Isa & Winton & Atherton Griffin, in line with its liking for locations close to water during this time. Tablelands. Includes Rusty Grasswren Single Olive-backed Orioles have been reported from 4 locations to the 2 to 20 July 2018 east of Canberra City in an arc from Callum Brae to Mt Ainslie, most recently in Symonston on 22 July. Atherton Tablelands 26 to 31 July 2018 Grey Fantail and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike continued to be regularly reported during July, each from around 15 locations, the latter mainly New Caledonia birding tour around central Canberra. In contrast, single Mistletoebirds have been 18 to 25 August 2018 reported from only 4 locations during July, the most recent being on 17 includes Lifou and Ouvéa Islands July at the Goorooyarroo NR. Small numbers (not more than 3 together) of Superb Parrot have been reported from 7 locations, all from Lyneham Strzelecki Track Outback tour and to the north-east of there, except for a late report from Garran on 2 to 21 September 2018 24 July. Reports of the Rufous Whistler in July have been from 5 Four states. 39th tour! widespread locations, in one case of two birds and the most recent from Plains-wanderer weekends Callum Brae on 16 July. 20 & 21 October 2018 As for June, there have been reports of the Tree Martin, with 1 bird at 3 & 4 November 2018 Cook on 10 July, and of a Western Gerygone at Mt Ainslie on the same 17 & 18 November 2018 day. A Fan-tailed Cuckoo was also reported from Callum Brae on 11 1 & 2 December 2018 July, as well as a Noisy Friarbird at the ANBG on the same date.