28 South Australian Ornithologist 44 (1 - 2) Bird Report, 2011-2015: Part 1, Non-passerines GRAHAM CARPENTER AND Philippa Horton I NTRODUCTION sourced from the Adelaide Ornithologists’ Club newsletter, Bird Talk. This report lists South Australian bird records of particular interest for the years 2011-2015. Because of the huge volume of records, Unlike other Bird Reports published in recent particularly on internet sites, it is possible that we years, it includes a greater range of species, have overlooked some significant observations. largely because the status, distribution and We therefore hope that observers will continue abundance of even our most common species to submit their records to Bird SA, particularly are often surprisingly poorly known, or reports from areas that extend the range of are changing. Our knowledge of breeding species, both within known distributions and distributions of most species is even poorer. into regions where they are not currently listed. The 5-year report also allows for comparisons Many such records are listed in this Report. between years. The Birds SA Rarities Committee (SARC) also encourages the submission of detailed reports of The Report gives priority to regions of SA particular species that are rarely seen in SA. which are least known to provide a better understanding of bird distribution and status Reports of some rare species (e.g. Orange- throughout the State, and also to reports of bellied Parrot) have not been listed due to species from regions where they are listed as security issues. We have also excluded some rare or unrecorded (based on the Birds SA Field records because it was felt there was insufficient list of the birds of South Australia, 5th ed. Blaylock supporting information. Vetting records is et al. 2017). Also included are breeding records, difficult and we feel the onus is on the observer reports outside the ‘normal’ season for seasonal to provide adequate information to support visitors, unusually high numbers and records at their observation, particularly for species that the limits of a species’ range. are rarely recorded or are well outside of their normal distribution. This can be in the form The Report is based on records received direct of field notes submitted with the record or, from Birds SA members and in the bird record particularly with recent advances in digital books circulated at monthly meetings, with photography, a supporting photograph. additional records from the South Australian Museum database. There is also an increasing Although national on-line data collection sites use of national birding websites to post rarities, provide a convenient platform for recording lists for localities and trip reports, while large volumes of bird data, the lack of adequate Facebook sites such as ‘South Aussie Birding’ vetting often significantly limits their value. provide a local forum for posting photos and This has been highlighted during compilation discussion. These sites have been scanned for of accurate species maps for South Australian additional records. Some reports have also been species recently posted on the Birds SA website. November 2019 29 Non-Passerines Weather Part 1 of the Bird Report deals with records of Weather in SA became progressively drier over non-passerine species. Part 2 (passerines) will be the five-year period. 2011 was similar to 2010 published in the next issue of the South Australian with very wet conditions in the north, especially Ornithologist. due to the remnants of cyclone Yasi in February 2011. This led to resumed operation of the ferry Highlights during the 5-year period were new at the Cooper Crossing on the Birdsville Track State records of Amsterdam Albatross, Great for the second year running and the flooding of Shearwater, Beach Stone-curlew, Semipalmated Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre. Three years of average Plover and Grey-headed Lapwing, plus the first rainfall in northern districts followed from 2012 live reports of Grey Petrel and Little Shearwater. to 2014, but with below average rainfall in the In addition, a probable Brown Booby was agricultural districts. 2015 began with local heavy reported off southern YP. An unprecedented rains in the NE, but again rainfall was below ‘invasion’ of Brown Quail (and Buff-banded average in the south. Rail) occurred in spring 2011 (following a smaller irruption in spring 2001). Also encouraging is the As in the last Bird Report in 2010 (Rogers increased breeding of Square-tailed Kites in the 2012), these conditions were behind continuing MLR. reports of large numbers of waterbirds in the NE, breeding of Banded Stilts at Lake Torrens Significant publications during the Report period (Pedler et al. 2016) and invasions of Brown Quail, were Peter Gower’s (2012) Fleurieu Birds and Buff-banded Rail and Flock Bronzewings in Chris Baxter’s (2015) Birds of Kangaroo Island. more southerly regions, although numbers of Reid (2017) reported on the birds seen in 2015- spring migrants such as cuckoos, Cockatiels and 16 during a survey of the Diamantina River and Budgerigars remained low. associated channel country in the far NE. Dolman and Joseph (2015) high-lighted the importance Interpretation of South Australia in the evolution of Australian Nomenclature, list order and regions follow the birds based on genetic evidence. Birds SA Field list of the birds of South Australia (Blaylock et al. 2017). Regular pelagic trips continued to provide much important information on the status of An asterisk denotes introduced species. seabirds off the South Australian coast. Many Abbreviations used are: AOC = Adelaide beach-washed seabirds have been recovered and Ornithologists’ Club; CP = Conservation Park; donated to the SA Museum, and now form a GR = Game Reserve; NP = National Park; RP valuable part of the specimen collection. = Recreation Park; NPWS = National Parks & Wildlife Service; WH = waterhole; HS = The further development of storm-water fed homestead; OS = pastoral outstation; RH = wetlands within suburban areas (e.g. Laratinga roadhouse; Stn = pastoral station; RS = railway Wetlands, Mount Barker) has been a feature in station; SW = sewage works; ad = adult; imm = recent years. Also of merit was the re-instatement immature; juv = juvenile; over = flying overhead; of water regulation to provide habitat for hd = heard; pr = pair. waterbirds at Tolderol Game Reserve (MM) in late 2014. These advances have in part been offset *Common Ostrich, Struthio camelus by the decline in waterbirds using the St Kilda A small population in the south-east of NW Salfields since salt production ceased in 2013 (e.g. survives from farming in the early 1900s (see Rogers and Cox 2018). Parker et al. 1979). Recent reports from other regions are of released birds following the collapse 30 South Australian Ornithologist 44 (1 - 2) of a short-lived meat industry in the 1990s. Cape Barren Goose, Cereopsis novaehollandiae NE Clayton Stn, 1 on 12/7/2014 (McMahon, K. AP Adelaide Airport, 1 on 28/3/2012 (Blaylock, & Gleeson, J.), Dulkaninna Stn, 1 on 28/7/2014 K.) and 2 on 26/11/2012 (Paton, P.) (Young, R. et al.). EP Lucky Bay, 3 on 1/12/2011 (Langdon, P.); NW 10 km W Wilkatanna HS, 2 on 29/3/2012 Whyalla, 1 on 6/8/2012 (Smith, Ella) (Langdon, P.) MN Porters Lagoon, 3 on 25/4/2011 (Hartland, D.) LNE Erudinna Woolshed, 2 on 29/1/2013 Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae (McEntee, J.) AP 4 km NW Hamley Bridge, 1 on 26/1/2014 MLR Bluff, Encounter Bay, 27 over on 15/1/2011 (Whatmough, R.) (Dennis, T.); Waitpinga Cliffs, 105 over on MLR Ashton, 2 on 20/10/2014 (Cole, P.) 17/9/2012 (Steele-Collins, E.) MM 11 km S Mount Mary, 1 + 8 juv on NW Port Augusta golf course, 1 on 22/3/2015 14/12/2011 (Carpenter, G.) (Langdon, P.) SE Lake Hawdon South, 1 on 13/4/2011 (Taylor, Magpie Goose, Anseranas semipalmata B.); Port MacDonnell, Pick Swamp, 14 on AP Aldinga Beach, 3 on 4/1/2014 (Richardson, 2/2/2013 (Green, B. & Moore, L.) C.) MM Coorong, Villa dei Yumpa, 10 on 22/10/2011 Black Swan, Cygnus atratus (Greenfield, M.); Tolderol GR, 2 on 15/11/2015 KI Bay of Shoals, 1000 on 9/2/2012 (Baxter, C.) (Rogers, C.) MLR Belair NP, Playford Lake, 1 on 18/4/2012 SE Struan Agricultural Research Centre, 400 (Williams, D.) on 14/9/2011 (Syson, W.); Bool Lagoon, 3000 NE Lake Harry, 1500 on 16/4/2013 (Pedler, L. & R.) on 28/1/2013 (Bourne, J. & P.) and 1000 on NW Minagoona Lake, 2 + 2 juv on 20/5/2011 16/7/2014 (Lloyd, R. & P.); Glencoe West, 1 (Black, A. et al.) on 6/4/2013 (Black, S.); Pick Swamp, 20 on 21/4/2013 (Green, B. & Haywood, B.) Freckled Duck, Stictonetta naevosa These reports are presumed to be dispersal from AP Globe Derby Park, White Rd Wetland, 20 on a re-introduction at Bool Lagoon in the 1980s. 1/11/2011 (Wood, M.) NW Coward Springs, 3 on 23/4/2015 KI Birchmore Lagoon, 50 on 26/1/2012 (Baxter, (Winterbottom, J.) C.); Duck Lagoon, Cygnet River, 90 on 2/8/2014 (Baxter, C.), 300 on 25/8/2014 (Baxter, C.) and Plumed Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna eytoni 150 on 25/9/2014 (Connelly, H.) MM Banrock Wetlands, 1 on 18 and 27/8/2015 MLR Stirling, Woorabinda Reserve, 1 on (Field, T.) 26/3/2014 (James, C.) NE Cordillo Downs Stn, 4 on 21/9/2011 (Gates, J. MM Stockyard Plains evaporation basin, & Stewart, H.); Mungeranie Bore, 6 on 3/10/2010 10 in Sep 2011 (AOC Campout); 6 km SSE (Smith, Ed); Moomba airstrip, 25 on 5/6/2012 Mount Mary, 7 on 14/12/2011 (Carpenter, G.); (Armstrong, D.) Tokuremoar Reserve, Goolwa, 37 on 26/12/2012 NW Wilpoorinna Stn, 23 on 16/4/2011 (Jaensch, R.); Tolderol, 100s on 26/2/2013 (Peek, (Litchfield, G.); Witchelina Stn, Tea Tree Swamp, P.); Goolwa SW, 100+ on 14/7/2013 (Dare, G.) 10 on 16/4/2011 (Johnston, G.