I normally ignore emails from birdlife Australia but this one is interesting.

———————-

Have you registered for this year’s Aussie Backyard Bird Count yet? Give it a go! After thousands of people counted more than a million birds last year, how many will we see in 2016? It’s all happening during Bird Week, 17–23 October.

They accept entries from 10 Oct if you want to get in a week early. I’ve listed 30 places I want to visit.

————————

The migratory birds have returned. With grey winter skies now just a distant memory, many birds have returned to their breeding grounds, some back from the other side of the country, others from the other side of the globe; still others have just finished breeding and are merely visiting our shores. No matter where you are in Australia, the birds are back. It’s a great time to be a birdwatcher.

Here are just a few birds to watch out or:

In northern Australia, the Pied Imperial-Pigeons have returned from southern New Guinea. Denizens of the Wet Season, these large, black-and-white pigeons can now be seen feeding on fruits in the treetops around Darwin, Cairns, Townsville and beyond.

The repetitive calls of the Eastern Koels are once again being heard around Sydney—a sure sign that spring is here.

Tree Martins have returned to many parts of southern Australia—from Perth to Melbourne, and south to Tassie—having spent the winter months in the tropical north. Rufous Whistlers are back on the southern mainland too.

Altitudinal migrants—Gang-gang Cockatoos, Flame Robins and the like—have returned to the uplands of south-eastern Australia, and are breeding right now.

Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrikes (the so-called ‘Summerbirds’) have flown south across Bass Strait to Tasmania, after spending the winter months in warmer parts of the mainland.

Short-tailed and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters have both arrived back in recent days, having flown back from the oceanic waters of the North Pacific, ready to breed on islands off the rugged Australian coastline.

Dozens of species of migratory shorebirds, some still clad in their breeding finery and fresh from their nesting grounds in Siberia, are back to feed on the sheltered coasts of Australia.

Swooping magpies are back too. Not that they went anywhere, they just started swooping again.

——————-

No sign of the migratory shorebirds at Edithvale wetlands yesterday. It’s so wet that there isn’t a “shore” for them to rest on. The birdhide at Edithvale has recently reopened with many improvements after being out of action for about four years.

The stopover habitat for migratory birds is being bulldozed in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, not much we can do about it unfortunately.

Peak Warming Man said:

The stopover habitat for migratory birds is being bulldozed in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, not much we can do about it unfortunately.

Well, there always was something we could do about it, if we cared enough. The thing is, we don’t.

Peak Warming Man said:

The stopover habitat for migratory birds is being bulldozed in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, not much we can do about it unfortunately.

In China during the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976 a government bounty was paid on every dead “sparrow” handed in. A photograph of the time shows that the definition of “sparrow” included even herons. That was coupled with a simultaneous massive destruction of wetlands throughout China carried out with the aim of eliminating malaria.

If migratory birds in China can survive that, they can survive anything. By 1979, some successful wildlife refuges had been set up in China, including some specifically suitable for migrating birds.

mollwollfumble said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The stopover habitat for migratory birds is being bulldozed in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, not much we can do about it unfortunately.

In China during the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976 a government bounty was paid on every dead “sparrow” handed in. A photograph of the time shows that the definition of “sparrow” included even herons. That was coupled with a simultaneous massive destruction of wetlands throughout China carried out with the aim of eliminating malaria.

If migratory birds in China can survive that, they can survive anything. By 1979, some successful wildlife refuges had been set up in China, including some specifically suitable for migrating birds.

I doubt the Chinese could ever destroy all their wetlands.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The stopover habitat for migratory birds is being bulldozed in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, not much we can do about it unfortunately.

In China during the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976 a government bounty was paid on every dead “sparrow” handed in. A photograph of the time shows that the definition of “sparrow” included even herons. That was coupled with a simultaneous massive destruction of wetlands throughout China carried out with the aim of eliminating malaria.

If migratory birds in China can survive that, they can survive anything. By 1979, some successful wildlife refuges had been set up in China, including some specifically suitable for migrating birds.

I doubt the Chinese could ever destroy all their wetlands.

Please don’t challenge them.

PermeateFree said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

In China during the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976 a government bounty was paid on every dead “sparrow” handed in. A photograph of the time shows that the definition of “sparrow” included even herons. That was coupled with a simultaneous massive destruction of wetlands throughout China carried out with the aim of eliminating malaria.

If migratory birds in China can survive that, they can survive anything. By 1979, some successful wildlife refuges had been set up in China, including some specifically suitable for migrating birds.

I doubt the Chinese could ever destroy all their wetlands.

Please don’t challenge them.

:)

I’d read an article about declining migratory bird populations a while back and it stuck in my mind.
I don’t know if this is the one, but it’s worth a read – Why North Korea is a safe haven for birds

“North Korea’s lack of development – compared to China and South Korea – means the country’s mudflats are largely intact.

But the conservationists say the birds also benefit from there being fewer river-polluting factories, and lower levels of agricultural fertilisers and pesticides running off the land into the marine environment.”

ruby said:

I’d read an article about declining migratory bird populations a while back and it stuck in my mind.
I don’t know if this is the one, but it’s worth a read – Why North Korea is a safe haven for birds

“North Korea’s lack of development – compared to China and South Korea – means the country’s mudflats are largely intact.

But the conservationists say the birds also benefit from there being fewer river-polluting factories, and lower levels of agricultural fertilisers and pesticides running off the land into the marine environment.”

Interesting, thanks.

I hear the painted honeyeater.

roughbarked said:

I hear the painted honeyeater.

I had better not make it known or there will be twitchers poppimng up out of the bushes everywhere telling me to shush.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The stopover habitat for migratory birds is being bulldozed in a lot of Asian countries, particularly China, not much we can do about it unfortunately.

In China during the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976 a government bounty was paid on every dead “sparrow” handed in. A photograph of the time shows that the definition of “sparrow” included even herons. That was coupled with a simultaneous massive destruction of wetlands throughout China carried out with the aim of eliminating malaria.

If migratory birds in China can survive that, they can survive anything. By 1979, some successful wildlife refuges had been set up in China, including some specifically suitable for migrating birds.

I doubt the Chinese could ever destroy all their wetlands.

This is one of those cases where I’ve been saying the same thing so often that my account of the horrific long term effects on Chinese bird populations of the “war on four pests” gets further and further from the truth with each retelling. I’ll go back to the original Peter Scott “Travel diaries of a naturalist III”.

1978 Hong Kong to Kwangchow (=Canton=Guangzhou)
“Only in one place did we see a group of birds. These were cattle egrets. The only other birds were occasional single unidentified small brown ones”. And adds a note that the cattle egrets may have migrated in from Hong Kong.

Kwangchow river cruise, 2 1/2 hours.
“Only one bird seen on this trip. A tree sparrow under one of the bridges.”

10 Aug 1978
Kwangchow to Foshan – no birds
Foshan to Kwangchow.
Tentative sighting of “migrating Red-rumped Swallows”.
Kwangchow park for 1/2 hour
“Chinese Greenfinches and white-eyes”

1978 Peking(=Beijing)
“Jungle Crow, Swift and Tree Sparrow”
13 Aug – no birds

1978 Great Wall
“The only birds we saw were swallows”, no “human habitations in sight”.
“one wonders why so few birds”

Really, so far this is a shocking lack of bird species. A visit to one Australian park for half a hour by any Australian naturalist would net far more birds than seen in that part of China in a week of searching.

To be continued.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

In China during the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976 a government bounty was paid on every dead “sparrow” handed in. A photograph of the time shows that the definition of “sparrow” included even herons. That was coupled with a simultaneous massive destruction of wetlands throughout China carried out with the aim of eliminating malaria.

If migratory birds in China can survive that, they can survive anything. By 1979, some successful wildlife refuges had been set up in China, including some specifically suitable for migrating birds.

I doubt the Chinese could ever destroy all their wetlands.

This is one of those cases where I’ve been saying the same thing so often that my account of the horrific long term effects on Chinese bird populations of the “war on four pests” gets further and further from the truth with each retelling. I’ll go back to the original Peter Scott “Travel diaries of a naturalist III”.

1978 Hong Kong to Kwangchow (=Canton=Guangzhou)
“Only in one place did we see a group of birds. These were cattle egrets. The only other birds were occasional single unidentified small brown ones”. And adds a note that the cattle egrets may have migrated in from Hong Kong.

Kwangchow river cruise, 2 1/2 hours.
“Only one bird seen on this trip. A tree sparrow under one of the bridges.”

10 Aug 1978
Kwangchow to Foshan – no birds
Foshan to Kwangchow.
Tentative sighting of “migrating Red-rumped Swallows”.
Kwangchow park for 1/2 hour
“Chinese Greenfinches and white-eyes”

1978 Peking(=Beijing)
“Jungle Crow, Swift and Tree Sparrow”
13 Aug – no birds

1978 Great Wall
“The only birds we saw were swallows”, no “human habitations in sight”.
“one wonders why so few birds”

Really, so far this is a shocking lack of bird species. A visit to one Australian park for half a hour by any Australian naturalist would net far more birds than seen in that part of China in a week of searching.

To be continued.

Are the Chinese trapping and eating the birds?

bob(from black rock) said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I doubt the Chinese could ever destroy all their wetlands.

To be continued.

Are the Chinese trapping and eating the birds?

Well yes, but during the years of the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976, the Government paid a bounty for dead birds handed in. These are in addition to those trapped and eaten.

On rereading Peter Scott “Travel diaries of a naturalist III”, I can’t help crying. The diary makes no mention of the “war against the sparrows”, just notes exactly how few birds were around two years later, in Aug 1978.

Summary.
Only 5 bird species probably survived the “war against the sparrows” in China in the cities of and country areas surrounding Guangzhou and Beijing, four in the cities and one in the country:

Chinese Greenfinch, Oriental White-eye, Jungle Crow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Swallow.

15 bird species probably migrated back into that part of China (up to the border with Mongolia) between the end of the Cultural Revolution (1976) and Aug 1978:

Cattle Egret (from Hong Kong), Red-rumped Swallow (migrant), Black Stork, Hoopoe, Wheatear, a large pale Buzzard, Green-, Wood- and Common Sandpipers, a Gull, Teal, larger Duck, a Dove, Red-footed Falcon, Lapwing (from Mongolia).

5 species! Compare that with 15 species seen in a single day walking around Ulan Bator in Mongolia, 26 species seen in a single day in a trip to the Altai Mountains of Mongolia, 27 species seen in a single day in a trip to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.

I weep.

The Chinese joined the World Wildlife Fund in 1979.

To be continued.

mollwollfumble said:

bob(from black rock) said:

mollwollfumble said:

To be continued.

Are the Chinese trapping and eating the birds?

Well yes, but during the years of the cultural revolution 1966 to 1976, the Government paid a bounty for dead birds handed in. These are in addition to those trapped and eaten.

On rereading Peter Scott “Travel diaries of a naturalist III”, I can’t help crying. The diary makes no mention of the “war against the sparrows”, just notes exactly how few birds were around two years later, in Aug 1978.

Summary.
Only 5 bird species probably survived the “war against the sparrows” in China in the cities of and country areas surrounding Guangzhou and Beijing, four in the cities and one in the country:

Chinese Greenfinch, Oriental White-eye, Jungle Crow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Swallow.

15 bird species probably migrated back into that part of China (up to the border with Mongolia) between the end of the Cultural Revolution (1976) and Aug 1978:

Cattle Egret (from Hong Kong), Red-rumped Swallow (migrant), Black Stork, Hoopoe, Wheatear, a large pale Buzzard, Green-, Wood- and Common Sandpipers, a Gull, Teal, larger Duck, a Dove, Red-footed Falcon, Lapwing (from Mongolia).

5 species! Compare that with 15 species seen in a single day walking around Ulan Bator in Mongolia, 26 species seen in a single day in a trip to the Altai Mountains of Mongolia, 27 species seen in a single day in a trip to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.

I weep.

The Chinese joined the World Wildlife Fund in 1979.

To be continued.

Continuing.

A year later, in late 1979 & early 1980, 15 bird species were counted in China close to the border with North Korea. There’s no way of knowing whether those species survived the war against the sparrows, or whether they migrated back into China after the slaughter.

By way of comparison, at the same time and by the same group of people, in Hong Kong which was outside China’s influence, 71 bird species were counted in a single days outing.

We have rainbow bee eaters at Rainbow Beach and my backyard. Right now I’m listening the the mallee ring-necked parrots sing about chewing my baby almonds off.

roughbarked said:

We have rainbow bee eaters at Rainbow Beach and my backyard. Right now I’m listening the the mallee ring-necked parrots sing about chewing my baby almonds off.

Don’t forget to count them and list the count on the Aussie Backyard Bird Count website.
I’ve done three pre-count counts so far. I’ll see if I can get a better count at those places later.

Best bird of the day was Sacred Kingfisher at Jells Park.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

We have rainbow bee eaters at Rainbow Beach and my backyard. Right now I’m listening the the mallee ring-necked parrots sing about chewing my baby almonds off.

Don’t forget to count them and list the count on the Aussie Backyard Bird Count website.
I’ve done three pre-count counts so far. I’ll see if I can get a better count at those places later.

Best bird of the day was Sacred Kingfisher at Jells Park.

Tthe kingfishers turn up here regular like and are thus one of the harbringers of spring.

I’m splitting the downloaded birdsongs into three .mp3 tracks

One called cheep.mp3 – sparrow-like call
One called singers.mp3 – magpie-like call
One called other.mp3 – wattlebird-like call.

Have now finished cheep.mp3.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

We have rainbow bee eaters at Rainbow Beach and my backyard. Right now I’m listening the the mallee ring-necked parrots sing about chewing my baby almonds off.

Don’t forget to count them and list the count on the Aussie Backyard Bird Count website.
I’ve done three pre-count counts so far. I’ll see if I can get a better count at those places later.

Best bird of the day was Sacred Kingfisher at Jells Park.

The kingfishers turn up here regular like and are thus one of the harbringers of spring.

Saw another Sacred Kingfisher yesterday, at Caribbean Gardens.

Also seen and not expected were a pair of goats and a hare. OK, so seeing a goat is not unusual in Australia, but have never seen one before on an island in a public park in Melbourne.

Today’s bird, tree sparrow. Common, but the first time I’ve got a firm ID on a family of them, so added to my life list.

mollwollfumble said:

Today’s bird, tree sparrow. Common, but the first time I’ve got a firm ID on a family of them, so added to my life list.

Today’s bird. Grey Currawong Another to add to my life list.

Also saw a weird Currawong family with pied black and white wings, but grey body.

Yesterday’s was only Great Cormorant, common as muck.

A few others to sort out from birdcall.

mollwollfumble said:

Today’s bird, tree sparrow. Common, but the first time I’ve got a firm ID on a family of them, so added to my life list.

Today’s bird. Grey Currawong Another to add to my life list.

Also saw a weird Currawong family with pied black and white wings, but grey body.

Yesterday’s was only Great Cormorant, common as muck.

A few others to sort out from birdcall.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

Today’s bird, tree sparrow. Common, but the first time I’ve got a firm ID on a family of them, so added to my life list.

Today’s bird. Grey Currawong Another to add to my life list.

Also saw a weird Currawong family with pied black and white wings, but grey body.

Grey body with pied wings means either a female or juvenile pied currawong.

Had help from Lewis from Birdlife Bayside in ID of birds yesterday.

Birds of the day: skylark, brown thornbill, and fully 12 greenfinches. Overall, a great haul, if you ignore the fact that skylark and greenfinch are introduced.

Bird of the day: Crested Tern

Exactly a year ago I saw a group of crested terns at Rickett’s Point.

They’re still there.
———————————-
Next best bird of the day was a baby Australasian Grebe.
The birdsong a baby Australasian Grebe is very like that of the Blue Wren.

The only thing that would have made conditions any worse for today’s birdwatching would have been a hurricane.
Add together gale force wind, driving rain, high tide (bad for beach) and road traffic conditions you wouldn’t believe.
This was in Black Rock. I would have dropped in on Bob if I’d remembered his address.

mollwollfumble said:

Bird of the day: Crested Tern

Exactly a year ago I saw a group of crested terns at Rickett’s Point.

They’re still there.
———————————-
Next best bird of the day was a baby Australasian Grebe.
The birdsong a baby Australasian Grebe is very like that of the Blue Wren.

The only thing that would have made conditions any worse for today’s birdwatching would have been a hurricane.
Add together gale force wind, driving rain, high tide (bad for beach) and road traffic conditions you wouldn’t believe.
This was in Black Rock. I would have dropped in on Bob if I’d remembered his address.

Bird of the day, two, Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo and Little Corella.

I have only seen each of these once before, exactly a year ago.

Back then I saw the Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo in the company of what could have been Orange-Bellied Parrots and Eastern Rosella.
This time in the company of Blue Wrens.

Back then I got the ID wrong for Little Corella, I had though it was the much more common (around here) Long-Billed Corella. by the time I realised my mistake I couldn’t go back and check.

Anything else of note? Well, perhaps 650 seagulls on one small pond is worthy of note.

Now past the middle of “Bird week” in Australia and past the middle of the Aussie bird count. http://aussiebirdcount.org.au/submit-a-count/

The twitchathon is back with three categories. maximum number of bird species in 24 hours, maximum number of bird species in 12 hours, and maximum number of bird species in 3 hours (three 1 hour slots). On the weekend of the 29th and 30th of October (or November 5th and 6th if you’re Victorian). http://birdlife.org.au/get-involved/whats-on/national-twitchathon

Have a slightly sore wrist after falling flat on my face due to stepping in a rabbit hole while birdwatching yesterday.

Bird of the day for yesterday. Five birds worthy of mention, I’ve seen all before.
Australasian Darter.
Tawny Frogmouth (why do they always nest next to car parks?).
Whistling kite (the second most common raptor in Melbourne).
Spotted Pardalote (which has a striking loud two-note call).

… and the other orange-bellied parrot. The bird ID books are wrong. The orange-bellied parrot isn’t the only Australian parrot with an orange belly. The much more common Red Rumped parrot does too.

mollwollfumble said:

Now past the middle of “Bird week” in Australia and past the middle of the Aussie bird count. http://aussiebirdcount.org.au/submit-a-count/

The twitchathon is back with three categories. maximum number of bird species in 24 hours, maximum number of bird species in 12 hours, and maximum number of bird species in 3 hours (three 1 hour slots). On the weekend of the 29th and 30th of October (or November 5th and 6th if you’re Victorian). http://birdlife.org.au/get-involved/whats-on/national-twitchathon

Have a slightly sore wrist after falling flat on my face due to stepping in a rabbit hole while birdwatching yesterday.

Bird of the day for yesterday. Five birds worthy of mention, I’ve seen all before.
Australasian Darter.
Tawny Frogmouth (why do they always nest next to car parks?).
Whistling kite (the second most common raptor in Melbourne).
Spotted Pardalote (which has a striking loud two-note call).

… and the other orange-bellied parrot. The bird ID books are wrong. The orange-bellied parrot isn’t the only Australian parrot with an orange belly. The much more common Red Rumped parrot does too.

It all depends on whether it can be called orange or on the belly. The mallee ringnecked parrot is another contender.

>>Tawny Frogmouth (why do they always nest next to car parks?).<<

An interesting observation. I would imagine at night it would be a large unencumbered area, where mice and other small animals would either want to cross, or seek food morsels discarded by people. Any lights would also attract moths, etc. Either way they would be easy to spot and no doubt catch.

Today rained out, but before the rain saw my first Pied Stilt of the season. Really common last year but rarer in wet weather like this.

Haven’t seen any sandpipers yet. No Greylag Goose this year. Last year the most common duck in the survey was the Hardhead, not a single one so far this year.

Now that I’ve learnt how to recognise the spotted pardalote song, I’m hearing it everywhere. I learnt to recognise the song by first staring at a 4 m tree until I gave up, then staring at a 3.5 metre tree almost denuded of leaves – past the point of normally giving up – until finally spotting it.

mollwollfumble said:

Today rained out, but before the rain saw my first Pied Stilt of the season. Really common last year but rarer in wet weather like this.

Haven’t seen any sandpipers yet. No Greylag Goose this year. Last year the most common duck in the survey was the Hardhead, not a single one so far this year.

Now that I’ve learnt how to recognise the spotted pardalote song, I’m hearing it everywhere. I learnt to recognise the song by first staring at a 4 m tree until I gave up, then staring at a 3.5 metre tree almost denuded of leaves – past the point of normally giving up – until finally spotting it.

Where to go bird hunting today? Some more of the area around Braeside Park (Mordialloc Creek, Waterways estate, Tattersals Park)? Or further afield next to the Eastern Treatment Plant, the Pines Flora and Fauna reserve, Westernport Bay, Cranbourne Gardens, Langwarren?

Perhaps if I look at what’s already been done? http://aussiebirdcount.org.au/statistics/

Hmm, no help, none of the places I want to go to have already been done. Glad to know I don’t have to go back to Rickettt’s point, they’ve done a much better job there than I have, including my crested tern. Someone did a better job at Monash Uni halls of residence, too, including my Australasian Grebe.

I’m itching to do Eastern Treatment Plant, the Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve, and Sandhurst Club. Perhaps further to Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. The only reason to go to Sandhurst Club was that last time I found a lake full of Hardheads last year, and I have yet to see a single Hardhead this year.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

Today rained out, but before the rain saw my first Pied Stilt of the season. Really common last year but rarer in wet weather like this.

Haven’t seen any sandpipers yet. No Greylag Goose this year. Last year the most common duck in the survey was the Hardhead, not a single one so far this year.

Now that I’ve learnt how to recognise the spotted pardalote song, I’m hearing it everywhere. I learnt to recognise the song by first staring at a 4 m tree until I gave up, then staring at a 3.5 metre tree almost denuded of leaves – past the point of normally giving up – until finally spotting it.

Where to go bird hunting today? Some more of the area around Braeside Park (Mordialloc Creek, Waterways estate, Tattersals Park)? Or further afield next to the Eastern Treatment Plant, the Pines Flora and Fauna reserve, Westernport Bay, Cranbourne Gardens, Langwarren?

Perhaps if I look at what’s already been done? http://aussiebirdcount.org.au/statistics/

Hmm, no help, none of the places I want to go to have already been done. Glad to know I don’t have to go back to Rickettt’s point, they’ve done a much better job there than I have, including my crested tern. Someone did a better job at Monash Uni halls of residence, too, including my Australasian Grebe.

I’m itching to do Eastern Treatment Plant, the Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve, and Sandhurst Club. Perhaps further to Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. The only reason to go to Sandhurst Club was that last time I found a lake full of Hardheads last year, and I have yet to see a single Hardhead this year.

Eastern Treatment Plant – After first going to the wrong place (two places on correct road but wrong section) found that the tree martins are back. I counted 37 in the flock this year, last year I estimated 40 for the exact same location so the numbers are beautifully stable. If you think it’s easy to count 37 tree martins in flight, try it, it’s worse than trying to count swimming fish. The other locations gave me a black-shouldered kite and a tentative brown falcon. No swamp harrier seen this year, but it could have been there as I saw a suggestive wingtip in the same location.

The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve – the usual suspects: goldfinch, grey fantail, pardalote call, blue wren.

Sandhurst, Van Wyk Flowers. Last year I saw about many hardheads on that lake, this year only three black ducks – two perching in a tree and the third with a remarkably pale neck being very shy. Not a single hardhead anywhere this year – last year it was the most common duck – I bet they’ve all winged it for the interior of Australia.

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. A complete farce. Only three birds seen in 25 minutes. One raven, swallow & swamp harrier, but did meet a group of three people who were also doing the Aussie Bird Count. I’ll leave the CBG to them.

Total submissions to the Aussie Bird Count this year. mollwollfumble 2999 birds of 73 species so far. That’s not complete yet, because there are still some bird calls I want to sort out before list submission, and because there are at least two more places I want to visit, one of them the council putrescible waste tip. Everybody in Australia 640 species and 1.13 million birds. Coverage of the whole of Australia is better than last year, someone even submitted a list for near the three-way border WA NT SA. Nothing from Birdsville.

mollwollfumble said:

Eastern Treatment Plant – After first going to the wrong place (two places on correct road but wrong section) found that the tree martins are back. I counted 37 in the flock this year, last year I estimated 40 for the exact same location so the numbers are beautifully stable. If you think it’s easy to count 37 tree martins in flight, try it, it’s worse than trying to count swimming fish. The other locations gave me a black-shouldered kite and a tentative brown falcon. No swamp harrier seen this year, but it could have been there as I saw a suggestive wingtip in the same location.

The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve – the usual suspects: goldfinch, grey fantail, pardalote call, blue wren.

Sandhurst, Van Wyk Flowers. Last year I saw about many hardheads on that lake, this year only three black ducks – two perching in a tree and the third with a remarkably pale neck being very shy. Not a single hardhead anywhere this year – last year it was the most common duck – I bet they’ve all winged it for the interior of Australia.

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. A complete farce. Only three birds seen in 25 minutes. One raven, swallow & swamp harrier, but did meet a group of three people who were also doing the Aussie Bird Count. I’ll leave the CBG to them.

Total submissions to the Aussie Bird Count this year. mollwollfumble 2999 birds of 73 species so far. That’s not complete yet, because there are still some bird calls I want to sort out before list submission, and because there are at least two more places I want to visit, one of them the council putrescible waste tip. Everybody in Australia 640 species and 1.13 million birds. Coverage of the whole of Australia is better than last year, someone even submitted a list for near the three-way border WA NT SA. Nothing from Birdsville.

Birds I had last year around Melbourne that are missing this year include:
Sharp-tailed sandpiper – about 200 last year
Hardhead – more than 50 last year
Common sandpiper – 2 last year
Shelduck – 2 last year (but in a place I’m not visiting this year)
Magpie goose – 1 last year
Greylag goose – 2 last year, but this year I ran across a hybrid child of one of them
Golden (or Rufous?) Whistler (in a place I haven’t visited this year)
Black-winged stilt – about 10-20 least year, only one this year

Also saw fewer Rainbow Lorikeets this year, possibly because this year I deliberately avoided places where they are the dominant bird.
I would also have said Straw-necked Ibis because they were common last year, but I lucked across a flock of 12 in a field yesterday.

The bird I thought may have been orange-bellied parrot last year was a misidentification of red-rumped.
Another misidentification last year was banded stilt which should have been black-winged stilt, doh!

New birds this year include:
Little Corella (seen last year but misidentified as long-billed)
Tawny Frogmouth
Black-shouldered Kite
Whistling Kite
Brown Falcon
Australasian Darter
Hybrid Black-Duck + Mallard (last year I misidentified domestic ducks as these).

Now to have a go at seeing if I can identify some others by their calls.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

Eastern Treatment Plant – After first going to the wrong place (two places on correct road but wrong section) found that the tree martins are back. I counted 37 in the flock this year, last year I estimated 40 for the exact same location so the numbers are beautifully stable. If you think it’s easy to count 37 tree martins in flight, try it, it’s worse than trying to count swimming fish. The other locations gave me a black-shouldered kite and a tentative brown falcon. No swamp harrier seen this year, but it could have been there as I saw a suggestive wingtip in the same location.

The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve – the usual suspects: goldfinch, grey fantail, pardalote call, blue wren.

Sandhurst, Van Wyk Flowers. Last year I saw about many hardheads on that lake, this year only three black ducks – two perching in a tree and the third with a remarkably pale neck being very shy. Not a single hardhead anywhere this year – last year it was the most common duck – I bet they’ve all winged it for the interior of Australia.

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. A complete farce. Only three birds seen in 25 minutes. One raven, swallow & swamp harrier, but did meet a group of three people who were also doing the Aussie Bird Count. I’ll leave the CBG to them.

Total submissions to the Aussie Bird Count this year. mollwollfumble 2999 birds of 73 species so far. That’s not complete yet, because there are still some bird calls I want to sort out before list submission, and because there are at least two more places I want to visit, one of them the council putrescible waste tip. Everybody in Australia 640 species and 1.13 million birds. Coverage of the whole of Australia is better than last year, someone even submitted a list for near the three-way border WA NT SA. Nothing from Birdsville.

Birds I had last year around Melbourne that are missing this year include:
Sharp-tailed sandpiper – about 200 last year
Hardhead – more than 50 last year
Common sandpiper – 2 last year
Shelduck – 2 last year (but in a place I’m not visiting this year)
Magpie goose – 1 last year
Greylag goose – 2 last year, but this year I ran across a hybrid child of one of them
Golden (or Rufous?) Whistler (in a place I haven’t visited this year)
Black-winged stilt – about 10-20 least year, only one this year

Also saw fewer Rainbow Lorikeets this year, possibly because this year I deliberately avoided places where they are the dominant bird.
I would also have said Straw-necked Ibis because they were common last year, but I lucked across a flock of 12 in a field yesterday.

The bird I thought may have been orange-bellied parrot last year was a misidentification of red-rumped.
Another misidentification last year was banded stilt which should have been black-winged stilt, doh!

New birds this year include:
Little Corella (seen last year but misidentified as long-billed)
Tawny Frogmouth
Black-shouldered Kite
Whistling Kite
Brown Falcon
Australasian Darter
Hybrid Black-Duck + Mallard (last year I misidentified domestic ducks as these).

Now to have a go at seeing if I can identify some others by their calls.

I haven’t seen any Siberian tawny mouth strawberry faced bum skidders for a few years now.

bob(from black rock) said:

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

Eastern Treatment Plant – After first going to the wrong place (two places on correct road but wrong section) found that the tree martins are back. I counted 37 in the flock this year, last year I estimated 40 for the exact same location so the numbers are beautifully stable. If you think it’s easy to count 37 tree martins in flight, try it, it’s worse than trying to count swimming fish. The other locations gave me a black-shouldered kite and a tentative brown falcon. No swamp harrier seen this year, but it could have been there as I saw a suggestive wingtip in the same location.

The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve – the usual suspects: goldfinch, grey fantail, pardalote call, blue wren.

Sandhurst, Van Wyk Flowers. Last year I saw about many hardheads on that lake, this year only three black ducks – two perching in a tree and the third with a remarkably pale neck being very shy. Not a single hardhead anywhere this year – last year it was the most common duck – I bet they’ve all winged it for the interior of Australia.

Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. A complete farce. Only three birds seen in 25 minutes. One raven, swallow & swamp harrier, but did meet a group of three people who were also doing the Aussie Bird Count. I’ll leave the CBG to them.

Total submissions to the Aussie Bird Count this year. mollwollfumble 2999 birds of 73 species so far. That’s not complete yet, because there are still some bird calls I want to sort out before list submission, and because there are at least two more places I want to visit, one of them the council putrescible waste tip. Everybody in Australia 640 species and 1.13 million birds. Coverage of the whole of Australia is better than last year, someone even submitted a list for near the three-way border WA NT SA. Nothing from Birdsville.

Birds I had last year around Melbourne that are missing this year include:
Sharp-tailed sandpiper – about 200 last year
Hardhead – more than 50 last year
Common sandpiper – 2 last year
Shelduck – 2 last year (but in a place I’m not visiting this year)
Magpie goose – 1 last year
Greylag goose – 2 last year, but this year I ran across a hybrid child of one of them
Golden (or Rufous?) Whistler (in a place I haven’t visited this year)
Black-winged stilt – about 10-20 least year, only one this year

Also saw fewer Rainbow Lorikeets this year, possibly because this year I deliberately avoided places where they are the dominant bird.
I would also have said Straw-necked Ibis because they were common last year, but I lucked across a flock of 12 in a field yesterday.

The bird I thought may have been orange-bellied parrot last year was a misidentification of red-rumped.
Another misidentification last year was banded stilt which should have been black-winged stilt, doh!

New birds this year include:
Little Corella (seen last year but misidentified as long-billed)
Tawny Frogmouth
Black-shouldered Kite
Whistling Kite
Brown Falcon
Australasian Darter
Hybrid Black-Duck + Mallard (last year I misidentified domestic ducks as these).

Now to have a go at seeing if I can identify some others by their calls.

I haven’t seen any Siberian tawny mouth strawberry faced bum skidders for a few years now.

My “most wanted” for the present time also includes “eastern yellow robin” and “eastern spinebill”. On good days, and eastern spinebill visits my neighbour’s yard.

“Siberian tawny mouth strawberry faced bum skidders” sounds familiar for some strange reason.

Got it.
Date: 24/04/2014 12:19:42
From: bob(from black rock)
ID: 521969
Subject: re: southernmost spider
“Sorry that is the most northerly bird.”
One wit on the web claims that the most northerly bird is the Blue Tit.

I’m trying to decide if I want to go out birding again today, and if so, where?

Tomorrow I’d like to try the Westernport Bay north-western foreshore, what little there is of it that’s accessible.

Yesterday I was doing some heavy duty whippersipping and the moment I stopped for a break two pied butcherbirds dropped in for a look. Later, just on dusk when I stopped, a tawny frogmouth hopped over the fence and sat there looking at me.

roughbarked said:

Yesterday I was doing some heavy duty whippersnipping and the moment I stopped for a break two pied butcherbirds dropped in for a look. Later, just on dusk when I stopped, a tawny frogmouth hopped over the fence and sat there looking at me.

Nice!
I wasn’t sure whether I saw three butcherbirds at the local park or whether it was the same one following me around.

I was looking for a “how good a birdwatcher are you?” quiz and didn’t find one. Found this instead:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bbowman/birds/humor/birdrif1.html
I’ve read it before.

I’ve now submitted 3623 birds of 79 species to the ABC. There were 60 swans on one lake I visited today. And a Royal Spoonbill.

Some of my locations, in red. Other people’s bird counts are in brown.
Good even coverage, but there are gaps. Nobody’s visited Churchill National Park, home of the grey kangaroo and home of the Grey Shrike-thrush.

PS. You can see the house of Bob (from Black Rock) on that map.

mollwollfumble said:

Some of my locations, in red. Other people’s bird counts are in brown.

Are you red/green colour-blind?

Witty Rejoinder said:

mollwollfumble said:

Some of my locations, in red. Other people’s bird counts are in brown.

Are you red/green colour-blind?

Yes. They’re in green?

mollwollfumble said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

mollwollfumble said:

Some of my locations, in red. Other people’s bird counts are in brown.

Are you red/green colour-blind?

Yes. They’re in green?

I see green and orange.

Witty Rejoinder said:

mollwollfumble said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Are you red/green colour-blind?

Yes. They’re in green?

I see green and orange.

isee red, i see red, i see red!

actually a light ochre.

Some fractured scientific names of common birds in Australia. Recognise any of them?

Gonorrhea tibicen
Thessaloniki molucca
Perhaps chalcopyrites
Sternum vulgaris
Occystraps lophotes
Caracticus torquemada
Philodendron novaehollandiae
Lara specificus
Tachyglossus moluccanus
Anthochaera carbuncula
Columbia livedina
Streptomycin chinensis
Circus approxima
Hirohito neoxena
Cactus galerita
Malodorous cyaneus
Regretta novaehollandiae

Oh, he’s making it up as he goes along.

mollwollfumble said:

Some fractured scientific names of common birds in Australia. Recognise any of them?

Gonorrhea tibicen
Thessaloniki molucca
Perhaps chalcopyrites
Sternum vulgaris
Occystraps lophotes
Caracticus torquemada
Philodendron novaehollandiae
Lara specificus
Tachyglossus moluccanus
Anthochaera carbuncula
Columbia livedina
Streptomycin chinensis
Circus approxima
Hirohito neoxena
Cactus galerita
Malodorous cyaneus
Regretta novaehollandiae

> Oh, he’s making it up as he goes along.

Yes. I am. Hee hee.

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

I already know of some errors. At least one of those 2 Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo’s should be a Fan Tailed Cuckoo. At least one of those Black Ducks should be a Black Duck – Mallard hybrid. A few other entries are iffy at best (brown falcon, little grassbird, pallid cuckoo, silvereye, striated pardalote).

Greatest number is silver gull, followed by common starling. An almost total lack of small waders this year.

I think I’m getting better at seeing birds, more species than last year. But no Eastern Yellow Robin or Eastern Spinebill this year :-(

In alphabetical order

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

But are they all in your backyard?

nice haul

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

That’s an impressive species list.

Speedy said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

That’s an impressive species list.

Aye, I was just going through it.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an eastern yellow robin either.

Speedy said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

That’s an impressive species list.

Sounds like he lives in a sewage treatement plant.

roughbarked said:

Speedy said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

That’s an impressive species list.

Sounds like he lives in a sewage treatment plant.

LOL. Next year I swear. I didn’t get to any of my top three sewage treatment plants this year. The south Clayton site has shut down and I failed to find even one bird near its replacement in Hallam. I had to skirt the edge of the Eastern Treatment Plant, peering in from outside in four places. And I thought I’d leave the Western Treatment Plant to real birders – you can book on a regular birding tour to the Western Treatment Plant. I may some day.

Thank you for the “impressive” comments. More than a few of those I’d never seen before.

Embarrassing incidents include:

Falling flat on my face caused by stepping in a rabbit hole while watching a pelican.
Taking eight near-identical photos of an unidentified “bird” that turned out to be a broken tree branch.
On two separate occasions almost failing to identify the call of the Willie Wagtail.

Non-birds seen on the bird hunt.
>20 rabbits – to misquote a Japanese saying “healthy rabbits healthy birdlife”.
2 goats
1 hare
1 eel
~100 toadfishes
>>100 mud crabs.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Speedy said:

That’s an impressive species list.

Sounds like he lives in a sewage treatment plant.

LOL. Next year I swear. I didn’t get to any of my top three sewage treatment plants this year. The south Clayton site has shut down and I failed to find even one bird near its replacement in Hallam. I had to skirt the edge of the Eastern Treatment Plant, peering in from outside in four places. And I thought I’d leave the Western Treatment Plant to real birders – you can book on a regular birding tour to the Western Treatment Plant. I may some day.

Thank you for the “impressive” comments. More than a few of those I’d never seen before.

Embarrassing incidents include:

Falling flat on my face caused by stepping in a rabbit hole while watching a pelican.
Taking eight near-identical photos of an unidentified “bird” that turned out to be a broken tree branch.
On two separate occasions almost failing to identify the call of the Willie Wagtail.

Non-birds seen on the bird hunt.
>20 rabbits – to misquote a Japanese saying “healthy rabbits healthy birdlife”.
2 goats
1 hare
1 eel
~100 toadfishes
>>100 mud crabs.

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

But are they all in your backyard?

From 69 places, including 2 from my backyard (taking care not to count the same birds twice). To quote the definition of “backyard” on the FAQ.

“There is no defined ‘backyard’. You could count in your actual backyard, local park, school yard or other favourite outdoor space. Your backyard might be along the coast, in the middle of the desert, in a national park or on a farm;. You can literally count birds anywhere – as long as you are in Australia. Consider your ‘backyard’ as any place you feel at home.”

Bird duplication is a growing problem, different observers report the same bird in the same location. I admit to being guilty of one such infringement, at the Monash Uni Halls of Residence, but luckily I only slipped up in duplicating a magpie. Someone else slipped up in duplicating my kookaburras in Wattle Park.

This is the first time in my life I’ve used binoculars for birdwatching. Previously I’ve used the zoom on a video camera instead. I’d thought that binoculars would fail because of my strong myopia, but all the myopia does is slow down my use of binoculars – I have to safely take my glasses off first.

Belladonna eyedrops actually help with the use of binoculars.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

But are they all in your backyard?

From 69 places, including 2 from my backyard (taking care not to count the same birds twice). To quote the definition of “backyard” on the FAQ.

“There is no defined ‘backyard’. You could count in your actual backyard, local park, school yard or other favourite outdoor space. Your backyard might be along the coast, in the middle of the desert, in a national park or on a farm;. You can literally count birds anywhere – as long as you are in Australia. Consider your ‘backyard’ as any place you feel at home.”

Bird duplication is a growing problem, different observers report the same bird in the same location. I admit to being guilty of one such infringement, at the Monash Uni Halls of Residence, but luckily I only slipped up in duplicating a magpie. Someone else slipped up in duplicating my kookaburras in Wattle Park.

This is the first time in my life I’ve used binoculars for birdwatching. Previously I’ve used the zoom on a video camera instead. I’d thought that binoculars would fail because of my strong myopia, but all the myopia does is slow down my use of binoculars – I have to safely take my glasses off first.

Belladonna eyedrops actually help with the use of binoculars.

Pain killer required?

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Here’s my total list of submitted birds for the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. I didn’t quite make my target of 4,000 birds.

But are they all in your backyard?

From 69 places, including 2 from my backyard

Only the 2 from your backyard, actually count.

roughbarked said:

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

Air rifle? Great. Get a DNA sample from it for analysis.

I’m on record as saying “a twitch isn’t a twitch unless you get a DNA sample”.

Wikipedia’s idea of that the Willie Wagtail’s range is.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

Air rifle? Great. Get a DNA sample from it for analysis.

I’m on record as saying “a twitch isn’t a twitch unless you get a DNA sample”.

Wikipedia’s idea of that the Willie Wagtail’s range is.

Not sure how many wagtails you get in the heart of the Great Sandy Desert but okay

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

Air rifle? Great. Get a DNA sample from it for analysis.

I’m on record as saying “a twitch isn’t a twitch unless you get a DNA sample”.

Wikipedia’s idea of that the Willie Wagtail’s range is.

A featgher should be good enough for DNA.

The wagtail is quite common but usually near water with a good supply of mosquitoes. Get rid of the mosquitoes and lose your willy.

dv said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

Air rifle? Great. Get a DNA sample from it for analysis.

I’m on record as saying “a twitch isn’t a twitch unless you get a DNA sample”.

Wikipedia’s idea of that the Willie Wagtail’s range is.

Not sure how many wagtails you get in the heart of the Great Sandy Desert but okay

Where there is water.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

But are they all in your backyard?

From 69 places, including 2 from my backyard

Only the 2 from your backyard, actually count.

Oh, in that case:
34 rock doves, 22 spotted doves, 21 mynas, 2 crested doves (down from my normal 4), 2 little ravens, 2 Australian ravens, 2 red wattlebirds (down from the normal 6), 3 rainbow lorikeets, 1 blackbird (down from the normal 2), and a silver gull. No eastern spinebill or pied currawong this time.

Which, considering the size of my back yard, creates quite a traffic jam.

I thought the backyard bird watch was a scientific record of what was in your backyard?

Anyway, here’s two that are here every day.

and I do mean every day, where they know me and treat me like part of the furniture.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

Air rifle? Great. Get a DNA sample from it for analysis.

I’m on record as saying “a twitch isn’t a twitch unless you get a DNA sample”.

Wikipedia’s idea of that the Willie Wagtail’s range is.

Blimey!!

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I can assure you that though once a common resident, the willie wagtail hasn’t been seen nesting in my yard for 25 years. My neighbour who lives next to the irrigation canal said he had recently seen the first one in 15 years.

I can hear the call of a baby English Blackbird. Too dark for the air rifle.

Air rifle? Great. Get a DNA sample from it for analysis.

I’m on record as saying “a twitch isn’t a twitch unless you get a DNA sample”.

Wikipedia’s idea of that the Willie Wagtail’s range is.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/WillieWagtailRangeMap.png/300px-WillieWagtailRangeMap.png

A feather should be good enough for DNA.

The wagtail is quite common but usually near water with a good supply of mosquitoes. Get rid of the mosquitoes and lose your willy.

Wikipedia’s ideas don’t necessarily correspond to reality.

Ten years ago I kept a collection of feathers, taped into a large book. I probably still have it somewhere.

“Good supply of mosquitoes”. Excellent, that clears up one mystery. Wherever I’ve seen Willie Wagtails there have been mosquitoes, but I’d never made the connection.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

From 69 places, including 2 from my backyard

Only the 2 from your backyard, actually count.

Oh, in that case:
34 rock doves, 22 spotted doves, 21 mynas, 2 crested doves (down from my normal 4), 2 little ravens, 2 Australian ravens, 2 red wattlebirds (down from the normal 6), 3 rainbow lorikeets, 1 blackbird (down from the normal 2), and a silver gull. No eastern spinebill or pied currawong this time.

Which, considering the size of my back yard, creates quite a traffic jam.

I often have from two to sixty Major Mitchells. From two to fifty crested pigeons(nesting). From two to fifty mudlarks. From two to five magpies(nesting). From two to five tawny frogmouths. From two to six sparrowhawks(nesting),. From six to thirty White rumped minors(nesting). From two to six mallee ring-necked parrots. As daily birds.
I actively discourage the pairs of blackbirds that try to nest here.
In the past I’ve had mistletoe birds nesting, Variegated wrens nesting, Spiny cheeked honeyeaters nesting.

The bird life here has changed dramatically over the years and I put it all down to changing agricultural landuse. Older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.

roughbarked said:

I thought the backyard bird watch was a scientific record of what was in your backyard?

Anyway, here’s two that are here every day.

and I do mean every day, where they know me and treat me like part of the furniture.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7127/7717431684_08d5529466_z.jpg

What’s the top bird in that picture?

Last year at this time I had a heck of a time finding any sulphur-crested cockatoos in Melbourne. This time I saw more, but only officially recorded three.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I thought the backyard bird watch was a scientific record of what was in your backyard?

Anyway, here’s two that are here every day.

and I do mean every day, where they know me and treat me like part of the furniture.

What’s the top bird in that picture?

Last year at this time I had a heck of a time finding any sulphur-crested cockatoos in Melbourne. This time I saw more, but only officially recorded three.

The top bird is a juvenile sparrowhawk. The fun was on that year. The sparrowhawks nesting in my big silky oak had three babes fly. They had a great time clowning around with the juvenile Major Mitchells which appear in numbers about the same time as the sparrowhawk chicks. Roughly, Christmas and it literally is with all these decorations hanging from the trees.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Only the 2 from your backyard, actually count.

Oh, in that case:
34 rock doves, 22 spotted doves, 21 mynas, 2 crested doves (down from my normal 4), 2 little ravens, 2 Australian ravens, 2 red wattlebirds (down from the normal 6), 3 rainbow lorikeets, 1 blackbird (down from the normal 2), and a silver gull. No eastern spinebill or pied currawong this time.

Which, considering the size of my back yard, creates quite a traffic jam.

I often have from two to sixty Major Mitchells. From two to fifty crested pigeons(nesting). From two to fifty mudlarks. From two to five magpies(nesting). From two to five tawny frogmouths. From two to six sparrowhawks(nesting),. From six to thirty White rumped minors(nesting). From two to six mallee ring-necked parrots. As daily birds.
I actively discourage the pairs of blackbirds that try to nest here.
In the past I’ve had mistletoe birds nesting, Variegated wrens nesting, Spiny cheeked honeyeaters nesting.

The bird life here has changed dramatically over the years and I put it all down to changing agricultural landuse. Older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.

I’ve only ever seen one Major Mitchell in my life, ditto one sparrowhawk. No white-rumped minors, mallee ring-necked, variegated wrens, or spiny cheeked honeyeaters ever. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen or heard a mistletoe bird, embarrassed because there are some living in my suburb.

I know I asked before, but don’t remember the answer. Where do you live?

Major Mitchell coined the name Australia Felix I believe.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Oh, in that case:
34 rock doves, 22 spotted doves, 21 mynas, 2 crested doves (down from my normal 4), 2 little ravens, 2 Australian ravens, 2 red wattlebirds (down from the normal 6), 3 rainbow lorikeets, 1 blackbird (down from the normal 2), and a silver gull. No eastern spinebill or pied currawong this time.

Which, considering the size of my back yard, creates quite a traffic jam.

I often have from two to sixty Major Mitchells. From two to fifty crested pigeons(nesting). From two to fifty mudlarks. From two to five magpies(nesting). From two to five tawny frogmouths. From two to six sparrowhawks(nesting),. From six to thirty White rumped minors(nesting). From two to six mallee ring-necked parrots. As daily birds.
I actively discourage the pairs of blackbirds that try to nest here.
In the past I’ve had mistletoe birds nesting, Variegated wrens nesting, Spiny cheeked honeyeaters nesting.

The bird life here has changed dramatically over the years and I put it all down to changing agricultural landuse. Older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.

I’ve only ever seen one Major Mitchell in my life, ditto one sparrowhawk. No white-rumped minors, mallee ring-necked, variegated wrens, or spiny cheeked honeyeaters ever. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen or heard a mistletoe bird, embarrassed because there are some living in my suburb.

I know I asked before, but don’t remember the answer. Where do you live?

I’ve probably always been vague about my location but since everyone here knows it is somewhere near Griffith NSW, I may as well indicate the satellite village of Nericon. NNE of Griffith City, on a bump in the Wyangan Wetlands just east of Nericon Swamp, where there are three species of international significance, which rather places it as a RAMSAR site.

I’m in remnant mallee country and because I cultivate mistletoe I do get the birds and the painted jezabel. I also often hear the painted honeyeater first thing in the morning, much to the envy of the local twitchers who rarely ever know it is here.

Peak Warming Man said:

Major Mitchell coined the name Australia Felix I believe.

Michell did much that sensible people remember.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I often have from two to sixty Major Mitchells. From two to fifty crested pigeons(nesting). From two to fifty mudlarks. From two to five magpies(nesting). From two to five tawny frogmouths. From two to six sparrowhawks(nesting),. From six to thirty White rumped minors(nesting). From two to six mallee ring-necked parrots. As daily birds.
I actively discourage the pairs of blackbirds that try to nest here.
In the past I’ve had mistletoe birds nesting, Variegated wrens nesting, Spiny cheeked honeyeaters nesting.

The bird life here has changed dramatically over the years and I put it all down to changing agricultural landuse. Older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.

I’ve only ever seen one Major Mitchell in my life, ditto one sparrowhawk. No white-rumped minors, mallee ring-necked, variegated wrens, or spiny cheeked honeyeaters ever. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen or heard a mistletoe bird, embarrassed because there are some living in my suburb.

I know I asked before, but don’t remember the answer. Where do you live?

I’ve probably always been vague about my location but since everyone here knows it is somewhere near Griffith NSW, I may as well indicate the satellite village of Nericon. NNE of Griffith City, on a bump in the Wyangan Wetlands just east of Nericon Swamp, where there are three species of international significance, which rather places it as a RAMSAR site.

I’m in remnant mallee country and because I cultivate mistletoe I do get the birds and the painted jezabel. I also often hear the painted honeyeater first thing in the morning, much to the envy of the local twitchers who rarely ever know it is here.

Who are you calling a jezebel?

it is actuallly white rumped or indeed yellow throated, minErs. Sorry, typos…

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Oh, in that case:
34 rock doves, 22 spotted doves, 21 mynas, 2 crested doves (down from my normal 4), 2 little ravens, 2 Australian ravens, 2 red wattlebirds (down from the normal 6), 3 rainbow lorikeets, 1 blackbird (down from the normal 2), and a silver gull. No eastern spinebill or pied currawong this time.

Which, considering the size of my back yard, creates quite a traffic jam.

I often have from two to sixty Major Mitchells. From two to fifty crested pigeons(nesting). From two to fifty mudlarks. From two to five magpies(nesting). From two to five tawny frogmouths. From two to six sparrowhawks(nesting),. From six to thirty White rumped minors(nesting). From two to six mallee ring-necked parrots. As daily birds.
I actively discourage the pairs of blackbirds that try to nest here.
In the past I’ve had mistletoe birds nesting, Variegated wrens nesting, Spiny cheeked honeyeaters nesting.

The bird life here has changed dramatically over the years and I put it all down to changing agricultural landuse. Older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.

I’ve only ever seen one Major Mitchell in my life, ditto one sparrowhawk. No white-rumped minors, mallee ring-necked, variegated wrens, or spiny cheeked honeyeaters ever. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen or heard a mistletoe bird, embarrassed because there are some living in my suburb.

I know I asked before, but don’t remember the answer. Where do you live?

> older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.
Council pesticides are a pain, for both insect and bird survival. An excellent sign of a healthy bird and insect population is healthy wild blackberries.

> one sparrowhawk
Just outside my front gate, on the nature strip. ie. I’ve only ever seen one at home.

> I’ve probably always been vague about my location but since everyone here knows it is somewhere near Griffith NSW, I may as well indicate the satellite village of Nericon. NNE of Griffith City, on a bump in the Wyangan Wetlands just east of Nericon Swamp, where there are three species of international significance, which rather places it as a RAMSAR site.

Ta, I’ll look it up on Google Earth. As of now I don’t even know where Griffith is.

> I’m in remnant mallee country and because I cultivate mistletoe I do get the birds and the painted jezabel. I also often hear the painted honeyeater first thing in the morning, much to the envy of the local twitchers who rarely ever know it is here.

Painted jezebel? Oh, a butterfly. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a painted honeyeater. Checks web. No I haven’t, but I ran across it in one context or another while living in Qld.

> Australia Felix.
Huh? Oh, “the lucky country”.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I often have from two to sixty Major Mitchells. From two to fifty crested pigeons(nesting). From two to fifty mudlarks. From two to five magpies(nesting). From two to five tawny frogmouths. From two to six sparrowhawks(nesting),. From six to thirty White rumped minors(nesting). From two to six mallee ring-necked parrots. As daily birds.
I actively discourage the pairs of blackbirds that try to nest here.
In the past I’ve had mistletoe birds nesting, Variegated wrens nesting, Spiny cheeked honeyeaters nesting.

The bird life here has changed dramatically over the years and I put it all down to changing agricultural landuse. Older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.

I’ve only ever seen one Major Mitchell in my life, ditto one sparrowhawk. No white-rumped minors, mallee ring-necked, variegated wrens, or spiny cheeked honeyeaters ever. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never seen or heard a mistletoe bird, embarrassed because there are some living in my suburb.

I know I asked before, but don’t remember the answer. Where do you live?

> older farmers kept more trees and used less pesticides.
Council pesticides are a pain, for both insect and bird survival. An excellent sign of a healthy bird and insect population is healthy wild blackberries.

> one sparrowhawk
Just outside my front gate, on the nature strip. ie. I’ve only ever seen one at home.

> I’ve probably always been vague about my location but since everyone here knows it is somewhere near Griffith NSW, I may as well indicate the satellite village of Nericon. NNE of Griffith City, on a bump in the Wyangan Wetlands just east of Nericon Swamp, where there are three species of international significance, which rather places it as a RAMSAR site.

Ta, I’ll look it up on Google Earth. As of now I don’t even know where Griffith is.

> I’m in remnant mallee country and because I cultivate mistletoe I do get the birds and the painted jezabel. I also often hear the painted honeyeater first thing in the morning, much to the envy of the local twitchers who rarely ever know it is here.

Painted jezebel? Oh, a butterfly. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a painted honeyeater. Checks web. No I haven’t, but I ran across it in one context or another while living in Qld.

> Australia Felix.
Huh? Oh, “the lucky country”.

I meant NNW. ;) Look up Lake Wyangan and wetlands.

roughbarked said:

I meant NNW. ;) Look up Lake Wyangan and wetlands.

I live in what always was(since 1916) the food bowl of NSW.

I probably don’t need to mention the upwards of 500 galahs that will be in my 23 metre tall Eucalyptus melliodora that I planted at 20 cm tall 36 years ago as the wheat harvest progresses.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

I meant NNW. ;) Look up Lake Wyangan and wetlands.

I live in what always was(since 1916) the food bowl of NSW.

I probably don’t need to mention the upwards of 500 galahs that will be in my 23 metre tall Eucalyptus melliodora that I planted at 20 cm tall 36 years ago as the wheat harvest progresses.

You certainly do need to mention the galahs. That’s a large number of birds of any species.

I’m looking up Lake Wyangan and Nericon Swamp. Together they make an appearance in a “bird trails” booklet. page 31 (isn’t web search amazing, imagine trying to find that out by hand). So you have your own “bird trail”, nice.

http://www.cootamundra.nsw.gov.au/f.ashx/RSWSNT-BirdTrailsBooklet.pdf

I can see Nericon Swamp on Google Earth now, east of Boorga Rd. Is that public access land?

I wonder if anyone around Griffith put a bird list on the Aussie Backyard Bird Survey. Yes, two entries from just west of Lake Wyangan. Let’s see, “Australian Ringneck, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Emu”. All the rest could be found in central Melbourne and Canberra.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

I meant NNW. ;) Look up Lake Wyangan and wetlands.

I live in what always was(since 1916) the food bowl of NSW.

I probably don’t need to mention the upwards of 500 galahs that will be in my 23 metre tall Eucalyptus melliodora that I planted at 20 cm tall 36 years ago as the wheat harvest progresses.

You certainly do need to mention the galahs. That’s a large number of birds of any species.

I’m looking up Lake Wyangan and Nericon Swamp. Together they make an appearance in a “bird trails” booklet. page 31 (isn’t web search amazing, imagine trying to find that out by hand). So you have your own “bird trail”, nice.

http://www.cootamundra.nsw.gov.au/f.ashx/RSWSNT-BirdTrailsBooklet.pdf

I can see Nericon Swamp on Google Earth now, east of Boorga Rd. Is that public access land?

I wonder if anyone around Griffith put a bird list on the Aussie Backyard Bird Survey. Yes, two entries from just west of Lake Wyangan. Let’s see, “Australian Ringneck, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Emu”. All the rest could be found in central Melbourne and Canberra.

I still call them mallee ringnecks but yeah and I forgot to mention the blue faced honeyeaters though I can show you photographs.

I keep out of the limelight as much as I can but the birds all know where I live.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I live in what always was(since 1916) the food bowl of NSW.

I probably don’t need to mention the upwards of 500 galahs that will be in my 23 metre tall Eucalyptus melliodora that I planted at 20 cm tall 36 years ago as the wheat harvest progresses.

You certainly do need to mention the galahs. That’s a large number of birds of any species.

I’m looking up Lake Wyangan and Nericon Swamp. Together they make an appearance in a “bird trails” booklet. page 31 (isn’t web search amazing, imagine trying to find that out by hand). So you have your own “bird trail”, nice.

http://www.cootamundra.nsw.gov.au/f.ashx/RSWSNT-BirdTrailsBooklet.pdf

I can see Nericon Swamp on Google Earth now, east of Boorga Rd. Is that public access land?

I wonder if anyone around Griffith put a bird list on the Aussie Backyard Bird Survey. Yes, two entries from just west of Lake Wyangan. Let’s see, “Australian Ringneck, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Emu”. All the rest could be found in central Melbourne and Canberra.

I still call them mallee ringnecks but yeah and I forgot to mention the blue faced honeyeaters though I can show you photographs.

I keep out of the limelight as much as I can but the birds all know where I live.

I purchased this 7/16ths of an acre or 1661 sq m, in 1979 Two species were observed using it. Gold finch and green finch. It was wall to wall saffron thistle.
Various changes I made brought birds to the back yard. ie: after we moved in in April 1981, I planted a couple of tall sticks and arranged a makeshift clothesline. Promptly a black shouldered kite used it to forage from. I dumped some grape marc for composting and mulching, promptly flame robins, red capped robins, wagtails, jacky winters. All long gone now. In 1982 the village had the last burn off I’ve allowed as on this day the entire population of rainbow bee eaters perished and have never nested here since.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

You certainly do need to mention the galahs. That’s a large number of birds of any species.

I’m looking up Lake Wyangan and Nericon Swamp. Together they make an appearance in a “bird trails” booklet. page 31 (isn’t web search amazing, imagine trying to find that out by hand). So you have your own “bird trail”, nice.

http://www.cootamundra.nsw.gov.au/f.ashx/RSWSNT-BirdTrailsBooklet.pdf

I can see Nericon Swamp on Google Earth now, east of Boorga Rd. Is that public access land?

I wonder if anyone around Griffith put a bird list on the Aussie Backyard Bird Survey. Yes, two entries from just west of Lake Wyangan. Let’s see, “Australian Ringneck, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Emu”. All the rest could be found in central Melbourne and Canberra.

I still call them mallee ringnecks but yeah and I forgot to mention the blue faced honeyeaters though I can show you photographs.

I keep out of the limelight as much as I can but the birds all know where I live.

I purchased this 7/16ths of an acre or 1661 sq m, in 1979 Two species were observed using it. Gold finch and green finch. It was wall to wall saffron thistle.
Various changes I made brought birds to the back yard. ie: after we moved in in April 1981, I planted a couple of tall sticks and arranged a makeshift clothesline. Promptly a black shouldered kite used it to forage from. I dumped some grape marc for composting and mulching, promptly flame robins, red capped robins, wagtails, jacky winters. All long gone now. In 1982 the village had the last burn off I’ve allowed as on this day the entire population of rainbow bee eaters perished and have never nested here since.

> I forgot to mention the blue faced honeyeaters

That’s right, I remember now, you mentioned them on an earlier thread. I know them from when I lived in Qld 1983-1987. They were common residents in Brisbane then.

Other birds near Griffith, according the Aussie Bird Survey:

Blue Bonnet, Apostlebird, Nankeen Kestrel, Striated Pardalote, Singing Honeyeater, Yellow-throated Miner, Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow Thornbill, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.

You’ve said some of those.
Goodnight.

Q: What walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, but isn’t a duck?

A: A little raven in my yard all yesterday.

I’ve never known a crow to quack like a duck before. Perhaps it had a sore throat?

What are the most extensive online recordings of Aussie bird calls?

Ian said:

What are the most extensive online recordings of Aussie bird calls?

Probably Graeme Chapmans collection?

You need to search for a bird name and then you’ll get a list of all the birds with similar names. Most of each bird has sound files associated. Though not every bird has a recorded call, he’s got most of those he’s photographed.

http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/search.php

mollwollfumble said:

Other birds near Griffith, according the Aussie Bird Survey:

Blue Bonnet, Apostlebird, Nankeen Kestrel, Striated Pardalote, Singing Honeyeater, Yellow-throated Miner, Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow Thornbill, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater.

You’ve said some of those.
Goodnight.

and I can give a whole lot more. ;) ie: we also have the chestnut thornbill, the superb wren, red rumped parrots, budgerigars, black, brown, peregrine, little falcons. Black shouldered kites, whistling kites, fork tailed kites, swamp harriers, spotted harriers, wedge tails, goshawks, hobby’s. We do have red wattlebirds. There are paradise parrots, blue winged parrots, glossy black cockatoos and yellow tailed black cockies.. the list just keeps going on and on.

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

What are the most extensive online recordings of Aussie bird calls?

Probably Graeme Chapmans collection?

You need to search for a bird name and then you’ll get a list of all the birds with similar names. Most of each bird has sound files associated. Though not every bird has a recorded call, he’s got most of those he’s photographed.

http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/search.php

or better still.. http://www.graemechapman.com.au/resources/bird-calls.php

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

What are the most extensive online recordings of Aussie bird calls?

Probably Graeme Chapmans collection?

You need to search for a bird name and then you’ll get a list of all the birds with similar names. Most of each bird has sound files associated. Though not every bird has a recorded call, he’s got most of those he’s photographed.

http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/search.php

I love Graeme Chapman’s collection, and downloaded a few dozen calls from that website before starting off on the Aussie Bird Count. There are problems with it, though. One problem for me is that most of the calls were recorded in Queensland, many in NSW but none in Victoria. The recorded calls for the spotted pardalote don’t match what I heard, for example. Also, about six common birds that I was looking for, such as goldfinch are missing.

What I want to see is a visual record of bird calls in musical (or semi-musical) notation, I’m inclined to make up such a list myself.

Even better would be a collection of dawn chorus recordings from around Australia. I’ve started to make tentative enquiries about whether such a collection exists.

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

What are the most extensive online recordings of Aussie bird calls?

Probably Graeme Chapmans collection?

You need to search for a bird name and then you’ll get a list of all the birds with similar names. Most of each bird has sound files associated. Though not every bird has a recorded call, he’s got most of those he’s photographed.

http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/search.php

I love Graeme Chapman’s collection, and downloaded a few dozen calls from that website before starting off on the Aussie Bird Count. There are problems with it, though. One problem for me is that most of the calls were recorded in Queensland, many in NSW but none in Victoria. The recorded calls for the spotted pardalote don’t match what I heard, for example. Also, about six common birds that I was looking for, such as goldfinch are missing.

What I want to see is a visual record of bird calls in musical (or semi-musical) notation, I’m inclined to make up such a list myself.

Even better would be a collection of dawn chorus recordings from around Australia. I’ve started to make tentative enquiries about whether such a collection exists.

I’m in a good spot for recording dawn choruses. Just don’t have the equipment.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Probably Graeme Chapmans collection?

You need to search for a bird name and then you’ll get a list of all the birds with similar names. Most of each bird has sound files associated. Though not every bird has a recorded call, he’s got most of those he’s photographed.

http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/search.php

I love Graeme Chapman’s collection, and downloaded a few dozen calls from that website before starting off on the Aussie Bird Count. There are problems with it, though. One problem for me is that most of the calls were recorded in Queensland, many in NSW but none in Victoria. The recorded calls for the spotted pardalote don’t match what I heard, for example. Also, about six common birds that I was looking for, such as goldfinch are missing.

What I want to see is a visual record of bird calls in musical (or semi-musical) notation, I’m inclined to make up such a list myself.

Even better would be a collection of dawn chorus recordings from around Australia. I’ve started to make tentative enquiries about whether such a collection exists.

I’m in a good spot for recording dawn choruses. Just don’t have the equipment.

You don’t own a video recorder?

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

I love Graeme Chapman’s collection, and downloaded a few dozen calls from that website before starting off on the Aussie Bird Count. There are problems with it, though. One problem for me is that most of the calls were recorded in Queensland, many in NSW but none in Victoria. The recorded calls for the spotted pardalote don’t match what I heard, for example. Also, about six common birds that I was looking for, such as goldfinch are missing.

What I want to see is a visual record of bird calls in musical (or semi-musical) notation, I’m inclined to make up such a list myself.

Even better would be a collection of dawn chorus recordings from around Australia. I’ve started to make tentative enquiries about whether such a collection exists.

I’m in a good spot for recording dawn choruses. Just don’t have the equipment.

You don’t own a video recorder?

No.

now that I think of it .I do have a camera that can record. Have simply never used it for that. I’ve had it a year or so and didn’t buy it new. A friend loaned it long term and I eventually bought it from him but have never had a manual to read. Though I have since downloaded one.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

I’m in a good spot for recording dawn choruses. Just don’t have the equipment.

You don’t own a video recorder?

No.

now that I think of it .I do have a camera that can record. Have simply never used it for that. I’ve had it a year or so and didn’t buy it new. A friend loaned it long term and I eventually bought it from him but have never had a manual to read. Though I have since downloaded one.

From memory of others attempting to record bird sounds. I’d expect thta one would need some better equipment to be able to get good quality recordings and be able to filter out other bird noises etc.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

You don’t own a video recorder?

No.

now that I think of it .I do have a camera that can record. Have simply never used it for that. I’ve had it a year or so and didn’t buy it new. A friend loaned it long term and I eventually bought it from him but have never had a manual to read. Though I have since downloaded one.

From memory of others attempting to record bird sounds. I’d expect thta one would need some better equipment to be able to get good quality recordings and be able to filter out other bird noises etc.

That’s my suspicion, too. Some filtering of unwanted noises can be done using free software Audacity.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

What are the most extensive online recordings of Aussie bird calls?

Probably Graeme Chapmans collection?

You need to search for a bird name and then you’ll get a list of all the birds with similar names. Most of each bird has sound files associated. Though not every bird has a recorded call, he’s got most of those he’s photographed.

http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/search.php

or better still.. http://www.graemechapman.com.au/resources/bird-calls.php

Good, thanks.

Am now going through all the 40 postcodes of SE Melbourne looking for all the bird species I missed.

I didn’t do too badly, although 34 of those postcodes had bird species that I’d missed. Also, I had to go out of Melbourne to see three of the species seen in SE Melbourne: silvereye, yellow-faced honeyeater, yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

Most commonly missed birds:
King Parrot, 13 suburbs
Woodswallow, 5 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Musk Lorikeet, 4 suburbs (I know it well)
Song Thrush, 3 suburbs
Brown Quail, 2 suburbs
Singing Honeyeater, 2 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Shrike Thrush, 2 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Brown-headed Honeyeater, 2 suburbs
Bellbird, 2 suburbs (I know it well)
Swift Parrot, 2 suburbs
Brown Goshawk, 2 suburbs (I may has seen it in Melbourne before)
Shelduck, 2 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Bush Bronzewing, 2 suburbs
Black Honeyeater, 2 suburbs
etc.

One glaring omission is that nobody submitted even one bird list for North Frankston. Not too surprising, as who would bother to go to North Frankston to see birds? It isn’t Melbourne’s worst slum, but it’s Melbourne’s most famous slum.

I think I’ll go birdwatching in North Frankston today.

mollwollfumble said:

Am now going through all the 40 postcodes of SE Melbourne looking for all the bird species I missed.

I didn’t do too badly, although 34 of those postcodes had bird species that I’d missed. Also, I had to go out of Melbourne to see three of the species seen in SE Melbourne: silvereye, yellow-faced honeyeater, yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

Most commonly missed birds:
King Parrot, 13 suburbs
Woodswallow, 5 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before. oops)
Musk Lorikeet, 4 suburbs (I know it well)
Song Thrush, 3 suburbs
Brown Quail, 2 suburbs
Singing Honeyeater, 2 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Shrike Thrush, 2 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Brown-headed Honeyeater, 2 suburbs
Bellbird, 2 suburbs (I know it well)
Swift Parrot, 2 suburbs
Brown Goshawk, 2 suburbs (I may has seen it in Melbourne before)
Shelduck, 2 suburbs (seen in Melbourne before)
Bush Bronzewing, 2 suburbs
Black Honeyeater, 2 suburbs
etc.

One glaring omission is that nobody submitted even one bird list for North Frankston. Not too surprising, as who would bother to go to North Frankston to see birds? It isn’t Melbourne’s worst slum, but it’s Melbourne’s most famous slum.

I think I’ll go birdwatching in North Frankston today.

Two dusky woodswallow yesterday – I hadn’t seen any before, I’d seen black-faced woodswallow before.
Two musk lorikeet yesterday – at least I think it was musk lorikeet, it was small enough to be little or purple crowned.

So the ONLY significant mishit for SE Melbourne birds is the King Parrot. I’ll have to go out king-parrot-hunting some time soon.

Yesterday went birding in North Frankston. Submitted 6 lists, so number of bird species submitted in North Frankston has now jumped from zero to 25. My ABBS submissions are now past my target of 4000. It turns out that North Frankston contains half of “The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve”, which is big enough to have its own bird list posted on the web.