Autumn bird surveys 2023

Rainer Rehwinkel April 24 - May 4, 2023

Nature pics from the office, Wandiyali, via Queanbeyan, 24 April, 2023.

This week, I’ve been surveying birds at this conservation property, where the encircling predator-proof fences are all but complete.

The bird highlights so far: numerous mixed flocks of small passerines, several waves of migrating Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, a handful of late Noisy Friarbirds, a Scarlet Robin, and a Satin Bowerbird in uncharacteristically open woodland habitat.  More tomorrow.

My pics show Jerrabomberra Creek, and the typical open grassy box-gum woodland and natural grasslands on the lower slopes, with Scribbly Gums on the steeper rocky slopes.

26.4.23

Nature pics from the office, Wandiyali, via Queanbeyan, 26 April, 2023.

My bird surveys at this conservation property continued today.  Once again, I saw several mixed flocks of small passerines, and more waves of migrating Yellow-faced Honeyeaters.  There are lots of altitudinal migrants about at the moment, White-eared and White-naped Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills, Noisy Friarbirds, Red Wattlebirds, Golden Whistlers and Scarlet Robins.  They’re all vacating the higher country of the Brindabellas to the eest.  Some will travel all the way to the coast; some even further northwards.  Others travel only as far as the valleys in our local area.

The lovely autumn weather is holding out … hopefully it’llhold out ‘til Friday, when I’ll be completing the surveys.

My first pic shows more of the open grassy box-gum woodland, which is very extensive at this reserve.  The fruits in the second pic are from Sweet Bursaria, Bursaria spinosa.  This prickly shrub forms thickets in patches throughout the site.

4.5.23

Nature pics from today’s office, 4 May, 2023.

I completed my bird surveys at the conservation property south of Queanbeyan on this spectacular winter’s day.

At the first site, there was an abundance of wetland species and birds of prey (four Hardheads, four Grey Teal, eight Coots, two  Dusky Moorhens, four Australasian Grebes, two Wedge-tailed Eagles, a Brown Falcon and a Nankeen Kestrel) as well as a smattering of parrots and large and small passerines.

At two other sites and in the traverses between them, I recorded an amazing diversity of small passerines, including small mobs Yellow-faced Honeyeaters that are still migrating, despite what I had thought was the tail-end of the migration last week.  I also heard a couple of Dusky Woodswallows, flying high on their migration.

Amongst the small passerines, there were also White-throated Treecreepers, Superb Fairywrens, White-eared, White-naped and Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills, four species of thornbills, Weebills, the two pardalote species, Grey Shrikethrushes, Golden Whistlers, Scarlet Robins, a lone female Flame Robin and Silvereyes.

My pics show the late autumn sun sparkling on the critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland, which is extensive over the flats and lower slopes at this site.  The flowers are of Bundy, Eucalyptus goniocalyx, a tree that favours the steeper, rockier slopes.