Kay's Place, Priory

Attached is the December bird list from Kay's place (thanks Nat for recording the list) and a warm thank you to Kay for hosting the morning.

List:

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo	Chalcites lucidus
Fan-tailed Cuckoo	Cacomantis flabelliformis
Pallid Cuckoo	Heteroscenes pallidus
Wedge-tailed Eagle	Aquila audax
Swamp Harrier	Circus approximans
Laughing Kookaburra	Dacelo novaeguineae
Australian Hobby	Falco longipennis
Green Rosella	Platycercus caledonicus
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus
New Holland Honeyeater	Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Yellow-throated Honeyeater	Nesoptilotis flavicollis
Eastern Spinebill	Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Little Wattlebird	Anthochaera chrysoptera
Yellow Wattlebird	Anthochaera paradoxa
Striated Pardalote	Pardalotus striatus
Brown Thornbill	Acanthiza pusilla
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike	Coracina novaehollandiae
Golden Whistler	Pachycephala pectoralis
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica
Grey Butcherbird	Cracticus torquatus
Grey Fantail	Rhipidura fuliginosa
Forest Raven	Corvus tasmanicus
Beautiful Firetail	Stagonopleura bella
European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
Welcome Swallow	Hirundo neoxena
Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris
Common Blackbird	Turdus merula

Walks for Nov, Dec & Jan

November
Wednesday 2nd November. Taylors Beach, Old train line.
Meet St Helens Bayside 8.30 for 8.45 departure or at Taylors Beach car park at 9.15.

December
Wednesday 7th December. Kay's place.
Meet St Helens Bayside at 8.30 for car pooling.

January
Wednesday 4th January. Binalong Bay. (Swift parrots hopefully!)
Meet St Helens 8.30 or Binalong Bay Tennis Courts 8.45

Best birding wishes,
Liz

St Patricks Head Road

Great walk in St Marys (bird list attached, thanks Des and Nat).  Morning tea at the picnic area at the top of the St Marys Pass was sensational with Strong-billed Honeyeaters giving us excellent views.

Bird List:

Masked Lapwing          Vanellus miles
Wedge-tailed Eagle      Aquila audax
Laughing Kookaburra  Dacelo novaeguineae
Green Rosella               Platycercus caledonicus
Superb Fairy-wren       Malurus cyaneus
Crescent Honeyeater    Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus
Black-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus affinis
Eastern Spinebill           Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Yellow Wattlebird         Anthochaera paradoxa
Spotted Pardalote           Pardalotus punctatus
Striated Pardalote          Pardalotus striatus
Tasmanian Scrubwren    Sericornis humilis
Brown Thornbill           Acanthiza pusilla
Grey Shrike-thrush       Colluricincla harmonica
Black Currawong          Strepera fuliginosa
Grey Currawong           Strepera versicolor
Australian Magpie        Gymnorhina tibicen
Grey Fantail                  Rhipidura fuliginosa
Forest Raven                 Corvus tasmanicus
Flame Robin                 Petroica phoenicea
Silvereye                       Zosterops lateralis
Common Starling         Sturnus vulgaris

Winifred Curtis Reserve

list:

Black Swan	Cygnus atratus
Musk Duck	Biziura lobata
Fan-tailed Cuckoo	Cacomantis flabelliformis
Australian Pied Oystercatcher	Haematopus longirostris
Silver Gull	Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Pacific Gull	Larus pacificus
Australian Pelican	Pelecanus conspicillatus
White-faced Heron	Egretta novaehollandiae
Little Pied Cormorant	Microcarbo melanoleucos
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
Swamp Harrier	Circus approximans
White-bellied Sea-Eagle	Haliaeetus leucogaster
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo	Zanda funereus
Green Rosella	Platycercus caledonicus
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus
Crescent Honeyeater	Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus
Yellow-throated Honeyeater	Nesoptilotis flavicollis
Strong-billed Honeyeater	Melithreptus validirostris
Eastern Spinebill	Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Little Wattlebird	Anthochaera chrysoptera
Yellow Wattlebird	Anthochaera paradoxa
Striated Pardalote	Pardalotus striatus
Tasmanian Scrubwren	Sericornis humilis
Brown Thornbill	Acanthiza pusilla
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike	Coracina novaehollandiae
Golden Whistler	Pachycephala pectoralis
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica
Grey Fantail	Rhipidura fuliginosa
Forest Raven	Corvus tasmanicus
Welcome Swallow	Hirundo neoxena

Dianas Basin

Bird List:

Musk Duck	Biziura lobata
Black Swan	Cygnus atratus
Pacific Black Duck	Anas superciliosa
Australasian Grebe	Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Australasian Gannet	Morus serrator
Little Pied Cormorant	Microcarbo melanoleucos
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
Eastern Great Egret	Ardea modesta
White-faced Heron	Egretta novaehollandiae
Australian Pelican	Pelecanus conspicillatus
Sooty Oystercatcher	Haematopus fuliginosus
Red-capped Plover	Charadrius ruficapillus
Hooded Plover	Thinornis rubricollis
Masked Lapwing	Vanellus novaehollandfiae
Pacific Gull	Larus pacificus
Silver Gull	Larus novaehollandiae
Green Rosella	Platycercus caledonicus
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus
Tasmanian Scrubwren	Sericornis humilis
Brown Thornbill	Acanthiza pusilla
Little Wattlebird	Anthochaera chrysoptera
Musk Duck	Biziura lobata
Black Swan	Cygnus atratus
Pacific Black Duck	Anas superciliosa
Australasian Grebe	Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Australasian Gannet	Morus serrator
Little Pied Cormorant	Microcarbo melanoleucos
Musk Duck	Biziura lobata
Black Swan	Cygnus atratus

Eureka Farm – upper Scamander Road

Bird list:

Green Rosella	Platycercus caledonicus
Laughing Kookaburra	Dacelo novaeguineae
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus
Brown Thornbill	Acanthiza pusilla
Spotted Pardalote	Pardalotus punctatus
Eastern Spinebill	Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Yellow-throated Honeyeater	Lichenostomus flavicollis
Yellow Wattlebird	Anthochaera paradoxa
New Holland Honeyeater	Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Strong-billed Honeyeater	Melithreptus validirostris
Black-headed Honeyeater	Melithreptus affinis
Golden Whistler	Pachycephala pectoralis
Grey Butcherbird	Cracticus torquatus
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica
Grey Currawong	Strepera versicolor
Grey Fantail	Rhipidura fuliginosa
Forest Raven	Corvus tasmanicus
Common Blackbird	Turdus merula

Track Off Reid's Road to the George River

Bird List:

Pacific Black Duck	Anas superciliosa
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo	Calyptorhynchus funereus
Laughing Kookaburra	Dacelo novaeguineae
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus
Eastern Spinebill	Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Yellow-throated Honeyeater	Lichenostomus flavicollis
Yellow Wattlebird	Anthochaera paradoxa
New Holland Honeyeater	Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Crescent Honeyeater	Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica
Grey Butcherbird	Cracticus torquatus
Forest Raven	Corvus tasmanicus

Canham's Road

Hi everyone,

It was a great walk last month along Canham's Road with excellent views of Dusky Robins and Dusky Woodswallows, both with fledglings (list attached, thanks Des).

On Wednesday 3rd February, instead of our usual walk the summer shorebird count will be conducted. Counts will be conducted at different locations starting at 9am. Anyone interested in participating with some of the experienced counters, please let me know. We will be finished the count by 10am and will meet in the car park between Tidal Waters and the Bayside to have a look at the shorebirds over morning tea and tally the count.

Best birding wishes,

Liz

list:

Yellow-throated Honeyeater	Lichenostomus flavicollis
Yellow-rumped Thornbill	Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Grey Fantail	Rhipidura fuliginosa
Forest Raven	Corvus tasmanicus
Pallid Cuckoo	Cuculus pallidus
Silvereye	Zosterops lateralis
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica
Dusky Robin	Melanodryas vittata
Welcome Swallow	Hirundo neoxena
European Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
Dusky Woodswallow	Artarnus cyanopterus
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike	Coracina novaehollandiae
Striated Pardalote	Pardalotus striatus
Superb Fairy-wren	Malurus cyaneus
Beautiful Firetail	Stagonopleura bella
Grey Butcherbird	Cracticus torquatus
Brown Thornbill	Acanthiza pusilla
Eastern Spinebill	Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Laughing Kookaburra	Dacelo novaeguineae
Green Rosella	Platycercus caledonicus
Crescent Honeyeater	Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera
Black-headed Honeyeater	Melithreptus affinis
Scarlet Robin	Petroica boodang

Superb Fairy Wrens share a meal

Hi all,
These photos come with a little story which you might enjoy.  
Yesterday morning the male was feeding one of his offspring, dropping a tasty bit of cheese right into it's beak, but suddenly took it back, much to the disgust of the little one - for crying out loud!! Look at that objecting open beak - the unfairness of it all! . 
Reason being another of his offspring suddenly decided it was hungry too and flew in to collect it's share of the meal, and father dear father had actually quickly picked it back out of the beak of the first one and offered it to the fly-by! Talking about favoritism! 
Photo no 2 was taken straight after and obviously one little wren was not happy! 
I also wondered if there was already a little bit of blue showing in the tail of the right-hand one, maybe another male??.., or are they too young to show colour?  
Cheers,
Annette

Links; 2016

Duck shooting is not a sport Article from The Guardian

Feather Map of Australia, Wetland bird species are being mapped

THE WORLD WAR II TOOL THAT CHANGED HOW WE LISTEN TO BIRDSONG

Interesting and unusual bird observations