Interesting! So to what extent could this pattern just reflect breeding?
Couldn't that happen without any movement? Could the influx to northern
areas be young birds?
On 7/15/2015 3:29 AM, Mike Carter wrote:
> So where does the winter influx of Willie Wagtails to northern and outback
> NSW and Queensland emanate from? Not it would appear from lowland areas of
> southern Victoria as might be assumed. Perhaps it is an altitudinal rather
> than a latitudinal movement.
> I say that because an analysis of the fluctuation of bird numbers at
> Melbourne Water's Eastern Treatment Plant (where it is a common resident
> bird) over the years 1998-2011 by Sudbury & Carter showed that numbers of
> Willie Wagtails present during winter were slightly higher than those in
> summer and were double those in spring when numbers were lowest. There were
> two peaks in numbers, a very marked one in September and another in April
> perhaps suggesting a spring and autumn passage. So on a very small scale, I
> would also regard them as winter visitors to SE Melbourne!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mike Carter, 03 9787 7136
> 30 Canadian Bay Road
> Mount Eliza, VIC 3930, Australia
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Birding-Aus On Behalf Of
> Greg and Val Clancy
> Sent: Monday, 13 July 2015 5:24 PM
> To: Greg and Val Clancy
> Cc: Birding-aus
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Willie Wagtail migration
>
> Further to our recent discussion on Willie Wagtail migration I have been
> counting numbers of the species on recent day trips. On a trip from Coutts
> Crossing to Shark Creek then Tullymorgan on 18 June we counted a total of 24
> WWs, on 20 June from Coutts Crossing to Tucabia then to Minnie Water and
> return we counted 10; on 25 June from Coutts Crossing to the Coldstream
> wetlands and Tucabia we recorded 58 WWs, 15 of them on the Tucabia
> sportsfield; on 2 July from Coutts Crossing to Jackadgery then back to
> Grafton and on to Ulmarra we had 40 WW.
>
> Other species that have increased numbers in our area during the
> autumn-winter months are the Restless Flycatcher, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike,
> White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and Grey Shrike-thrush however the increases in
> the Flycatcher and Shrike-thrush numbers are not high.
>
> Regards
>
> Greg
> Dr Greg. P. Clancy
> Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide
> | PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460
> | 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960
> http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com
> http://gregswildliferamblings.blogspot.com.au/
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Greg and Val Clancy
> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2015 5:08 PM
> To: martin cachard ; Lloyd Nielsen ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Willie Wagtail migration
>
> Hi Martin,
>
> I observe groups, usually scattered individuals, in a variety of habitats
> from the edge of grazing paddocks, on fences and roads, as well as along
> gravel roads in state forests. Roads seem to be an attraction but then I am
> usually driving along the roads, although if they were gathering away from
> roads I would also see them there at times. Unfortunately I haven’t
> recorded these observations in any systematic way but most roads in open
> country and lightly forested country seem to have these birds. I have just
> finished 3 months work in northern New South Wales which involved driving
> many back roads. Willie Wagtails were a common sight along many of them,
> often foraging on the road and flying to a perch nearby as we drove by. I
> will note the numbers and locations of them in the future as it would be good
> to document this regular irruption. Like Lloyd I have also seen them spread
> along roads spaced at about 100 m from each other.
>
>
> Regards
>
>
>
> Greg
> Dr Greg. P. Clancy
>
> Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide
> | PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460
> | 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960
> http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com
>
> http://gregswildliferamblings.blogspot.com.au/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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