birding-aus

Willie Wagtail migration

To: Mike Carter <>, 'Greg and Val Clancy' <>
Subject: Willie Wagtail migration
From: Chris Corben <>
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:22:55 +0000
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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-- 

Chris Corben.


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