Not a large numbers perhaps, but a loose flock of about 12 Red
Wattlebirds flew over my place here in Florey just before lunch, heading
SW along much the same trajectory as the 8 or so Dusky Woodswallows that
flew over yesterday.
John Brannan
Michael & Janette Lenz wrote:
Now that I am back in Australia I am catching up with some of the
discussions on the chat line.
RW: Steve Holliday’s recent comment on the scarcity of RWs made me
check out some suburban areas where there were normally good numbers
of this species. Indeed, on a walk last Sunday, Haig Park in Braddon,
Corroborree Park and many streets of Ainslie hardly yielded any RWs.
In 2007 RWs also left our area in autumn, but, according to many
reports, there were large-scale mass movements of RWs to and up the
coast over many weeks. In 2009 the situation appears to be different.
I have not seen any reports of mass migration of RWs from the coast
(at least not on the chat line). Taking Mark Clayton’s comments that
the exodus from Canberra may have started during the hot February, it
may well be that the movement was more of a steady trickle and
geographically more restricted, hence no noted mass movement on the
coast, RWs just vanishing almost unnoticed (if my assumption are
correct) from our area.
The only recent sign of RW migration, apart from Matthew Frawley’s
obs., was a flock of about 100 birds that I saw on 27 April flying
over Gundaroo to the NE.
***************
DWS: Just a few small additional comments. Reporting all the obs. on
the chat line to get an idea what is happening this season is
certainly good. However, it will generate a picture only for this
season, and the conclusions cannot necessarily be generalized. In
order to fully appreciate the current situation we also have to go
back and compare with the past. Martin Buttterfield’s excellent
analysis and summary of GBS obs. for this species clearly demonstrates
notable differences over time.
Taking the long-term view, it is most important (in my view even more
important) that all these observations are also entered in the COG
data base (just stressing the point Martin made yesterday). Unless the
obs. are added to the COG data base they are basically lost to the system!
The current frequent encounters with DWS may reflect a healthier
status of DWS numbers, as Jack Holland has been suggesting, or not.
Assuming these are not local birds (and the local population last
summer was certainly down on other years) then it all depends on the
size of the “catchment” area from which these birds originate, whether
we can conclude that the species is doing reasonably well.
It is always amazing how little we still understand what even our
common species do. At the same time this gives everyone, even with the
observations in their own backyard, the opportunity to contribute to a
better understanding of our birds. With the extreme weather patterns
of recent years we probably see bird responses we have not experienced
before, or only rarely so. All very fascinating!
Michael Lenz
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