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I
always think compiled information, from the best source - an analysis of lots of
sites over a lot of time, helps elucidate the issue....... From The GBS
Report:
Page
49:
Another
thing of concern is the number of species that have changed their seasonal
pattern over the years. This has generally involved increase in the number of
birds staying over summer, when in early years they tended to move into the
ranges. This has happened to the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red Wattlebird and Eastern
Spinebill.
Also
the main text on the species is:
Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus
tenuirostris
This approachable, very vocal
and active little bird is easily detected as it feeds in the shrub layer. It is
adapted to nectar feeding from tube flowers and has been very successful in
adapting to suburbs. It shows the typical altitudinal
migrant’s pattern, although less extreme than in other small honeyeaters. The
monthly pattern over the years combined is very smooth. It has a broad trough of
low numbers from October to February with minimum in December, then climbs to a
June peak then declines again. There has been a clear though not quite
smooth increase in abundance, having approximately doubled. The winter peaks
have increased slightly but more obvious is that the numbers in summer have
increased more, with more individuals staying through the summer than occurred
earlier. Breeding records fit neatly into two groups, from late August to late
September the only breeding information is activities at nest, nest building and
copulation. Dependent young have been noted from late October to as late as
early May. There are no complete nesting events described.
Graphs on page:
100, Rank: 18, Breeding Rank: 29,
A = 0.56115, F = 88.47%, W = 51.5,
R = 33.747%, G = 1.66.
A broad trough of low numbers from October to February with
minimum in December means that they are present through the
summer.
Philip
Susanne, they are certainly not complete altitudinal migrants, we’ve had
one at our place in Chapman pretty much all summer too, before the 2003 fires
they were always present throughout the summer.
From:
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 11:55 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Eastern Spinebill
After I was told last year that Eastern Spinebills are sort of migratory
and more of a winter bird in Canberra, I was surprised to have some in my garden
(north Ainslie) all through summer....
Sus
From: Suzanne Edgar
<>
First returning bird spotted here in lower Garran
today
Sz
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