canberrabirds

Red Hill Woodland survey

To: Canberra Birds <>
Subject: Red Hill Woodland survey
From: Harvey Perkins <>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 13:38:59 +1100
Red Hill Woodland Survey - Sunday 16 March 2013
 
The weather appears to have been against us today, with quite cool and windy conditions. Stuart Harris and I logged the lowest survey result for the fourteen and a half years I've been doing the Red Hill surveys. The total of 22 species is the equal lowest on record (and well below the average of 32 species), and a sum total of just 150 individual birds is eight fewer than the previous low of 158 in the winter of 2007 and well below the average of 370 for autumn surveys (or 308 for all seasons).
 
Magpies, ravens, King Parrots and Noisy Miners were recorded in expected numbers, but everything else, even obvious residents such as the rosellas, produced lower than normal tallies. Small passerines were either scarce or inconspicuous with just a few Superb Fairy-wrens, weebills and pardalotes, and the odd Grey Fantail and Yellow-rumped Thornbill recorded. Recent hazard reduction burns at several sites probably didn't help, and one site produced a nil return. A couple of highlights included at least a pair of Collared Sparrowhawks, and a pair of galahs checking out a hollow. A single immature Golden Whistler was the only evidence of possible autumn movements.
 
The comparative paucity of birds caused me to check a few stats - it is now exactly three years since either White-throated Treecreepers or Red-browed Finches, both species that used to be rugular, have been recorded during the surveys.
 
Harvey Perkins
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Red Hill Woodland survey, Harvey Perkins <=
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the Canberra Ornithologists Group mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the list contact David McDonald, list manager, phone (02) 6231 8904 or email . If you can not contact David McDonald e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU