Hello everyone
On Wednesday 20 March, Barbara Allan and I, together with Environmental Officers Anneke and Susan, did the autumn woodland survey at Majura Firing Range.
We started at 7.40, not long after dawn, in a perfect Autumn day, not a cloud in the sky and no wind at all.
There was a good turnout of species at most sites, but sadly, there was no sign of either Hooded Robin or Brown Treecreeper, which had been seen at some sites previously. Also, there were no Noisy Friarbirds, a species we would expect to see there at this time of year. Interestingly enough, over many years we have seen very few, if any, of the cuckoo species at MJF.
There was a nice mixture of species representing the summer and winter membership of the local bird community with Rufous Whistlers and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, and plenty of White-eared Honeyeaters, some Eastern Spinebill, and the odd Yellow-faced Honeyeater here and there. A Common Bronzewing was flushed at one site and Brown Quail at another, while Grey Butcherbirds were heard at more than one site. At one site, a Laughing Kookaburra was heard afar off, but was not recorded, only to be picked up at another site some distance away.
Scarlet Robins were prevalent in many sites. A pair of Red-rumped Parrots were assiduously exploring many hollows in the Yellow-box Gums at the Grenade Range. There were only two species of waterbirds spotted on the site at the northern end of the range that encompasses a reasonably large farm dam: two Grey Teal, and one female Musk Duck.
It was a lovely morning’s bird watching, and we are looking forward to June.
Cheers
Paul
Paul Fennell
Editor Annual Bird Report
COG Databases Manager
026254 1804
0407105460
