yellow-faced honey eaters

[Denis Wilson <>]

I can now report that flocks of YFHEs have started to pass through Robertson, heading in a north-easterly direction. First small groups seen yesterday, and larger groups of up to 50 birds at a time were seen to pass through the district today.

Weather clear and cool.

This follows a clear pattern of Honeyeater movement through the local "cool temperate rainforest" habitat region (where there is little by way of food for them).

The YFHE is a non-resident species here, found only during migration season.

I can also report that out on the Budderoo Plateau (close to the Barren Grounds) where there are numerous Banksia ericifolia and B. spinulosa plants in flower, plus flowering Bloodwood (Corymbia sp.) trees, today, there were many YFHEs calling using their feeding calls, as distinct from their flight calls (the familiar "chip, chip" calls). So, as mentioned previously, the sandstone plateau heathlands serve to provide ample feeding opportunities for migrating Honeyeaters.

No WNHE were observed in these passing flocks, nor at the closest feeding grounds at Budderoo Plateau (where resident New Holland HEs and Brush Wattlebirds and Spinebills were also present).

Denis Wilson