I
would only add to this, that this by my thought (I am not suggesting a disagreement) is yet
another impression of the word "common". The abundance of these things is
I suggest highly variable between different years. Some times in vast swarms
and some years you hardly find any. There
would be better information
available on this than my vague comment.
I'm sure many local birds would be interested:
Dollarbirds, Ibis, several raptors. The most interesting set of birds I have
ever seen hunting them (years ago and not locally) was a family of Emus, along
with a whole flock of Black Kites and a pair of Black Falcons, that were taking
advantage of the Emus flushing them.
Philip
Many
thanks to all for help with this grasshopper/locust – the clicks were dramatic ,
and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in such numbers (almost plague
proportions?) as at Googong on Saturday.
Are
there any local birds that take advantage of these insect hordes? (like in WA-
http://www.waderstudygroup.org/pubs/wsgbull/v117i2/117_103a.pdf)
Robin
From: Peter
Ormay [
Sent: Monday, 6 January 2014
10:11 AM
To: 'Harvey Perkins'; 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: RE:
[canberrabirds] not birds ...Googong grasshopper
query
These have been a common grasshopper around the Canberra region since
forever, at least since the mid ‘50s. Their yellow wing flashes and clicks as
they fly are a typical feature of walking in grassland on hot summer days in the
district.
Peter
From: Harvey
Perkins
Sent: Sunday, 5 January 2014 9:22 PM
To: Canberra
Birds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] not birds ...Googong grasshopper
query
I agree with Steve that it is a
Yellow-winged grasshopper (or locust) Gastrimargus musicus. There were lots of
them at Uriarra Crossing yesterday too, sufficient that I included a brief
comment about them in just my second posting on my brand new blog which
ended up being more about insects than the birds I was looking
for.
On 5 January 2014 16:35, Steve Holliday
<> wrote:
Hi Robin
Looks like Yellow-winged Locust
(Gastrimargus musicus), see http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_grasshoppers/YellowWinged.htm
A widespread and common species in
eastern and northern Australia. They occasionally occur in plague numbers – this
might be a big season for them. They also come in a brown
morph.
Steve
From: Robin
Hide [
Sent: Sunday, 5 January 2014
3:20 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject:
[canberrabirds] not birds ...Googong grasshopper
query
Yesterday walking along the grassy western foreshore at the
northern end of Googong every step saw tens/hundreds of these grasshoppers
(about 30-40 mm in length) take dramatically to the air, with a few flying into
ones face etc.
Any suggestions re identification?
Few birds seen - Pipits, White-faced Herons, and on the water,
coots and a few gulls.
Robin Hide
