This year has been the first since I have
been observing the migrations (about 12 years) over Jerrabomberra that we have
had significant movement of birds on overcast days. I think they got
desperate. We had a reasonable start to the migration then a week to ten
days of overcast and showery weather for most of which there was nothing moving.
Then on one overcast and showery day we had flocks of honeyeaters moving
through all day. This continued until the weather cleared and
beyond.
Lindsay Hansch
From: Mark Clayton [
Sent: Friday, 2 May 2014 10:18 AM
To: 'Denis Wilson'; 'Lindsay
Hansch'
Cc: 'COG-L'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds]
Honeyeaters
I used to be on a
regular honeyeater migration route here in Kaleen. I think at least some of
these birds used to follow the Lake George
escarpment to places ......... ???. Apart from a couple of stragglers a few
years ago, I have not had any honeyeaters over my house now probably for 5 or
six years. Are they being redirected because of the increased housing
development, with the consequent removal of large numbers of mature Eucalypts,
going on in all parts of Canberra?
I have also been
surprised by the number of comments about the birds moving on overcast days.
Going back to the late 1960’s ,early 1970’s, and I am sure Denis
Wilson will remember this, the late Steve Wilson and his team of intrepid young
banders would only go out to catch the migrating flocks at Point Hut when we
had a clear, sunny, often frosty, morning. The first frosts were generally the
trigger to start the birds moving so why are they moving in weather that is
still relatively warm. Obviously day length has something to do with this but
there appears to be something else going on as well – I am just not sure
what!
Mark
From: Denis Wilson
[
Sent: Friday, 2 May 2014 10:01 AM
To: Lindsay Hansch
Cc: COG-L
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds]
Honeyeaters
I am a few days delayed in the Honeyeater migration
process, it seems. But I can confirm some (few) White-napes coming through, and
the YFHEs are still trickling through.
I have seen no flocks of Red Wattlebirds though.
Denis Wilson
Life
is to be observed, not cleaned,
On Fri, May 2, 2014 at 8:55 AM, Lindsay Hansch <>
wrote:
It looks as
though the honeyeater migration has dried up. There was a flock of about
40 mixed Yellow-faced and White-naped passed through Jerrabomberra last Friday
morning then nothing until Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock when a flock
of 20 Yellow-faced paused briefly in the trees in our backyard before
proceeding east. Despite keeping a look out we have not seen any others.
Regards
Lindsay Hansch
