Rural leasehold near Tharwa
The survey was conducted on Monday, 28 March 2016. The weather was mild and still, but there was a thick cloud cover. The vegetation has changed markedly since the December survey, with lush growth of native grasses, along with substantial
growth of woody weeds. Although I had expected a good bird count, both the species diversity and the bird abundance were surprisingly low. Just 24 species were observed, including 21 at the subsites and three extras between the subsites. The number of species
at the subsites ranged from 1 to 6, with the most widespread being the
Crimson Rosella, Galah, Australian Magpie, Common Starling and Australian Raven. The small bush birds usually common in grassy box woodland were almost entirely absent. No breeding was observed, the threatened species that are usually found at this site
were not observed, nor was any migratory behaviour. It was pleasing to see a good number of
Red-rumped Parrots as they have been largely missing over the last decade, though disappointing to see quite large numbers of
Noisy Miners, a species rarely observed at this location until recently.
--
David McDonald
1004 Norton Road
Wamboin NSW 2620
Australia
T: (02) 6238 3706
M: 0416 231 890
F: (02) 9475 4274
E: m("dnmcdonald.id.au","david");">