Request for information: Fairy Martin

[Martin Butterfield <>]

Michael 

I am aware of two sites for Fairy Martin on the Hoskinstown Plain.  One is a culvert under Plains Rd (about 5km from Briars-Sharrow Rd) and that seems to be at a similar level of activity to past years.  The other is under the disused railway line opposite the Banded Lapwing site: I haven't seen any Fairy Martins there this year so last year might have been the exception.

Tree Martins pop up here and there in this area, but the best site is a Euc. manniferra remnant on private property off Pollock Rd which comes off Plains about 4km from Briars-Sharrow.  When I visited about 10 days there were good numbers of Tree Martins in the area but I couldn't work out which, if any nest hollows they were using.  There seemed to be more Common Starlings than I have seen in the past and they were definitely using many hollows.

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 5 November 2016 at 09:48, Michael Lenz <> wrote:

In September I traveled in a group to parts of inland Australia. The most numerous bird was the Fairy Martin. Every bridge, culvert and a number of buildings contained colonies, often large ones. Birds were building nests or already feeding young in nests.

However, locally I am currently aware of 2 colonies that were active last year, but have no birds this year. I am wondering whether observers who know Fairy Martin colonies in and around Canberra could tell me whether those colonies are occupied this year or not? And if they have birds nesting, do numbers seem smaller (or otherwise) this season?

And are there any signs that also Tree Martin numbers have changed this year compared to the previous one?

Any comments and information would be greatly appreciated. You can contact me directly via email or use the chatline.

Many thanks in advance,

Michael Lenz