Re: FW: [canberrabirds] Skinks as a food resource in winter

[Con Boekel <>]

Hi Steve

Is there a positive relationship between growing numbers of Noisy Miners and Grey Butcherbirds? The latter seem to be able to thrive in Noisy Miner-infested domains and there does seem to be more of the latter than there used to be.

regards

Con

On 6/24/2017 7:55 AM, Wallaces wrote:

Thanks Geoffrey. Your comments prompted me to look at the seasonal reporting rates as I would expect that skink activity is lower in winter. The graph below shows the general COG data (with dotted second degree polynomial lines). The trend is for increased reporting rates in all seasons with winter, spring and summer moving at similar levels and rates of increase. In most years the autumn reporting rate is higher (1990, 1998, 1999 being the exception) resulting in a noticeably higher and increasing trend. Based on the increasing reporting rates, something is working in the butcherbirds favour.

 

Steve