There are all kinds of trends available to comment on, some geographically broad and some very local. I only rarely go to Mark’s side of town, so I just take
his information on face value. Indeed I rarely go outside of the region from Tuggeranong to Woden. I believe the Noisy Friarbirds are about as common in that area as the early summer average of many years (possibly even up on the usual). Over the last few
weeks they are as visible and noisy as ever around the patches of flowering eucalypts around Kambah. If Mark was at my address, maybe he could “band quite a few Noisy Friarbirds”. Actually I think they are normally high in the trees and would have thought
they are maybe hard to catch. As an aside, I have never been able to comprehend that phrase “quite a few”. It would seem to mean the opposite of “quite a lot”.
As another example of local trends, through the late 1980s to 1990s, there would rarely be 10 minutes of daytime without Starlings feeding on my lawn. It is
now many years since I have seen them on the ground at all, indeed maybe any Starlings feeding around my GBS area. I do only get the occasional small group flying over.
Philip
From: Mark Clayton [
Sent: Saturday, 8 December, 2018 7:55 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Woodland survey Mt Ainslie - 7 Dec 2018 - Noisy Friarbirds
Morning all,
I am finding the complete opposite to Wayne and Paul and have done so for quite a few years now. Many years ago I used to band quite a few Noisy Friarbirds in my Kaleen yard each spring (especially) and summer but now consider myself lucky if I even hear
one in the local area. I have put this demise down to the fact that the ACT Government has knocked down just about every decent sized Eucalypt between my place and the ACT/NSW border so that they can fit in more houses on tiny blocks where you couldn't put
in a decent veggie patch, let alone a reasonable sized tree! Noisy Friarbirds are still reasonably common in areas where there are extensive patches of Yellow Box, Red Box and Blakeley's Red Gum that have areas of continuous vegetation so that they are able
to move freely. These areas are the "high quality" habitat that is the preferred habitat that this, and many other species require, eg, Superb Parrot, Swift Parrot (in season) and Regent Honeyeaters, all species listed nationally as threatened or worse. I
am afraid that this Government doesn't take its own environmental laws seriously but then again which governments do?
I am sure people will disagree with me but I have been birding locally for 60 years and have seen many changes to our bird life over that period.
Mark
On 7/12/2018 10:12 PM, Wayne Gregson wrote:
Do other chatliners share my impression that there are more Noisy Friarbirds around this summer than usual ? In the last few years I have been lucky to see a handful but in the last few
weeks I have been seeing/hearing them regularly.
Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 9:15 PM
To: COGwoodland ; chatline ; Bounds, Jenny ; Robin Hide
Subject: [canberrabirds] Woodland survey Mt Ainslie - 7 Dec
2018
Robin Hide and Michael Lenz carried out the survey of the 9 sites on the eastern lower slopes of Mt Ainslie on 7 Dec, under fine, almost still, warm conditions. The area is heavily overgrazed
by kangaroos and many areas of soil are disturbed where the animals rest. With the warm, sunny weather, most kangaroos had moved from the grassland into the reserve. The foliage of many of the older eucalypts has thinned out considerably.
We recorded 34 species at sites and another 13 while moving between sites. The most widespread species was the Noisy Friarbird (7 sites), followed by Crimson Rosella, Noisy Miner, Striated
Pardalote, and Leaden Flycatcher, each at 6 sites.
Of note, Brown Goshawk, a total of 9 White-winged Trillers (8 males, 1 female, the latter on a nest) (but only 1 Triller at a site), Varied Sittella and Brown-headed Honeyeater (off site),
and 3 pairs of White-browed Woodswallows (also off site, but 2 nests with young). Also on nests Magpie-lark, Dusky Woodswallow and Willie Wagtail, and Rufous Whistler nest-building). A Wedge-tailed Eagle, circling quite high, was harassed repeatedly by a
single Dusky Woodswallow.
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