canberrabirds

Honeyeaters - White-napes at last!!

To: 'COG-L' <>
Subject: Honeyeaters - White-napes at last!!
From: Philip Veerman <>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2020 07:13:21 +0000

I have not been out much. Whilst hanging out clothes today (about 10 minutes), 2 flocks of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, about a 30 & 10, second flock included one Eastern Spinebill. All fairly normal for an April 10 minutes at home.

 

Philip

 

From: Jean Casburn [
Sent: Sunday, 19 April, 2020 5:06 PM
To: ; 'COG-L'
Cc: 'jandaholland'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Honeyeaters - White-napes at last!!

 

Yesterday and today small groups of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters passed over Duffy.  Also today more than yesterday unidentified groups of birds of similar size to YFHE were passing but not calling. Perhaps these were White-naped Honeyeater. Too quick for me to identify and without binoculars.

As an aside, during our COG visit to Guthega 10 to 14 February , good numbers of White-naped Honeyeater were heard and seen in the forest from Sawpit Creek down to the Snowy River. Vegetation in the Guthega region was the best I have seen for many years. So there is still hope.

Jean

 

 

From: [
Sent: Sunday, 19 April, 2020 12:55 PM
To: COG-L
Subject: [canberrabirds] Honeyeaters - White-napes at last!!

 

 

A good day for honeyeaters over Jerrabomberra yesterday – lots going past throughout the day. Today started well but waned over the morning to infrequent flocks, at times flying rather erratically. I took my camera and stood under the flyway for about 45 minutes. The first thing I noticed was that the honeyeaters were being harassed by at least three raptors – at least two being Hobbys.

 

I have just scanned the photos and the results are surprising, given my recent observations. The smaller flocks were, in the main, Yellow-faced. But the larger flocks comprised a high percentage of White-naped, some as high as 85%, but in the main around 50%. This is, of course, consistent with what should be expected by this stage in a migration. But it has happened suddenly rather than gradually. This is good news as I was beginning to be concerned that the White-naped may have taken a heavy hit in the bushfires.

 

Regards

 

Lindsay Hansch

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