A question heard quite often these days, Stewart, but to investigate it in any
depth I think you'd need to go species by species. Fairy-wrens are suburban
wanderers at this time of year, but to be present year-round they need a
particular kind of shrubby cover. Perhaps that is no longer there. With
waterbirds, you might be right about unfavourable water conditions, or they
might just be somewhere else where there is more food. In my area Noisy
Miners have caused a very noticeable decline in the number of species to be
found, over recent years.
-----Original Message-----
From: Canberrabirds <> On
Behalf Of j.stewart.deans--- via Canberrabirds
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2023 12:47 PM
To:
Subject: Fewer birds around
Hi
I wonder if people noticed fewer birds around lately.
When doing GBS I would see 25 - 30 species on a walk around the area and now
perhaps half as many.
I have been surveying the area for 2 years or more and it seemed like there
have always been good numbers until perhaps 6 months ago.
I look at one of the Holder ponds which always had swamphens moorhens and
coots. Often fairywren reedwarblers etc. One day the swamphens left and then
the rest. Perhaps the pond went sour. I used to see ducks visiting there but
not now.
I have seen a bit of a return now but ones and twos a like visitors.
I would see a dozen fairywren on a walk around now none. Today I saw a group of
four, the first I’ve seen for a while.
Red Wattlebirds were always there, then gone, even the currawongs that nested
there have been absent.
Grey fantails were very dependable, now I don’t see them.
Perhaps things will change when the Spring arrives.
When we moved in 10 years ago we had skylarks opposite us but haven’t seen them
in that location for some years. Perhaps they don’t like the development nearby.
Stewart
Sent from my iPhone
--
This is the email announcement and discussion list of the Canberra
Ornithologists Group.
Emails posted to the list that exceed 2 MB (2,000 kB) in size, including
attachments, will be rejected.
All emails distributed via the list are archived at
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/canberrabirds. It is a
condition of list membership that you agree to your contributions being
archived.
Canberrabirds mailing list
https://lists.canberrabirds.org.au/mailman/listinfo/canberrabirds
--
This is the email announcement and discussion list of the Canberra
Ornithologists Group.
Emails posted to the list that exceed 2 MB (2,000 kB) in size, including
attachments, will be rejected.
All emails distributed via the list are archived at
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/canberrabirds. It is a
condition of list membership that you agree to your contributions being
archived.
Canberrabirds mailing list
https://lists.canberrabirds.org.au/mailman/listinfo/canberrabirds
|
