Where are all the Comb-crested Jacanas?

[Peter Crow <>]

Hello Edwin,

My local patch Minnippi Parklands in Eastern Brisbane has for some years been a sure place to see two or more CCJs throughout the year. During the drought the lake dried up completely and the CCJs went somewhere. Since mid 2003 it has, again,  been fairly common to see one or two until early December when we had the first real rain for some years. Since then I have not seen  CCJs.

The whole area is down down down on bird numbers. Water birds in particular. New Years Day produced only about a dozen species on the lake with very small numbers of each. Two years ago thirty to forty species with a total  to around a thousand was common.

Undoubtedly the poor feed in a pond that spent some months dry has had an effect as has the wide spread December rain which enabled birds to go to other places to feed.

Don't assume from this that SEQ is over the drought. We have had some rain but its still very dry.

My question is where have all the birds gone as in south east Queensland it seems to me that all bird species  numbers are greatly reduced except Common Mynas which are increasing.

Regards

Peter
On Thursday, January 8, 2004, at 11:56 PM, Edwin Vella wrote:

> I posted a query regarding my concern of the absence of many Jacanas around the Hunter region. One birdo responded to say that they were seen at Hillville (in the Hunter Region and near Taree) last November (though myself and David Mitford could not find them there on 2 occassions since). A few responses back from QLD birdos (north and south QLD) mentioned that they have also made a dissapearance in their areas for quite some time). Can somebody respond (esp. from the east coast) to say that there are still Jacanas around in good/usual numbers in any location around their area. Has there been an increase in Jacanas in any area within Australia over the past year?.
>  
> I would expect these birds to be sedentary unless the habitat deteriorates, such was the case for Collieroy Dam in the Hunter (in the middle of last year with the drought) at one stage, but Hillville Dam still looks much in a healthy state (or so it seems).
>  
> Thanks
>  
> Edwin