Two previous postings have mentioned some of the wet season
birds I have seen here at Lajamanu at the edge of the Tanami
Desert. My reason for doing so was because checking the new
Atlas on line I noticed no wet season entries and just 56
dry season birds had been seen here.
A variety of raptors, a surprising number I thought, are
present here. I've seen Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Brown
Goshawk, Black Falcon, Collared Sparrowhawk, Nankeen
Kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite, Little Eagle, Black-breasted
Buzzard, Australian Hobby, Brown Falcon and Spotted Harrier.
I have heard of Grey Falcons but not seen any myself yet.Nor
Wedge-tailed Eagles.
Several species of birds are nesting. In the distance I saw
a quail I couldn't positively identify cross the road
followed by 3 chicks. I have seen Grey-fronted, Singing and
Rufous-throated Honeyeater nests. I watched a pair of the
latter building. They were bringing nesting material very
rapidly. I then found they were cannibalising another
Rufous-throated Honeyeater nest nearby. That nest even had 1
egg in it. The egg eventually disappeared as the nest was
progressively destroyed. I've seen 3 White-winged Trillers
nests, 3 Sacred Kingfisher nests, I Black-faced Cuckooshrike
nest and several Magpielark nests. A pair of Variegated
Fairywrens had a couple of chicks in a nest just above the
ground. The male had lost his tail somewhere but was easily
the most active collector of insects visiting several times
for each visit of the female.
Other birds I haven't mentioned in previous postings but
present or passing through here are, Australian Pratincole,
Spotted Nightjar, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Little Corella,
Black-faced and Little Woodswallows, Pied Butcherbird,
Weebill, Jacky Winter, Hooded Robin, Restless Flycatcher,
Grey-crowned Babbler, Aust. Magpie, Stubble Quail,
Black-tailed Treecreeper, Yellow-throated Miner, Dollarbird,
Pallid Cuckoo, Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo, Torresian Crows,
Singing Bushlark, Brown Songlark and Long-tailed Finch.
There are 3 species of Fairywren, the Variegated,
White-winged and Red-backed. Small flocks of Budgerigars and
Cockatiels come in to drink occasionally. There are a few
pairs of Australian Ringnecks and I've occasionally seen
pairs of rapidly flying lorikeets which I take to be Varied.
Just today a Flock Bronzewing flew in to drink and that
brought my toal to 103 species for this square. I'm sure
I'll see Bustards but to date they have eluded me.
Don Hadden
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