Summer in central west NSW

At my place, 35km south of Dubbo it is clear that breeding for many species has been completed.  

During spring it was easy to find the resident species such as Inland and Buff-rumped Thornbill, Eastern Yellow Robin, Sitella and Speckled Warbler on the hill behind the house but these species were not visiting the garden as they regularly do during winter.  The mixed species flocks are now reforming and these are venturing from the forest immediately behind the house into the house yard.  The aforementioned species are now in the yard on a daily basis and on Saturday was accompanied by a female plumaged Red-capped Robin.  After a short absence the Double-barred Finches are now also returning.  For the past couple of months three Glossy Black Cockatoos have been coming in at dusk to drink either at our dam or that next door.

The Gilberts Whistlers that called almost constantly during spring (except the morning that two English birders dropped in to see them) have now become silent.  White-winged Trillers, Rufous Whistlers, Rufous Songlarks and the White-browed and Masked Woodswallows, all so conspicuous in spring, have moved on although the Bee-eaters remain.  One recently dug a burrow only three metres from the pool deck at the back of the house but appears not to be interested in going on with it.

Over the last couple of months we have had an influx of raptors apparently moving through the area.  One of the largest immature female Brown Goshawks I've ever seen showed a more than healthy interest in my chooks for a week or so which meant that my young chickens were restricted to their pens for a while.  It has now moved on and the chickens are safe free-ranging again.  I did have a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the chook pen one day but I think it soon decided there was better picking on the highway three kilometres away.  The odd young Collared Sparrowhawk has been seen cruising around but they seem not to be at all interested in the aviaries or chook pens around the yard.  Most excitement has been reserved for the family of Peregrines that decided to make my front paddock the centre of their foraging area for some four weeks.  The chattering of the two dependant young was hard to ignore.  The few periods o!
 f relative quiet was when you half expected something to happen.  Several times a falcon was seen to silently cruise through the paddock, obviously leaving the kids behind with strict instructions that silence would be rewarded with lunch!  (this may explain the disappearance of the Songlarks etc).  I only observed one kill, blood-curdling cries had me tearing outside to see a Peregrine carrying off a screaming Magpie-lark.

Never a dull moment!

David Geering
Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator
Department of Environment & Conservation
P.O. Box 2111
Dubbo  NSW  2830
Ph: 02 6883 5335 or Freecall 1800 621 056
Fax: 02 6884 9382



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