Greetings,
Below is an extract from my April newsletter which I am currently writing. I
will post the whole thing on my website when it is done. March is there but
I did not post it to this list as most of the bird info had been passed on
in separate emails.
Weather
This month is the most reliable for wet days and has lived up to its
reputation. A few cold days early in the month sent us diving for our winter
woollies, stop laughing you lot! Then came the rain and it warmed up. The
unusual feature has been the strength of the south-easterly airflow. The
winds have been more typical of late May and June. With only five dry days I
was lucky in having to only cancel one nocturnal tour. Some people will go
out in anything! Still, the rain has been most welcome as February and March
were not up to scratch. The total rainfall for the year has been 863 mm with
April contributing 163 mm of that.
Birds, Migrants and nomads return
April is the time of year when we start to see the arrival of those birds
which will stay with us during the winter and dry season. No Sarus Cranes
are back yet but last year they did not return until June. Brolgas have been
seen on the northern and southern edges of the Tablelands and a single bird
was seen near Atherton on the 2nd of April.
Last year both species of Pygmy Geese bred on our creek but this season they
vacated the area completely. Cotton Pygmy Geese returned to Nadellos Lagoon
by the 3rd of the month and to our creek by two weeks later. Green P G have
yet to be seen around the lakes. Magpie Geese returned in their tens during
the first week of April and they are now here in their hundreds.
A family of Wandering Whistling Ducks have been seen at Pelican Point. One
adult was accompanying six young birds. Plumed Whistling Ducks are at
Hasties Swamp and Lake Tinaroo in their thousands.
Masked and White-browed Woodswallows are on the Atherton Tablelands as well
as the more common White-breasted and Dusky Woodswallows.
A few Cattle Egrets were seen on April the 3rd and by the week's end they
were in most of their usual haunts. A Little Egret has been feeding along
our creek and another two at Tinaburra. They are not that common in this
area. It has been great to have all three species together, making
comparisons easy for those visitors unfamiliar with their differences. All
three species have been seen on the Esplanade in Cairns as well. Along with
them have been Eastern Reef Egrets, Royal Spoonbills, Australian White Ibis
and Australian Pelicans, making a great display of black and white. Four
immature Black-necked Storks were a major surprise on the Esplanade. Most of
the waders have gone north for the boreal summer but a few remain. They are
mostly in non breeding plumage but some show some colouration. There are two
Grey-tailed Tattlers and a Great Knot in full breeding colours. The numbers
of Crested Terns is very high but I saw no Lesser Cresteds on a recent
visit.
The Bush Thick-knees have returned from their summer breeding territory 40
metres to the north to live in my garden again. King Parrots and Currawongs
have arrived for the winter. The adult parrots will soon move off to breed,
leaving just the juveniles and non breeding adults in the village. I
recently saw a flock of over fifty Silvereyes which is what we see in winter
with the southern migrants but it is perhaps a little early for them.
Regards,
Alan Gillanders
Alan's Wildlife Tours
2 Mather Road
Yungaburra 4884
www.alanswildlifetours.com.au
Phone 07 4095 3784
Int. + 61 7 4095 3784
--------------------------------------------
Birding-Aus is now on the Web at
www.birding-aus.org
--------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message 'unsubscribe
birding-aus' (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
