Dear all
I think some of Carol's Pied Currawongs have shifted to the Gloucester
Valley! (north of Newcastle NSW at the base of Barrington Tops National
Park) In the first week of April they arrived in town in large numbers,
their calls ringing around the sports fields where they upset the
resident Little Ravens and rivalled the White-headed Pigeons for Camphor
Laurel seeds. This is the time of year when you don't park your car
under a tree - I had to hose mine down last week after taking a walk
along the river. Flocks of Topknot Pigeons have also arrived - at least
100 on 15th April.
Migrations have been occurring throughout April - I noticed large flocks
of Silvereyes on 13th April and on 12th April could hear the chip chip
chip of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters going overhead, not in large groups but
pretty continuous and still flying over today. Golden Whistlers have
replaced Rufous although some of these are still around, and Musk
Lorikeets were active in groups of 6 to 20 on 18th and 20th, despite the
fact that there is little gum blossom around. The Red Wattlebirds have
become territorial again and chase other species with a great show of
ferocity, and Magpie wars continue - the local "property owners" seem
unable to expel intruders or their own progeny and I've even had a
magpie in the house seeking refuge. Left a little present on the carpet.
Heavy rain on 13/14 April left everything sodden and I watched Figbirds
hanging upside down fluttering their wings in the canopy of a nearby
gum, getting themselves thoroughly wet and enjoying the clean water.
Today a male Brown Cuckoo-dove was calling in the trees - a change to
the usual pigeons that visit my back area.
The awful recent happening is the large flocks of Common Mynas that have
moved in for the winter - up to 200. When I first moved here in late
2002, the 2003/4 winter flock was less than 30. I have suggested to our
local council that they borrow a myna trap from an adjoining council and
have offered my garden as a suitable trap site. I was told that this
council trapped a huge number when first erecting their trap but that
now the mynas won't go near it - they learn quickly so it seems one has
to move the trap around and hope the earlier remaining members of a
flock have short memories.
Other recent observations are how seldom I now get Superb Fairywrens in
the garden (daily visits until about a year ago), and the White-throated
Gerygones have gone silent. Also instead of frequent calls of Striated
Pardalotes I heard a Spotted on 21st April for a change
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