g'Day all
In the past months there has been a gradual build up of waterbirds in
the St Helens area. However in the past fortnight, numbers appear to
have increased rapidly probably as a result of mainland bird breeding
events earlier this year and probably indicating also that inland
conditions for them are on the decline..
The St Helens area sojourners include
White-eyed Duck (Hardhead) Several hundred birds in the area. At one
local farm dam there were more than 100 and the farmer tells me they
have been there for about two weeks, some feeding in grazing paddocks.
Most years we see up to 20 in the area.
Grey Teal About 30 birds at the Stieglitz sewer ponds. About two years
ago there were three at the same location.
White-faced Heron About a hundred birds can be found feeding around the
estuary margins of George Bay
Australian Pelican The local resident population of about 20 to 30
birds has swelled to about 200 and increasing by the day
Little Black Cormorant. 600+ presently in George Bay, usually 200+.
Chris Baxter wrote about the recent influx of waterbirds at Kangaroo
Island SA see
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/birding-aus/2011-10/msg00421.html .
<>After the 1974 floods, as water receded from inland Australia, by 1977
large numbers of waterbirds were reported in many areas around
Australia. Pelicans were reported from New Guinea and New Zealand as
well as backyard swimming pools in many suburban areas. At about that
time we also experienced a coastal irruption of Letter-winged Kites and
other inland species near Southend SA.
Natural habitats in the St Helens area are currently in post flood,
prime condition with full swamps, lakes and dams teeming with life and
the forests breaking into spectacular bloom..
I would be interested to hear when others observe local bird population
changes. Are these observations indicating the beginning of another
stage in the Australian boom bust cycle or are we just observing a local
natural phenomenon.
Regards
Ian May
St Helens, Tasmania
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