Month: October 2011

A ghost of woodpecker’s past

There is more detail at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=2163

On 31/10/2011, at 5:39 PM, Laurie Knight wrote:

> There is a fascinating article and digitally remastered video of an > extinct woodpecker at http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/a-riveting-glimpse-of-a-vanished-bird/?ref=earth > (you may need to subscribe to the NY Times [free] to access it). > I’m sure people who were birding in the 50s and 60s will enjoy it … > > Regards, Laurie. > =============================== > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au > > http://birding-aus.org > ===============================

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A ghost of woodpecker’s past

There is a fascinating article and digitally remastered video of an extinct woodpecker at http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/a-riveting-glimpse-of-a-vanished-bird/?ref=earth (you may need to subscribe to the NY Times [free] to access it). I’m sure people who were birding in the 50s and 60s will enjoy it …

Regards, Laurie. ===============================

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Snake.

Hi Paul,

OK. Gavin reckons it is an Eastern Brown, too so I am outnumbered!

Thanks

Judith Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:59:28 +1000 From: Paul_Walbridge@health.qld.gov.au To: puffin_54@hotmail.com Subject: Snake.

Hi Judith, haven’t seen King Brown, this side of the Divide in SEQ, always from about Dalby west. I’ve seen plenty of Eastern Browns at Clarendon some of them quite robust whoppers. Also Red-bellied Black along the dam wall. Cheers – Paul. ******************************************************************************** This email, including any attachments sent with it, is confidential and for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). This confidentiality is not waived or lost, if you receive it and you are not the intended recipient(s), or if it is transmitted/received in error. Any unauthorised use, alteration, disclosure, distribution or review of this email is strictly prohibited. The information contained in this email, including any attachment sent with it, may be subject to a statutory duty of confidentiality if it relates to health service matters. If you are not the intended recipient(s), or if you have received this email in error, you are asked to immediately notify the sender by telephone collect on Australia +61 1800 198 175 or by return email. You should also delete this email, and any copies, from your computer system network and destroy any hard copies produced. If not an intended recipient of this email, you must not copy, distribute or take any action(s) that relies on it; any form of disclosure, modification, distribution and/or publication of this email is also prohibited. Although Queensland Health takes all reasonable steps to ensure this email does not contain malicious software, Queensland Health does not accept responsibility for the consequences if any person’s computer inadvertently suffers any disruption to services, loss of information, harm or is infected with a virus, other malicious computer programme or code that may occur as a consequence of receiving this email. Unless stated otherwise, this email represents only the views of the sender and not the views of the Queensland Government. **********************************************************************************

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Spectacled Monarch Wonboyn Lake, NSW.

Hi all,

Marlene Lyall and I have just had a very pleasant few days of birding around the Wonboyn Lake area on the far south NSW coast. We went down mainly for the Eden pelagic trip but sadly that was cancelled because 3 people backed out at the last minute and replacements could not be found. We have been told that all future “5th Sunday” Eden birding trips have now been abandoned.

Anyway, we still had a good time with a few very special birds turning up. The first surprise for the trip was a Spectacled Monarch at the Watergums Creek crossing on the road in. Following this, in the trees around the house, there was a Noisy Friarbird, a Channel-billed Cuckoo and a few Black-faced Monarch. To round off the trip, we were dropping our rubbish in at the tip as we were leaving and found a Cicada Bird.

The Pilotbirds were calling well and the Eastern Whipbirds were seen and heard everywhere with one bird feeding spiders to its young. Satin Bowerbirds were seen at many of the places we stopped and one Spotted Quail-thrush dashed across the track, never to be seen again.

Most of the regular birds were around but despite many of the trees being in flower there were not a lot of honeyeaters, except for Yellow-faced, which were very common.

I was going to add more to this report but I am suffering from a serious case of Pelagidiphobia and need to go and make a cup of tea and take a Bex.

Cheers

Jenny ===============================

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Mainland water birds in Tasmania

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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Little Grassbirds at UQ Gatton

Hi All,

Spent a pleasant morning birding around the Gatton area yesterday morning. Little Grassbirds were very vocal. Had good views by the board walk at the hide on the larger lake. Other highlights were a single Hoary-headed Grebe and the comical courtship display of a male Blue-billed Duck.

A visit to Lake Clarendon was great too. Many Great-crested Grebe, Whiskered Tern, Glossy Ibis and the previously reported Cotton Pigmy-Goose was lovely to see.

Had a close encounter with a 5 foot snake hunting in the rock wall and crossing the track in front of us. Still arguing about the ID – King Brown top of the list at the moment.

Regards

Judith

Judith Hoyle Brisbane 0437 549301

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Bird Guide in Manila

Hi All,

Gavin and I may have a day free in Manila on 9 November. We are hoping to see the Philippine Eagle. Can anyone recommend a local guide who could assist us with this quest.

Thanks in advance.

Judith

Brisbane 0437549301

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Eastern Bristlebird Extinct?

Hi All,

Allan Richardson mentions in his email about Black-throated Finches a claim by Greg Roberts that Eastern Bristlebirds are extinct in the Conondales, a range of mountains in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in SEQ. Can someone please clarify for me if Greg’s claim is for a different area to that surveyed by BASQ in September of this year as according to the list on Eremaea, Eastern Bristlebirds were recorded at Booloomba on 27/9/11 and at Spike’s Fire Trail on 26/9/11.

Thank you,

Sandra Gallienne

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