Last week, I and 4 others (Ann Lindsey, Mike Newman, Judy Westphal, Penny Drake-Brockman) were able to spend several days at AWC’s Newhaven sanctuary working with Peter Struik and Toni Marsh on their study of the Princess Parrots. As others have mentioned on birding-aus already, Peter and Toni are doing a great job. They have been up before dawn nearly every day for the past month, to study the PPs and assist visitors to enjoy some time with these spectacular birds. The occurrence on Newhaven is allowing detailed studies of what plants the birds are feeding on, as well as many behavioural observations. All of the information being collected will most certainly help with land management strategies that assist the conservation of this poorly-known species.
We were able to locate 80 birds last Tuesday, with observers spread out over several km, but I’ve been told that today there were 120 birds present including a single flock of 90 birds. There have also been reports recently of smaller flocks out near Jupiters Well and the Mereenie Loop.
The desert is looking terrific at the moment and many species are flowering or have fruit. Plenty of food for PPs, it seems!
We recorded over 50 species in Newhaven, including a family of Rufous-crowned Emu-wren (a lifer for me), Dusky Grasswren, Banded Whiteface, Beautiful Firetail.
Alan Stuart
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Oops. Make that a Painted Finch, not a Beautiful Firetail! I guess the excitement got too much for me!
Alan
Sent: Sunday, 3 June 2012 6:35 PM
Last week, I and 4 others (Ann Lindsey, Mike Newman, Judy Westphal, Penny Drake-Brockman) were able to spend several days at AWC’s Newhaven sanctuary working with Peter Struik and Toni Marsh on their study of the Princess Parrots. As others have mentioned on birding-aus already, Peter and Toni are doing a great job. They have been up before dawn nearly every day for the past month, to study the PPs and assist visitors to enjoy some time with these spectacular birds. The occurrence on Newhaven is allowing detailed studies of what plants the birds are feeding on, as well as many behavioural observations. All of the information being collected will most certainly help with land management strategies that assist the conservation of this poorly-known species.
We were able to locate 80 birds last Tuesday, with observers spread out over several km, but I’ve been told that today there were 120 birds present including a single flock of 90 birds. There have also been reports recently of smaller flocks out near Jupiters Well and the Mereenie Loop.
The desert is looking terrific at the moment and many species are flowering or have fruit. Plenty of food for PPs, it seems!
We recorded over 50 species in Newhaven, including a family of Rufous-crowned Emu-wren (a lifer for me), Dusky Grasswren, Banded Whiteface, Beautiful Firetail.
Alan Stuart
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================