Blackbirds

Blackbirds are resident in Mulgoa Valley, (in the Blue MountIn foothills,) breed in our garden, are noisy and part of the scene.

They disappear when the temperature rises.

Germain to the Birding-Aus discussion, yesterday one was shrieking around the garden, first since about Christmas.

I assume that they are altitudinal migrants, flying into the Mountains . . . → Read More: Blackbirds

Chiltern Track, Ku-rin-gai NP, northern Sydney – 23 April 2017

Hi All a pleasant morning walk at the above site today from 7:30-10:15am. I walked from the Chiltern Rd gate to McCarrs Creek gate and back (about 1.5km each way). Although I was hoping I might encounter a Rock Warbler, Brush Bronzewing or a Heathwren, there was nothing extra special about. I did see a . . . → Read More: Chiltern Track, Ku-rin-gai NP, northern Sydney – 23 April 2017

IOC

Hello Michael, Have a look at worldbirdnames.org which sets out the IOC homepage and gives details of who does what and where. Frank Gill is is the overall chair, ably assisted by Sally Conyne and David Donsker, and they call on a wide range of contacts from all sorts of disciplines, using scientists and also . . . → Read More: IOC

Augusta Pelagic Trip 6th May

Hi all,

Please see the details below regarding a short-notice pelagic trip off Augusta. It is a fairly large boat, so a minimum of 25 pax is required for the trip to go ahead. If you would like to book a place, or more information, please contact Plaxy (cc’d in above)

Cheers,

John

With the . . . → Read More: Augusta Pelagic Trip 6th May

guide needed for a day’s birding around Sydney

Hi all,

We have an international client who would like a day’s guided birding around Sydney (including the Blue Mountains) either with a professional bird guide or experienced birdingpal. It’s not until October but if anyone is interested fitting either of these criteria please contact me for details.

cheers, Peter

——-

Peter Waanders

*Managing Director*

. . . → Read More: guide needed for a day’s birding around Sydney

Noisy Pitta in Western Brisbane

A Noisy Pitta turned up in suburban Bellbowrie ( a suburb on the other side of the river from Ipswich for those lucky enough not to be living in Brisbane) this morning. Now according to the font of all family ornithological wisdom, my mother, this is not a very common sighting for these parts. Escapee, . . . → Read More: Noisy Pitta in Western Brisbane

Birding-Aus Digest, Vol 42, Issue 20

Hi Lawrie

Anything is possible. I had a 20 year mist netting project near Springvale/Braeside Victoria. My only bird found with a band – dead away from the research area was a Blackbird that had moved around 1 km.

Their biggest movement from the ABBBS was 57 km see:

www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/biodiversity/abbbs/abbbs-search.pl?taxon_id=596

I like Blackbirds . . . → Read More: Birding-Aus Digest, Vol 42, Issue 20

Blackbird migratory behaviour in Australia?

Hi birders

Back in 2004 on Birding-Aus I wrote this:

“… /Some musing on that feral pest the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) in Victoria, Australia …./

/A couple of observations this Autumn have me wondering whether some proportion of the Victorian Blackbird population might be migratory – even if its just the kind of altitudinal . . . → Read More: Blackbird migratory behaviour in Australia?

Papuan Pitta

An extract from my forthcoming New Guinea Field Guide

Papuan Pitta Erythropitta macklotii Uncommon resident (NG) L 17 cm. Six subspecies in region in 3 groups: Papuan Pitta mack- lotii bright orange-rufous nape, no pale blue on head, variable black breast band (W and S NG including W Papuan Is, Yapen and Aru Is); digglesi . . . → Read More: Papuan Pitta

Lynx Birds of the World

Hi Mike and Michael, The taxonomy used in the two volume Lynx Non-Passerines and Passerines editions is their own Lynx-BirdLife one, not the IOC. It is actually now the most radical taxonomy of them all and recognises something like 10965 species, with more to come in due course. The taxonomy is heavily based on morphological . . . → Read More: Lynx Birds of the World