Voices of the Capertee Valley Part 2 – Starring 32 bird species
51This enchanting collection of calling birds was gleaned from many visits to the magnificent Capertee Valley (NSW, Australia) between 2018 and 2022. It follows on from “Voices of the Valley Part 1” https://youtu.be/esGb3STZ9-g. This amazing location is Wiradjuri Country. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We are grateful for the vital contribution of First Nations People to the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s birds.
The Capertee Valley is a geological wonder which is recognised internationally as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Over 240 species have been recorded in the valley, with the mix and number of birds at any one time depending upon the season, weather patterns (regionally and country-wide) and food availability. Moreover, there are local hotspots for various species based on their habitat requirements and altitude preference.
The filming site for this production was a covenanted private property in the heart of the valley, close to the Capertee River and the boundary of Glen Alice and Glen Davis. Nearby farmland is also shown in landscape footage. The bird diversity at this location is particularly high due to a combination of natural open forest and critically endangered Box Gum Woodland, revegetated areas (trees planted 1995-2013) and open grassland. Water is always available at a central dam, and often elsewhere (two additional dams, a shallow reedy waterhole, an ephemeral creek and bird baths). Nesting and roosting hollows abound thanks to many old trees and deliberately placed logs and nesting boxes. Overall, the 140 acre conservation property provides habitat for several declining, threatened or endangered woodland birds.
During our four year association with this special place we have noted over 150 bird species, many of which we captured in photos, video and/or audio recordings. For the “Voices of the Valley” series we focussed on bird vocalisation, whereby all birds caught on camera (albeit obscured in the case of nestlings) are involved in some sort of communication or are vocalising for less obvious reasons. Birds use their voices to keep in touch with their partner, their offspring or group, to advertise territory, to convey fitness and seduce a potential mate, to raise the alarm (whereupon different threats may elicit different calls), to convey information about food, to beg for food, to cooperate in nesting activities and teach their offspring the songs/calls of their species. Sometimes they chatter or sing quietly, seemingly to themselves, perhaps practising for a future audience or simply for pleasure? When we see a bird vocalising, we can learn more about it and how it differs from similar birds, including its shape, mannerisms, posture and liveliness (i.e. the essence or gist of a bird, often summarised as “jizz” or “giss”).
The birds selected for this video are listed here in order of appearance: Speckled Warbler, Southern Whiteface, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Superb Fairy-wren, Black-chinned Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, White-plumed Honeyeater, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Treecreeper, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, White-browed Woodswallow, Masked Woodswallow, White-browed Babbler, Magpie-lark, Leaden Flycatcher, Mistletoebird, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Little Lorikeet, Turquoise Parrot, Eastern Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Little Corella, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo, Australian Raven, Striated Pardalote, Plum-headed Finch and Barking Owl.
Some of the heard-but-not-shown birds instead feature in Part 1, such as Willie Wagtail (e.g. 0.11 mark in this video), Peaceful Dove (e.g. 1.38), Jacky Winter (8.18), Rufous Songlark (e.g. 2.21 ), Rufous Whistler (8.14) and Grey Shrike-thrush (8.20). Whereas others “missed the cut” both times, including the Australian Magpie (which is often heard or seen but never warbling when we are ready with camera). Some birds are elusive because they are rare (e.g. Regent Honeyeater heard at 0.26) and/or because they live in difficult-to-reach places (e.g. Superb Lyrebird heard at 12.00 mark).
Note that artistic licence was used for the opening sequence: the drone footage was collected on a winter morning but it has a summer morn soundtrack to better convey the theme. Four cameras (other than drone) were used across four years of filming, with different microphone quality and, of course, filming conditions: Canon DSLR 7D Mk II with Sigma 150-600mm lens (contemp), Panasonic camcorder V800, an old GoPro and a Bushnell trailcam. Some sound was collected with a Tascam recorder.
For more information on various birds featured in “Voices of the Valley” go to https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder, type the name in “common name” box and hit enter.
Credits: “Voices of the Valley Part 2” was filmed, edited and produced by Darren and Thalia Broughton for BIBY TV.