10 raptor species in a 65km radius: an Oz record???

[Alexandra Appleman <>]

On Saturday 4 April Marleen Acton, John Maddy and myself travelled to
Lucinda NQ to conduct a wader count. On the outward and return legs we
noted the numbers and types of raptors seen along the Bruce Highway for the
Birds Australia 'Birds of Prey' monitoring program; and also kept a log of
all species seen throughout the day. We were totting up the total species
seen (88) when we realised that we had observed 10 different raptors in a
radius of 65km of Ingham.  

Is this an Australian record?  How many raptors were noted on Andy Anderson
'Big Day Birding' and at what radius?  How many other countries can equal
or better this?

SPECIES Hwy 1 Outward   Town            Hwy 1 Homeward          Total
black kite                7        (Ingham)6                    24              
        30+
whistling kite    2                 -                    8                      
 8+
brahminy kite             1                 -                    2              
         2+
black should'd kite       -                 -                 1                 
  1
Australian kestrel        -                 4                    -              
     4
brown falcon              -                4                 2                  
 6
little eagle              -                 -                     1             
       1
wedge tailed eagle     -                    -                  1                
       1
white bell'd seaeagle  -        (Dungeness)1                 -                  
 1
osprey                    -     (Lucinda) 2                 -                   
2  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
TOTALS                 10               17                39                    
56

Weather: fine; around 30*C; humidity about 60-70%. Typical late wet season
/ early dry season conditions.

On this particular day we travelled only along the main highway and some of
the back roads traversing the cane fields around Ingham; we didn't even
touch the rainforest / monsoon forest areas at Broadwater Park.  If anyone
would like a list of the routes travelled and the total species seen,
please contact me privately at   

Cheers

Alex Appleman
Townsville.