Hello everyone,
Below is the list of birds seen yesterday on the Caloundra sandbanks. It's
hell to have to do tern surveys in perfect weather in one of the loveliest
places I know.
Of interest to me were the 6 Bar-tailed Godwit in immature plumage. Six in a
flock of 206 birds.
There was a very young Caspian Tern, bearing the brown flecks and more
orange beak of youth, begging from an adult in breeding plumage.
About 90% of Crested Terns are now in breeding plumage, and the numbers have
dropped off dramatically since their peak in late winter, as they head for
offshore islands to breed. There are still a few Cresteds with immature
plumage, and I guess I saw about 6 of these yesterday. All begging ceased
long ago.
We always take note when something puts up a flock of birds. We marvel at
the ability of the Whistling Kite to worry a flock of terns and small
waders. And yet the Eastern Curlew and sandplovers so often stand their
ground. Osprey and Brahminy Kite can sometimes pass overhead without any
response from the roosting birds. White-bellied Sea-Eagle usually causes a
stir. Whilst I have seen a sea-eagle take a Little Tern, I have never seen a
Whistling Kite take a wader or tern, or even attempt it. Has anyone ever
seen this?
Another interesting thing: a surfer reported to me this week that a pair of
Sooty Oystercatchers is currently nesting on Mudjimba (Old Woman) Island, at
the mouth of the Maroochy River. He saw a pair nest there last year too.
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES 26
TOTAL NUMBER OF BIRDS 1945
SPECIES LIST
Tern, Caspian 4
Tern, Common 1
Tern, Crested 958
Tern, Gull-billed 15
Tern, Little 5
Gull, Silver 423
Terns & Gulls, unidentified 30
Curlew, Eastern 30
Whimbrel 3
Godwit, Bar-tailed 206
Knot, Great 4
Sandpiper, Curlew 46
Sandpiper, Terek 2
Stint, Red-necked 9
Tattler, Grey-tailed 27
Plover, Greater Sand 78
Plover, Lesser Sand 11
Plover, Pacific Golden 1
Oystercatcher, Pied 2
Waders, unidentified 50
Pelican, Australian 5
Cormorant, Pied 17
Cormorant, Little Black 14
Whistling Kite 2
Brahminy Kite 1
Osprey 1
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
