Hi All,
Just back from a three week trip to Boigu (18-26/1), Saibai (26-31/1 and
4-8/2) and Dauan Islands (31/1-4/2) in northern Torres Strait. Fantastic
places, great people and excellent birds.
Swamps were over flowing (and contain saltwater crocs) meaning access is
extremely limited, mosquitos were in unbelievable numbers of Boigu, bad on
Saibai and OK on Dauan. The entire population is vaccinated against Japanese
Encephalitis and I was also told Malaria is now present on Saibai so one
needs to take precautions. As was expected it was very hot and humid almost
every day although a couple of days on Saibai and Dauan were overcast with a
strong northerly breeze. Too many connections and contacts to detail the
logistics of getting around these island here, but feel free to contact me
if you'd like more details on this and I'll try and put something together.
Also too many birds to provide a full annotated list for each island so
below are some highlights.
Birds that will require a submission to BARC.
Spotted Whistling Duck: up 20 seen daily on Boigu. A first for Torres
Strait.
Collared Imperial Pigeon: seen almost daily on Boigu and Saibai (~15
sightings on each island) but only ever in flight. Usually single birds but
occasionally 2-3 together. Most often seen flying to or from PNG.
Gurneys Eagle: a single bird over Boigu on 24/1. Soaring with Whistling
Kites.
Singling Starlings: up to 20 including Juvs seen daily at Boigu.
Papuan Flowerpecker: adult female and juv 5/2 in street trees on Saibai.
Uniform Swiftlets (?): four dark swiftlets flying with 80 fork-tailed swifts
over Saibai on 7/2.
Other species on each island
Amongst others Little Terns, Eclectus Parrots, Pied Herons and Oriental and
Little Bronze Cuckoos were seen on all three islands.
Boigu
99 species of which about 25 have not previously been reported.
Notable species included Dollarbird, Mangrove Golden Whistler, White-browed
Crake, Little Kingfisher, Peregrine Falcon, Swinhoes and Lathams Snipe
(together), Great-billed Heron and Red-cheeked Parrot. Quite a few waders
and tern were also seen including a flock of 151 Little Terns roosting on
the town water supply.
Saibai
95 species of which about 23 have not previously been reported.
Notable species included Northern Fantail, White-browed Crake, Little
Kingfisher, Swinhoes Snipe, Brown Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk, Cattle
Egret and Zitting Cistocola
Dauan
41 species of which about 21 have not previously been reported.
Notable species included Wandering Tattler, Noisy Pitta, Black Butcherbird
and Cicadabird. Also an interesting flush of herons not previously reported
from the island. Following strong northerly winds one morning I recorded
Pied Heron, Great Egret, Nankeen Night Heron ane White-faced Heron
All the best
Rohan
Rohan Clarke
PhD Candidate
'Conservation Biology of the Black-eared Miner'
Department of Zoology
La Trobe University
Bundoora Vic. 3083
Tel 03 9479 1672
Fax 03 94791551
Email
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