birding-aus

RE: Stumped

To: "Birding Aus" <>
Subject: RE: Stumped
From: "Claire Stevenson" <>
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 10:08:23 +0800
Thanks for everyone's replies.
 
I couldn't see anything last night that matched the bird I saw, just some Silver Gulls, a coot, swamphen and some Black Duck.
 
Other persons have suggested: Great-billed Heron, Magpie Goose, White-necked Heron, White-faced Heron, Magpie Goose, Rufous Night Heron, a bittern or a spoonbill. No one was able to answer whether herons often fly with their neck outstratched?
 
I must admit when I fist saw it my brain said Magpie Goose - Great-billed Heron was the second bird I thought of after checking texts - but rationality kicked in and decided neither of those was a very likely at all.
 
Definatly wasn't a spoonbill - their plumage is all-over white, and the only white or pale colouration I could see was under the wings. Night-heron and bittern match the wing shape and flight style, the fact that I've seen the bird both times in the evening when those species may be leaving their daytime roosts - but it had a reasonably long neck. So leaves me leaning towards a White-necked (pacific) heron that was flying with it's neck stretched out twice - but Im pretty sure the bird I saw didn't have a white neck.
 
Last night turned up nothing new, so maybe tonight will be better .. or tomorrow night .. or the night after ...
 
Such is birding!!
 
Thanks for your help ..
 
- Claire
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