Hi All,
Like other groups this season we (George Swann, Adrian Boyle and I)
enjoyed a short visit to Christmas Island on the way home from the Cocos
Islands. We arrived in the late afternoon on 8 Feb and departed in the
mid afternoon on 11 Feb so had just two full days there. Weather was
mostly average with one entire afternoon of rain and regular heavy
showers at other times. Sites are reasonably well known on Christmas
Island so, as with the Cocos trip report posted a week or so ago, below
is a complete annotated list of the birds seen, with a few links to
photographs scattered throughout.
Red Junglefowl/Feral Chicken: 10+ each day including a few that actually
looked like Red Junglefowl (!!!) on the Dolly Beach track.
Red-tailed Tropicbird:: Between 3 and 7 seen flying over the settlement
each day.
White-tailed Tropicbird: 50+ at various locations around the island each
day. Some of the better viewing areas included the Settlement and
Margaret Knoll.
Abbott’s Booby: Just two distant birds seen from the Golf Course Lookout
flying over the sea towards the Casino on 10 Feb.
Red-footed Booby: Abundant.
Brown Booby: Up to 20 around the coast on any day.
Great Frigatebird: 60+ in flight various places around the island each day.
Christmas Frigatebird: 50+ in flight various places around the island
each day.
White-faced Heron: Up to 4 at dump, 2 near the blowhole just down from
the Casino and 1 at the entrance to the Casino.
Eastern Reef Egret: 1 in Settlement and 1 in Flying Fish Cove on 9 Feb,
1 at Lilly Beach on 11 Feb.
Striated Heron: Single birds at the dump and at the Casino seen (mostly
in flight) on multiple occasions.
Malayan Night Heron: 1 immature seen and well photographed on the Dolly
Beach Rd. This was a different individual to that seen by previous
groups at the start of Dolly Beach Rd: as Peter Marsh previously
reported that bird was hit and killed by a vehicle in mid January.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/malayan_night_heron
Yellow Bittern: Up to 2 individuals at the entrance to the Casino and 1
individual in shallow marshland at LB3.
Cinnamon Bittern: 1 female seen well and photographed (in flight only)
at the entrance to the Casino on 10 Feb.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/cinnamon_bittern
Chinese Goshawk: 1 seen briefly in flight as it dashed through shrubs
(in hunting mode) at the dump in the late afternoon on 8 Feb. The
following morning what was presumably the same bird was watched at a
distance perched in the crown of a dead tree. The bird was dwarfed by an
adjacent Christmas Island Imperial Pigeon. Sadly there are no photos of
this bird as heavy rain meant the cameras were left in the car. This
species has not previously been reported from Christmas Island.
Christmas Is. Goshawk : About 5 birds seen during the visit, locations
included LB3, near the Detention Center, at the dump, at the Parks
Australia Nursery and in Drumsite. Most were adults with a single juv at
Drumsite.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/variable_goshawk
Nankeen Kestrel: Very common with up to 30 individuals seen each day.
White-breasted Waterhen: Single birds at the dump on 8 and 9 Feb.
Watercock: A single brown bird at the entrance to the Casino on 8 and 9
Feb. A nice flight image was obtained.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/image/132567091
Common Sandpiper: A single bird in Flying Fish Cove on each occasion
that we visited.
Sooty Tern: A single bird seen well at sea off the Settlement on 10 Feb.
Emerald Dove: Up to 10 of this endemic subspecies each day, with most
sightings within primary forest.
Red Collared Dove: The single male at the dump was seen each day 9-11 Feb.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/red_collared_dove
Christmas Is. Imperial Pigeon: A very common bird with up to 50 birds
observed each day. Very photogenic.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/christmas_island_imperial_pigeon
Christmas Is. Hawk-Owl: 2 heard at the Golf Course and 1 seen and 2 more
heard near the Pink House on the night of 8 Feb.
Christmas Is. Swiftlet: Common at various locations.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/linchi_swiftlet
Grey Wagtail: 2 at the dump daily.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow: Common in the Settlement with up to 80 birds
observed.
Java Sparrow: Just 4 at the Parks Australia Nursery in the early am on
11 Feb.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/java_sparrow
Barn Swallow: A single bird at the dump on 9 Feb.
Christmas Is White-eye: Abundant and seen in almost all habitats.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/christmas_white_eye
Island Thrush: Common in forest areas. Especially numerous on forest
tracks at dawn and dusk.
Cheers,
Rohan
--
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
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