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Birdline North Queensland Weekly Update

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Subject: Birdline North Queensland Weekly Update
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Date: 12 Dec 2011 01:30:46 +1000

Birdline North Queensland

Published sightings for the week ending 11 Dec 2011.

Sun 11 Dec Oriental Cuckoo Tyto Wetlands
Oriental Cuckoo flying west-east close to northern boundary track. First seen in Tyto for about two years.
Tony Ashton

Fri 9 Dec Fork-tailed Swift Kirwan, suburb of Townsville
A flock of about 30 birds stayed around for about 30 minutes. Irregular visitors in the wet season.
Ivor Preston

Mon 5 Dec King Quail Mareeba, Chewko road
1 Pair of King Quail in a small group of trees beside the horse shed 50m from our house. 50m away is an area of swamp and dense vegetation. A tiny very dark, almost black male King Quail with rufous underparts and white facial pattern was seen well along with duller brown female. After spending 3 days walking out looking for rare quail it was good to find one in the back garden.
Dominic Chaplin

Broad-billed Sandpiper Cairns Esplanade
A single bird showing well opposite Muddie's Playground in the middle of the esplanade. Tide about three-quarters and rising.
Colin Reid & Rob Dougherty

Sun 4 Dec Black Falcon Townsville Town Common Environmental Park
2 birds seen in the extensive grassland-wetland area (currently mainly dry with small remnant pools), south of the main track at the second viewpoint past the tower hide. A distant blackish perched bird, distinctly slender and in an angled posture different from more upright, stouter-bodied Brown Falcons frequently seen in this area (confusable dark phase individuals often seen). A second similar long-winged bird flew past the first, and latter was twice seen taking off from perch, with clear though distant scope views of unbarred blackish long tail, unbarred largely blackish underwing. While perched, wingtips very nearly at tailtip, and small pale chin area, no noticeable moustache. A similar bird was fleetingly seen the previous month, but not definitively identified. Rarely recorded E of ranges in Townsville area.
Rolf Jensen, George Baker, Rosemary Payet, John Maddy et el.

Sat 3 Dec Buff-breasted Button-quail Lake Mitchell Truckstop, 21 km North of Mareeba
During the BANQ BBBQ survey one quail, believed to be a good candidate for a BBBQ was flushed 30m from the truck stop car park. This bird was very large (a bit smaller than a Squatter Pigeon) and pale with black wingtips. It was viewed flying three times and (by some observers) running along the ground. I had seen a number of Painted Button Quail and Brown Quail at the same same site this weekend and the previous weekend. This bird was clearly different. A more detailed report will be published to the BANQ website. Observers - D.Chaplin/Kath Shurcliffe/Dave Houghton/Murray Hunt/Colin Reid/Rob Dougherty/Nick Morris/Cate Small/ Sue Abbotts/Xenia Dennett
Dominic Chaplin

Birdline North Queensland is sponsored by Birds Australia North Queensland and Townsville Region Bird Observers Club and co-ordinated and hosted by Eremaea Birds.

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