Hi everyone,
spent last weekend down at Phillip Island. Nothing spectacular but a
few interesting birds. As you will note from the bird list below I didn't do
any bush birdwatching but spent almost all the time on the beach or on Swan
Lake (the only freshwater lake on PI). Checked out the waders at the
Observation Pt high tide roost. Good numbers of waders including approx. 500
Bar-tailed Godwits with about 5-10% getting nice orange breeding plumage.
None (or at least very few) of the other waders (Red Knot, Red-necked Stint,
Curlew Sandpiper, Eastern Curlew) had got any breeding plumage so I guess the
Godwits are one of the first to change. On Swan Lake saw 18 Cape Barren Geese
which is one of the largest flocks I have seen on Phillip Island. Around the
lake were some Swamp Harriers with at least two being first year birds with
lovely chocolate plumage. Also the Hooded Plovers have a new nest complete
with cage and this one looks very promising with the plovers looking much
more comfortable with the cage. Hopefully if people keep away they will have
a successful time.
On a different note Scott Chandry, Mark Bennett and I were thinking
of investigating the rumoured American Golden Plover and we were wondering if
anyone who has seen it could give us some identification tips. Is the bird
in full non-breeding plumage or possible partial breeding and is it obviously
different from the other plovers it is roosting with? Any infomation would
be helpful.
Phillip Island list (weekend of 14th-16th)
Black Swan Cape Barren Goose
Australian Shelduck Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck Chestnut Teal
Rainbow Lorikeet Galah
Eastern Rosella Purple Swamphen
Bar-tailed Godwit (~500) Eastern Curlew (80-100)
Ruddy Turnstone (4) Red Knot (~30)
Red-necked Stint (100) Curlew Sandpiper (~200)
Pied Oystercatcher (30) Sooty Oystercatcher (3)
Black-winged Stilt (2) Hooded Plover
Masked Lapwing Pacific Gull
Kelp Gull Silver Gull
Caspian Tern Crested Tern
Swamp Harrier Brown Goshawk
Nankeen Kestrel Australasian Grebe
Little Pied Cormorant Pied Cormorant
Great Cormorant White-faced Heron
Great Egret (feeding in the sea) Australian White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis Royal Spoonbill (6)
Yellow-billed Spoonbill (2) Australian Pelican
Little Penguin Short-tailed Shearwater
Superb Fairy Wren New Holland Honeyeater
Little Wattlebird Red Wattlebird
White-fronted Chat White-browed Scrubwren
Brown Thornbill Grey Shrike-thrush
Little Raven Australian Magpie
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Willie Wagtail
Grey Fantail Magpie-lark
Welcome Swallow Silvereye
Red-browed Finch European Greenfinch
Best Wishes
John Boyce
|
