300th bird twitched

[S Cooney <>]

Hi Birders

Just a short tale of a small achievement in one man's birding.

On the 1st of July I went on my third pelagic trip off Port Fairy,
Victoria, with still the primary aim of seeing a Wandering or Royal
Albatross for the first time.  It was another great day and I was
happy to see Cape Petrel and two Prions for the first time, although I
again failed to see a Grey Goshawk in the Cobden area and the Albatross
did not appear.

Upon returning home and tallying up the new birds I realised that the
Cape Petrel was the 299th bird on my Australia list!  Well, then I
was inspired, knowing that the small, yet significant number of 300
beckoned.  On the 2nd of July I headed off to Werribee; Frecks were
still a possibility (hello Shirley), I had no luck, but I was seeing all
sorts of things, including a pretty good look at what I still think,
though I've not listed, was a Chestnut-rumped Hylacola and a great look
at the Sub Adult Sea-Eagle, as reported on Birdline by Richard Nowotny,
feeding on a Coot (I think) while being watched by 4 Whistling
Kites.  Still no 300th bird.

On the 3rd, work took me into Gippsland and a side trip to Mitchell River
N.P yielded great views of Satin Bowerbirds who were feeding in the
picnic area with a group of Currawongs.  Still no 300th
bird!

On the 4th, I stopped for a bit at Colquohuon State Forest near Lakes
Entrance, Victoria and listened to a fantastic Lyrebird and saw a Spotted
Quail-thrush, but still no 300th.

On the 5th, I finally got around to putting my sightings for the past
week or so onto the computer and lo and behold the Skua seen on the
pelagic was a Great Skua, not a South Polar Skua, as I'd seen on my
previous pelagics!  Bird number 300 - Great Skua Catharacta
skua.

So, 300 birds since I started listing on the 23rd of May, 1996.  291
of them are from Victoria the other 9 are from a trip to the SA
riverland; Morgan, Gluepot, Yookamurra.  I haven't travelled, as a
birder, any further afield.  It's inspired me to travel up north to
double my list and I may have that opportunity next July!  Having
said that there are still some pretty easy birds to get down here,
like:

Stubble Quail
Little Button Quail
Red-chested Button Quail
Fairy Tern !
Little Lorikeet !
Australian Owlet-nightjar
Western Gerygone
Fuscous Honeyeater
Olive Backed Oriole

All listed as Common in Simpson & Day and having a range extending
into Victoria

Lewin's Rail
Baillon's Crake
Brush Cuckoo
White-throated Nightjar
Striated Fieldwren

All listed as Moderately Common in S & D and having a range extending
into Victoria, not to mention the Goshawk at Cobden and the Freckled Duck
at Werribee.  Any assistance would be most welcome (though some of
them have been on Birdline).

Its no 600 bird saga, but at least I can still expect to see a new bird
every other month and that thrill is worth it.

Happy Twitching

Stuart