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Well the 2002 Twitchathon has been run and won. Not by
us mind you. The Quacking Froglets has the sort of birding day one might
rather forget.
We started later than we wanted to, mostly due to the change
in daylight savings and so started before we got to our desired starting spot
when we saw a flock of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos. Not a bad start, we
thought and then we headed down to Phillip Island and really got started, and so
did the rain. The dash around the island was quite productive as usual
with around 70 species recorded including specialties like Little Penguin,
Hooded Plover and Black-faced Shag, but the rain was so bad down at the
Nobbies that we couldn't see, let alone Identify Kelp Gull, Short-tailed
Shearwater or even Australasian Gannet.
We then zoomed up to Bunyip State Park. In previous
years we have arrived here at dusk and got some pretty good birds, although it's
always a bit risky. This day it was dead. Trail bike idiots were
racing around all over the place. People were camping with a dog
off the lead at Mortimer Park and the weather was still lousy. We did
awfully, dipping on Eastern Whipbird, King Parrot and even Eastern Yellow Robin,
let alone seeing anything good like Gang Gangs or an early Rufous Fantail.
That's OK, I thought, we'll get them in the woodlands later today.
Then the big haul across to Werribee Sewage Plant, sure time
was marching on but... I don't actually know what I was thinking. We did
well at Werribee as usual, doing well on waders and finishing off the ducks,
nothing special here either but the total pushed past 100 and the time pushed
past 3:00 pm. With less than an hour to go it all got a bit inevitable
that we would not get to a woodland, a trip that should have got our total to
around 130 and a competitive score. People had warned me that my route was
too ambitious, that the trip from Bunyip to Gembrook was way too long, but I
chose to ignore them, obviously at my own cost.
We lingered at Werribee a bit longer and then decided we would
fax in our entry, as per some of the country competitors and make our way in at
a leisurely pace. Unfortunately Werribee township was closed and after 20
minutes of searching for a place that might have a public fax we gave.
4:00 pm rolled around and our small score was being chipped away at a rate of 1
bird every 5 minutes. The race was lost.
The results were as follows:
24 Hour Race
Tick
Tock Twins 175 (Best bird: Barn Owl)
Catbirds 170 (Shy Albatross)
24 Hour
Stints 161 (Powerful Owl)
Common Loudmouths 154 (Scarlet Honeyeater)
8
Hour Race
Tang Tang Ticktacks 155 (Australasian Bittern)
Seven Year
Twitchers 132 (Rufous Bristlebird)
Laughable Kookaburras 132 (Banded
Stilt)
Norwegian Blues 123 (Jacky Winter)
Quacking Froglets 108
(Buff-banded Rail)
The Best Bird prize went to the Common Loudmouths for
Scarlet Honeyeater. We couldn't even manage a consolation prize! Not
to worry the day was a good fun day and there will be much speculation about the
route for next year. It seems we will have to stay on the western side of
the city to compete, but more of that later.
Thanks to those of you who have made a sponsorship
pledge. Cheques can be sent to 57 Strathavan Drive, Berwick, 3806 or email
me or ring me to make other arrangements. I will forward tax receipts as
soon as I get them. And if anybody else wishes to sponsor the losing team,
its not too late!
Thanks again for your support of this important fund-raising
event
Stuart, Norm, Georgiana & driver Sam
THE QUACKING FROGLETS
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