Hi birders,
FYI have a look at the new BIRDLINE QUEENSLAND (hosted by Eremaea Birds in
collaboration with BA) - see http://www.eremaea.com/ or directly
http://www.eremaea.com/BirdlineRecentSightings.aspx?Culture=en-US&Birdline=5&Path=8
There are some excellent recent sightings, including information on the vagrant
Slaty-backed Gull, the mythical Grey Falcon, Bush-hen and an amazing photograph
of up to 30,000 Common Tern at Inskip Point (reported by Jill Dening).
To enter reports (and add an image, if you've got one) simple click 'Report a
Sighting'. So far we've generated report from a range of sources including
personal communications and sightings, BANQ Contact Call, Birds Queensland, and
the the amazing Birding-aus. Thanks to all these sources! Please feel free to
add your own unusual, rare and interesting sightings - and don't forget to have
a quiz :-)
See current reports below.
Cheers,
Tim Dolby
Birdline Moderator
______________________
MARCH 2008
Thu 13
Oriental Cuckoo Kobble Creek
Single Oriental Cuckoo seen in garden at Kobble Creek.
Tom Tarrant per Tim Dolby 14/3 #5312
Sun 9
Broad-billed Sandpiper Bishop Island
2 birds in port reclamation area - access only during Queensland Wader Study
Group monthly surveys.
Alan Crawford 14/3 #5310
Turquoise Parrots Sundown National Park
Up to ten birds along the access road just before the HQ. Also several groups
of Diamond Firetails (inc. many juvs), 4 Speckled Warblers, a good variety of
Honeyeaters including Fuscous, Striped, Spiny-cheeked and White-plumed. Very
green and birdy and lots of water in the rivers.
Rob Morris 10/3 #5271
Sat 8 Slaty-backed Gull Cooktown
The gull is still present at Cooktown. It was roosting on a distant sandbank in
the middle of the estuary. It was pretty easy to pick as it is very large
compared to the other birds. Apparently, it does come into the wharf area
reliably and roosts on the posts or on the wharfs. I think this is because the
local kiosk person feeds it in the morning about 9. There is comment locally
that this is the second year that the gull has been in Cooktown.
Chris and Ro Lester per Tim Dolby (birding-aus) 12/3 #5299
Wed 5
Common Tern Inskip Point
30,000 migratory terns (almost all Commons) came in to roost on a sandbank near
the point of the spit. Something to behold - one of life's great experiences.
Jill Dening 11/3 #5292
Sat 1
Grey Falcon 30 km west of Mount Isa
2 adults and 1 juvenile. Observed over 2 hours. Seen again at same location on
02/03/08.
P. Venables, G. Snell, R. Forsyth 12/3 #5300
Bush-hen Forestry Road, Bluewater
An adult bird with two dependent young was seen.
Ian Montgomery 11/3 #5281
Black Noddy Townville breakwater
Bill Holmes 11/3 #5280
February 2008
Thu 28 Grey Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Collared Kingfisher, Little Tern Cungulla
Beach
9 Grey Plover in partial breeding plumage; 177 Terek Sandpiper; 1 Collared
Kingfisher; 210 Little Tern were recorded at Cungulla Beach.
Len and Chris Ezzy 11/3 #5283
Wed 27 Bush-hen Forestry Road, Bluewater
1 bird seen briefly.
Ian Montgomery 11/3 #5284
Bush-hen Cleveland Bay Treatment Plant
A roadkill bird was found.
Ian Boyd 11/3 #5282
Mon 25 Beach Stone-curlew South Stradbroke Is
5 Birds seen (3 + 2)
A. Bell, C. Byrne, T. Dillon 12/3 #5301
Sun 24 Slaty-backed Gull Cooktown
Visited Cooktown on Saturday flying in via Skytrans from Cairns early in the
morning and returning to cairns in the evening. We caught the minibus from
Cooktown airport and were escorted to the last known spot for the bird. There
were 9 birders there including some locals, with representatives from NSW,
Victoria, South Australia and of course Queensland.
John Riedy, Allan Benson and Rob Benson 25/2 #5199
Red-backed Button-quail, Red-chested Button-quail Lake Samsonvale
Red-backed Button-quail at Lake Samsonvale; also a possible Red-chested
Button-quail closer to the cemetery.
Tom Tarrant et al. 25/2 #5197
Ground Cuckoo-shrike Jimba Rd, Seven Mile Lagoon
Family party - 2 adults and 2 immatures (dark iris on imm birds). Between Jimba
Rd and Seven Mile Lagoon. Large nos. of water birds on the Lagoon.
Rob Morris 24/2 #5186
Black Falcon Watsons Road near Aktinson Lake / Dam
Ad in dead tree west of the junction with Boyce Rd
Rob Morris 24/2 #5185
Sat 23 Red-footed Booby, Streaked Shearwater and Tahiti Petrel Southport
PelagicPhotograph
Highlight of this weekends Southport Pelagic was a first ever Red-footed Booby,
Streaked Shearwater and good numbers of Tahiti Petrels. Thanks Paul Walbridge
for the photograph.
Paul Walbridge per Rob Morris / Tim Dolby 25/2 #5196
Fri 22 Little Tern, White-wing Black Tern, Common Tern, Crested Tern,
Double-banded Plover Noosa estuary, South East Queenland
Little Tern, White-wing Black Tern, Common Tern, Crested Tern all seen at the
Noosa estuary. Also the out first Double-banded Plover for the season.
Jill Dening per Tim Dolby 24/2 #5182
Wed 20 Masked Owl, Red-backed & Painted Button-quail, King & Brown Quail
Boolumba Creek Rd; and grassland / wooodlands near Lake Samsonvale.
Masked Owl at the junction of the Maleny - Kenilworth Rd and Boolumba Creek Rd.
Also Red-backed and Painted Button-quail, King and Brown Quail in grasslands /
wooodlands near Lake Samsonvale.
Greg Anderson & Rob Morris 24/2 #5181
Tue 19 White-browed Crake, Rufous-throated Honeyeater Fairfield Waters,
Townville
Greg Calvert 11/3 #5285
Mon 18 Slaty-backed Gull Cooktown
An unusual gull is present in Cooktown. At this stage the consensus is a
Slaty-backed Gull (with earlier suggestion a East Siberian Gull Larus vegae
(vegaeor mongolicus). To find it drive into the main street of Cooktown and
then down to the boat ramp; it has been seen daily in this 300m stretch for a
week. (Thanks Richard Baxter for the excellent photo.)
Tim Dolby per birding-aus 18/2 #5151
Sat 16 Little Kingfisher, Fairy Gerygone Loam Island, Ross River
Malcom Turner 11/3 #5286
Fri 15 Macleay's Honeyeater Forestry Road, Bluewater
Macleay's Honeyeater is unusual here.
Ian Montgomery 11/3 #5287
Thu 14 Little Tern Ross River
50 birds feeding at the mouth to the Ross River.
Rosemary Payet 11/3 #5288
Thu 7 Black Bittern Charters Towers
Bill Holmes 11/3 #5289
Sun 3 Shining Flycatcher Townsville Common
1 female was seen.
Bill Holmes 11/3 #5291
Brahminy Kite Many Peaks Range
More than 30 + raptors were seen soaring in 2 groups, of which at least 21, but
possibly all, were Brahminy Kite.
Bill Holmes 11/3 #5290
Tim Dolby
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
