birding-aus

Christmas Island & Cocos TRIP REPORT Nov 09 PART 1

To: Richard Baxter <>, birding-aus <>
Subject: Christmas Island & Cocos TRIP REPORT Nov 09 PART 1
From: Helen Larson <>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:06:57 +0000 (GMT)
O dear, I just read your trip report - the bit about floating down The Rip at 
Direction Island. I lived on Direction for two years when the OTC Cable Station 
was still there, I won't tell you how long ago that was (dear Telstra bulldozed 
the historic buildings into the ocean). I can still feel the water, see the 
reef sharks watching me and hear the white terns who nested behind our house.
I will have to come on one of those Cocos-Christmas trips one day!
Helen

<')/////==<




________________________________
From: Richard Baxter <>
To: birding-aus <>
Cc: Richard BAXTER <>
Sent: Thu, 17 December, 2009 11:04:23
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Christmas Island & Cocos TRIP REPORT Nov 09 PART 1



 
Trip Report 
  
Australia’s Cocos-keeling Islands and Christmas Island Nov/Dec 2009 
  
Birding Tours Australia – 30 Nov to 11 Dec 2009 (5 days Cocos & 7 days 
Christmas) 
  
Leaders- Richard Baxter & Mick Roderick 
  
We’re not long back from another successful birding and natural history trip to 
both islands.  I’m amazed when birders still ask me, ”Why do you bother going 
to Cocos?” This trip yet again answered that question with Cocos again winning 
the species count for the two islands.  At the end of our 12 days we had 35 
species for Cocos compared to 29 species recorded for Christmas Island.  Cocos 
also, yet again produced the greatest number of rarities on tour with six 
verses four for Christmas Island.  
  
With each visit we're finding new birding locations on the atoll. Cocos is no 
longer the birding backwater that it used to be. 
  
After arriving on West Island, Cocos late Monday afternoon, we quickly dropped 
our bags in our rooms and headed for the local wetlands.  On the way, Green 
Junglefowl and WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN were numerous on the roadsides and in 
failing light 3 BARN SWALLOWS and 20 Pacific Black Ducks were all that were 
visible.  We returned to our ocean front accommodation where we dined outside 
within a few meters of the Indian Ocean and surrounding coral reef. 
  
Our first morning on the islands was spent at Bechet Besar wetlands in search 
of Australia’s newest species and within minutes of arriving we had 2 COMMON 
MOORHEN in the scope.  Birdlife on the wetlands was prolific and some of us 
were able to get close views of PIN-TAILED SNIPE feeding in the open and 
oblivious to our presence.  
  
A sensational mornings birding continued to improve when a GREY WAGTAIL flew 
into view and landed on a fallen coconut for all to see.  This bird stayed at 
the back of the wetlands and often fed with White-breasted waterhen.  During 
our four days on Cocos we counted three Grey Wagtails, all in the vicinity of 
Bechet Besar and Rumah Baru. 
  
After lunch we all headed over to South Island in search of Saunder’s Tern and 
after a 20min wait and a short walk across the sandflats we located 13 
SAUNDER’S TERN roosting on one of the last remaining sandbars yet to be covered 
by the rising tide.  
  
Wednesday morning was spent travelling across the lagoon to Horsburgh Island, 
where we walked a short distance to the island’s brackish wetlands.  Birds were 
thin on the ground, with highlights being 40 White Tern and 3 Lesser 
Frigatebirds.  After leaving the island we stopped for a snorkel on the Phaeton 
wreck, followed by lunch on the idyllic Direction Island.  Direction Island is 
your typical postcard tropical island, fringed with palm trees, white sand and 
surrounded by turquoise tropical water.  After lunch Geoff and Mick spent 45min 
drifting through the popular local snorkelling site known as The Rip, while the 
rest of us swam or rested in a hammock strung over the beach between two palm 
trees. 
  
On the return trip back to West Island a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins 
began to bow ride our rib and I quickly put my mask and flippers on and jumped 
over board in about 20m of clear water.  As I descended down to about 4-5 
meters and began swimming towards them, two of them swam straight over towards 
me and cruised along beside me at arms lengths.   As I dolphin kicked along, 
three of us descended down to 8-10m and continued to swim side by side, 
occasionally looking each other in the eye but staying just out arms reach.  
The three of us eventually resurfaced again as a few more of us got into the 
water.  The dolphins stayed with us for about 10 minutes before departing. 
  
We arrived home in time to change and catch the 4pm ferry to Home Island.  We 
walked the grounds of the Clunies Ross mansion and as the sun set, dined at the 
local Malay restaurant..  
  
On Thursday the wind and swell continued to increase and our trip to North 
Keeling was cancelled.  We spent the day visiting other good birding sites on 
West Island, locating WESTERN REEF EGRET, Little Egret, Grey Plover, Oriental 
Pratincole and Dollarbird as well as an amazing count of 45 Barn Swallows.  In 
the late afternoon some of our group decided to stake out Bechet Besar wetlands 
and on dusk saw a JAVAN POND HERON fly in and perch on a palm frond, possibly 
one of the two birds that were on the wetlands in March and April earlier this 
year.  The following morning those that missed the pond heron the previous 
afternoon focused on the same site and were rewarded with sustained views of it 
again sitting on a palm frond beside the lake. 
  
During our stay on Cocos we often took the opportunity to sea watch where we  
recorded Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Red-footed Booby, White Tern, Brown Booby and 
Common Noddy daily.   
  
Our total bird list for 4 days on Cocos was 35 species including an amazing SIX 
rarities. 
(Common Moorhen, Javan Pond Heron, Saunder’s Tern, Grey Wagtail, Pin-tailed 
Snipe and Western Reef Egret) 
  
I’m assuming that the Javan Pond Heron is one of the two birds that were there 
in March/April earlier this year and will hopefully be sticking around till I 
visit the islands again in early March 2010.  The two Common Moorhen also look 
like good candidates to spend all summer on the wetlands.  
 
Part 2 to follow....
 

I’ll be running the same ‘Red Crab Migration Birding Trip’ in 2010 from the 29 
Nov to 10 Dec 2010.  The cost will be the same, as will be the itinerary.
 
My next birding trip to both islands is my ‘End of Wet Season Trip’, from the 
1-8 March 2010 and I still have a few spots available. 
  
  
Happy Birding 
Richard Baxter


      
__________________________________________________________________________________
See what's on at the movies in your area. Find out now: 
http://au.movies..yahoo.com/session-times/
==============================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: 
==============================



==============================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: 
=============================
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU