Birdline Australia
Published sightings for the week ending 20 Jun 2010.
Sun 20 Jun Osprey Cape Otway Lighthouse, Victoria
Excellent views of a single male flying low & westerly between the
lighthouse and the L.H. keepers cottage, 8.45am.
Tom Fletcher & Sandra Lea-Wood
Tue 15 Jun Possible Arctic Tern, Hooded Plover Noosa, Queensland
A possible Arctic Tern in breeding plumage were seen during the course
of regular shorebird surveys of the Noosa estuary on Tuesday, June 15.
Also juvenile Hooded Plover. The plover was seen in several places in
the smallish estuary on Tuesday and Wednesday. It moved around with the
tide changes. There is a free public telescope mounted at the end
carpark at Noosa Woods, which is accessed through Hastings Street. (See
Bob Inglis photographs in further information).
Per Jill Dening
Semipalmated Plover Clonmel island, Corner inlet, Victoria
Still present on eastern tip of Clonmel island. Boat access only.
[Moderator note: there was some debate over identification. The bird has
now been confirmed as a Semipalmated Plover. Thanks Andrew Silcocks for
the attached photograph. Note other images of the Victorian bird can be
seen at the bottom of wildlifeimages gallery in the further information
link.].
Mike Carter, Rohan Clarke, Andrew Silcocks
Sun 13 Jun Semipalmated Plover Clonmel Island Corner Inlet,
Victoria
The bird was observed for an extended period on Clonmel Island in Corner
Inlet on yesterdays high tide at midday. Access is challenging as a boat
is required. [Moderator note: there was some debate over identification.
The bird has now been confirmed as a Semipalmated Plover. Thanks Andrew
Silcocks for the attached photograph. Note other images of the Victorian
bird can be seen at the bottom of Wildlifeimages gallery in the further
information link.].
Clive Minton per R.Clarke
Sat 12 Jun Pictorella Mannikin Moorrinya National Park , Queensland
Townsville Region Bird Observers Club (TRBOC) held their Queens Birthday
long week end campout at Moorrinya National Park (80km soth of the town
of Torrens Creek or about 110km SE of Hughenden). 11 Atlas surveys were
undertaken on the park over 3 days with Pictorella Mannikins being
recorded at 4 sites... generally in good numbers and generally in the
company of Plum-head Finches. After a good wet season, granivors in
general now have great choice of diet. We appear to be witnessing a
general extension of thier previously accepted distribution range?
(Access Note:- Recent regulated Access Restrictions have been applied to
most areas on Moorrinya NP.)
TRBOC (per Len Ezzy)
Wed 2 Jun Potential Night Parrot Skull Springs Road at 21 52 15S
120 48 29E, Western Australia
I noticed the single bird fluttering next to the car, so stopped as soon
as I could. It has perched a foot off the ground in a dead bush. I got
my binoculars quickly only the bird, only 6-7m away. It then fluttered
forward a meter or 2 to the ground and hopped once or twice, in front of
me but turning it's face to observe me. The emerald back flecked with
dark markings, short tail and very stocky build caused me to immediately
dismiss Musk Lorikeet as an option (aside from the range). Largish head
had a greyish/horn/black (slightly large) bill. A couple of centimeters
larger than a Musk Lorikeet, it may have weighed twice as much due to
it's large body. This bird resembled nothing else I had seen, and even
with only 15-20sec (Bino) view of the bird, it is like no other parrot
in the West or the whole of region. About 30-40seconds after I first
spotted it it, flew/fluttered off into the spinifex, ignoring the tree
about 25-30m away. I searched the spinifex for 15-20minutes but...
Clive Curson per Margaret Alcorn
Tue 1 Jun Spotted Whistling-Duck NW of Coen, Cape York, Queensland
Spotted Whistling-Duck (2 + 10 ducklings) on lagoon on Coen River in
front of old Rokeby Homestead, 100km NW of Coen.
Mungkan Kanja BA survey group per John Seale
Wed 12 May Brolga 6kms East of Kanpi Community, APY Lands, SA,
South Australia
Single bird spotted on very drizzly, cold morning when driving towards
Kanpi community. Bird flushed from buffel grass on left side of road
within 200m of creek line, adjacent to washout/terminus of creek. I was
driving at approx. 70km/h in the school bus when I spotted a large pair
of grey wings flapping in the grass. I initially thought it could be a
Spotted Harrier (as they have been present here but usually Nov. to
Feb/March) but as the bird emerged from the grass I saw the elongated,
thin neck and uniform grey colour. Much larger than White-Faced and
White-Necked Herons that have also been sighted here. The bird turned
quickly in front of the bus causing me to slow down. I was able to
distinguish a dark patch over the eye and crown/head of the bird and
legs trailing behind the tail. The bird flew with powerful beats of the
wings, quickly gaining speed upon taking flight, very different to the
jizz of a Bustard, which also have been seen in the area. Very different
to the 'heavy' take off of a Bustard (in my experience). The uniform
grey colour, dark patch on head, long + thin neck and overall size of
the bird indicate a Brolga. However, I had doubted myself as I have
never seen a Brolga before, let alone this far from its range. I spoke
with the current store keeper, a man in his late 50's from western QLD
who has worked on pastoral leases/indigenous communities in that region
all of his life and he convinced me to make the report; hence the late
posting.
David Hartland
Birdline Australia is sponsored by Birds Australia
<http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au> and co-ordinated and hosted by
Eremaea Birds <http://www.eremaea.com> .
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