Thanks Tim,
We hope to be at WTP on Wed. for Stilt Sandpiper, Ruff, and White-winged Black
Tern, and anything else that's about!!
Hope to catch up with some others there.
John Tongue
Ulverstone, Tas.
On 27/12/2010, at 10:36 AM, Tim Dolby wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> The Stilt Sandpiper was seen this morning by Warren Palmer on Pond 7 at the
> T-Section Lagoons (Western Treatment Plant, Vic) between 7 and 10 am. See
> http://www.eremaea.com/BirdlineRecentSightings.aspx?Birdline=6
>
> Aside from that, anyone got any recommendation on where to stay in Kangaroo
> Is, South Australia, for a family / birding trip.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tim Dolby
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From:
> on behalf of Ian May
> Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 9:20 AM
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Christmas Day birding
>
> g'Day all
>
> We pulled anchor at 0300, Christmas morning for the apprehensive south run
> across the
> often rough stretch of water known as Banks Strait. This was the best time
> of day to try
> and beat the relentless winds of the past week or two on our quest searching
> the southern
> Furneaux Group for breeding White-fronted Terns.
>
> The wind was calm as we departed Cape Barren Island and soon we were passing
> through the
> narrows between Forsyth and Passage Islands with a 3 knot current on our
> stern. It was
> dark and misty entering Banks Strait at about 0430 for the two hour steam
> across to Cape
> Naturaliste. As we passed east of Swan Island the sea was glassy but
> unsettled as first
> light appeared and it was a little startling to observe sea whirlpools
> everywhere caused
> by the strong spring tidal currents racing through the strait but these
> eddies had little
> effect on S.V. Vulcan as she sailed south through them at about 9 knots
>
> As daylight emerged a fresh NW wind sprang from the western mist and it was
> apparent we
> were amongst clouds of Short-tailed Shearwaters, a myriad of them spiraling
> glissading
> swooping and soaring around the boat, all of them flying east and as far as
> we see to the
> north and south of us. In any direction there were thousands of them and this
> is how it
> remained for the next hour until we approached black reef when suddenly the
> activity was
> north and behind us as we approached the Tasmanian coast. By now the sun had
> risen and
> with it a NW wind which had now settled to a pleasant 20 knots off the
> starboard quarter.
>
> Suddenly from just under the bow, we flushed a raft of Diving Petrel (30+),
> they scattered
> to the east towards the rising sun. I looked around for more as I grabbed my
> stowed camera
> but after 5 minutes no more were seen so I stowed the camera again. But it
> wasn't long
> after and we flushed another flock of 50+ diving petrels so, quickly grabbing
> the camera
> and just as Murphy decreed, I was now looking at a screen message saying
> insufficient
> battery. Then another flock of Diving Petrels and then another. It is more
> usual for
> Diving petrels to occur in smaller scattered groups and this is the first
> time I have seen
> larger compact flocks of them. Large breeding colonies are not far from here.
>
> Anyway we were approaching the hazardous seas between Cape Naturaliste and
> Eddystone Point
> so it was probably best not to allow too many distractions. As we passed
> George Rocks
> there were two larger colonies of Crested Terns most still sitting.
>
> At 11 00 we entered the St Helens Barway near high tide and were tied up at
> the wharf by
> midday, then a crash out sleep waking in time for Pat to prepare a
> magnificent later xmas
> dinner sharing some of what could have been some of Tony Russell's turkey.
>
> Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all.
>
> Pat and Ian May
>
> St Helens Tasmania
>
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