birding-aus

A big button-quail day

To: <>
Subject: A big button-quail day
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 23:37:20 +1100
Reminds me a lot of 1 January 1974 when I went with Richard Loyn after
the BOCA christmas camp to Omeo on the way home to John Izzard's
property near Finley NSW which had an influx of Red-chested
Button-quails, Little Button-quails and Stubble Quails. We saw lots of
all 3. After that Richard hoped to find Red-chested Button-quails, in
similar habitat in Victoria. We went across the border to a similar
looking oat field near Dookie. By chance I came across a small pile of
feathers at the edge of the field. I collected them. By comparison with
specimens at the Victorian museum they were clearly female from a
Red-chested Button-quail. No doubt victim of some predator. I wrote this
up in the Bird Observer (about April 1974). I wrote at the time that it
would probably be a long time before I encountered Red-chested
Button-quails again and I never have.

That was a great trip for a young fellow at that time (just before the
start of my last year at school).

Philip

-----Original Message-----
From: 
 On Behalf Of Rohan Clarke
Sent: Thursday, 30 December 2010 3:41 PM
To: 
Subject: A big button-quail day


Hi All,

I drove up to Terrick Terrick National Park in north-central Victoria 
last night to search for Red-chested Button-quail. Although usually a 
rarity (or at least rarely encountered) in Victoria, there have been a 
smattering of reports in the state in the last 3-4 months. As luck would

have it I saw at least eight individuals including several stunning 
adult females. During the day and around dusk the native grasslands were

alive with the sound of Stubble Quail but it was after dark that the 
button-quail were mostly heard. In the same area as the RCBQ, I also 
flushed about 30 Stubble Quail including many young ones and about 10 
Little Button-quail including one very cute chick.

On the way home this morning I stopped in a patch of woodland near 
Heathcote and chanced upon a single Painted BQ - the third species of 
Button-quail that occurs in Victoria.

I've posted photos of all three species taken in the last 24 hrs here...
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/buttonquail


Thanks to Simon Starr (www.firetailbirdwatchingtours.com) for posting 
the original report and for providing some additional tips on where to 
search.

Cheers,
Rohan

-- 
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au

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