COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS TRIP REPORT
BIRDS OBSERVED 28 DEC 2010 TO 4 JAN 2011
(issued 18 January 2011)
Visit by Mike Carter, David James, Ian McAllan, Frank O'Connor, Tony
Palliser & Tom Smith
Arrived at 13.35 on 28 Dec and flew out at 15.00 on 4 Jan. Accommodation was
at the Cocos Beach Motel as were most meals. We birded most daylight hours
(05.45-18.30) generally stopping only for breakfast and lunch. Weather was
generally overcast with tropical monsoonal cloud, warm to hot, humid,
frequent drizzle, some showers and torrential rain, the latter usually when
we weren't birding! Only one fine day. Wind mostly from the northerly
quadrant, moderate to fresh.
PLACES VISITED
WEST IS daily, visiting virtually all accessible areas at some time during
the week, often split into two parties. Concentrated on the airstrip, gravel
pit (S of airstrip), Rumah Baru, the old farm the Quarantine Station, North
Lagoon & South Lagoon (Goat Bay). 3 visits by some to Bechat Besar swamp and
intermittently all other parts.
SOUTH IS, WORSHIP BAY with Ash & Kylie James, 08.30 - 13.00, 29 Dec.
HOME IS by ferry 07.50-15.30 on 30 & 31 Jan.
HORSBURGH IS with Geof Christie, ~09.30-12.45, 2 Jan.
ANNOTATED LIST - 50 [+1] SPECIES RECORDED.
Red Junglefowl (Feral Chicken) 1+ on West Is & Pulu Blan Madar.
Domestic Chicken 10+ on each of West Is, Home Is &
Horsburgh Is.
Green Junglefowl >100 on West Is, many with broods of
small chicks
EURASIAN TEAL 1 female at Bechat Besar swamp on 28 Dec & 3 Jan.
This new bird for Australia was found by Jenny Spry, Richard Baxter et al.
in early Dec so BARC submission by them.
Pacific Black Duck 24 on West Is mostly at Bechat Besar swamp but
also on other pools and temporary wetlands. 3 on Horsburgh Is.
White-tailed Tropicbird 1 on 30 & 4 on 31 Dec on Home Is.
White-throated Needletail 1 on West Is 30 Dec - 1 Jan. An ID
challenge because in spite of sustained close observation in the field none
of us were convinced of this ID until we viewed the diagnostic pale
supra-loral spots apparent in the photos by TP. It behaved differently,
appeared smaller, sleeker, and although the overall plumage pattern seemed
right the actual colour tones and contrasts were unfamiliar. Thus we
wondered whether it was a bird of the Himalayan race but description doesn't
fit!
Fork-tailed Swift 1 on West Is seen only by TP.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Distant singles & flocks to 100+ at sea off ocean
shores of West & Horsburgh Is.
Lesser Frigatebird 3 over Home Is & 1 over West Is on 30 Dec.
Great Frigatebird 6 over Home Is & 1 over West Is on 30 Dec.
Frigatebird spp. 1 over Home Is on 31 Dec & 2 at West Is on 1
Jan.
Red-footed Booby Occasionally 1-2 passing over the atoll or
lagoon & distant feeding flocks to 1,000 off ocean beaches.
Brown Booby 1 off West Is on 29 Dec & 1 near
Home Is on 31 Dec.
YELLOW BITTERN 1 daily on gravel pit on West Is. This new
bird for Cocos was
found by Jenny Spry, Richard Baxter et al. in early Dec so BARC submission
by them. 1 on Home Is seen by IMcA.
CINNAMON BITTERN 1 on Home Is on 30 Dec seen by TP, IMcA, FO'C
& TS.
Cattle Egret 2 on 29-31 Dec then 1, 1-4 Jan on
airstrip on West Is remain tentatively identified. These were the subject of
much dispute as aspects of them,
long legs (black with no trace of greenish-grey), narrow orange crown
stripe, longish neck, habit of swaying head before stabbing prey,
seemed unfamiliar, leading us to ponder possibility of the now split Western
species.
Striated Heron (sub sp?) Total of 3+, at gravel pit & ponds at
Rumah Baru, West Is.
POND HERON [Javan?] 1 at S end of West Is on 3 Jan seen by TP, FO'C
& TS.
White-faced Heron 1 at Rumah Baru, West Is on 1 & 3 Jan.
WESTERN REEF EGRET I-2, both grey and white morphs on West Is
1-4 Jan. 1 grey morph on Horsburgh 2 Jan.
Eastern Reef Egret Total ~50+ on all islands. Mostly in lagoon
but on any wet or grassy area & ocean shore. Several aberrant birds.
Nankeen Night Heron 100+ on West Is, 5-15 on Home Is & 4 on
Horsburgh Is.
Eurasian Hobby 1 at Quarantine Stn on West Is on 1
Jan seen only by DJ.
PEREGRINE FALCON (sub sp?)1 large bird on Horsburgh Is on 2 Jan had dense
dark streaking below and broad moustachial. 1st record for Cocos.
CHINESE SPARROWHAWK 1 at Quarantine Stn, West Is on 1 Jan & 1
photographed along road to Rumah Baru on 2 Jan.
JAPANESE SPARROWHAWK 1 at Quarantine Stn & later along road to Rumah Baru,
West Is on 1. 1 possibly this species on Home Is, 30 Dec.
UNIDENTIFIED [RAPTOR] Distant pale bird with dark wing tips &
distinctive flight (wing beats with high up-sweep & deep down-sweep) seen by
all but MC photographed flying away to N on West Is on 2 Jan.
WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN 50+ throughout West Is, <20 on Home Is,
with chicks on both. 1 heard on Horsburgh Is on 2 Jan.
WATERCOCK 1-3 daily on West Is, total present 4-5.
Most in 3 km stretch of grassland, particularly wetter areas, on east side
of airstrip.
Pacific Golden Plover 18 on South Is 29 Dec & 1 West Is 2-3
Jan.
Grey Plover 3 on South Is 29 Dec.
Greater Sand Plover 37 on South Is 29 Dec.
Oriental Pratincole 1 on airstrip, West Is on 31 Dec &
3-4 Jan.
PIN-TAILED SNIPE On West Is, all sightings were in wet
depressions in grass on east side of airstrip: at N end, 5 on 28 Dec, then S
of meteorological stn, 33 on 31 Dec, 20 on 1 Jan, 16 on 2 Jan & 10 on 3 Jan.
On Home Is, 8 on 30 Dec & 5 on 31 Dec in small depression.
Bar-tailed Godwit 5 on South Is 29 Dec.
Common Sandpiper 1-2 on West Is most days. 2 on Home Is
30 & 31 Dec.
Common Greenshank On West Is, 2 at airstrip on 2 Jan & 1
at Rumah Baru, 3 Jan.
Ruddy Turnstone 45 on South Is 29 Dec.
Red Knot 1 on South Is 29 Dec. 3rd record
for Cocos.
Sanderling 5 on South Is 29 Dec.
Red-necked Stint 15 on South Is 29 Dec.
Common Noddy 10-1,000 distant offshore West Is most
days. 100+ off Horsburgh Is on 2 Jan.
White Tern 4 on Home Is 31 Dec & 1 West Is 1
Jan were only sightings. Notable by their absence.
SAUNDERS'S TERN 2 on South Is 29 Dec. Up to 7 reported
recently.
White-winged Black Tern On West Is, 1 on 29 & 31 Dec, 2 on 3-4
Jan.
LARGE HAWK-CUCKOO 1 at Quarantine Stn on West Is on 1 Jan. 3rd
Australian record. By nankeen colour in tail, a different bird to that seen
at Bechat Besar swamp by Richard Baxter et al. in early Dec.
HODGSON'S HAWK-CUCKOO West Is: directed to dead bird at Quarantine Stn on
28 Dec that was found on 26 Dec presumably having hit a window. Specimen
examined & stored in freezer there. 1 at Quarantine Stn on 1 Jan & possibles
at S end on 2 Jan & on east side of airstrip on 3 Jan. 1 at Oceania House on
Home Is on 30-31 Dec. NEW for Australian Territory.
EUROPEAN ROLLER 1 on Horsburgh Is on 2 Jan. NEW for Australian
territory.
Dollarbird 1 by DJ & IMcA at the farm on
West Is on 31 Dec.
[WARBLER SP?] Heard by DJ on Home Is on 30 Dec.
Barn Swallow 4-5 daily at quarry on West Is.
Christmas Island White-eye 30+ on Horsburgh Is 2 Jan.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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