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Birdline Australia
Published sightings for the week ending 26 Feb 2012.
| Tue 21 Feb
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Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Wagtail Way, Ash Island, New South Wales
At least 3 Eastern Yellow Wagtails 'rediscovered' by Tom Clarke et al on Sun 19 Feb (following a few weeks without reports as far as I'm aware) and seen early this morning in heavy rain along Wagtail Way on Ash Island (see via-windscreen image!).
Mick Roderick
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| Sun 19 Feb
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Great Shearwater
Off Port Fairy, Victoria
All participants on a pelagic trip run by Neil Macumber of Birdswing Birding & Wildlife tours saw an unusual shearwater which was thought to be a Great Shearwater but was moulting and had some unusual features. Photos were sent to Mike Carter who confirmed the I.D.
Sonja Ross
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| Sat 18 Feb
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Savanna Nightjar
Airstrip, Christmas Island
Brief early report of highlights of birding observations on Christmas Island from 14-21 Feb.
On the evening of the 18th we returned our attention to the airstrip. At last light we observed a medium sized nightjar hawking over adjacent forest, but could not entice a closer visit with recorded calls. However, upon exploring the large gravel pit just north of the airport, we encountered a smaller nightjar. We had good views and heard the distinctive call of SAVANNA NIGHTJAR. This bird was observed again on the night of the 20th.
Tim Faulkner, Rick Webb, Scott Ryan & John Weigel per Birding-Aus
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Freckled Duck
Lake Colac, Victoria
More than 100 Freckled Ducks along a section of foreshore and shallows just east of town.
John McRae
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| Fri 17 Feb
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Yellow Bittern, Malayan Night-Heron
Christmas Island, Christmas Island
Brief early report of highlights of birding observations on Christmas Island from 14-21 Feb.
That night brought a much-welcomed thunderstorm, which dramatically improved conditions on the morning of 17 February. We had excellent views of a YELLOW BITTERN at the resort swamp at daybreak. At mid-morning we received a call from Lisa advising of a MALAYAN NIGHT-HERON on the track to Margaret Knoll. Less than 10 minutes later we had tremendous views of this spectacular bird.
Tim Faulkner, Rick Webb, Scott Ryan & John Weigel per Birding-Aus
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| Wed 15 Feb
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Probable Grey Nightjar
Airstrip, Christmas Island
Brief early report of highlights of birding observations on Christmas Island from 14-21 Feb. The highlight of the second day came at sunset, with views of a PROBABLE GREY NIGHTJAR at the northern end of the airstrip. Lisa Preston had joined us and had just played her recording of a grey nightjar call for an interim period of 15 seconds. A medium-size nightjar appeared less than a minute later, with circling passes, followed by a landing on the track approximately 30 metres away, allowing a sustained view. No calls were heard.
On the night of the 20th, we played newly downloaded (Xeno-Canto) calls of GREY NIGHTJAR C. i. jotaka. In less than a minute we were rewarded with an identical call from approximately 40-50 metres away in adjacent forest where the above-mentioned hawking nightjar had been seen two nights earlier.
The call was comprised of a single two-second call comprised of approximately 12 intonations. The call was clearly heard by all four of us, and was striking in its precise replication of the call we had been playing.
This night continued to provide excitement, when less than half an hour later after hearing the Grey Nightjar, and a short repeat of the Xeno-Canto call, we heard an additional nightjar call off in the distance. We located the bird in the deep gully just north of the airstrip, and got within approximately 20 meters, allowing us to record its call, but without a view.
The call differed from the early call that we heard in that it was slower (approx. 3 pulses per second vs approximately 6 per second in the earlier call). Of note was the persistence of this bird's calling - which extended for perhaps a half-hour. We will endeavor to get views of this bird. The call recording has been sent to Mike Carter.
Tim Faulkner, Rick Webb, Scott Ryan & John Weigel per Birding-Aus
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