Hi Mike, interesting news indeed about the Yellow Bittern, have you actually
seen this photo? I realise that in some instances these "photo-trap' images
turn out to be "grossly over-exposed and/or out of focus", but is it, in this
instance, possible to see/determine the sex/age of the bird involved. I agree
it does seem a rather early date for the species to appear on the islands,
altho - in Malaya - suspected (passage?) migrants have been recorded early/mid
Sep and added to that some individuals can/do move around - un-seasonally - as
wetland areas dry-out etc, so I wouldn't consider it as being too unusual. I
would not have thought that the atoll seemed all that attractive to a Yellow
Bittern, but who knows whether, after making landfall on such a remote speck of
land, any thoughts of "moving-on" may have been well and truly dismissed and it
could be a "stop-over" from last year. The recent/latest claimed sighting of a
Northern Pintail in s.w. WA (a male ought to be reliabl
y i/d'd so I will provisionally quote this)) would suggest that a degree of
movement has already started however.
The photos that Pam has taken recently definitely confirm that both species of
teal (Eurasian and Grey) are (or at least until recently have been) present on
West Island.
Regards, John
________________________________
From: Mike Carter
Sent: Thursday, 13 September 2012 2:04 PM
To:
Cc: Christopher Watson; Alan Collins; John Darnell; Pamela Jones; Richard Baxter
Subject: Bird news from Cocos
On 25 August on Direction Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands a photo-trap
set by Russell Palmer to detect rodents at night captured an image of a Yellow
Bittern! Is this an early migrant or is one perhaps living on the atoll?
Further to apparently conflicting reports of both Eurasian and Grey Teal from
West Island, Cocos, in August, Pam Jones has now proved that both species are
present there. She has photos to prove it!
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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