Thinking About Birds

September 2024

27 September

I walked home from Woy Woy via the Brisbane Water path. The Australian Pied Oystercatcher count was low -  I only found three birds - but Black Swans have returned (only in low numbers though). The only migratory species I found was the White-breasted Woodswallow- a group of three birds.

23-25 September

Ten of us were in the Gloucester Tops for three days, to do the annual Rufous Scrub-bird surveys. We camped at the Sharpes Creek site within the national park. This had some pretty good birds! By day we had all the usual low altitude rainforest types (Australian Brush-turkey, Superb Lyrebird, Golden Whistler etc) plus some more interesting ones - such as Black-faced Monarch, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Green Catbird. I heard Tawny Frogmouths both nights, and a Masked Owl on the first night. On the second night there was a Greater Sooty Owl and a Southern Boobook. Some of the others actuallysaw the Greater Sooty Owl late on the first night (I was fast asleep at the time).

Up at high altitude, we found 16 Rufous Scrub-birds (I heard seven of those).  Other birds I had in the Tops included Olive Whistler (several), Crescent Honeyeater (many), Red-browed Treecreeper (a few) and Flame Robin (a few). The rain event only started after we left - we were so lucky!

20-21 September

After a week of babysitting the grandkids, I headed up to Newcastle. On Friday I did a walk around the Wetlands Centre then had lunch there with James Wilson and Andrea Griffin, and a lovely woman, Margaret, who has decided to sponsor a PhD studentship with Andrea's team. The aim is a project that involved the uni plus the Wetlands Centre plus Hunter Bird Observers Club. Then I went to the NPWS offices in Newcastle, to review the equipment etc that we will use for next week's Rufous Scrub-bird surveys.

15 September

I took the grandkids on a ferry ride from Woy Woy to Davistown and back. It was a diversion for them, with not really any birdwatching opportunities for me - but, I did see a Far Eastern Curlew foraging near Davistown and later, saw a group of 16 Australian Pied Oystercatchers foraging together.

9 September

I did my monthly surveys of the Warrah Trig section of Brisbane Water National Park. As I drove in, a group of five Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos were flushing from the roadside trees - there were another five or more of them just a bit further along. The first  2ha site had good numbers of New Holland Honeyeaters and New Holland Honeyeaters, but not much else. The second site also was quiet but then at the third site I had a family group of three Glossy Black-Cockatoos. It was almost exactly where I had a group of three of them in December last year. The highlight at the fourth site was a flock of four Red Wattlebirds, travelling together. Afterwards I went to Patonga, where there were 30-40 Greater Crested Terns roosting on some of the moored boats and an adult male Satin Bowerbird in the scrub near the playground. As I drove out, there was a Whistling Kite too.

8 September

I bussed into Woy Woy and then walked home via the Brisbane Water path. There was a group of three Caspian Terns on one of the sand islands, with several Great Pied Cormorants and a pair of Australian Pied Oystercatchers.  I saw another pair of those later, on the island wih all the Australian Pelicans. There was one large assemblage of Pacific Black Ducks - 38 of them together. I also had a few more of those, and two pairs of Grey Teal. There were a few groups of Little Corellas, and within one of those groups there were two Long-billed Corellas.

6 September

I went to a couple more of my sites in Brisbane Water NP, which were queit although I did see two more Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos. plus there were some Waratahs in full flower. Then I went back to Pearl Beach, and walked through the Arboretum. I saw a total of four Australian Brush-turkeys plus I had very nice views of a pair of Variegated Fairy-wrens. Afterwards I went back to where I had seen the Rockwarbler the previous day, armed this time with my camera. Alas though, the bird did not appear.

5 September

I went to Pearl Beach early morning and walked up to the caves area. One highlight was a White-throated Treecreeper - I don’t find them often locally. But the absolute highlight was a Rockwarbler, which was carrying a feather (that looked to be a breast feather from a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo). Clearly the bird was nest-building but it absolutely did not want to go to its final destination whilstever I was watching. I tried shifting position a couple of times but it wasn’t fooled and eventually I left it to its own devices. Afterwards I went to the Coora Swamp area of Brisbane Water NP. Things had quietened down a lot since my previous visit; in particular there was hardly any honeyeater activity. However, I did see briefly a group of four Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos and heard a Pheasant Coucal. Also, there were several Rufous Whistlers, all newly returned.

August 2024

27 August

I bussed into Woy Woy and then walked home via the Brisbane Water path. Interestingly, some Black Swans were back - there only were three birds but there hadn't been any at all for several months. I could only find four Australian Pied Oystercatchers (with three of those being a fly-through group). Overall I had a reasonable list (33 species) but the numbers of almost everything were low. The main exception was Australian Pelican - there were easily 200+ of them, mostly at the roost site. Mid afternoon I went to Wyong, ultimately to attend the evening meeting of the Central Coast bird group. The Pioneer Wetlands were closed (for road repairs) so I tried some other spots - there wasnothing out of the ordinary at most of them but at the South Wyong wastewater treatment plant I could see a Musk Duck in the distance and several Fairy Martins were collecting mud.

24 August

Ross and I did the monthly Ash Island survey. I arrived early and got onto a Mangrove Gerygone near the carpark. We didn't find any returned migratory shorebirds, but there were returned Fairy Martins (already collecting mud for nests) and White-breasted Woodswallows. We had ten Red-capped Plovers, some of which probably were nesting or attempting to nest, on the main tracks. They haven't a hope! There was a group of ten Australian Shovelers on Swan Pond, but not much else was there.

Prior to the survey, I met with the new placement student from the university and talked with her about the types of analyses she could do with the data (which are from the club's Walka Waterworks and Wetlands Centre surveys, respectively). And after the survey, Ross and I met Ann at the Wetlands Centre for lunch and a general chat. There were ~20 Magpie Geese out on the pond in from of us, and a couple of Plumed Egrets.

23 August

I went to Coora Swamp area and visited a couple of my sites there - things were really quiet. Afterwards I went to the Patonga caravan park area - that also was very quiet.

19-21 August

I joined the HBOC team to do the quaraterly Martindale Valley surveys (a month late - the scheduled July surveys were postponed because of rain).  We had plenty of birds - 104 was the species total and I had 86 of those for my personal list. I saw a male Hooded Robin at one site (and someone else had a pair elsewhere). I had great views of a foraging Superb Lyrebird (the southern sub-species) and we saw a Peregrine Falcon, also Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel and Wedge-tailed Eagle. My highlight was a heard-only - a Spotless Crake deep within a reed bed.

16 August

I did my monthly surveys of the Warrah Trig section of Brisbane Water National Park. I had nice encounters with Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens at two of my sites - in both cases there were at least two birds, plenty of singing and I was able to get brief views of a couple of birds. There were Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos about, and a flock of four of them landed briefly right by me. There was lots of honeyeater activity (and plenty of the heath is in blossom). The Superb Lyrebird nest is still there, although it is looking a bit battered (presumably because of all the comings and goings by the parent). I didn't see any bird but there was one at Patonga when I stopped there later. Mid-afternoon I went to Tuggerah to check out the salt marsh area - it was full of (fresh) water and had almost no birds. On my way home I stopped at the Ourimbah RTA Reserve. I saw a Brown Cuckoo-dove and some Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, and many of the other expected species but it was fairly quiet overall.

15 August

It rained all morning so I stil couldn't do any birding. Mid-morning, at home, I was in a telecon meeting of the Rufous Scrub-bird Recovery Project Team. That's a newly-formed group - there is much more interest now in Rufous Scrub-birds because of their parlous situation, and there's even some funding available for various activities to do with them.

14 August

I went up to Newcastle for the HBOC meeting. The guest speaker was a sound recordist and gave an interesting talk (probably more so for the majority of the audience who would have been unfamiliar with spectrograms). Unfortunately it rained all day and I wasn't able to get any birding in.

13 August

I surveyed the southern side of Brisbane Water, from Woy Woy to Blackwall. Almost immediately I saw an adult Striated Heron, so I was off to a good start, and I had 35 species overall so that was quite an above-par return (for this time of the year). The highlight was a flock of ten Bar-tailed Godwits, which flew in from somewhare and landed on a sandbank that normally isn't exposed (the tide was very low today). I also saw four pairs of Australian Pied Oystercatchers and three Caspian Terns, and there was a Whistling Kite perched on a sign on the pelican sandbank (which as usual had about 150 birds. I also saw two White-bellied Sea-Eagles, one was doing a courtship display and then it flew down and mated with the other bird (in what may prove to be a nest tree).

11 August

I ducked in at Booker Bay and found an Osprey again, in the same tree as the other day and I think there's now a rudimentary nest there. Later in the day I finally finished drafting my paper about Whistling Kites in Port Stephens. I found it tricky to write - because although I can show that their population has crashed I can't explain why (just some speculation).

9 August

No specific birding today but my morning walk was quite birdy, including I saw some uncommon ones. There was a group of Tree Martins hunting with Welcome Swallows over the beach at east Ettalong. A bit further along there were two Ospreys in a tree (a Norfolk Pine, which seems to be their preferred nest tree type) and a Whistling Kite nearby. Near home, a flock of six Topknot Pigeons landed in a tree right in front of me.

6-8 August

Over these days I did my monthly surveys at Pearl Beach and some parts of Brisbane Water National Park. Highlights included a Superb Lyrebird out in the open on the track at Pearl Caves, and a very vocal Rose Robin was there too. I saw an Australian Brush-turkey at Crommelin Arboretum, some Variegated Fairy-wrens on the Van Dahls Track and heard a wonderful singing Chestnut-rumped Heathwren at Coora Swamp. There was heaps of honeyeater activity at the sites within the National Park

2 August

I did another Brisbane Water walk, from Woy Woy to Blackwall. I saw two pairs of Australian Pied Oystercatchers, which is a big decrease on the totals for them from the summer counts. There were a couple of Caspian Terns on the sandbank, and alongside them were eight Bar-tailed Godwits. That was the first time in more than eight months I’d seen them locally.

July 2024

27 July

We went to Kings Park for a while in the morning, mainly for a wander through the gardens with my sister. I did see some birds though, culminating with a few perched Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoos. There were dozens of Red Wattlebirds around including a young bird that wasn’t at all fazed by having people close by. I also saw New Holland, White-cheeked and Singing Honeyeaters. After lunch I took off by myself for a while, going firstly to Herdsman Lake. I saw a Great Crested Grebe there, and had a brief view of two Buff-banded Rails together, but there weren’t many other waterbirds visible and I didn’t stay for long. From there I went to Lake Monger, which had far more waterbirds - including a total of 62 Blue-billed Ducks out on the water. There also were a few each of Musk Ducks and Hoary-headed Grebes.

26 July

We drove to Williams where we spent some time at a park alongside the river. There were Tree Martins and a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, plus several New Holland Honeyeaters etc. I also saw a pair of Western Rosellas just as we entered into town. Heading north later on the Albany Highway, we passed many feeding roadside flocks of Australian Ringnecks and/or Grey Currawongs and there was an occasional Red-capped Parrot on the ground too. We stopped for a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo but it took off immediately that we stopped. Then we visited Thomsons Lake Nature Reserve, which was quiet but there were Australian Shelducks on the water plus some Australian Pelicans and Black Swans. After lunch we went to Alfred Cove Nature Reserve - council workers were spraying weeds and so I couldn’t cover all that I’d been hoping for, but there was a pair of Ospreys at their nest, and a pair of Australian Shelducks, and out on the open water there were 33 Musk Ducks plus some Pacific Black Ducks and Little Pied Cormorants.

25 July

From Narrogin I drove to Dryandra Woodland National Park where I spent the whole morning and a bit beyond. The area around Old Mill Dam was very birdy especially early on. Right by the carpark I found Rufous Treecreepers, Western Thornbills, Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters, Varied Sittellas and a male Scarlet Robin. Several pairs of Australian Shelducks flew through (it was a regular event). Other nice birds seen during the morning included Western Yellow Robin, Western Spinebill, Purple-crowned Lorikeet (several pairs), White-browed Babbler and Dusky Woodswallow. On my way back to Narrogin I stopped for a while at Fourteen Mile Brook Nature Reserve. It was quiet but all of a sudden I had some Regent Parrots - first, two birds and then a flock of eight. To top it off, a male Red-capped Parrot came in. Later I saw a pair of the latter at the Narrogin wastewater treatment plant, which also had Grey Teals and Pacific Black Ducks.

24 July

We picked up a rental car in the morning, then drove southwards - eventually to Narrogin. There were drizzly conditions often, but from mid-afternoon it became rather pleasant. There were many Australian Ravens foraging by the edges of the highways, and also many Australian Ringnecks, and from about North Bannister I started seeing lots of Grey Currawongs too. There were Australasian Shelducks at many small wetlands that we passed by. We stopped briefly at Wandering cemetery - where I heard a Red-capped Robin, a Western Gerygone and a Rufous Whistler. At Narrogin we went to the Foxes Lair Nature Reserve. Brown Honeyeaters were the dominant species but I also saw New Holland and White-cheeked Honeyeaters well, and briefly saw a couple of Brown-headed Honeyeaters. I had good looks at several Red-capped Parrots, and of the WA version of the Silvereye. Towards the end of the visit I got onto a small flock of Western Thornbills and I also found a male Western Whistler.

23 July

We flew to Perth this day, starting from Ettalong - so there was not much opportunity for birding, for most of the day. Late afternoon in Osborne Park I did a short walk - I saw Laughing Doves, New Holland Honeyeaters, Singing Honeyeaters, Red Wattlebirds plus a handful of other species.

22 July

After lunch I bussed into Woy Woy and then walked home via the Brisbane Water path. My highlight was seeing a solitary Buff-banded Rail, in the mangroves at almost the end of the walk. There were three Royal Spoonbills in that same general area. I also found a pair of Australian Pied Oystercatchers on a jetty - I found no others anywhere. Notable absences were Black Swans and Caspian Terns, and the total species count was considerably down on normal.

19-20 July

On Friday afternoon I headed to Newcastle, with a stopover on the way at the Central Coast Wetlands near Wyong. There weren’t heaps of birds - there was too much water and thus not enough muddy margins. There was a solitary Fairy Martin - in company with some Welcome Swallows - and an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle flew through. Next morning Ross and I did the monthly Ash Island survey, in very windy conditions. We found a handful of Red-capped Plovers at Fish Fry Flats, and also several Australian Gull-billed Terns (at various scattered locations). On Swan Pond there was a flotilla of 38 Australian Shovelers, constantly manoeuvring so as to face into the very strong wind. We found 28 Purple Swamphens at the Bellfrog Wetland  - they were secretive until flushed, which makes me think that we will have under-counted them.

17-18 July

Over these two mornings I did the remainder of my monthly surveys at Pearl Beach and Brisbane Water National Park. There wasn’t much out of the ordinary at any site although I did have close-up views of four Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos that landed, briefly, right in front of me. There was considerable honeyeater activity in the NP.

15 July

I did my surveys of the Warrah Trig section of Brisbane Water National Park. The heath is coming nicely into flower and there were plenty of honeyeaters, especially at my first 2 ha site. I had a couple of Brown-headed Honeyeaters there, too. There was a pair of Red Wattlebirds again at my second 2 ha site - they were in the same tree as they were last month, and so perhaps they have moved in. The White-eared Honeyeaters were quite vocal and I had nice views of several of them. Also, I found an active Superb Lyrebird nest (it was close to the track and hard not to notice!). Then I went around to Patonga, where a pair of Masked Lapwings had a chick - just a few days old. That's so early!

10-12 July

I went up to Newcastle for the HBOC meeting, where Mick Roderick gave a good talk about the seabirds recorded during the Port Stephens pelagics. Next morning I explored the Nobbys Beach area for a while (the scant highlights: a Black-shouldered Kite carrying a snake or a large thin reptile, and 100+ Greater Crested Terns which were roosting at the ocean baths). My trip to Broughton Island was cancelled at late notice, but Margaret and I went up to Nelson Bay regardless (as I had already paid for the accommodation). We went to Fingal Bay and did some of the Tomaree Coastal Walk - saw a whale at sea and a handful of bush birds. Next morning we stopped at Kariong Parklands - where I dipped on the Red-backed Kingfisher! But there were some good birds at the Mt Penang Gardens (nothing in standout though).

5 July

I walked to Woy Woy alongside Brisbane Water. It had rained a lot for several days, and the path was under water in many places. It also was rather windy! There was a Buff-banded Rail at a small wetland near Woy Woy - I've scarely seen anything other than Silver Gulls at that wetland before. There were six Caspian Terns (and so, it must be winter), some of them were roosting together on a jetty, and five Australian Pied Oystercatchers, as 2 pairs and a single on jetties. Once again, there were no Black Swans.

June 2024

28 June

I did another walk alongside Brisbane Water, this time in the late morning. Once again there were no Black Swans - which is the same result as two weeks ago. I found four Caspian Terns and three Australian Pied Oystercatchers. Unusually, there also was a Dusky Moorhen (it was feeding out in shallow water). Overall, it was far quieter than usual.

26-27 June

I went up to Newcastle on the Wednesday afternoon, to attend a meeting that night to review the draft Hunter Region annual bird report. It was a marathon sitting, but we got it all done just before midnight. Next morning, on my way home, I detoured to the Central Coast Wetlands. It was full of water, and hence no muddy margins for shorebirds. However, I found a couple of Hoary-headed Grebes, and about six Australasian Shovelers, and I had a fleeting view of a Buff-banded Rail. There were some raptors too - an Australian Hobby causing mayhem, a Swamp Harrier and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

24 June

I surveyed the final couple of Brisbane Water National Park sites for this month, those along the van Dahl's Fire Trail. The honeyeater activity was good, and at one spot I had a nice look at a female Scarlet Honeyeater. However, there wasn't much else around.

22 June

Ross and I did the monthly waterbirds survey on Ash Island, on a rather coll and breezy morning. The only migratory shorebirds we found were two Pacific Golden Plovers - and unusually they were not at the usual spot for them. We also saw two Pied Stilts, 23 Red-capped Plovers and seven Black-fronted Dotterels, so not too bad of a morning really.  There were quite a few ducks espeialluy on Swan Pond - a dozen Australasian Shovelers and 100-2000 each of Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal. It was a good morning for birds of prey - we found two Ospreys on their nest (one sitting, one standing) and four other raptor types - White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite and Swamp Harrier. On my way home I made one more stop at Kariong Parklands (I'd dropped in on Friday as well as on Tuesday). This time the planets had aligned, and I quickly found the vagrant Red-backed Kingfisher that had been reported from there often in the past week or so.

19 June

I was on a pelagic trip out of Port Stephens. It was a big day - we boarded before 7am and didn't arrive back into the marina until a bit after 5:30pm, in the dark. It was breezy all day, and the birding was great! On our way out we had many albatrosses (mainly Black-browed Albatross types and Shy Albatross types) and Australasian Gannets, and some Providence Petrels. At the shelf we had all of those again plus definite sightings of Black-browed Albatross and Campbell Albatross (the two "Black-browed Albatross types") and also Buller's Albatross, Wilson's Storm-petrel and Northern Giant-Petrel, plus a couple of Fairy Prions. The trip back was rather interesting - a lot of bird activity (plus some whale activity). We had stacks of Greater Crested Terns following the boat, along with about ten Shy Albatross types (some of which came right into the Port). A smaller tern which for quite a while stayed well back from the boat suddenly came closer, and proved to be an Arctic Tern. That was exciting but then it was joined by first one, and then it was two, Common Terns. Three out-of-season birds, and it was great to be able to compare them because they often were flying side by side. On top of that, three and eventually four, White-fronted Terns came through - they seemed to be on their way to a roost somewehere near Yacaaba.

18 June

I went to the Kariong Parklands area in the morning, on the trail of a vagrant kingfisher that had been reported from there. I didn’t find it. My highlights were an Olive-backed Oriole and a Satin Bowerbird, both of those were at the Mount Penang Gardens. Australian Wood Ducks were present in good numbers and there also were several Eastern Rosellas.

16 June

I did my quarterly surveys at Pearl Beach and then at the Curra Swamp section of Brisbane Water National Park. It was quiet everywhere although I noted that Scarlet Honeyeaters were back in reasonable numbers everywhere. I saw several grey-throated Tasmanian subspecies Silvereyes too.

14 June

I did my monthly surveys of the Warrah Trig section of Brisbane Water National Park. The honeyeater activity level was high and there were eight different species of them. Also, at the first site there were two Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens lurking. At the second site there were two Red Wattlebirds and two Little Wattlebirds. The latter seemed to be keeping an eye on the former. It was interesting to see the two species side by side - that doesn’t happen often for me. After I’d finished there I went to Patonga - where the highlights were a Whistling Kite and an Australian Brush-turkey.

13 June

I walked to Woy Woy alongside Brisbane Water. There was a Striated Heron on a jetty when I arrived and I later saw two Australian Pied Oystercatchers on another jetty (plus there were two on the sandbank). Birds were pretty much as per usual except, remarkably, there weren’t any Black Swans. Normally there are 100-150 of them.

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Kimberleys: May-June 2024

I travelled to Kununurra from where I joined a 12-night birding tour with NT Bird Specialists. We went to various locations in the northern and central parts of the Kimberleys - places such as Lake Argyle, Mitchell Plateau and Wyndham. Then I flew to Broome where I met up with Margaret and we did a 16-night nature tour with Kimberley Wild. We went to various locations in the southern and central parts of the Kimberleys - places such as Mitchell Falls, Halls Creek and Purnululu NP (the Bungle Bungles). I recorded 180 species overall, and I added four species to my Australian list - Black Grasswren, Kimberley Honeyeater, Northern Shrike-tit and Sandstone Shrike-thrush.

12 May

I flew into Darwin arriving mid-afternoon. Later in the afternoon I walked to the Botanic Gardens. It was rather hot and birds weren't all that active, and so I gave up after about an hour. However, I found a large group of Australasian Figbirds (one of the northern races) and also there were many Brown Honeyeaters and some Rufous-banded Honeyeaters, several Orange-footed Scrub-fowls and also some Varied Trillers. I was delighted to find a small flock of Crimson Finches, but the highlight of my visit was a Black-necked Stork - a young bird which was loitering by a small waterhole.

13 May

Before leaving Darwin I walked to the esplanade and along it for a while. There were several Spangled Drongos together, and with some Helmeted Friarbirds and White-quilled Honeyeaters nearby. A couple of Green Orioles were calling (briefly seen) and there were more Australasian Figbirds. Then I flew to Kununurra. It was too early to check in at my hotel, so I stored my bags and walked to Lily Creek Lagoon. This yielded several honeyeaters including Yellow-tinted, White-quilled and White-throated Honeyeaters. I saw several Comb-crested Jacanas out on the floating plants, and also several Green Pygmy-geese. I flushed a White-browed Crake but only had brief views of it. There were numerous Black Kites around, and also a few Whistling Kites. I saw more Crimson Finches, and a couple of Great Bowerbirds. On my way there, I found some black-rumped Double-barred Finches.

14 May

In the morning I walked to Mirama National Park, a couple of km out of town. There were Grey-crowned Babblers building a new roost, and I had great views of a Northern Fantail. A Brown Goshawk flew through and there were Double-barred Finches, Yellow-throated Miners, a Torresian Crow and I heard a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. I hung around the hotel (with an excursion to buy food and a decongestants) until the birding tour started at 2:00. We drove to Mirama NP for the introductions etc, which took a couple of hours, and then walked around - covering pretty much the same ground as I’d done in the morning. Extra birds included several White-quilled Rock-Pigeons (they definitely were absent in my morning visit). There also were some Purple-backed Fairy-wrens and distant views of Little Woodswallows. Our main guide, Luke, heard a Sandstone Shrike-thrush which would have been a tick for me. We spent a fair while looking for it but my only view was of it flying away - not a tickable view of it unfortunately.

15 May

We left at 5:30 and went to Ivanhoe Crossing at the Ord River - the river was raging and the crossing itself was closed, but our birding went well. We found about 40 species there, including great views of male and female Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, and of species such as Buff-sided Robins (several), Azure Kingfisher, Star Finch, Crimson Finch and Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, Brush Cuckoo and Paperbark Flycatcher. A Spotted Harrier flew through as did pairs of Radjah Shelduck and Australian Bustard.

Next we had a group breakfast back at Celebrity Park in Kununurra where I found some Pied Stilts and there was a Torresian Imperial-Pigeon hanging around. We also had a Great Bowerbird attending to its bower (plus others were looking on). Later we stopped off at the eastern side of the lake, where we saw a couple more Star Finches.  Then we had quiet time for a couple of hours (interspersed with a group luncheon), before heading to the John File Park - a largeish conservation wetland. Here we found many great birds - such as Magpie Goose, Wandering Whistling-Duck and Plumed Whistling-Duck, Brolgas (two) and Black-necked Stork (two). Three Red-backed Kingfishers turned up, plus - late in the day - we saw at least three White-browed Crakes foraging discreetly. A pair of Ospreys had built a nest on a power pole, and both birds were at the nest in the late afternoon.

16 May

We left the hotel at 5:30 and went down to the eastern side of the lagoon for an hour or so. The highlight was a White-browed Crake, briefly out in the open although on the far side from us. Several Red-winged Parrots came in for a while. We saw Crimson Finches, Star Finches and Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, and a pair of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes. After breakfast on the western side, we were on our way heading westwards and into new territory for me.

Not long after starting on the Gibb River Rd, we stopped for some Black-faced Woodswallows - which turned out to be a finch hotspot. We had Masked, Zebra, Long-tailed and Gouldian Finches, and Pictorella Mannikins. We also had our first Diamond Doves and Singing Honeyeaters for the trip, and a couple of Cockatiels. Then we passed by the spectacular Cockburn Ranges. Later, just before the Pentacost River crossing, we found several Spinifex Pigeons. The river crossing was delayed because there was a Gibb River Road cycle event happening - all vehicles had to wait until the spread-out cyclists had done their crossing plus done various PR stunts (the cycle event is a team-based fundraiser). Many were in fancy dress, with brightly coloured tutus proving quite popular.

Lunch was alongside the road near Bindoola Creek - there I saw Weebill, White-throated Honeyeater and Red-backed Fairy-wren. We crossed the Durack River, which was the widest and deepest of the rivers we encountered today. A while later, we turned off into Ellenbrae Station where we stayed overnight (bush camping). Some Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos came through while we were having scones, jam and cream at the homestead.

17 May

We left not long after dawn with a quick breakfast and pack-up, as it was to be a long day of driving (we did about 300km today on unsealed and sometimes roughish roads). We had brief stops for an Australian Hobby and a group of 41 (my count) Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, and a slightly longer stop at the Kalumburu turn-off rest area (which was full of illegal campers). We turned north, only stopping for a quick look at a Square-tailed Kite (we also saw Brown Falcon and Wedge-tailed Eagle, plus many of the usual Black Kites). We refuelled at Drysdale Station then pressed on northwards for another approx 2 hours then turned westwards. We had lunch soon afterwards, on the King Edward River at Munurru (which seems to be in an indigenous area not a national park, but similarly accessible). Here were Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, White-throated Gerygone, Silver-crowned and Little Friarbirds, Red-backed Fairy-wrens, and an Olive-backed Oriole which hung around for at least half an hour.

We stopped later to collect firewood - where my attention was distracted for a while by a pass-by from a pair of Northern Rosellas. Eventually we reached the campsite at Mitchell Falls National Park - where there was another pair of Northern Rosellas, this pair offering far better looks. The handful of other species included White-throated Honeyeater and Blue-winged Kookaburra. A Southern Boobook called in the night.

18 May

We set out just after dawn, and walked the River View Trail in the little-used direction until we reached mature Spinifex on a rocky slope. There we searched successfully for Black Grasswrens, eventually achieving cracking views of a pair. We also had poor views of a Kimberley Honeyeater - much later near the waterfall we had far better views of one - which was my second new bird for the day. Red-winged Parrots and Little Friarbirds were flying about as we watched for the grasswrens. I saw a Rufous-throated Honeyeater on my way to the Kimberley Honeyeater site, and a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon on the way back.

We rested around the campsite in the hotter part of the day. Some Red-backed Fairy-wrens came by, including a coloured-up male, and later I found one of the local yellow-faced form of the Partridge Pigeon. Eventually we saw several of them at various times, all within the campsite. Around the campsite we also had Varied Triller and Green Oriole. Mid-afternoon several of us walked to Little Mertens Waterhole for a swim. We saw another Kimberley Honeyeater on our way, and an Azure Kingfisher fishing at the waterhole.

19 May

Not so much birding today - the main activity was walking to Mitchell Falls and back. The walk back was faster because three of our group opted to go back by helicopter. On our way to and from, we had nice views of Kimberley Honeyeater, Buff-sided Robin, Green-backed Gerygone, Spangled Drongo, Mistletoebird, Varied Triller and Leaden Flycatcher. I only saw two species at the Falls - Brown Honeyeater and White-quilled Rock-Pigeon. The place was full of tourists many of whom were positively decrepit - they had come in by helicopter and needed help from their guides to get to the lookout. The noise from helicopters coming and going was completely over the top. I and most of our group had a swim at the waterhole - and John (assistant guide) and I had another one at Little Mertens waterhole on our way back.

I got back to the campsite at about 3:30 and spent the remainder of the afternoon taking things easy. Some Northern Rosellas came by and a pair of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos flew through. A few of us got into a Pheasant Coucal too.

20 May

We set out early for another go at the Black Grasswren - unsuccessfully. We tried at Saturday’s spot and then at a few more in the same general area, to no avail. Whilst watching and waiting, we had Northern Rosellas, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos, Leaden Flycatchers, etc, and another White-quilled Rock-Pigeon. We packed up, and were on the road just after 9am. We drove eastward, stopping briefly for a pair of Pacific Bazas and, later, a Frill-necked Lizard.  About 10km before the junction we turned off to visit some Aboriginal art - about a kilometre walk. There were Banded, Rufous-throated, Yellow-tinted and Brown Honeyeaters, also Red-collared and Varied Lorikeets at that spot. Lunch was at the Munurru site where stopped on Friday on our way in. The numbers of Little Friarbirds had risen and there was a Paperbark Flycatcher. We visited another nearby art site (saw Weebills there). Then it was a long drive to Drysdale Station where we stayed overnight.

21 May

We left Drysdale after an early breakfast but only went about 15km down the road, to a recommended woodland area. It was recently burnt, but we had very good birding there. Two Crested Bellbirds were calling - we spent ages tracking them down. The highlight was Northern Shrike-tit - another new bird for me. There were four of them in the area (we estimated) and we had terrific views, often prolonged and up close. Also in the area were several Grey-fronted Honeyeaters, a new bird for the trip, plus Black-tailed Treecreepers (also new for the trip), Masked and Gouldian Finches and several Varied Lorikeets. Two Horsfield’s Bushlarks sat on the road for a while and there also was a brief encounter with a Rufous Songlark.

We drove on, eventually returning to the Gibb River Rd and turning eastward. A while later we stopped at a creek on Ellenbrae Station, where we found nesting Bar-breasted Honeyeaters, also Star Finches and a Paperbark Flycatcher as highlights. However, the standout highlight was a young Black Bittern, which flushed and flew along the creek before disappearing into long grass. We had lunch near the Durack River (lunch was delayed because one of our vehicles had a tyre blowout). A Jacky Winter on an island in the river got me excited for a while as I tried to turn it into a Kimberley Flycatcher. There were several  raptors around - White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite, Square-tailed Kite and Black Kite. We also saw Spotted Harrier and Black-breasted Buzzard later in the afternoon. The drive into Wyndham was uneventful except for an over-lengthy stop for Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos (the photographers went a bit overboard).

22 May

Early morning we went to a waterhole on King River Rd - actually just a puddle in the road, which we sat alongside  in the grass. Over the next few hours, lots of finches came in to drink - Double-barred, Long-tailed, Star, Masked and Gouldian Finches, also a few Chestnut-breasted Mannikins.  We heard Red-browed Pardalote and Red-backed Button-quail, both close by, and saw Sacred Kingfisher and Paperbark Flycatcher.  All the birds seemed spooked by the two Brown Goshawks that kept coming back to sit in the big boab tree nearby.

After breakfast in the strong wind, we went to a causeway over the floodplain. Here there were stacks of shorebirds led by about a thousand Pied Stilts. There were migratory sandpipers (Marsh, Curlew and Terek Sandpiper), Red-necked Stints and a Black-tailed Godwit, and some endemic shorebirds - many Red-capped Plovers (often with chicks) and a solitary Red-necked Avocet. There were a couple of Whiskered Terns and four Australian Gull-billed Terns.

We stopped at the Five Rivers Lookout - we saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the way up to it. After a few hours break we headed out again, this time to Marlgu Billabong in Parrys Lagoon Nature Reserve. This had stacks of waterbirds - such as Plumed and Wandering Whistling-ducks, Radjah Shelducks, Green Pygmy-geese, Glossy Ibis, and Pied Herons. There also were several Red-kneed Dotterels and Nankeen Night-Herons around. We had drinks and nibbles at Telegraph Hill then drove to Parrys Farm for an excellent meal. We did night birding on the roads to and from there, picking up Barn Owl (three times, but possibly the same bird each time) and a Spotted Nightjar (sitting in the middle of the highway).

23 May

We went back to the puddle on Kings River Rd for a few hours. The birds were pretty much the same as yesterday but the photographers were happy to be taking more shots of them (as mostly was I). We had a few additional birds - Pheasant Coucal, Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, Red-headed Honeyeater were the stand-outs. After breakfast (no wind today) we went to the causeway again ie we were repeating yesterday morning’s activities. However, the water was a long way from the road and that limited our diversity. Perhaps the wind yesterday pushed the water closer? We saw three Black-necked Storks, and the Australian Gull-billed Tern count had sky-rocketed plus there were some Pied Herons. Mostly it was otherwise as for yesterday, except there were only a few shorebirds (apart from the Pied Stilts which still were in very large numbers).

Then we went to the Wyndham wharf area, where we found a flock of Tree Martins and some Mangrove Gerygones.  Mid-afternoon we set out again but our plans were dented because of a large “truck” (a 12 tonne 2WD monstrosity) bogged in the middle of the track. After an hour or so of failed assistance, by the end involving people from a half-dozen vehicles, we only had time to go to yesterday’s billabong again. The birdlife was pretty much the same as yesterday although the party-crash by a Brown Goshawk was new. After yet another “watching the sunset” (so boring) we bought take-away from the only after-dark food place In Wyndham, which we ate at the caravan park. Some Barking Owls were calling while we ate.

24 May

The group separated this morning, with some returning to the King River Rd puddle yet again and the others (including me) heading for the sandstone country near Wyndham’s dam. There was extensive aboriginal art work, essentially unprotected although probably little visited. We saw several White-quilled Rock-Pigeons, Crimson Finches, Leaden Flycatchers, Red-backed Fairy-wrens etc, and I had a brief view of a Brush Cuckoo. We found an old nest of the Sandstone Shrike-thrush and heard a distant one - and then, after more than an hour searching there, a bird finally showed itself! That was my fourth new bird of the trip (and probably the final one).

From there we visited the Prison Tree, a horrible reminder of Australia’s past - we saw a Square-tailed Kite just before we arrived there. On our way back to join the others for breakfast we saw two Brolgas. Across the causeway the water was so far off the road that we scarcely saw any birds - we were lucky on Wednesday it seems. We checked out and headed to Kununurra for lunch - saw Golden-headed Cisticola and Crimson Finch en route, and White-quilled Honeyeaters at lunch. We checked in at Lake Argyle, where there were Silver-crowned Friarbirds and Great Bowerbirds around the cabins, and another White-quilled Rock-Pigeon.  Later we drove to the dam wall, where the adjacent park had Olive-backed and Green Orioles and a pair of Blue-winged Kookaburras, and across the river there was another Sandstone Shrike-thrush! A White-bellied Sea-Eagle flew through and there was a Great Pied Cormorant fishing in the turbulent waters.

25 May

Another very early start, this time for a birdwatching boat trip around Lake Argyle departing at dawn. We motored steadily across the lake for about an hour until we reached a shallow bay for our breakfast stop - it was the same spot as for my trip two years ago. En route we had a close encounter with a pair of Sandstone Shrike-thrushes - my drought on them is well and truly broken. We had many good birds there, highlighted by two Buff-banded Rails by the water’s edge and a cryptic White-browed Crake foraging in the middle of a bush in the water (the water levels were very high on account of a heavy wet season). There were many Comb-crested Jacanas, one of which eventually was foraging within about a metre from the boat. From there we went further upstream in the lake, until reaching what currently was an island but normally is a spit from the mainland. Here were Yellow Chats - at least 30 birds. There also were 80-100 Australian Pratincoles and 40-50 Red-capped Plovers as well as some Radjah Shelducks and Glossy Ibis, a Caspian Tern etc. I saw a very large freshwater crocodile (about 2.5m) resting on the shoreline. As we departed, a couple of Whiskered Terns came through. The trip back took us past a Black-necked Stork nest, with a sitting female, and a pair of Brolgas at another site.

We headed back to Kununurra for lunch and then spent a couple of hours cruising the back roads mainly looking for finches. We didn’t find many of those but we did see a pair of Australian Bustards, two Brown Goshawks, a White-necked Heron and a Black-necked Stork. We finished at the sewage works, where there were 50-60 Plumed Whistling-ducks and 30 or so Radjah Shelducks present, and one Pied Heron. Our birding activities wrapped up at Celebrity Tree Park, where we did our final bird list (about 170 species seen by the group). Later we had the farewell dinner - I heard a Tawny Frogmouth on my way to it.

26 May

No birding today. I spent the first few hours of it in Kununurra and then flew to Broome, where I met up with Margaret. Mid-afternoon I walked into town (and back, in the heat), There were lots of Singing Honeyeaters and Little Friarbirds, also Torresian Crows, Relaxing poolside later, a flock of 19 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos flew over.

27 May

Again, no specific birding activities today - mostly it was spent relaxing or else preparing for the big expedition which isstarting tomorrow. Once again, there were lots of Singing Honeyeaters and Little Friarbirds, Torresian Crows, and also several Black Kites.

28 May

Today was the first real day of the tour.  We were picked up from the hotel, to join a group of 20 tourists plus two guides in a 4WD bus. We headed for Derby, stopping for a while en route at Willare Bridge Roadhouse and then in Derby. From there we went back to the Gibb River Rd and then turned onto it. A couple of hundred km along we turned onto the Fairfield-Leopold Rd and proceeded to Bandilngan NP - our campsite for the night and our very late lunch stop. From there we did a late afternoon expedition to Tunnel Creek (Dimalurru NP). It wasn’t a birding day but I saw various raptors including several Wedge-tailed Eagles, a flock of Red-winged Parrots and several Black-faced Woodswallows. There were Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes around the campsite.

29 May

Early morning we walked into Windjana Gorge, which was near the campsite. I saw some Rock Wallabies and a largish Freshwater Crocodile. The birding highlight was a pair of Nankeen Kestrels working from high-up rock ledges. There also was a roosting Little Pied Cormorant and a couple of Paperbark Flycatchers. We returned to the Gibb River Rd and headed northward for a while and then turned off towards Dalmanyi NP (Bell Gorge). I walked to the waterhole and falls with the group and then meandered my way back to the carpark. Although there were frequent noisy groups I did manage to see a White-Quilled Rock-pigeon and some Little Woodswallows, also Double-barred Finches and Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters. There were Weebills around the carpark. Lunch was at Imintji Roadhouse, where Torresian Crows were dominant. Our next detour was into Adcock Gorge, where I saw several Red-winged Parrots, also two Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos flew through and a Silver-crowned Friarbird sat obligingly. I heard Grey-crowned Babblers too. Finally, on dark, we arrived at Mt Barnett roadhouse and thence to the nearby Manning Campsite.

30 May

It bucketed down with rain in the morning and then off and on during the day (and that evening), but never enough to upset the planned arrangements. Many of our group set out to walk to Manning Gorge but I opted to explore the area around the campsite. There were a couple of hundred noisy Little Corellas around all of the time. I found a pair of Silver-backed Butcherbirds and various honeyeaters, and I also flushed two White-quilled Rock-pigeons. Many Double-barred Finches and Peaceful Doves were feeding in quieter areas of the very large campsite. Some Red-backed Fairy-wrens came through, and several Red-winged Parrots. After lunch we went to Galvans Gorge, mainly for (yet another) swim in a waterhole. A couple of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos flew through and I had a nice view of a couple of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes. Also there were some Little Woodswallows and Little Friarbirds, and a Paperbark Flycatcher. We got back to the campsite a while before dusk.  I did a short walk down to the Manning River - the Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters were active but  I didn’t find much else.

31 May

There was more rain overnight. We set off early, intending to get to the Mitchell Falls campsite, but only making it as far as Drysdale Station (arriving there at lunchtime). The road to Drysdale Station was hard going and reportedly was worse further on. But, thankfully there was no more rain around. In the afternoon I wandered the environs, at one point scoring close looks at a pair of northern subspecies Striated Pardalotes. Later, at a recently burnt area, there were 30 or more each of Peaceful Doves and Long-tailed Finches, some of the latter feeding youngsters. I found one Diamond Dove amongst them, also some Red-backed Fairy-wrens (including one semi-coloured male) and a pair of Jacky Winters. A highlight was a great look at a Varied Sittella (the Black-capped subspecies). The main honeyeaters were Brown, Yellow-tinted and White-throated Honeyeater (later on I also heard White-gaped Honeyeater).

1 June

We set off early on an often sloshy road, but quite doable in our big 4WD coach. There was one section where we walked across on higher ground while the coach slewed through. We saw many other vehicles travelling ie the difficulties about the road seemed to have been exaggerated. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for any serious stops, on account of a helicopter booking deadline for the group. En route I saw Red-winged Parrots, a White-faced Heron, Yellow-throated Miners, Black Kite - and not much else. At our brief stop at Munurru there were some Little Friarbirds. Eventually we reached the Mitchell Falls campsite - and then there was a flurry of activity to get people fed and onto helicopters to go to Mitchell Falls. I watched them go and then headed for the Little Mertens Falls area. My target was to photograph a Kimberley Honeyeater, which after about an hour of trying, I succeeded. There were Varied Trillers and White-quilled Rock-pigeons around, and a pair of Varied Lorikeets flew through. Back at the campsite later, I found several Silver-backed Butcherbirds, also Northern Rosellas and Red-winged Parrots. I looked for ages for Partridge Pigeons but there were many campers and I suppose the birds had gone to somewhere quieter.

2 June

We drove back along the Mitchell Falls Road, already after some sunshine it was much easier going than yesterday. Not far along, a Partridge Pigeon flushed from alongside the road. Later we stopped to look at the prolific Livingstonia palms - and a Pacific Baza was calling nearby. Our first major stop was at the aboriginal art site near Munurru. Here I saw Northern Rosellas, and there were serious interactions happening between the Yellow-throated Miners and the Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters. At Munurru there was a Paperbark Flycatcher and a White-throated Gerygone, also several Little Friarbirds plus a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo flew through. At the second art spot, a Pied Butcherbird was taking baths in a rock pool - I saw it make several visits. There was a Little Pied Cormorant at the Drysdale River crossing. We arrived at Drysdale Station mid-afternoon. I didn’t go exploring but I could hear many of the species that were around on Friday afternoon. Not long after I went to bed a Southern Boobook called a few times.

3 June

We had a leisurely start from Drysdale Station, packing up in proper daylight. The travel was uneventful and we had no long stops until we reached Ellenbrae Station for the mid-morning break. I saw an Australian Bustard (it flushed from the side of the road) and a Black-tailed Treecreeper, also a group of four Cockatiels. At Ellenbrae there were some Long-tailed Finches near the homestead, and a solo Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo flew through. Lunch at the lookout for the Cockburn Range was uneventful but a highlight came soon afterwards, at the Pentecost River crossing. A male Black-necked Stork was standing just beside the ford, and a Little Egret was perched on a rock not far off. Overhead was a Whistling Kite and four Black Kites, and also I found a flock of 6-7 Zebra Finches.

We arrived at El Questro mid-afternoon - there were masses of people already there but our tour group had the use of permanent tents in a nice little set-up (eg there was an enclosed kitchen with power and lights). There were stacks of Little Corellas around, and also many Red-collared Lorikeets and Peaceful Doves. That evening two Barking Owls started up - they called all night based upon the group’s comments next morning.

4 June

In the morning there was an expedition to Emma Gorge, about 45 minutes away (to get there we went back to the Gibb River Rd then headed east for a while to the turn-off). The walk to the gorge involved a lot of rock clambering and there weren’t any birds in the second half of it. I walked back “alone” for some quiet listening for birds, but there was pretty steady passing traffic. I saw an Azure Kingfisher and pairs of Leaden Flycatchers and Red-browed Pardalotes, and a Wedge-tailed Eagle flew over quite majestically. I spent some of the afternoon walking around the El Questro site. Highlights included a Diamond Dove (plus many Peaceful Doves) and another Red-browed Pardalote. Another highlight was to bump into Luke Paterson, who was leading another NT Bird Specialists tour, and to compare notes with him above the past week’s birding.

5 June

We departed El Questro early, but soon stopped for a dip in the geothermal pools at Zebedee Springs (temperature 32C). There were White-gaped Honeyeaters and White-quilled Honeyeaters and who knows what else (it was rather windy which made it difficult to find birds). As we approached Kununurra the numbers of Black Kites and Whistling Kites escalated markedly. We did touristy things for a few hours - Zebra Rock workshop and shop, a rum distillery (The Hoochery), lunch and some wandering in Kununurra). From there we proceeded to Lake Argyle - my third visit to this spot and easily the most downmarket of my three stays. We (22 people including the tour guides) were in a tiny area in a really crowded caravan park, and the Kimberley Wild permanent tents were but a shadow of those at El Questro.  Late afternoon I wandered the site - I didn’t find many species but there was a remarkable number of Great Bowerbirds - I estimated there were easily 15-20 of them.

6 June

Today was mainly spent on sightseeing activities - the Lake Argyle lookouts, the Argyle Downs Museum, and a late afternoon boat cruise on Lake Argyle. Incidental bird sightings included White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Paperbark Flycatcher, Double-barred Finch, Great Pied Cormorant, Whistling Kite and Mistletoebird. Around the campsite I found Northern Fantails, White-quilled Honeyeaters, Northern Rosellas and Yellow-throated Miners plus about as many Great Bowerbirds as yesterday.

7 June

We travelled from Lake Argyle to the Kimberley Wild camp in Purnululu NP, arriving there mid-afternoon.  Our stops were brief and/or had limited birding opportunities - Kununurra town, Doon Doon roadhouse,  Warnum roadhouse, the entrance to Mabel Downs station, a lookout in the NP.  Birds I found included Black-faced Woodswallows and Red-backed Fairy-wrens (both species were at the station entrance), Spinifex Pigeons, the usual two kite species (Black and Whistling Kite) and the usual Torresian Crows and Brown Honeyeaters. There was a Black Falcon perched on a dead tree as we passed through the cattle station. The campsite was rather shmick but not many birds were around. However, I flushed a group of 8 Brown Quail from down by the nearby creek (dry, with small waterholes).

8 June

Our morning expedition was to Piccaninny Lookout and Cathedral Gorge, with magnificent close-up encounters there with the famous Bungles beehive formations. Birds were few and far between but we had a wonderful up-close view of a Brown Falcon, and also there was a Nankeen Kestrel and three Black Kites in the area. Then followed a lengthy stop at the airstrip for those doing flights over the Bungles. I occupied the time by checking out the local birds - it was great! The airport staff had set up an artificial waterhole to which Peaceful Doves and Diamond Doves were coming regularly, plus 30 or so Zebra Finches. I also found a Grey-headed Honeyeater plus some Black-faced Woodswallows, Little Friarbirds, etc. We had lunch at the campsite and then went to Echidna Gorge - I saw a Pheasant Coucal en route and a Great Bowerbird, and there were Red-winged Parrots during the walk (and not much else). That night a Southern Boobook called (as did Dingoes).

9 June

We drove back to the Great Northern Highway (53 km. in about 2 hours) and headed south, to Halls Creek after a brief stop at the Spring Creek rest area. I saw a Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and a Square-tailed Kite en route, plus there were scores of Black Kites. From Halls Creek we detoured to visit the ruins of the original town, about 15 km away. I found some Little Woodswallows there, and another Grey-headed Honeyeater. Lunch was at Mary Pool, a crowded grey nomad free camping spot - and hardly any birds. That was the case for the remainder of the trip to Fitzroy Crossing where we stayed for the night. However, that night at the campsite I heard Southern Boobook and Barking Owl calling.

10 June

We departed a bit later than usual, which gave me a chance to explore the caravan park which was on the Fitzroy River. There was a lot of damage still evident, from Cyclone Ellie about 18 months earlier. Down at the river were several Black-fronted Dotterels and one Red-kneed Dotterel, while up higher I found Grey-crowned Babblers, Double-barred Finches, White-gaped Honeyeaters, etc. As we crossed the river there were many Fairy Martins, and a flying Black-necked Stork. We went to the original  point for the Fitzroy River - a very low elevation dilapidated bridge that would have been completely useless in the Wet. Two elders talked to us about the local indigenous people - I listened but also took note of the birds around (similar range to where we had stayed - Red-backed Fairy-wren, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike and White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike were notable additions). Before departing southwards we stopped at the Visitor Centre (where I found Zebra Finches). There was a family group of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos at a rest area later - I showed them to the group (most of whom had walked within 10m of the birds without seeing them). From there it was a slow steady drive to Broome, and then finally to our hotel.

11 June

I did a quick walk to the Broome town beach and back. The highlight was an Osprey - it had a nest on an artificial platform near the carpark. I also saw two Australian Pelicans - the first of these for my trip, on the final day of it.

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May 2024

11 May

On a wet morning, Ross and I did the monthly survey of Ash Island. The raptor list comprised Black-shouldered Kite, Swamp Harrier, Nankeen Kestrel and Brown Falcon.  We found three Pacific Golden Plovers on Phoenix Flats - I was surprised that they were still around (they didn’t have much by way of breeding plumage though).  There was a largish group of Pied Stilts on Swan Pond - about 75 birds. By the time we reached Fish Fry Flats things perked up - the rain had stopped (for a while) and also we found some good birds. There were about 30 each of Red-capped Plovers and Black-fronted Dotterels, the latter well-scattered but the plovers were bunched together. We also saw four White-fronted Chats there (and further on I saw a fifth bird). We don’t often see chats on Ash Island nowadays.

9 May

The forecast rain didn't eventuate, so I went to the Warrah Trig section of Brisbane Water National Park and did my monthly surveys there. It was rather foggy at the beginning but that eventually lifted. Honeyeaters were present in good numbers, big contrast to the situation of a few months ago. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary though, until I got to my final 2ha survey site. A Superb Lyrebird crossed the track right in front of me, and soon after began a bout of singing. While I was listening to that, I heard and soon afterwards saw a Rockwarbler - at pretty much the same spot where I saw two birds together last month. And then, a Peregrine Falcon flew past - only a few metres off the cliff face! Three exciting species almost simultaneously - I just didn't know where to look!

On my way back to the car, a Musk Lorikeet flew through. I stopped in Patonga for a while before heading home - there were more than 20 Great Pied Cormorants roosting on the several boats moored offshre, and also two Australian Brush-turkeys foraging in the boat ramp parking area.

7-8 May

I went up to Nelson Bay on Tuesday, with my main purpose being to give a talk in the early afternoon to the Port Stephens Artists Society. That talk was about shorebirds and migration, and the aim was that I inspire them with ideas about themes for art works to be produced for the November vists by Kushiro representatives to re-sign the Sister Wetlands Agreement. The talk seemed to go quite well. Before the talk, I wandered the waterfront for a while. I saw a couple of Australasian Gannets (they were young birds fishing in close in the harbour), and there were Great Pied Cormorants and Australasian Darters too; also some Blue-faced Honeyeaters. On my way back to Newcastle, where I stayed overnight, I dropped in at Stockton Sandspit. It was low tide, so there was not much around - but a flock of 86 Pied Stilts flew in and began to forage near the rock platform.

Next morning I met with the university placement student, Emily, for an hour or so, to talk about the review she is doing of the Martindale data, and then I was at a meeting with Wetlands Centre and University staff, discussing possible bird research projects that potentially might involve HBOC members plus either or both of the two other organisations. After lunch I dod a short wander through the grounds. There were about 120 Magpie Geese (a species we had discussed at length in our earlier meeting) and also a Grey Goshawk came in and landed almost in front of me - I had terrific views.

4 May

During a break in the miserable constantly-wet weather, I walked to Woy Woy and surveyed the birds on Brisbane Water.  As usual there were hundreds each of Black Swans and Australian Pelicans, most of them closely bunched onto the sand island. I only found seven Australian Pied Oystercatchers - quite a drop on the recent numbers, and they were scattered locations (but, I might have nissed some on the sand island if they were obscured by all the larger birds). There were 17 Caspian Terns - it seems that the winter influx of themhas begun.

2 May

I visited the Crommelin Arboretum at Pearl Beach, the Pearl Caves area of Brisbane Water National Park and two other of my regular sites in the National Park. The Silvereye and Yellow-faced Honeyeater migrations were in full swing - I saw plenty of both species. There also were good numbers of White-cheeked Honeyeaters at one of the National Park sites; I had a nice view there of a Scarlet Honeyeater too (and there were numerous of them everywhere). A Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo flew through at one of the sites, and I saw an Australian Brush-turkey at Pearl Beach.

April 2024

29 April

In the afternoon I went to Cockle Bay Nature Reserve and then Bouddi National Park. It wasn't a lot of fun - the mosquitoes were dreadful everywhere I went and there were hardly any birds! Also, the distal part of the track I was on in Bouddi National Park was closed for a hazard reduction burn. My highlight was a Striated Heron at the Nature Reserve.

25 April

Mid-afternoon I did the final two of my monthly surveys in Brisbane Water National Park. The highlight was a solitary Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (I saw it on my way in and on my way back out ), and there were some Brown-headed Honeyeaters as well.

23 April

Mid-morning I did surveys at two of my sites in Brisbane Water National Park (seeing mainly the standard honeyeaters) and then drove to Newcastle for the inaugural meeting of HBOC's Research subcommittee. After that, I went to Wyong and visited the Central Coast Wetlands. It was full of water after all the recent rain and that seemed to have impacted what birds were around (no muddy margins). There were a hundred or so Cattle Egrets when I arrived but most of them dispersed after a while. About a dozen Red-rumped Parrots were feeding on the lawns and there were 20-30 Australian Wood Ducks too. As I was leaving, a Black-shouldered Kite turned up. Later I was the guest speaker at the Central Coast bird group's monthly meeting - I talked about the trip I did to Sri Lanka a few years back.

17-19 April

After lunch I packed up at Martindale and eventually relocated to the campsite at McCullys Gap. On my way I stopped at the Muswellbrook sewage works: there weren’t many ducks present but it was pleasing to see two each of Pink-eared Ducks and Hardheads. At the McCullys Gap campsite that afternoon I saw three flocks of Musk Lorikeets fly through - 44 birds in total. We saw many of them in the ensuing two days. It was just Tom Clarke and me doing the McCullys Gap surveys. On Thursday, we had mixed success, with the highlight being a gully where there were four species of thornbill (Yellow-rumped, Buff-rumped, Brown and Yellow Thornbill) plus we had seen Striated Thornbills earlier in the morning. We’d also seen Striated Pardalotes and Spotted Pardalotes several times at other sites during the morning. The afternoon’s highlights were a male Australasian Figbird and two Wedge-tailed Eagles at the campsite. That evening I heard a female Powerful Owl, initially some way off but later, she was within the home paddock. And, walking back to the campsite we had a Barn Owl fly right in front of us.

Next morning, at one site we found more thornbills (not Striated but all the others) and 4-6 each of Striated and Spotted Pardalotes. At another site I watched one of the latter digging a burrow using its bill. The day’s highlight was two Red-capped Robins (female or juvenile) at a site where we saw a male in January. Perhaps they bred! I recorded 67 species over the two days. On my way home I stopped at Doughboy Hollow where well over 200 Plumed Whistling-ducks were out in the open, presumably many more were out of sight.

15-17 April

After a morning spent mainly on Whistler administration tasks, I set out for Martindale for a couple of days of helping with the quarterly surveys there. In Martindale I met the uni student, Emily, and escorted her to the campsite. There was a large group of Australian King-parrots on the way in, and I also saw Nankeen Kestrels and Black-shouldered Kites. Our arrival at the campsite coincided with a fly-through by a dozen or so Musk Lorikeets. Over the next two days I saw many good birds, highlighted by a pair of Hooded Robins at Horseshoe Rd, Brown Treecreepers and Jacky Winters at the hillside site, and a young Wedge-tailed Eagle (with a parent) along Horseshoe Rd. A pair of Black-shouldered Kites seemed to be nest-building at Bureen. I recorded 78 species over the two and a bit days. I was interested to note that there still were some Little Grassbirds at the swamp (at least four of them) plus a group of four Zebra Finches were there.

13 April

I went back up to Newcastle to do the monthly survey (it was scheduled for last Saturday but that was called off at  the eleventh hour). Ross and I found three Pacific Golden Plovers (there were 7 of them a week ago) and five Black-fronted Dotterels (four birds a week ago). There were considerably more ducks too, including three Australasian Shovelers on Swan Pond. We had excellent views of four Australian Gull-billed Terns and four Caspian Terns, at times foraging together and often quite close to us. We saw one-offs of Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel and Australian Hobby - all are uncommon species on Ash Island. A small group of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins whizzed through - they didn't give us much of a look.

10-11 April

Late afternoon on Wednesday I met with James Wilson at the Hunter Wetlands Centre, to talk about they and HBOC doing strategic bird projects. It’s early days but it was a positive meeting. Then in the evening I went to the HBOC club night. I did a brief presentation about the Merlin Bird ID app - that seemed to go OK and initiated some good discussion. The main speaker talked about his recent trip to Costa Rica, so that was a trip down memory lane for me.

The next morning I went to the Gloucester Tops, with my main purpose being to retrieve my trail cameras from some Rufous Scrub-bird territories. I did not hear any calls from them at any time. The autumn honeyeater influx was just beginning. There were plenty of Eastern Spinebills and New Holland Honeyeaters, and I saw a White-cheeked Honeyeater which is definitely an autumn-only species.  But overall, it was nowhere near to being in full swing. I saw a Bassian Thrush not yet descended from the Tops, saw some Superb Lyrebirds and heard Crescent Honeyeaters and Red-browed Treecreepers.

9 April

I did the Pearl Caves walk in Brisbane Water National Park and then went to the Crommelin Arboretum. It was remarkably quiet but right at the end I saw a Rufous Fantail, which was a great way to finish the morning!

8 April

I did my monthly surveys of the Warrah Trig area of Brisbane Water National Park. After the quiet summer, things are definitely improving, and I ended up with a respectable bird list. The honeyeater numbers have certainly increased over the past few months. I heard a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren but it did not cooperate. My absolute highlight was a pair of Rockwarblers near the lookout. I know that others have seen them in that area previously but it was a first for me. I had wonderful views of them. I finished up at Patonga where there still is a Masked Lapwing sitting in the middle of the oval, with a cone alongside it to warn off the Council mowers. The bird was there last month too - and so I doubt that there will be any breeding success.

5-6 April

I went up to Newcastle Friday afternoon, mainly so as to be able to take part in the monthly waterbirds survey the next morning. Unfortunately, because of heavy rain all Friday including through most of the night, the survey was called off at nearly the last minute (at about 11pm!). But then, Andrea, Ross and I had a gorgeous couple of hours on Ash Island on Saturday morning. The sun was shining, there was no wind, it was close on perfect!  A highlight was 7 Pacific Golden Plovers on Phoenix Flat, with two of those being well coloured up birds. We also saw elsewhere some Black-fronted Dotterels (4 birds) and a group of 62 Pied Stilts. And there were 3 Caspian Terns, the first record of these on Ash Island for the year.

On Friday afternoon, Bob Stewart and I met the uni work placement student that HBOC is taking on, Emily, and discussed with her the project we've asked her to do. And on Saturday before I drove back, Andrea and I had a chat about strategic activities which HBOC and the university could undertake together (with other organisations potentially involved).

2-4 April

I was over in Perth for a short visit (for a family funeral). Margaret and I stayed with my sister in Osborne Park. I got in a couple of walks around some nearby lakes, where I was delighted to see a some Nankeen Night-Herons still hunting early in the morning, and also a couple of Yellow-billed Spoonbills foraging. There were plenty of New Holland Honeyeaters, Singing Honeyeaters and Brown Honeyeaters. Although Spotted Doves were in greater numbers, i did also see a few Laughing Doves in the area.

March 2024

27 March

I left Nelson Bay pre-dawn and went to Minimbah Nature Reserve, on the hunt for Eastern Ground Parrots. I was dismayed to find workers and earthmoving equipment there - any parrots present would have shot through quite quickly when they arrived. However, I was lucky enough to flush a group of three of them from the roadside not far away. There were lots of Red-browed Finches and White-cheeked Honeyeaters in the area, and a Musk Lorikeet flew through. On my way in to the Nature Reserve I came upon a group of Brown Quail with a small young one amongst them.

26 March

I was on a pelagic trip off Port Stephens. The sea conditions were mild and the winds were light - surprisingly, given that, we did OK for birds. We had two Arctic Jaegers, one offering good views as likewise did a Pomarine Jaeger. There was one Shy-type Albatross (maybe two) and one Buller’s Albatross. A Providence Petrel was around briefly. Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were plentiful - we could see about 30 of them foraging on our slick and there probably was turnover. We also had six types of shearwater (but, dominated by Wedge-tailed Shearwaters).

It was a day for cetaceans too - we saw 5 or 6 different types, with the highlight for me being a pod of Pygmy Killer Whales.

25 March

In the morning Margaret and I went to Tomaree National Park and walked there for a while. There were no special birding highlights, alas, but I did have a later highlight down near the Nelson Bay marina - an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle being mobbed by a large flock of Little Corellas. Also, at a cafe alongside the Marine Rescue Station, many Australian Magpies were on the prowl to pinch food, and we were given a water spray to help deter them from coming too near to our table!

22-24 March

I and 7 others spent three days on Broughton Island for the autumn visit. Although it was quiet out there (no doubt because of how dry it was) we did get some interesting birds including first time records of Black-faced Monarch and Rufous Fantail, and uncommon records of Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike and Spangled Drongo. I saw Eastern Reef Egrets a couple of times, and some other highlights for me included a Black-shouldered Kite and a Brown Falcon. A few of us visited the Gould’s Petrel nest boxes, where we found three healthy chicks and banded them. I reckon that two of those chicks will leave their nests within the next couple of weeks.

20 March

I completed my March surveys in Brisbane Water National Park by doing the two sites in the Curra Swamp area. Once again there were no surprises anywhere, although I was interested that there were three Australian Brush-turkeys together when I called in later at Patonga. On Monday when I was there, I had seennone. I also heard a Superb Lyrebird, briefly.

19 March

I did my monthly surveys of the Warrah Trig area of Brisbane Water National Park. The Little Wattlebirds were in good numbers and they were very active and noisy, and there were good numbers of New Holland Honeyeaters as well.

18 March

In the afternoon I surveyed a couple of sites in Brisbane Water National Park, then went to Patonga. There were no surprises anywhere. The honeyeater activity has dropped off a bit because the blossom event is winding down.

13-14 March

Mid-afternoon Bob Stewart and I met with the uni student who was wanting to do a 2024 placement with HBOC. We sorted out a plan and started the paperwork. That evening I attended the HBOC meeting. To my surprise I chaired the meeting! The club President was a late withdrawal and the VP was away. Next day on my way home I stopped at the RTA Reserve at Ourimbah where one of the highlights was the considerable number of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, all of them active and noisy.

9 March

I did the Ash Island monthly survey, with Ross and James. We found ten Far Eastern Curlews, one of which had leg tags. It took us quite a while to get a decent enough view of it that allowed us to read the tag and report the sighting. There were 14 Pacific Golden Plovers around too. Rapotors included an adult Brahminy Kite and two Ospreys at/near their nest. One of those birds was photographed yesterday and able to be identified as a 15 year old bird banded near Port Innes in 2009.

7 March

We took our two Canadian visitors to Pearl Beach - we did the walk to the Pearl Cave and then around the arboretum. The birding was quiet and unfortunatelythere were some noisy arborists working in the arboretum. A highlight was that some Scarlet Honeyeaters were back.

6 March

I took a visiting Canadian birder to the Central Coast Wetlands near Wyong in the morning. Almost the first species we saw was Long-billed Corella: there were two of them near the carpark. And not long afterwards I found a female Black-winged Stork on the far side of the water. She didn’t stay long, but we had great views for a while. A Black-shouldered Kite came in, and we saw it regularly over the remainder of our visit. The birds after that were fairly standard (for me; there were plenty of ticks for my visitor) but we capped things off with a family of Variegated Fairy-wrens. On our way back we stopped at the Ourimbah Rest Area but it was the middle of the day and things were quiet.

5 March

I took two Canadian visitors to the Curra Swamp area in Brisbane Water National Park for a while in the morning, before we did an expedition by ferry to Palm Beach (which was interesting although not for birds). There was quite a bit of blossom at Curra and as a result there was good birding to be had. As well as all the usual honeyeater types we found about a half-dozen Brown-headed Honeyeaters plus there was a Musk Lorikeet. There were two Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens (with us having long up-close views of one of them) and we also saw Mistletoebirds well.

February 2024

27 February

On my way to the Central Coast bird group's evening meeting, I stopped firstly at the Tuggerah Lake salt marsh area, and then at the Central Coast Wetlands near Wyong. The mosquitoes were ferocious at my first stop but I was compensated by great views of a pair of Black-necked Storks foraging in the water. There also were five Little Egrets and two Great Egrets. At the wetlands there were two Buff-banded Rails on sight occasionally, and also a couple of Black-fronted Dotterels.  There were some White-breasted Woodswallows on the power lines, and a Whistling Kite and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle came through from time to time.

23 February

Before the heat kicked in, I went to my final regular set of sites in Brisbane Water National Park. The first section of my walk had a lot of bird activity - Grey Fantails, Eastern Yellow Robins, White-browed Scrubwrens, etc were flitting about all the time. But the remainder of my time there was quiet. Afterwards I went around to Patonga where I saw an Australian Brush-turkey and there were a dozen Little Black Cormorants (and two Great Pied Cormorants) roosting on the rigging of a couple of moored boats. Late that afternoon Margaret and I checked in at a motel near Belmont. Just before the thunderstorm arrived, I saw a Striated Heron foraging by the water's edge right in front of me, also "with it" were a Great Egret and a White-faced Heron.

22 February

I went to Pearl Beach in the early morning, doing the Caves Walk and then visiting the Arboretum. The birding was slow at both spots although I heard a Rockwarbler near the caves - I tried for a while to see it but it wouldn't cooperate. Afterwards I went to the Curra Swamp section of Brisbane Water National Park. There were lots of honeyeaters including 30 or so White-cheeked Honeyeaters and a group of four Brown-headed Honeyeaters. There was quite a bit of fresh blossom around, which was attracting them - and also lorikeets including a oouple of Musk Lorikeets and several Rainbow Lorikeets.

20 February

I did my Brisbane Water walk today, in gradually deteriorating weather (I was drenched by the end of it). There was no sign of any migratory shorebirds but on the sandbar there were at least eight Australian Pied Oystercatchers (possibly more: there were many obsuring Australian Pelicans and Black Swans). I also found three more oystercatchers sitting on jetties. Mallards were present in big numbers - I counted a total of 126 birds (in four main groups).

19 February

I did my surveys of the Warrah Trig area of Brisbane Water National Park. It was quiet (especially in comparison to the exciting birding I'd had daily for the preceding two weeks!). I did hear a Superb Lyrebird and get fairly close to it, and I also heard a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. There were good numbers of White-eared Honeyeaters around.

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Chile and Costa Rica: January-February 2024

Margaret and I flew to Santiago on 24 January, and stayed there for a week with some one-day excursions spread over that week. I found 26 species (from limited opportunities) including six that were lifers for mw. Then we flew north to Costa Rica - we spent a couple of nights in San Jose at the beginning and end of our visit to that country, and did a  12-day self-drive trip around the middle third of the country with Sally and Tom, who joined us from the beginning of February. The birding in Costa Rica was sensational - I saw 282 species of which only ten or so were not lifers for me.

24 January

This was a day of travel including a 14-hour time shift, I spent the afternoon walking around Santiago - I only saw one species, Rock Dove. And there were plenty of those!

25 January

Margaret and I walked to San Cristobal Hill in the middle of Santiago, and did the long walk up it. I only saw ten species but three of those were new for my Chile list (which is now at about 100 species). The new species were California Quail (which is not new for my world list), Grassland Yellow-finch and Common Dicua-finch. I had great views of Chilean Elaenias, Austral Thrushes and Austral Blackbirds too, and managed to get photos of all three of those plus the three new species,

26 January

We went on a tour, which took us eventually to Laguna del Incas at 3000m altitude in the Andes. On the way we stopped at a winery in the village of San Esteban - here were stacks of West Peruvian Doves and a brief view of a Cinereous Harrier flying past. The lake had five bird species in the area (no birds on the lake itself). I identified Greater Yellow Finch, Puna Miner, Cinereous Ground Tyrant, Grey-hooded Sierra Finch and Rufous-collared Sparrow, On the way back I saw an American Kestrel.

27-28 January

The weekend was spent quietly in Santiago, some walks interspersed with just relaxing. I spent a fair bit of time in shady parks, so I saw Rock Doves and Austral Thrushes in abundance. There was variety sometimes - a few Kelp Gulls by the river, Monk Parakeets occasionally, Eared Doves occasionally, and Austral Blackbird once.

29 January

We spent the day on a tour to Vino del Mar and Valparaiso. It was not a birdwatching trip but at the beach at Vino del Mar there were several Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures and numerous Kelp Gulls (which were in big numbers everywhere that we went, until we left the coast). I also saw a Band-tailed Gull (just the one) and there were some Neotropic Cormorants perched on a jetty (at quite some distance). En route I saw several raptors - some I couldn't identify from the brief views at 120km/h but I did see Variable Hawks and Chimango Caracaras, and an American Kestrel.

30 January

Another quiet day spent in warm muggy Santiago. I've given up trying to find new places to go. I was in the riverside park a few times - the Austral Thrushes were plentiful and actually they have a really nice song as well.

31 January

This was a travel day, from Santiago to San Jose in Costa Rica. We arrived late afternoon - I saw Great-tailed Grackles and White-winged Doves from the taxi as we headed to our hotel, At the hotel, with only about 10-15 minutes of daylight remaining. I hit the garden, finding some Lesson's Motmots and Clay-coloured Thrushes (taking my Day 1 Costa Rica bird list to four species).

1 February

I spent the day in the hotel gardens - it was great birding ! Over the day I saw about 25 species, only two of which weren’t new ones for me (Rufous-Collared Sparrow, Black Vulture). There were many Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, also Lesson’s Motmots, Great Kiskadees, Crimson-fronted Parakeets, etc. In the post-lunch visit I found Lineated Woodpecker and Montezuma Oropendola simultaneously - it was so difficult to decide which of those to concentrate upon. I jumped from one to the other and I later found the Oropendola again, with some Brown Jays. Another highlight was a pair of Crested Caracaras chasing away a Black Vulture. In my pre-breakfast visit, I met a Canadian bird watcher who took me to a dense clump of bamboo, in the midst of which a pair of Mottled Owls were roosting. Just before dusk I went back to the owl roost. En route I had fantastic views of a Montezuma Oropendola. I’d seen one earlier in the afternoon but often partially obscured. This time it was out in the open, and calling - a weird sound which invoked the tropics There also was a foraging party of Brown Jays. The Canadian chap was also at the owl roost and we watched together as they preened and stretched their wings for several minutes and then flew out. I saw 22 species today.

2 February

I did a brief walk in the hotel gardens before breakfast - I saw many of yesterday’s birds again plus Blue-grey Tanagers which were new for me. Later that morning we met Sally and Tom in San Jose, got the rental car, checked out, and soon were off across the mountains heading north-east to La Selva Biological Station.We had lunch there, then set out on a walk through the rainforest. That turned out to be a magical three hours. We saw birds are plenty – starting with a Yellow-throated Toucan (which had us very excited), and then a Keel-billed Toucan not long afterwards. By the end, we had seen a dozen or so of both of those species. We saw several Crested Guans, a couple of different tinamous (a Little Tinamou and a Slaty-breasted Tinamou), a Semi-plumbeous Hawk, a Russet-tailed Jacamar, a Slaty-tailed Trogon, and the list went on. I reckon about 30 species with great views of most of them. Also, we saw Howler Monkeys, a Sloth, Leaf-eating Ants, a couple of Agouti and a White-nosed Coatimundi. I saw 24 species today.

3 February

Tom and I did a guided bird walk in the early morning, starting at 5:45 am in the gloaming). Our guide was Wilson, a local who knew his birds well. We spent almost 2 1/2 hours with him, and finding probably around 60 species in that time. For the first 20 or so minutes, we scarcely moved 20 m from where we started. (and we were within a 500 meter radius for the entire tour). The species we found are too numerous to mention, but the highlights included Rufous Motmot and Broad-billed Motmot, Broad-winged Hawk (perched not far off), Blue-throated Goldentail, Double-toothed Kite, Summer Tanager, Sociable and Piratic Flycatchers. Later, I crossed the suspension bridge to where the main research station buildings were located. The best birding (in this area) was around a fig tree opposite the herbarium – here were many species (and many birders). Numerous Great Green Macaws flew over, and an Osprey as well as several other raptors.

Late morning we checked out, and drove north-east to Medio Queso, a massive freshwater wetlands. Here we boarded a punt for a 2 1/2 hour cruise. This was fantastic!  There were waterbirds galore, for example, a couple of hundred Northern Jacanas, five species of herons, and three of egrets, all in solid numbers. We also saw about 10 Pinnated Bitterns (great views, often), Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, the list goes on! We had brief views of a Yellow-breasted Crake and two close-in Roseate Spoonbills (others were flying in the distance). That completed my world spoonbill list! There were lots of Wood Storks including 40+ birds standing together. Endemics included Nicaraguan Grackle and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, and raptors included Snail Kite, Black-collared Hawk, Northern Harrier and Harris’s Hawk. Our trip finished at 5:30 pm and then we had a 45 minute drive to our accommodation at Cano Negro – I had a brief view of a Lesser Nighthawk en route. I saw 90 species today.

4 February

Sally, Tom and I did a four-hour river cruise at Cano Negro. Our tour started and ended with sightings of Russet-naped Wood Rail, and there was a Pacific Screech-owl just before we finished. As per yesterday, there were birds galore – there was quite a bit in common with yesterday, but also quite a lot was different – including we were picking up bush birds in the trees and shrubs alongside the river much more than yesterday. They also were some shorebirds in moderate numbers: Spotted Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Semi-palmated Plover, Black-winged Stilt. The stilts looked a bit different to our ones (which are now a separate species), but their behaviour was similar. We had sensational views, often, of various kingfisher types including Green Kingfisher. Plus, we saw a Black-collared Hawk up close. The shrubs and trees had flycatchers, orioles and much more, and we saw Northern Water Thrushes and Sungrebes around the water’s edge. The Wood Storks were present in big numbers and we saw 100+ of them in the air at one stage, similarly the Western Cattle Egrets and White Ibis. I saw 76 species today.

5 February

After breakfast, Tom and I walked through the rainforest opposite the hotel. Conditions were oppressive, and the track often was muddy – in no time at all we were dripping with sweat. The birding was steady and we ended up with good views of 15-20 species including American Redstart, Cinnamon Becard, White-winged Becard and Chestnut-backed Antbird. I also saw a House Wren at the motel earlier in the morning. Then we had a long drive up into the mountains, to Monteverde. There wasn't much time for birding, but I saw some Grey Martins near a river plus the inevitable vultures (Turkey Vulture and Black Vulture). At our accommodation, a Lesser Violetear called continually all afternoon and into the night, but we never had a sighting of it until the next day. I saw 26 species today.

6 February

I spent much of the day at Curi Cancha Reserve, a pay-for-entry park a few kilometres down the road.  Sally, Tom and I were there at 6:30am, when started a tour they’d booked me in for. It cost US$120 including the $20 park entry fee. They opted to self-guide. My guide was Jorge and I was in a group with two American couples. Jorge was really knowledgeable, about wildlife in general, and it was an excellent 4 1/2 hour walk. Just about everything I saw was new for me, and I saw 50 or so species including five types of hummingbird, numerous warbler and euphonia types, Collared Trogons, Black and Crested Guans, Golden-crowned Chlorophonias, Yellow-faced Grassquits, Slate-breasted Redstarts, White-naped Brush Finches, etc. We went back to Curi Cancha for another 2-hour wander after lunch. I did a birding sortie with Tom - we found a few additional species (such as Mountain Thrush and White-collared Swift) but it was much quieter than in the morning. There was a Prong-tailed Barbet in a bush just off our veranda late that afternoon. I saw 61 species today.

7 February

Early morning, we went to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, another pay-for-entry park, located on the outskirts of Monteverde. The park opened at 7:00 but there already were long queues when we arrived, five minutes early, and it was close to 7:30 by the time that we were in. It was a chilly, damp morning (with constant drizzle) – we really were in cloud forest. We walked together for a couple of kilometres – it was very pretty forest, but the bird activity was minimal. Eventually I decided to go back to the cafe which I was told had hummingbird feeders. However, my route took me past a female Resplendent Quetzal – which many tour groups were eyeballing. Later, I took the others back to see it, and we also found a male bird nearby although our views of it were obscured. On our way out, we encountered a Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush foraging on the ground in the dimness, not far off the track. We went to the hummingbird feeders near the cafe, where there were stacks of people, but the birds seemed used to that. Six species were coming regularly to feeders, with people often less than a metre away.

Then we headed westwards, crossing the continental divide and descending towards the Pacific Coast. We hit the coast near El Roble – where we saw our first Magnificent Frigatebirds. We saw our first Scarlet Macaws soon after we arrived at Cerro Lodge, and great views of a Streaked Flycatcher from the dining room terrace late afternoon. I saw 18 species today.

8 February

We had great views of a Turquoise-browed Motmot in the hotel garden before we left early morning, and then of a White-fronted Magpie-Jay just down the road a bit. Our main activity for the morning was a boat trip on the Tarcoles River. We went upstream for a while, and then downstream to the river mouth (which seem to be blocked by a sandbar – it was the dry season). There were stacks of Magnificent Frigatebirds near the river mouth. We also saw many raptors including close-up views of Common Black Hawk (there were many) and Grey Hawk, also a Zone-tailed Hawk and some Ospreys plus lots of the inevitable vultures. Our guide became excited by the presence of a pair of Belted Kingfishers, apparently rare in the area. We were excited too, but also by all the other species that we saw, although apart from the Scarlet Macaws there wasn’t much that was new for us. We were close to the coast, so after our tour finished, we visited a nearby beach (on the Pacific Ocean!). There we found Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls. I saw 63 species today.

9 February

We checked out after breakfast and drove to Carara National Park, about 15 minutes away. We spent the morning doing a guided walk. We had terrific views of some trogons (Slaty-tailed Trogon and Black-throated Trogon), also Orange-billed Sparrows, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous Piha, Bay-headed Tanager, and much more. The drive to our next accommodation was mostly close to the coast and we saw lots of Brown Pelicans and Magnificent Frigatebirds. Where we stayed had its own private forest - it was rather dark in there by the time we got to it, which made bird identifications a bit problematic at times. But, we had okay views sometimes of species such as Pale-billed Woodpecker and Chestnut-backed Antwren. I saw 45 species today.

10 February

After breakfast, we set off for an expedition to the Manuel Antonio National park, right on the beach near Quepos. We had terrific views of a pair of Riverside Wrens, nest-building. Earlier, we saw a Bright-rumped Attila carrying food. On our way out, we came upon a large crowd, who were looking at a Common Pauraque (a small nightjar), roosting just 2 m off the track. We had great views of it. Then, we had a long dribve to our accommodation for the next three nights, in Quetzal National Park.  There was a Sooty Thrush waiting onthe driveway when we arrived. Later we walked up to a nearby cafe which had feeders. We had hot chocolates while sitting on the veranda, watching all the different birds coming in for the feeders. There were four species of hummingbird, various types of tanagers, Acorn Woodpeckers, a Northern Emerald Toucanet, a Yellow-thighed Brush Finch, Large-footed Finches, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Slaty Flowerpiercer ... The list just kept on growing. I saw 41 species today.

11 February

The bulk of the day was spent on a trip to San Jose to meet Margaret's niece and partner for lunch - with not much by way of birding opportunities. However, in the morning we drove down the valley for several kilometres of winding road, to a private property which was a known spot for the Resplendent Quetzal. After a longish wait we saw our first one, a female, but later we also saw several adult males in flight and then a young male perched.We saw six of them in total. Late afternoon we did a quick visit to the cafe and its bird feeders. We saw most of yesterday‘s birds, and no new ones. However, on our way back, a small group of Spotted Wood-quails crossed the road just in front of us. I saw 19 species today.

12 February

We drove down the valley to the “floor“ of it at about 2000m altitude, where we soon found a walking trail through lovely forest. Initially it was quiet but we saw an American Dipper. After that, the bird activity picked up substantially. At one spot, we scarcely moved for about 45 minutes, with many different birds coming through on a regular basis. We were hearing a strange noise – eventually, we worked out that it was a Resplendent Quetzal, quite close to us. Soon we had fantastic front-on views of an adult male, which was calling all the while that we watched it. Other great birds included Black-cheeked Warbler, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Tufted Flycatcher, Black-faced Solitaire, Sulphur-winged Parakeet.  The excursion culminated with closed views of a Torrent Tyrannulet hunting by the creek. We had lunch at the cafe, seeing the usual birds plus the Spotted Wood-quails by the roadside (and later they were wandering in the gardens of our cabin). I saw 36 species today.

13 February

Around the cabin in the morning, I saw one new species– a pair of Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrushes and I also managed photos for the first time of two others I'd seen several times: Collared Redstart and Blue-and-white Swallow. After we checked out we went westwards for a while, to a walking trail at  just over 3300 m altitude. The habitat was quite different to anything we encountered before on the trip– there were tiny bamboos everywhere, and no tall vegetation. We found hardly any birds, but the highlight was good views of some Scintillant Hummingbirds. Then we drove to San Jose, and to our accommodation, the Hotel Bougainvillea, where Margaret and I stayed when we first arrived in Costa Rica. We checked in and settled in, then I hit the gardens for an hour so Tom and Sally returned the car. They got back just before nightfall – in the nick of time for me to show them the pair of Mottled Owls, which were in spots where good  no views were available. The owls were just beginning to stir as we watched them.I saw 22 species today.

14 February

There was a Red-legged Honeycreeper in the gardens early morning, and later I saw some Canobis's Wrens - my final two new species for the trip. I also had nice views of some Cinnamon-bellied Saltators and White-eared Ground-sparrows. I found the two Mottled Owls - they had slightly moved from yesterday's roost spots. There were two types of woodpecker - Hoffmann's Woodpecker and Lineated Woodpecker, and lots of Crimson-fronted Parakeets flying around. I spent some time working out how to differentiate Great Kiskadees and Social Flycatchers - they look similar (although have very different calls). I saw 27 species today.

15-17 February

I did a pre-breakfast walk around the hotel grounds, finding most of the regular species including the pair of roosting Mottled Owls. Thence to the airport - where there were some Barn Swallows flying outside the VIP Lounge windows. I saw 19 species on the Thursday morning. And after that, it was just a slog of travel!  We arrived home just on dusk on the Saturday - and I heard a Southern Boobook a few hours later.

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January 2024

22 January

I walked alongside Brisbane Water, from Blackwall to Woy Woy, at high tide. The species diversity was down a bit - I only found 28 species this time and there were no migratory shorebirds. However, out on the island along with all the usual Australian Pelicans and Black Swans, there were 14 Australian Pied Oystercatchers! I've never seen that many locally before! And there were two more of them roosting on a jetty later on. Mallards "won" the duck count, with a bit over 100 of them seen (one group was of 75-80 birds)and all other ducks rather scarce.

17-19 January

I joined the HBOC surveys at McCullys Gap, arriving mid-afternoon. I scrambled to set up my camp as it was evident that rain was coming. It rained heavily for about 4 hours starting from not long afterwards but we spent much of that time on the veranda of the homestead. There were some Dusky Woodswallows about, two roosting Tawny Frogmouths and a brief visit from a Sacred Kingfisher. Over the 3 days I recorded 78 species, with another 20 or so on the club’s overall list.  Highlights for me included some Little Ravens, big assemblies of Australian Ravens, Tree Martins and Rainbow Bee-eaters, some Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, a Black-faced Monarch, nest-building Golden Whistler, Zebra Finches, Varied Sittellas, Speckled Warblers, Nankeen Kestrel feeding two youngsters, and a Brown Songlark was heard. On my way home I stopped at Doughboy Hollow where there were about 100 Plumed Whistling-Ducks visible (and no doubt more were out of sight).

15-17 January

I joined the HBOC surveys at Martindale arriving late afternoon (I spent the morning editing Whistler papers). On my way in I saw two Australian Hobbies and heard a Stubble Quail calling from across the creek. We saw a couple of them the next day. There were Common Cicadabirds at most of the sites we visited over the Tuesday and Wednesday, and Brush Cuckoos at many of them. Overall I recorded 81 species (the club’s list was a bit over 100 species). There were plenty of highlights but probably the best ones were at a small wetland that we survey each quarter. We had Golden-headed Cisticolas and Australian Reed-warblers as almost-regulars, 3-4 Tawny Grassbirds as second-time records and at least 4 Little Grassbirds as first-time records (and carrying food thus probably breeding). One team found 3 species of crake - I went back later and had wonderful views of a Baillon’s Crake plus heard a Spotless Crake.

Elsewhere I saw Horsfield’s Bushlark, Varied Sittella, Grey-crowned Babbler, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Leaden Flycatcher, Restless Flycatcher, and the raptors included Brown Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk (plus 4 other species). I packed up after lunch and relocated to McCullys Gap after a swim and shower at Denman and re-provisioning in Muswellbrook

14 January

I went to Cockle Bay Nature Reserve for a while in the morning but the mozzies were quite bad (also there were some cicadas) and so I didn’t stay long. The highlight from my short visit was a pair of Brown Cuckoo-Doves. I detoured to Empire Bay after that, where I found a group of 13 Australian Wood Ducks and a half dozen Mallards. A Willie Wagtail followed me around, presumably taking insects as I flushed them. Mid-afternoon there was a Square-tailed Kite again, hunting over my neighbourhood.

13 January

I did the Ash Island survey in the morning, with Ross and Gabby. We found some (= 20 birds) Pacific Golden Plovers at Phoenix Flat - for the first time for this season! There also were three Far Eastern Curlews at nearby Milhams Pond. The main ponds at Area E were almost dry, but Swan Pond had residual shallow water and many exposed mud flats. Apparently those conditions really suit Red-capped Plovers - we counted exactly 100 of them, plus 19 Red-necked Stints. It was a good day for raptors - White-bellied Sea-Eagle (4 birds), Osprey (2 birds), Whistling Kite, Swamp Harrier, Australian Hobby and Brown Falcon were seen.

9-11 January

I didn't do any specific birding activities these three days, but nevertheless I had some daily highlights - a Square-tailed Kite hunting over my home on Tuesday afternoon, two Buff-banded Rails at the Reptile Park on Wednesday morning and a Tree Martin was foraging with Welcome Swallows at Ettalong Beach on Thursday morning.

8 January

In the early morning I surveyed my sites around the Warrah Trig area of Brisbane Water NP. It was largely uneventful, and the bird activity level wasn't high. However, a scattered flock of about 80 White-throated Needletails flew through at one point, which was exciting, and I saw a Fork-tailed Swift in amongst them (there might have been more - mostly I couldn't see the birds' rumps very well).  And another highlight, almost at the end of my surveying, was a family group of three Glossy Black-Cockatoos. It's probably the same family that I saw in the same area a few weeks ago. At Patonga later, I saw a few more White-throated Needletails, and there were singles of Whistling Kite and White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

6 January

I went to Pearl Beach, firstly doing the walk to the caves and then around the arboretum. Saturday isn't the best day for the former, I discovered - there were many noisy groups of cyclists riding the fire trail. However, I found some good birds - Leaden Flycatcher, Varied Sitella, and the highlight, two Rockwarblers. That's a new bird for me in the Central Coast - I've been on the lookout for them as the habitat in Brisbane Water National Park often looks great for them. The arboretum was quiet, and I found no small birds except for the usual Brown Gerygones.

5 January

I went to four of my sites in Brisbane Water National Park - around Curra Swamp and Van Dahl’s Trail.There were honeyeaters back! I saw New Holland and White-cheeked Honeyeaters, also Eastern Spinebills and Little Wattlebirds, and I heard a White-eared Honeyeater. I also heard a Pheasant Coucal, and saw some Variegated Fairy-wrens. The highlight was a pair of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, up close.

4 January

I did the Brisbane Water walk in the morning. As usual there were many Australian Pelicans (approx 250) including some young ones, and stacks of Black Swans (my count was 153 birds). I saw three Australian Pied Oystercatchers and two Far Eastern Curlews (in both cases, my firsts for 2024).  Mallards were present in big numbers (about 75 birds including many immatures) and also there were quite a few Pacific Black Ducks including a pair with 5 ducklings. In one group of ducks there were five Grey Teal as well. Nearer to Woy Woy I encountered a group of ten Long-billed Corellas and another six of them just a bit further along. That’s a significant count of them locally. There also were plenty of Little Corellas around.

1 January

On my morning local walk, I was just seeing all the usual stuff - but then, about a hundred metres from home, there was a Square-tailed Kite! It was hunting low over trees near the Lemon Grove netball courts. It flew directly over me several times and then it slowly made its way northwards. I had marvellous views. And, during that time, a Musk Lorikeet whizzed through (higher overhead). Not a bad start to the year!