Twitchers' Corner September 2014
Twitchers’ Corner
Rare and unusual sightings from around Australia. May-July 2014
Twice Bittern
The clear highlight for this period was a bird that may have been lurking under the radar for quite some time. The confirmation of a Yellow Bittern at North Lakes in Brisbane went out on 8 July although the bird had been seen on previous days. It was frequenting a small lake in suburbia with a very obliging Black-backed Bittern, but eventually gave away its true identity with its very different behaviour and call. This thumping bird entertained many successful twitchers with its brazen forays in plain view until last reported on 18 July. Yellow Bittern have shown up a handful of times on Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, but this is the first live mainland record; a dead storm-blown specimen was recorded from Kalgoorlie (WA) in 1967. The whisper from locals at the site suggests that this latest bird may have been present at the site for some months (or even longer) undetected by the birding community. With numerous, and more expansive, wetlands in the region it will be interesting to see if it is re-found.
Finches on tour
A couple of vagrant finch records have added intrigue for birders everywhere and at least one excited Vic-twitcher. A Plum-headed Finch reported at Bowser train station (Vic) 2 August stuck around until at least the following day for the speedier twitchers but couldn’t be located less than a week later. This looks certain to be the most southerly record of this species to date. The other finch pushing well beyond its usual southern boundaries was a juvenile Gouldian Finch photographed at a desert rock hole in the Murraba Range, east of Lake Hazlett (WA). The previously most southerly record of this species was across in Queensland but still a good 150km north of this latitude. The nearest WA records are at least 300km north.
Nosey Atlantic visitor
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross has only been accepted by BARC on two occasions so far but a likely third record has been photographed at sea, an astonishing 10,300km from the nearest edge of its usual range, on the 26 July Wollongong pelagic. On a packed trip that also produced good numbers of Indian Yellow-nosed, Black-browed and Campbell Albatross, a single Atlantic bird flew a few passes, allowing photographs which make the identification fairly straightforward.
Seeing spots
Spotted Whistling-Duck has always been an unpredictable bird with just a smattering of records from across northern Australia. The species has been intermittently reliable at Weipa (QLD) but even so BARC admits only five records. So news of a flock of at least twenty birds present from March/April on Melville Island (NT) will be welcomed by any twitchers still needing the species. The location of this flock might offer an interesting basis for speculation on the origin of stray birds to the mainland. Could we have a small breeding colony present on these northern islands? It would certainly go some way toward explaining the small groups of birds we see irregularly across the north.
Around the States
QLD: .Red Wattlebird 8 August at Beechmont was a very unusual record for the area. The Asian Dowitcher still present at the Toorbul artificial wader roost near Brisbane throughout the period. Buller’s Albatross was a stand-out record from the 26 July Southport Pelagic. Grey Falcon was recorded along the Winton-Hughenden Road 7 July, 98 Bush Stone-curlew at Proserpine Golf Course July 19 must have been an impressive sight for observers.
NSW: 2 beachwashed Grey-headed Albatross at Stockton Beach 13 & 15 June represent extraordinary records for the area, and among very few of this species live or dead. Eastern Yellow Wagtail was seen repeatedly at Hexham Swamp through 22 June and 9 July. What looks set to be the most southerly record of Noisy Pitta was at Bermagui from 12 July.
VIC: Spangled Drongo made their presence felt across the state with 2 birds recorded at Mallacoota 2 May and another at Bairnsdale on 9 May. Broad-billed Sandpiper was one of the more interesting over-wintering waders at the Western Treatment Plant on 5 May, as was a large flock of 50 Curlew Sandpiper at Lake Colac 13 May. White-fronted Honeyeater was an interesting southern intrusion at Rushworth State Forest 29 May. Beach Stone-curlew continued to create a lot of interest for coastal birding with birds recorded at Sugarloaf Creek 31 May and at Marlo 22 July. Another of these state rarities was recorded at Inverloch 26 July through to 7 August. An Antarctic Prion was a highlight of the 1 June pelagic trip out of Portland. Seawatchers were kept busy as well with Kerguelen Petrel and Blue Petrel off Point Lonsdale 29 June. State listers were excited by a report of 10 Australian Bustard at Yanac 29 June and an unusual record of the introduced Red-whiskered Bulbul at Bundoora 6 August.
TAS: Southern Fulmar provided an early pelagic highlight on the 24 May Eaglehawk Neck trip. Later in the period the 13 July trip from the same port produced Blue Petrel and Grey Petrel and Slender-billed Prion with a further 5 Grey Petrel and another Blue Petrel with 3 White-headed Petrel on the 19 July trip. Lewin’s Rail was showing particularly well at Oyster Cove for a number of observers from 27 July through to 6 August. Marion Bay was hosting 16 Cattle Egret on 27 July.
SA: Letter-winged Kite were absent from many of their inland haunts but seem to have set up a small colony, with up to 7 birds present at Port Wakefield on 5 August. 2 Sooty Albatross were photographed well on the 25 May Port MacDonnell Pelagic. Grey Falcon was reported along the Cordillo Downs Rd on 9 July and later in the month at Clifton Hills Station 27 July. An adult male Ostrich reported separately on Clayton and Dulkannina Stations on 12 and 28 July respectively may turn out to be the same individual.
WA: A Brown Skua put in an appearance on May 12 for seawatchers off City Beach. Princess Parrot were present in numerous small flocks up to 8 birds strong in the often reliable area around Jupiter Well on 18 May. 6 Welcome Swallow at Broome Sewage Works on 26 July were a bit ahead of their time along with an early returning Long-toed Stint at Kidney Bean Claypan near Broome 29 July. Common Tern was observed at Roebuck Bay also on 29 July.
NT: Happily there has been some success in locating the increasingly difficult White-throated Grasswren with reports at Jim Jim Creek in Kakadu NP on 16 June and further records following on 22 and 23 July. A Red Goshawk was watched over Edith Falls Rd on 16 July. Numerous reports of flocks of Gouldian Finch 100+ strong with numerous juvenile birds at sites around Katherine may provide a hint to the origin of the western desert bird discussed above. A single Common Sandpiper was an early returning bird at Alice Springs WTP on 1 August.
ACT: Australasian Bittern was sighted by numerous observers on 9 June at Ginninderra Creek, and then at McKellar Wetland in following days. McKellar Wetlands then also produced repeated sighting of Black-backed Bittern from 11 June through to 8 July. Pink Robin July 20 at the Australian National Botanic Gardens was of note, as was a Great Crested Grebe on 8 August on Lake Burley Griffin.
OFFSHORE TERRITORIES: Cocos (Keeling) Islands have lead the charge with offshore delicacies this period. Edible-nest Swiftlet seen 21 May and again 31 May and 2 June was an obvious highlight. Chinese Pond Heron was on West Island 21 May and on Home Island 5 June. This bird was joined by a Javan Pond Heron 15 June with both birds still present on Home Island 10 July. A single Eurasian Teal remained present throughout the period at Bechat Besar.
Chris Watson, Alice Springs
Contributors
M. Carter, R. Clarke, S. Dooley, G. Christie, P. Jones, M. Ramsey, M. Friedel, State and regional bird group newsletters, birdlines, Birding-aus and other websites.
While every effort is made to check for accuracy, these reports have not been fully authenticated. Researchers wishing to cite from these pages should contact Chris Watson at birdscentral@gmail.com for more details.
This was first published in Australian Birdlife Vol. 3 No. 3 September 2014.