Pectoral Sandpiper

I love summer, with daylight saving it is possible to go birding after work for a few hours!! I also love summer because its WADER SEASON!!

A few hours at my local wetland this week with my mate Chris resulted in excellent views of a pair of Pectoral Sandpipers. These gorgeous birds easily identified with their coloured bills and obviously chest markings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norfolk Island Part 2

The rest of the week on sunny Norfolk Island was more relaxed having seen all the endemics.





Each day had a sort of routine, check the tide, if high check the airport runway for waders, if low check Kingston.

Walk most of the tracks in the rainforest morning and evening and in the hottest part of the day go snorkelling and have coffee at the Golden Orb Café or at the Olive. It's tough, but someone has to do it....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cascade is a good spot to view seabirds - just ensure you apply plenty of sunscreen, it's easy to get distracted and with no pollution the sun is harsh!

Red-tailed Tropicbird

I managed to get out to Phillip Island with Dave which was certainly a highlight of the trip for me, although no lifers I did manage improved photos of Grey Ternlets which are a beautiful bird. Also enjoyed watching the flying fish, which are a type of Mullet which propel themselves with their tail fin to get out of danger.

 

 

 

Black Noddy

 

 

 

California Quail

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Whistler - both sexes of this race are fairly plain on Norfolk Island - potential split!

 

 

The Grey Fantail is also a unique race and is quite different to mainland race.

Pacific Golden Plovers enjoy the airport runway!

 

 

Male Pacific Robin - looks like a Scarlet Robin but it's call is very different!

 

 

 

 

 

Green Sea Turtle

 

Flying Fish

 

 

 

Red-tailed Tropicbirds can fly backwards when preparing to land or check their nests

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boat has to be lowered in and out of the water with a crane - yes, with us in it!

 

 

Grey Ternlet

 

Phillip Island

The locals are very friendly, the lifestyle very relaxed and I can certainly say that Norfolk Island is worth a visit!!

Norfolk Island birding

Norfolk Island is approximately a 2 hours  flight from Brisbane. It is 8 km by 5 km in size.

With world heritage listed buildings, a rich cultural history with links to the mutiny on the Bounty, incredible coral reefs for snorkelling and stunning national parks sporting endemic bird life this island has something for everyone.

I stayed at the Pines Apartment just on the edge of Burt Pine. $700 for 7 nights and this included a car – insurance $140 extra for the week. It was good value even though the car did not have air conditioning which I missed as the days were over 30C and very humid.

The island has wonderful rainforest with well marked tracks in the national Park and the botanical gardens is amazing with a brilliant board walk making it accessible to pretty much every fitness level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I managed to see all the endemics within 24 hours of arriving so was then able to relax and re-find them to improve on photos over the rest of the week whilst also enjoying some snorkelling off Emily Bay in Kingston.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birding highlights for me was definitely the Green Parakeet also called the Norfolk Parakeet. They had declined to less than 30 birds. Efforts had increased the population to over 200 but now their  numbers have declined again. This is due to the massive problem with Cats and Rats on the island along with competition from the huge population of Crimson Rosellas who steal their burrows and will actually throw the young out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wondered if I’d have trouble identifying the Slender-billed White-eye but the yellow throat and cream belly was immediately obvious.

 

 
 
 

Families of California Quail were observed on the grass all over the island but are very nervous and disappear as soon as I arrived so I struggled to photograph them. They were introduced on the island with the first settlers as a food source.

 

 

Norfolk Gerygone have a beautiful call and I woke to their singing each morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pacific Robin were fairly reliable in the National Park, especially at Palm Glen, which was great for most of the other island endemics.

 

 

A lone Wandering Tattler enjoyed eating crabs at low tide in Kingston.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The airstrip was good for Pacific Golden Plover

 

The Masked Booby colony on Nepean Island allows for great views of the nesting birds but some also nest on the mainland thanks to Margaret Christian assisting to deal with the feral cats. Margaret runs a great bird tour which is a must do for all birders. She is a wealth of knowledge and funds conservation efforts on the island to assist the Green Parrots and other endemic species.

White Terns are busy feeding their chicks balanced carefully on branches of the Norfolk Pines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The parent does not get to rest, immediately flying off to get more food....

Black-winged Petrels, Black Noddy's, Sooty Terns, Frigatebirds and Red-tailed Tropicbirds are flying above me as I type this.

Tonight I’ll see the new year in here on Norfolk Island. My 2013 Year list ends on 491 and my Aussie Life List currently sits on 699!! I wonder what bird will become 700?