The Australian part of the year.
Part two.
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| Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi). |
I am starting this second part of the review in Australia with great friends Deb and Ian, there were just so many highlights during the trip there will be too many to list fully but here are some.
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| Shy / White-capped (Thalassarche cauta). |
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| Buller's Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri). |
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| Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos). |
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| Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris). |
We started off with, what for me was an amazing Pelagic trip out from Port Macdonnell right down in the South East corner of South Australia, I was absolutely over the moon with the five species of Albatross which included
Shy / White-capped (Thalassarche cauta),
Buller's (Thalassarche bulleri),
Yellow-nosed (Thalassarche chlororhynchos),
Black-browed (Thalassarche melanophris) and
Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea
sanfordi).
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| Northern Giant-Petrel (Macronectes halli). |
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| Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur). |
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| Grey-backed Storm-Petrel (Garrodia nereis). |
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| Cape Petrel (Daption capense). |
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| Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera). |
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| Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus). |
We also saw several other sea bird species including
Northern Giant-Petrel (Macronectes halli),
Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur),
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel (Garrodia nereis),
Cape (Daption capense) and
Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) and
Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus).
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| Gibber Chat (Ashbyia lovensis). |
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Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri).
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Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis).
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| Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli). |
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| Sandhill Grasswren (Amytornis striatus oweni). |
We headed back North to Eagle View which was Deb and Ian's farm and our main base but almost immediately we were off on our second and probably best adventure into the remote Outback of the APY Lands right up in the North West part of the State, there were so many amazing species there are too many to list but a few were
Gibber Chat (Ashbyia lovensis),
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri),
Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera),
Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis),
Dusky (Amytornis purnelli) and
Sandhill Grasswren (Amytornis striatus oweni),
Grey (Falco hypoleucos) and
Black Falcon (Falco subniger),
Bourke's Parrot (Neophema bourkii),
Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata),
Grey-headed Honeyeater (Ptilotula keartlandi) and masses more. |
| Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata). |
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| Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos). |
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| Black Falcon (Falco subniger). |
We returned to Eagle View but we were soon off again on a flight up to Cairns to spend 16 days exploring the different habitats up there including wetlands, Rain forest, beaches and Reef Islands, highlights were Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius),
Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus),
Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris),
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina),
Victoria's Riflebird (Lophorina victoriae),
Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus),
Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus),
Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus),
Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis),
Australian Swiftlet (Aerodramus terraereginae),
Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea),
Red-necked Crake (Rallina tricolor),
Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris),
Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) and
Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus).
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| Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris). |
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| Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea). |
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| Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius). |
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| Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis). |
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| Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris). |
Out on the Reef we saw
Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus),
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster),
Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) and out on the Daintree River and around some of the lodges we saw
White-throated Nightjar (Eurostopodus mystacalis),
Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra),
Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis),
Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus),
Little Kingfisher (Ceyx pusillus),
Yellow-breasted Boatbill (Machaerirhynchus flaviventer),
Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa),
Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus),
Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica) and so so many others.
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| Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster). |
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| Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus). |
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| Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus). |
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| Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa). |
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| Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra). |
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| Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica). |
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| Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus). |
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| Little Kingfisher (Ceyx pusillus). |
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| White-throated Nightjar (Eurostopodus mystacalis). |
We flew south again and after a few days Deb, Renate and I headed off East to Victoria for a few days, highlights were
Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae),
Gang-Gang Cockatoo (
Callocephalon fimbriatum), Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis),
Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor), Little Lorikeet (Parvipsitta pusilla),
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops),
Flame (Petroica phoenicea) and
Rose Robin (Petroica rosea),
Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata),
Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus),
Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides),
Striated Fieldwren (Calamanthus fuliginosus),
Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus) and again many many more species.
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| Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum). |
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| Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops). |
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| Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus). |
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| Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata). |
We returned to Eagle View again for a while doing some day trips and then headed off up to the North again to Witchilena Station and out along the Birdsville track, we caught up with some very special species again including a couple of the targets I had really wanted to see including
Thick-billed (Amytornis modestus) and
Eyrean Grasswrens (Amytornis goyderi),
Pied (Certhionyx variegatus) and
Black Honeyeater (Sugomel nigrum),
Cinnamon Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma cinnamomeum),
Inland Dotterel (Peltohyas australis),
Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella),
White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus),
Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) and
Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon).
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| Cinnamon Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma cinnamomeum). |
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| Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus). |
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| Inland Dotterel (Peltohyas australis). |
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| Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella). |
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| White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus). |
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| Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica). |
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| Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon). |
Deb had a couple of days work over the one weekend once we returned to Eagle View so her friends Sue and Dave took me out to the South East where we visited several different conservation Parks over two days and added 15 new species to my list and getting me closer to the 400 tick target, some of the species were
Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster),
Gilbert's Whistler (Pachycephala inornata),
Black-eared Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx osculans),
Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus),
Southern Scrub-Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia),
Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopodus argus),
White-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris affinis),
Black-eared Miner (Manorina melanotis),
Striated Grasswren (Amytornis striatus),
Purple-gaped (Lichenostomus cratitius),
White-eared (Nesoptilotis leucotis) and
Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata),
Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus),
Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura) and a good number of stunning Wild Orchids including
Heart lipped Spider-orchid (Caladenia cardiochila), White Wispy Spider Orchid (Caladenia capillata), Blue Fairy Orchid (Pheladenia deformis) and Dwarf Snail Orchid (Pterostylis nana).
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