Gemfyre
Well-known member
Last Friday I had a day off. The day before Chris and Stu, my fellow assistant wardens had their day off. Their plan for the day was to visit a few birding spots around the place to see how good they were and if they were worth visiting during the birding course we are about to give here. The first place they went was Collins Lagoon. We had heard of Collins Lagoon but had no idea where it was. Chris Hassel, another local birder was shocked we’d never been told its location and let us know how to get there. He also told us that Collins was where the green pygmy geese were.
The guys got the pygmy geese, then went on to various other places on a big twitch and ended up with 136 birds between them for the day. Pretty impressive.
So yeah, my day off. I badly wanted to see these pygmy geese because they were a lifer for me. So about 7:30am I headed across Roebuck Plains on my way to Collins Lagoon.
Roebuck Plains
On the plains I saw 4 Brolga, many Australian Pipit, a few Magpies (a surprisingly uncommon bird up here) and very little else. I didn’t stop at Tagarana Bore, a good spot for Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Banded Honeyeater, Tawny Frogmouth and White-winged Triller. The guys however did stop here the day before. Not much to see on the highway on the way to the lagoon apart from a lot of escaped cows on the side of the road and one unfortunate bovine that got hit and left a charming odour up the road.
Collins Lagoon
Eventually I reached the turnoff to the lagoon and entered the property. I’d been given the instructions, “Don’t just stop at the first bit of water. There are a few small ponds leading up to the lagoon.” At the first of these I saw Black-fronted Dotterel, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Grey Teal and a Little Pied Cormorant. In the bush nearby I could hear Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey-crowned Babbler and Rufous Whistler.
The small ponds weren’t the best because the birds around them were skittish and flew off as soon as they noticed me. So I kept driving along and came to a clearing full of cows… and Collins Lagoon. I parked not too close, got my scope and walked closer and set up. Wow.
Right nearby was a flock of Crested Pigeon. On the shores where both Black-fronted Dotterel and Red-kneed Dotterel as a couple of Black-winged Stilt. I began to scan the ducks on the far side of the lake. Grey Teal, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Grey Teal… Green Pygmy Goose! Just a pair, bobbing along among the ducks, but very distinctive. They were bigger than expected, more close to the size of the Grey Teal than the Australasian Grebes which also floated on the far side of the water. Three Australian Wood Ducks stood on the far shore – an unusual bird for the area. As I watched a flock of about 30 Cockatiel alighted on the shore near me and took a quick drink. I could hear Galah, Striated Pardalote and Black-tailed Treecreeper in the trees on the far shore.
Taylor’s Lagoon
Collins Lagoon is near to another plains watering hole that I am familiar with called Taylor’s Lagoon. There are 3 main lakes on Roebuck Plains, unfortunately due to this years failed wet season the two largest are dry. I have visited Lake Campion once and have yet to see Lake Eda at all. Taylor’s however still has water in it. Near one of the gates leading to the lagoon I saw Yellow-tinted Honeyeater. I didn’t spend long at this lake, or try very hard to see certain birds but I did see among others – Black-winged stilt, Australasian Grebe, Red-necked Avocet, Common Greenshank, Grey Teal, Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck, Masked Lapwing and a single Long-toed Stint.
Kanagae Estate
I now had to head into Broome because the Troopy desperately needed fuel. Had the fuel not been at such a crisis I was very tempted to continue on to Willare Bridge for the possibility of seeing crocodiles as well as out of Broome birds like Leaden Flycatcher. I however stop by at Kanagae Estate at Twelve Mile – a suburb 12 miles out of Broome township. Kanagae is a mango plantation, they make mango wine and various other mango treats, clothing dyed with the local red pindan dirt and the lovely soap I am addicted to. I also discovered this was a pretty good place to bird. Here I found White-throated Honeyeaters, including a fledgling being fed, White-gaped Honeyeaters and Pied Butcherbirds galore. I didn’t see the resident Pheasant Coucal however.
Sewer Works
Having to go to Broome for fuel anyway I decided that I may as well visit the Sewer Works and bump up my day’s list. There are many other places around town I could have visited, including a bush that yields Red-headed Honeyeater 99% of the time. But I wasn’t really trying for birds this day. The sewer works are always great for birds and among others I saw Pelican, Royal Spoonbill, Australian White Ibis, Plumed Whistling Duck, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Eurasian Coot, Whiskered Tern, Silver Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Knot, Common Sandpiper and Pacific Golden Plover (some of the first for the season).
Shorebirds
As I headed back out to Observatory it was high tide. Really, I couldn’t shun the opportunity to ogle a few thousand shorebirds on my way back. So I visited the three beaches that are the best for shorebirds at the moment – Campsite, Richard’s Point and Wader Beach. I was not disappointed. The list for these beaches includes, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Great Knot, Red Knot, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Greenshank, Pied Oystercatcher, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Whimbrel and Eastern Curlew. I also specifically checked out some buoys far out to sea and found Brown Booby.
Broome Bird Observatory
I ate my lunch in the shadehouse/camp kitchen as usual. This must be the best kitchen in the world for birdwatching – it looks out on 3 bird baths. While at the Obs I saw the usual suspects, Brown Honeyeater (in their hundreds), Rufous-throated Honeyeater, Rainbow Bee-eater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Variegated Fairy-wren, Mistletoebird, White-throated Gerygone, Bar-shouldered Dove, Double-barred Finch, Great Bowerbird and Rufous Whistler, among others. I wrote up my list for the day and discovered I was standing at 98 birds. I could not let this be…
Mangroves
I waited for the tide to recede a little before hitting the mangroves at One Tree near Crab Creek. Again, I wasn’t putting in a load of effort to get birds here, but I easily got over my hundred for the day by visiting. In the mangrove trees I found Broad-billed Flycatcher, Dusky Gerygone and Mangrove Grey Fantail. On the mudflats I got the prerequisite resident water birds such as Eastern Reef Egret, Great Egret, Little Egret, Mangrove Heron and Jabiru. Brahminy Kites and White-bellied Sea-eagles soared about and on the way back to the car I saw a Peregrine Falcon chasing a Collared Sparrohawk. I came home pretty happy and very tired and sunburnt!
The guys also visited a wetland known as Nimaliaca Claypan which yields uncommon birds for the area such as Northern Fantail, Clamorous Reed-warbler and Purple Swamphen and a woodland area called the Gravel Pit which is another place Broome rarities such as Varied Sittella, Black-Tailed Treecreeper and Little Woodswallow are commonplace. I got 110 birds, pretty decent for one person who wasn’t really trying hard.
The list for the day
Australasian Grebe
Australian Pelican
Australian Pipit
Australian White Ibis
Australian Wood Duck
Bar-Shouldered Dove
Bar-Tailed Godwit
Black Kite
Black Swan
Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike
Black-Faced Woodswallow
Black-Fronted Dotterel
Black-Shouldered Kite
Black-Tailed Godwit
Black-Tailed Treecreeper
Black-Winged Stilt
Brahminy Kite
Broad-Billed Sandpiper
Brolga
Brown Booby
Brown Falcon
Brown Honeyeater
Caspian Tern
Cockatiel
Collared Sparrowhawk
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Crested Pigeon
Curlew Sandpiper
Diamond Dove
Double-Barred Finch
Dusky Gerygone
Eastern Curlew
Eurasian Coot
Galah
Great Bowerbird
Great Egret
Great Knot
Greater Sand Plover
Green Pygmy Goose
Grey Plover
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Grey Teal
Grey-Crowned Babbler
Grey-Tailed Tattler
Gull-Billed Tern
Hardhead
Jabiru
Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Sand Plover
Little Corella
Little Eagle
Little Egret
Little Friarbird
Little Pied Cormorant
Long-Tailed Finch
Long-Toed Stint
Magpie
Magpie Lark
Mangrove Grey Fantail
Mangrove Heron
Marsh Sandpiper
Masked Lapwing
Mistletoebird
Nankeen Kestrel
Osprey
Pacific Black Duck
Pacific Golden Plover
Paperbark Flycatcher
Peaceful Dove
Peregrine Falcon
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Cormorant
Pied Oystercatcher
Pink-Eared Duck
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Bee-Eater
Red Knot
Red-Capped Plover
Red-Collared Lorikeet
Red-Kneed Dotterel
Red-Necked Avocet
Red-Necked Stint
Red-Winged Parrot
Royal Spoonbill
Ruddy Turnstone
Rufous Whistler
Rufous-Throated Honeyeater
Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper
Silver Gull
Singing Bushlark
Singing Honeyeater
Straw-Necked Ibis
Striated Pardalote
Terek Sandpiper
Torresian Crow
Variegated Fairy-Wren
Whimbrel
Whiskered Tern
Whistling Kite
White-Bellied Sea Eagle
White-Breasted Woodswallow
White-Gaped Honeyeater
White-Throated Gerygone
White-Throated Honeyeater
White-Winged Triller
Willie Wagtail
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow White-Eye
Yellow-Tinted Honeyeater
The guys got the pygmy geese, then went on to various other places on a big twitch and ended up with 136 birds between them for the day. Pretty impressive.
So yeah, my day off. I badly wanted to see these pygmy geese because they were a lifer for me. So about 7:30am I headed across Roebuck Plains on my way to Collins Lagoon.
Roebuck Plains
On the plains I saw 4 Brolga, many Australian Pipit, a few Magpies (a surprisingly uncommon bird up here) and very little else. I didn’t stop at Tagarana Bore, a good spot for Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Banded Honeyeater, Tawny Frogmouth and White-winged Triller. The guys however did stop here the day before. Not much to see on the highway on the way to the lagoon apart from a lot of escaped cows on the side of the road and one unfortunate bovine that got hit and left a charming odour up the road.
Collins Lagoon
Eventually I reached the turnoff to the lagoon and entered the property. I’d been given the instructions, “Don’t just stop at the first bit of water. There are a few small ponds leading up to the lagoon.” At the first of these I saw Black-fronted Dotterel, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Grey Teal and a Little Pied Cormorant. In the bush nearby I could hear Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey-crowned Babbler and Rufous Whistler.
The small ponds weren’t the best because the birds around them were skittish and flew off as soon as they noticed me. So I kept driving along and came to a clearing full of cows… and Collins Lagoon. I parked not too close, got my scope and walked closer and set up. Wow.
Right nearby was a flock of Crested Pigeon. On the shores where both Black-fronted Dotterel and Red-kneed Dotterel as a couple of Black-winged Stilt. I began to scan the ducks on the far side of the lake. Grey Teal, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Grey Teal… Green Pygmy Goose! Just a pair, bobbing along among the ducks, but very distinctive. They were bigger than expected, more close to the size of the Grey Teal than the Australasian Grebes which also floated on the far side of the water. Three Australian Wood Ducks stood on the far shore – an unusual bird for the area. As I watched a flock of about 30 Cockatiel alighted on the shore near me and took a quick drink. I could hear Galah, Striated Pardalote and Black-tailed Treecreeper in the trees on the far shore.
Taylor’s Lagoon
Collins Lagoon is near to another plains watering hole that I am familiar with called Taylor’s Lagoon. There are 3 main lakes on Roebuck Plains, unfortunately due to this years failed wet season the two largest are dry. I have visited Lake Campion once and have yet to see Lake Eda at all. Taylor’s however still has water in it. Near one of the gates leading to the lagoon I saw Yellow-tinted Honeyeater. I didn’t spend long at this lake, or try very hard to see certain birds but I did see among others – Black-winged stilt, Australasian Grebe, Red-necked Avocet, Common Greenshank, Grey Teal, Hardhead, Pacific Black Duck, Masked Lapwing and a single Long-toed Stint.
Kanagae Estate
I now had to head into Broome because the Troopy desperately needed fuel. Had the fuel not been at such a crisis I was very tempted to continue on to Willare Bridge for the possibility of seeing crocodiles as well as out of Broome birds like Leaden Flycatcher. I however stop by at Kanagae Estate at Twelve Mile – a suburb 12 miles out of Broome township. Kanagae is a mango plantation, they make mango wine and various other mango treats, clothing dyed with the local red pindan dirt and the lovely soap I am addicted to. I also discovered this was a pretty good place to bird. Here I found White-throated Honeyeaters, including a fledgling being fed, White-gaped Honeyeaters and Pied Butcherbirds galore. I didn’t see the resident Pheasant Coucal however.
Sewer Works
Having to go to Broome for fuel anyway I decided that I may as well visit the Sewer Works and bump up my day’s list. There are many other places around town I could have visited, including a bush that yields Red-headed Honeyeater 99% of the time. But I wasn’t really trying for birds this day. The sewer works are always great for birds and among others I saw Pelican, Royal Spoonbill, Australian White Ibis, Plumed Whistling Duck, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Eurasian Coot, Whiskered Tern, Silver Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Knot, Common Sandpiper and Pacific Golden Plover (some of the first for the season).
Shorebirds
As I headed back out to Observatory it was high tide. Really, I couldn’t shun the opportunity to ogle a few thousand shorebirds on my way back. So I visited the three beaches that are the best for shorebirds at the moment – Campsite, Richard’s Point and Wader Beach. I was not disappointed. The list for these beaches includes, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Great Knot, Red Knot, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Greenshank, Pied Oystercatcher, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Whimbrel and Eastern Curlew. I also specifically checked out some buoys far out to sea and found Brown Booby.
Broome Bird Observatory
I ate my lunch in the shadehouse/camp kitchen as usual. This must be the best kitchen in the world for birdwatching – it looks out on 3 bird baths. While at the Obs I saw the usual suspects, Brown Honeyeater (in their hundreds), Rufous-throated Honeyeater, Rainbow Bee-eater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Variegated Fairy-wren, Mistletoebird, White-throated Gerygone, Bar-shouldered Dove, Double-barred Finch, Great Bowerbird and Rufous Whistler, among others. I wrote up my list for the day and discovered I was standing at 98 birds. I could not let this be…
Mangroves
I waited for the tide to recede a little before hitting the mangroves at One Tree near Crab Creek. Again, I wasn’t putting in a load of effort to get birds here, but I easily got over my hundred for the day by visiting. In the mangrove trees I found Broad-billed Flycatcher, Dusky Gerygone and Mangrove Grey Fantail. On the mudflats I got the prerequisite resident water birds such as Eastern Reef Egret, Great Egret, Little Egret, Mangrove Heron and Jabiru. Brahminy Kites and White-bellied Sea-eagles soared about and on the way back to the car I saw a Peregrine Falcon chasing a Collared Sparrohawk. I came home pretty happy and very tired and sunburnt!
The guys also visited a wetland known as Nimaliaca Claypan which yields uncommon birds for the area such as Northern Fantail, Clamorous Reed-warbler and Purple Swamphen and a woodland area called the Gravel Pit which is another place Broome rarities such as Varied Sittella, Black-Tailed Treecreeper and Little Woodswallow are commonplace. I got 110 birds, pretty decent for one person who wasn’t really trying hard.
The list for the day
Australasian Grebe
Australian Pelican
Australian Pipit
Australian White Ibis
Australian Wood Duck
Bar-Shouldered Dove
Bar-Tailed Godwit
Black Kite
Black Swan
Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike
Black-Faced Woodswallow
Black-Fronted Dotterel
Black-Shouldered Kite
Black-Tailed Godwit
Black-Tailed Treecreeper
Black-Winged Stilt
Brahminy Kite
Broad-Billed Sandpiper
Brolga
Brown Booby
Brown Falcon
Brown Honeyeater
Caspian Tern
Cockatiel
Collared Sparrowhawk
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Crested Pigeon
Curlew Sandpiper
Diamond Dove
Double-Barred Finch
Dusky Gerygone
Eastern Curlew
Eurasian Coot
Galah
Great Bowerbird
Great Egret
Great Knot
Greater Sand Plover
Green Pygmy Goose
Grey Plover
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Grey Teal
Grey-Crowned Babbler
Grey-Tailed Tattler
Gull-Billed Tern
Hardhead
Jabiru
Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Sand Plover
Little Corella
Little Eagle
Little Egret
Little Friarbird
Little Pied Cormorant
Long-Tailed Finch
Long-Toed Stint
Magpie
Magpie Lark
Mangrove Grey Fantail
Mangrove Heron
Marsh Sandpiper
Masked Lapwing
Mistletoebird
Nankeen Kestrel
Osprey
Pacific Black Duck
Pacific Golden Plover
Paperbark Flycatcher
Peaceful Dove
Peregrine Falcon
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Cormorant
Pied Oystercatcher
Pink-Eared Duck
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Bee-Eater
Red Knot
Red-Capped Plover
Red-Collared Lorikeet
Red-Kneed Dotterel
Red-Necked Avocet
Red-Necked Stint
Red-Winged Parrot
Royal Spoonbill
Ruddy Turnstone
Rufous Whistler
Rufous-Throated Honeyeater
Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper
Silver Gull
Singing Bushlark
Singing Honeyeater
Straw-Necked Ibis
Striated Pardalote
Terek Sandpiper
Torresian Crow
Variegated Fairy-Wren
Whimbrel
Whiskered Tern
Whistling Kite
White-Bellied Sea Eagle
White-Breasted Woodswallow
White-Gaped Honeyeater
White-Throated Gerygone
White-Throated Honeyeater
White-Winged Triller
Willie Wagtail
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow White-Eye
Yellow-Tinted Honeyeater
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