• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Two Months of Lifers Down Under (2 Viewers)

delia todd

If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
Scotland
Part 1: 21 September to 4 October
Based in Wellington Point, Brisbane

As the title suggests I spent two months in Australia with Life Birds hitting me in the face at every turn (I didn't see too many introduced species).

After the long flight from Edinburgh a very tired old lady landed in Brisbane and was met by BF member Mzungo (Ken Doy) and his lovely wife Judy who had invited me to stay with them for 12 days at their house on Wellington Point, a city suburb on the coast.

The first bird I saw as we left the airport was a Noisy Miner, followed shortly after by a Masked Lapwing feeding on a grass verge. I discovered they were all over the place in Queensland.

Before going to their house we detoured to the promenade at Wellington Point (hereinafter will be reduced to WP, if that's OK with you;)) to see what was there; the main species was my first ever pelican - Australian Pelican.

Arriving at their house more new birds in Australian Magpie, Rainbow Lorikeet, Grey Butcherbird and Laughing Kookaburra. These were all constant visitors to the garden.

All these before I'd even got into the house and unpacked. Ken and Judy kindly left me alone to recover from the journey; two nights in a plane with not much sleep. I found myself falling asleep at the dinner table that night! Early night called for.

The next morning I did wake early, knowing that Ken planned to walk out onto the beach. But I never heard him moving about and when I went through soon after 7am Judy said he'd gone. So she took me down and spotted him in the far distance - so off I set through the mud to catch up with him.

En route I found a Silver Gull, then some more having a battle with an Australian Ibis taking no notice of them.
 

Attachments

  • Grey Butcherbirdbf.jpg
    Grey Butcherbirdbf.jpg
    232.7 KB · Views: 145
  • Noisy Minor bf.jpg
    Noisy Minor bf.jpg
    176.1 KB · Views: 119
  • Rainbow Lorikeetbf.jpg
    Rainbow Lorikeetbf.jpg
    196.4 KB · Views: 104
  • Silver Gull bf.jpg
    Silver Gull bf.jpg
    249.1 KB · Views: 114
  • Silver Gull & Australian Ibis.jpg
    Silver Gull & Australian Ibis.jpg
    267.8 KB · Views: 118
I finally managed to attract Ken's attention before he headed off out of sight and we met up near the island, when up popped a Brahminy Kite.... needed to practise flight shots, got one or two reasonable ones.... well at least IDable birds!

Then Ken spotted a White-breasted Woodswallow on top of a tree (a mangrove I think). Wandering back along the beach near the tide line Ken found for me Red-necked Stint (tiny, distant, in the mud doesn't make for a great picture). Then a Pied Oystercatcher, quickly followed by a Grey-tailed Tattler with another group of stints.

My head was beginning to spin!!!
 

Attachments

  • Brahminny Kitebf thread.jpg
    Brahminny Kitebf thread.jpg
    90.9 KB · Views: 108
  • White-breasted Woodswallowbf.jpg
    White-breasted Woodswallowbf.jpg
    143.8 KB · Views: 98
  • Red-necked Stintbf thread.jpg
    Red-necked Stintbf thread.jpg
    263.5 KB · Views: 117
  • Pied Oystercatcherbf thread.jpg
    Pied Oystercatcherbf thread.jpg
    162 KB · Views: 94
  • Grey-tailed Tattlerbf thread.jpg
    Grey-tailed Tattlerbf thread.jpg
    304.4 KB · Views: 107
Last edited:
Continuing our wander my first view of a White-faced Heron was as he flew by. I then got a rather closer view of an Australian Ibis (these guys were everywhere, so easy to spot flying over the city streets). Shortly after I saw one of my favourite larger waders, the Pied Stilt, such handsome birds these. I got a fly-by of a Pelican shortly after that.... how these big guys manage to take off I don't know LOL.

That finished the beach, but on the walk back up the road there was a Masked Plover on a grass patch between some houses (probably had a nest in there somewhere).
 

Attachments

  • White-faced Heron flightbf thread.jpg
    White-faced Heron flightbf thread.jpg
    236.7 KB · Views: 98
  • Australian Ibisbf thread.jpg
    Australian Ibisbf thread.jpg
    309.1 KB · Views: 74
  • Pied Stiltbf thread.jpg
    Pied Stiltbf thread.jpg
    221.7 KB · Views: 99
  • Australian Pelican flightbf thread.jpg
    Australian Pelican flightbf thread.jpg
    368.2 KB · Views: 138
  • Masked Lapwingbf thread.jpg
    Masked Lapwingbf thread.jpg
    350.6 KB · Views: 86
Thanks Mike.

No.... he just flew straight past me and kept going.
 
Sorry Delia but I just can't picture you as a "tired old lady"!

Some lovely photos of some great birds! I have family in Oz I have been talking about visiting for years - I have a feeling this report is going to strengthen my resolve! Keep it coming Lass!

Chris
 
Just to finish off that day a couple of oddity pictures.

An unidentified shell. Sorry, not in focus, An attempt to take it one-handed didn't really work out!

A baby mangrove - apparently the beach was all mangrove before humans arrived and there's more and more being destroyed I understand.

Some coconuts growing in Ken's garden. Wouldn't fancy one of them falling on my head.
 

Attachments

  • Shellbf thread.jpg
    Shellbf thread.jpg
    71.5 KB · Views: 62
  • Mangrove saplingbf thread.jpg
    Mangrove saplingbf thread.jpg
    385.2 KB · Views: 62
  • Coconutbf thread.jpg
    Coconutbf thread.jpg
    299 KB · Views: 63
Sorry Delia but I just can't picture you as a "tired old lady"!

Some lovely photos of some great birds! I have family in Oz I have been talking about visiting for years - I have a feeling this report is going to strengthen my resolve! Keep it coming Lass!

Chris

Thanks Chris.... you gotta believe it.... I really was tired and I'm old;)
 
Some fine pictures (and lifers) to start your trip in Australia. Looking forward to seeing more and reading about your trip down under Delia.
 
Sandy Camp Road Wetlands

23 September 2019

We were off early the next morning and headed off to the wetlands, first stopping off at (I think) Lindum to see what was there. Mainly Pied Stilt, but leaving I got my first sightings of a Galah - I was to see these almost everywhere I went

Arriving at the wetlands a Willie Wagtail was displaying at the side of the track, such fun birds to watch these and another species I saw in most places. Also at this spot was a little flock of Double-barred Finches and a Peaceful Dove.... couldn't believe how tiny these doves were.

On the water first to be seen was a Pacific Black Duck together with a Dusky Moorhen.
 
Forgot the pictures, sorry.
 

Attachments

  • Galahbf thread.jpg
    Galahbf thread.jpg
    346.8 KB · Views: 84
  • Willie Wagtail adult & young.jpg
    Willie Wagtail adult & young.jpg
    132.7 KB · Views: 77
  • Double-barred Finchbf thread.jpg
    Double-barred Finchbf thread.jpg
    346.6 KB · Views: 94
  • Peaceful Dovebf thread.jpg
    Peaceful Dovebf thread.jpg
    256 KB · Views: 80
  • Pacific Black Duck & Dusky Moorhenbf thread.jpg
    Pacific Black Duck & Dusky Moorhenbf thread.jpg
    227 KB · Views: 90
Yes, Nora... plenty more to come.

Are you back home now? Such a shame we didn't manage to meet up.
 
Nice one Delia, there's nothing quite like a first visit to Aus for a European birder. I recall how mindblown I was on my first day. Landed in Darwin at night time, borrowed a pushbike and spent an exhausting day just exploring and saying "Wow!" all day long.
 
LOL yeah... it really was a bit like that for me too Larry. My head seemed to be constantly on the turn looking at new things ... and not just birds. Everything was different, trees, flowers, animals and the culture too.

I had to give up trying to write a list as I went along but had to try and do it when we got back home!
 
Just to finish off that day a couple of oddity pictures.

An unidentified shell. Sorry, not in focus, An attempt to take it one-handed didn't really work out!

A baby mangrove - apparently the beach was all mangrove before humans arrived and there's more and more being destroyed I understand.

Some coconuts growing in Ken's garden. Wouldn't fancy one of them falling on my head.

Delia,

Don't forget you are in Australia and everything is trying to kill you :eek!:

I know nothing of Australian sea shells but look up "cone shell" and decide whether picking up beach debris is wise or not....

Enjoying your report! :t:

Cheers

John
 
Warning! This thread is more than 1 year ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top