2014 - Can I see 1000 species? (1 Viewer)

[Edward]

I walked all the way to Greene's Falls, which were dry, on the way, a large - ish dark bird was hiding in a tangle of vines and brush, which not only stayed for ID, but pics too:
479) PARADISE RIFLEBIRD - two oz birders I met were a bit miffed I saw this! However, one of them put me on to another species, which I eventually found:
480) SPOTTED QUAIL-THRUSH- really lovely
Back up the trails to near where they all meet, the trees were suddenly alive with birds. Several King Parrots, a good number of Satin Bowerbirds, including several males. Also a number of delightful:
481) WOMPOO FRUIT DOVES
After eating lunch back at the car park I did the rainforest trail anti-clockwise, and found Edward's bird:
482) LOGRUNNER
So overall, a good day, with Pitta and Paradise Riflebird right up there in the top ten seen so far!

Now I'm envious Jon! Spotted Quail-thrush is my no. 1 target in the Brisbane area and I heard that they'd become a bit difficult in recent years. Is Greene's Falls at Maiala? Sounds like an excellent day. I need better views of Paradise Riflebird too.

 

[Jon Turner]

Now I'm envious Jon! Spotted Quail-thrush is my no. 1 target in the Brisbane area and I heard that they'd become a bit difficult in recent years. Is Greene's Falls at Maiala? Sounds like an excellent day. I need better views of Paradise Riflebird too.

Yes indeed Edward, it is the longest trail at Maiala, but it was well worth it. The Logrunner is pretty beautiful too - sadly too dark for decent pics, and the Quail-thrush was gone before the camera was in operation.:t:

 

[Jon Turner]

OK, off to Sydney tomorrow - I think we are quite close to the Botanic Gardens in the centre of the city. Any other easy to get to places? We have a trip to the Blue Mountains, then a day or two to do the harbour etc.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Congrats on the quail-thrush. And seeing a male Paradise Riflebird is good going too :t:

 

[Jon Turner]

Congrats on the quail-thrush. And seeing a male Paradise Riflebird is good going too :t:

Thanks, Larry,
Unbelievable luck, with a little dogged persistence thrown in, ah the privilege of nothing better to do....

 

[Jon Turner]

Early morning walk around the property revealed
483) STRIPED HONEYEATER
484) GREY-CROWNED BABBLER

Hope to be adding a few more in and around Sydney before we leave OZ in a few days time.

 

[njlarsen]

For comparison: two visits, one to Victoria and one to Queensland totaling less than 5 weeks netted 339 species total

Niels

 

[Jon Turner]

For comparison: two visits, one to Victoria and one to Queensland totaling less than 5 weeks netted 339 species total

Niels

Thanks Niels, I have 16 days, and 3 other non-birders in the group..... I'll just have to come back!!
AND, I saw some Swiftlets over the forest yesterday, with a few bigger Swifts, with square-ended tails - not the same as the Fork-tails I saw at Werribee..... PacIfic?

 

[njlarsen]

A large square-tailed species seen in Sidney(???) Can that be anything but white-throated needle tail?

Even if it was seen N of Sidney, I think that description ends at the same species. The Swiftlets seems to have been out of range if in Sidney.

Pacific Swift seems to be the same as Fork-tailed.

Niels

 

[chowchilla]

Indeed Pacific and Fork-tailed are the same species. Swiftlets (the ones you saw around Cairns) are not found that far south. White-throated Needletails are enormous and the white can clearly be seen. If your birds were all dark, then unlikely to be this species.

 

[Jon Turner]

A large square-tailed species seen in Sidney(???) Can that be anything but white-throated needle tail?

Even if it was seen N of Sidney, I think that description ends at the same species. The Swiftlets seems to have been out of range if in Sidney.

Pacific Swift seems to be the same as Fork-tailed.

Niels

I have unwittingly misled you Niels, these were over the rainforest up at Mt Glorious.

 

[Jon Turner]

I've just spotted this. Just to be sure: have you got Little Pied Cormorant for the year because that's what we saw, not Pied.

No, so

485) LITTLE PIED CORMORANT

 

[Larry Sweetland]

No, so

485) LITTLE PIED CORMORANT

I'd be surprised if you didn't see this one in NZ, where they call it Little Pied Shag (and maybe other names) and some of them in NZ have mostly black underparts, so can look very different. A bit like those kingfish.........ooops sorry

 

[Jon Turner]

I'd be surprised if you didn't see this one in NZ, where they call it Little Pied Shag (and maybe other names) and some of them in NZ have mostly black underparts, so can look very different. A bit like those kingfish.........ooops sorry

I had a sneaking feeling that I was fully shagged up. Got distracted by the harbour bridge and opera house yesterday, so no more to add. Off to the Blue Mountains today, but it's a touristy trip, so not expecting much.

 

[Allen S. Moore]

I had a sneaking feeling that I was fully shagged up.

I'm not sure what to make of that statement! Is it what we usually think about at least part of that phrase (as in very tired), or is it as in your more recent condition of being kingfishered up?

 

[njlarsen]

Jon, have you reached some type of conclusion on the swifts yet?

Niels

 

[Jon Turner]

I'm not sure what to make of that statement! Is it what we usually think about at least part of that phrase (as in very tired), or is it as in your more recent condition of being kingfishered up?

I'll leave that to your discretion ... Kingfishers, Shags, Swifts, others things I couldn't identify, tired and emotional would sum it up!

 

[Jon Turner]

Jon, have you reached some type of conclusion about the swifts yet?

Niels

If the only square-tailed Swift is the Needletail, I can't claim it - I didn't get any white at all, so I guess they must have been Fork-tailed/Pacific, so no addition to the score there then.
We went up to the Blue Mountains on the tourist trail today. The only oneI can confidwently add to the list is:
485) Crimson Rosella - quite a few over the motorways.

There was a small flock of tiny finches seen from the Skytrain. They had black tails - could they have been Diamond Firetails?

 

[chris butterworth]

There was a small flock of tiny finches seen from the Skytrain. They had black tails - could they have been Diamond Firetails?

If they looked brownish / greyish with a red rump and black tail then, yes. If they were rather olive, except for the red rump and black tail, then they could have been Red-browed.

 

[Jon Turner]

If they looked brownish / greyish with a red rump and black tail then, yes. If they were rather olive, except for the red rump and black tail, then they could have been Red-browed.

Brownish and greyish sounds good, and I've seen lots of Red-browed, which always seemed close to the ground, not flying from the top of tall gum trees across a huge gorge!
And thanks Chris for monitoring this thread while you've been away working in the far east!