The Final Wash-up 2013!

Aims for 2013
1. World - 1,520 (actual total - 1,520)       TICK
2. Australia - 600 (actual total - 601)            TICK

Aims for 2014
1. World - travel somewhere new and get lots of new species! (South America???)
2. Australia - 625 (Kimberleys, SE South Australia)

Chasing 600!

My aim at the beginning of the year was to reach 600 bird species for Australia. By the time school finished on the 13th December, I was on 596. What to do? ............

Tuesday, 17th December found me on a Qantas flight to Perth and then a Virgin Australia flight to Albany, in the SW corner of the continent. Targets .... Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird, Western (Rufous) Fieldwren, Noisy Scrub-bird and Carnaby's Black Cockatoo. Excited, anxious and dead-set keen to get birding, I was met by the laconic welcome of Peter John Taylor, birder extra-ordniaire (Birding South-West) and all-round nice guy, who collected me from the airport and away we went - straight to Cheyne's Beach and hopefully four of the five potential lifers.

70 kilometres later we arrived at Cheyne's Beach, to be greeted by hundreds of Tree Martins, who were happily basking on the bitumen (tarmac) road, and the "hoom" of both Common and Brush Bronzewings. Normally both of these pigeons are fairly skittish around humans, but not at Cheyne's Beach - they were happily perched out in the open, calling merrily and allowing for close up viewing.

          Brush Bronzewing

Having booked into the caravan park, Pete and I headed down to the coastal scrub in the late afternoon to start the hunt. A few minutes later, a flock of Carnaby's Black Cockatoos descended on the scrub and started to munch on the banksia bushes. 597! A celebratory "high five" took place. One down, four to go.

          Carnaby's Black Cockatoo

We also had Purple-crowned Lorikeets and Elegant Parrots sweep across the sky above us. From the bushes Pete could hear Western Bristlebirds calling, but he said we needed to head down to the scrub by the foreshore because it was time for the Noisy Scrub-birds. "Time for what?", I thought.

          Purple-crowned Lorikeets

As we neared the scrub, two Noisy Scrub-birds began calling. And they sounded close. "This is easy", I commented. Pete just looked at me. We got to within a few metres of where one of the birds was calling and Pete settled himself in by a small track that dissected the scrub. I started searching for the bird. It sounded like it was next to us. Couldn't see a thing. I suggested that we work our way in. Pete just looked at me. Aftre a frustrating few minutes of staring blankly into the scrub, I gave up and stood next to Pete. And we waited. While we stood watching the track, Pete informed me that Scrub-birds can't fly - they don't have a wish bone! They clamber up branches to sing, and then scrurry along the ground to get from place to place. Strange bird.

At 6:18pm Pete came to attention and motioned to the right hand side of the track. I spotted some movement amongst the undergrowth. Suddenly a Scrub-bird appeared and then nipped back into the bush. I had enough time to get a view through the binoculars and confirm it's identity and then it disappeared momentarily. I grabbed my camera, waiting for a shot. And then, ZIP - this ball of feathers erupted form the scrub and ran like the road-runner across the track. Absolutely no chance of a photo. GONE! I turned to Pete who was looking strangely pleased and I said something like, "Is that it?!" Pete just looked at me. Then he replied, "That was a great view! Most people don't even get that much!".

We settled in to wait again. At 6:32pm (I gathered that it was important to keep time of Noisy Scrub-bird appearances), there was more movement near the edge of the track. This time I had my camera ready. A Scrub-bird briefly appeared, I took the world's worst photo, and then, ZIP - it was across the track and gone. A little crest-fallen I decided not to look at Pete. I knew that spotting two Scrub-birds in one evening was going to be feted. It was only then that I realised that two other birders hovering in the general vicinity didn't see either of them, so I gradually warmed to our success and notched my belt - 598! The obigatory "high five" was shared.

          (My invaluable contribution to the collection of photos of Noisy Scrub-birds!!)     

Pete and I headed back to our cabin, where the staff appeared with straight-from-the-oven-lasagna and salad. We washed it down with a very nice local "red" and I collapsed into bed at about 9:00pm. I had been up since 2:30am (Perth time), and Pete wanted us up at 5:00am to chase down Bristlebirds and Whipbirds. 24 species seen and the promise of lots more the next day. I fell to sleep as I fell on the bed.

Early the next morning Pete asked me whether I had heard the Southern Boobook during the night. Dead people don't hear things. By 5:00am we were on our way. We headed away from the beach into the coastal scrub and very soon heard a Western Whipbird calling. We closed in and waited, peering into the thick foliage. Finally we saw some movement, and then the bird moveed momentarily into a gap and I was able to get a great view through my binoculars. No hope of a photo, but I was "stoked"! I had searched aimlessly on many occasions to find this bird in the Innes National Park in South Australia, so to get a really good look of a long term "hit-list" bird was very pleasing. Skulker number two ticked off. 599 now seen! A happy high-five was celebrated. 

And my hands began twitching! Surely, the next bird was going to be a challenge, I thought. 600 won't be so easy, I reasoned. Finding Bristlebirds, another skulker, is very unpredictable I was told by Pete. "Don't get too excited Mike", I told myself. We turned and began to head further along the sandy track we had been following. And a Western Bristlebird casually walked onto the track in front of us. JOY!! Not content to just show itself, it then sat on a spindly stick right in front of us and began to sing! AWESOME! Pete whipped his camera out too and we snapped happily away! 600!! And it was only 5:30am! I fleetingly thought of giving Pete a hug, but wisely chose an effusive "high-five" instead. All three skulkers seen. Four out of the five targets spotted. Brilliant!

          Western Bristlebird

Once I had calmed down, we decided to head back for some breakfast and then drive to the Stirling Ranges to track down the Western (formerly Rufous) Fieldwren. Soon we were in the car heading inland. Along the way we added to our overall total, including the WA race of Yellow-thoated Miners, which may well be split from their close cousins in eastern Australia.

          Yellow-throated Miner

We eventually reached the ranges, parked the car and headed to Pete's "Secret GPS Spot" for Fieldwrens.............. Nothing. We ventured further in. NIX. We traversed a dirt track. ZILCH. After about an hour of nothing but Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters, who refused to stay still long enough to photograph, we trudged quietly back towards the car. As we reached Pete's "Secret GPS Spot" once more, we heard a Fieldwren call. Scouring the bush, we quickly found it, sitting happily in the open having a lovely sing-a-long. Unlike the Honeyeaters, this little chap was more than happy to pose for photos and so I was able to get a great shot of it. And that was that! It wasn't even lunch and I had seen all five of my targets! 601! Very cool indeed!! Pete and I "high-fived" and then looked at each other and thought, "Now what?"

          Western (Rufous) Fieldwren

Plan B was enacted - head to Albany and check the local wetlands for photo opportunities. After indulging in a CHIKO roll and some chips covered in salt and vinegar for lunch, we spent the afternoon at Lake Seppings, and what a fantastic place this is! Within minutes of starting a walk around the lake I had awesome views of a wide variety of both water birds and bush birds, with many stopping by for a photo shoot. Red-winged Fairy-wren, Western Gerygone, Sacred Kingfisher, Blue-billed and Musk Ducks, and, eventually, Red-eared Firetails along with a many other species. The light was perfect and I was thrilled with the photo opportunities.

          Blue-billed Duck

 

          Musk Duck

          Red-winged Fairy-wren (female)

          Red-winged Fairy-wren (male)

          Red-eared Firetail

          Western Gerygone

          Sacred Kingfisher

Eventually we headed off, arriving back at Cheyne's Beach, hoping to see another view of the Noisy Scrub-bird. We head one calling, but none put in an appearance, reminding me of how well we had actually done the evening before. A delicious chicken curry was served for dinner, and after a brief count of our total - 84, with 5 lifers for Mike (happy boy!), we headed to bed.

We awoke early the next morning with one aim, to photograph a Western Whipbird. We headed out into the coastal scrub bouyant from our success of the last two days. After two and a half hours ... nothing. I hadn't taken a photo of anything, let alone a Whipbird. We had heard one call but it was so far away it was not worth chasing. Having done an enormous loop of the scrub, we wandered back down towards the caravan park, when we suddenly heard a Whipbird very close. Just then, one flew passed us, and another one started calling as well. A pair! We spent the next fifteen minutes quietly tracking them, but they remained very elusive, calling from deep within the scrub, but not showing themselves. They then found a particular bush they especially liked and called happily away to each other, so we waited. And then, without warning, one of them popped up on top of the bush and sang it's heart out! And my camera went into over-drive!! Very, very cool indeed.

          Western Whipbird

We then headed back for breakfast but the bush came alive. I snapped Red-capped Parrot, White-breasted Robin, Western Spinebill (female) and a Western Wattlebird (all endemics to SW Western Australia). What a great way to end my time at Cheyne's Beach!


          Red-capped Parrot

          White-breasted Robin

 

          Western Spinebill (female)

 

          Western Wattlebird

Pete and I hurried back for breakfast, packed up and headed for the airport. I cannot thank Pete enough for his birding, his knowledge and his company. He really knows his stuff and I would recommend him to everyone. I jumped on the plane, absolutely thrilled with my "mad" decision to "dash" to WA, a three hour plane flight from Adelaide. It was worth every cent. 601 species for OZ, 81 species for the two days, and 5 lifers, along with some really pleasing photographs.

Another Excellent Bird Adventure for Pots. (Note contented sigh!)

 

Birds Seen

1. Musk Duck
2. Black Swan
3. Australian Shelduck
4. Australian Wood Duck
5. Grey Teal
6. Northern Mallard
7. Pacific Black Duck
8. Blue-billed Duck
9. Hoary-headed Grebe
10. Great Crested Grebe
11. Common Bronzewing
12. Brush Bronzewing
13. Crested Pigeon
14. Little Pied Cormorant
15. Great Cormorant
16. Little Black Cormorant
17. Australian Pelican
18. White-necked Heron
19. White-faced Heron
20. Australian White Ibis
21. Straw-necked Ibis
22. Yellow-billed Spoonbill
23. Whistling Kite
24. Swamp Harrier
25. Wedge-tailed Eagle
26. Nankeen Kestrel
27. Brown Falcon
28. Purple Swamphen
29. Dusky Moorhen
30. Eurasian Coot
31. Common Greenshank
32. Crested Tern
33. Pacific Gull
34. Silver Gull
35. Carnaby's Black Cockatoo *
36. Galah
37. Purple-crowned Lorikeet
38. Regent Parrot
39. Australian Ringneck
40. Red-capped Parrot
41. Elegant Parrot
42. Laughing Kookaburra
43. Sacred Kingfisher
44. Noisy Scrub-bird *
45. Splendid Fairy-wren
46. Red-winged Fairy-wren
47. Southern Emu-wren
48. Western Bristlebird *
49. White-browed Scrub-wren
50. Western Fieldwren *
51. Western Gerygone
52. Inland Thornbill
53. Western Spinebill
54. Yellow-throated Miner
55. Western Wattlebird
56. Red Wattlebird
57. Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
58. Brown Honeyeater
59. New Holland Honeyeater
60. White-cheeked Honeyeater
61. Western Whipbird *
62. Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
63. White-winged Triller
64. Golden Whistler
65. Black-faced Woodswallow
66. Grey Butcherbird
67. Australian Magpie
68. Grey Currawong
69. Grey Fantail
70. Willie Wagtail
71. Australian Raven
72. Magpie Lark
73. White-breasted Robin
74. Australian Reed-warbler
75. Rufous Songlark
76. Brown Songlark
77. Silvereye
78. Welcome Swallow
79. Tree Martin
80. Red-eared Firetail
81. Australian Pipit

 

 



Birding in the Masai Mara and on Lake Naivasha, Kenya July 2013

I have just returned from another school trip to Kenya and the birding was once again limited but incredibly rewarding. Two of my favourite places in the world, the Masai Mara Game Reserve and Lake Naivasha, both produced some outstanding birding, lots of photo opportunities, and some of the most incredible wildlife moments I have ever experienced, including an up close and personal time with thousands of Black Wildebeest crossing the Mara River as part of their annual "Great Migration". So this post will have a bit of everything - stunning birds, life and death situations, and an array of photos that I hope do justice to both the subjects and the moment!

We stayed in the Mara for three nights at Mara Intrepids. I commend this outstanding lodge to any who may be thinking of heading to Kenya and the Mara. It is a tranquil, delightful place and the service is outstanding. You can check it out at http://www.heritage-eastafrica.com/tented-camps/mara-intrepids/. It is also one of the best places in Kenya to see Schalow's Turaco - one of my favourite birds (oh, and Leopard!).

This year I just have to start with the mammals and reptiles! Our first "game drive" was in the evening and was simply awesome - we came across one leopard on a "kill", and then another hunting impala. We also found a hyaena den and the cubs were almost cute!











However, the next day was quite simply one of the best wildlife experiences I have ever had. We found a cheetah on a fresh "kill" (a poor little baby wildebeest), and then drove through large herds of both black wildebeest and common zebra - many of whom had recently crossed the Mara River from Tanzania into Kenya. The possibility of seeing this "great migration" in action on the river electrified the entire group.





We drove down to where the wildebeest were "massing" - an extra-ordinary sight as hundreds of thousands of these funny looking ungulates bunched around the edges of the steep slopes of the river, waiting for one brave soul to lead the way. Huge Nile crocodiles were positioning themselves for an opportunity to launch an attack once the crossing began. The air of heightening expectation was palpable, and so we waited.......... until after about an hour of indecision, suddenly .........

............... they went! Thousands of animals began pouring down the banks of the Mara. Wildebeest launched themselves into the water and made a dash for the bank on the other side. Crocodiles swept in. Some of our team witnessed the water erupting in front of them, as one enormous crocodile surfaced with half a wildebeest lodged between its jaws! We sat spellbound for what seemed an age until it was time to go. We reluctantly moved away while this most stunning spectacle continued on as more and more wildebeest were driven down the bank by an ancient compulsion to reach the lush new grass on the other side.

On the way back to Intrepids, we saw many different mammal species, including cape buffalo, impala, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, eland, olive baboon, Masai giraffe, warthog, Kirk's dikdik and elephant. There is nothing quite like the wildlife of the Mara - it truly is the "greatest show on earth".  

The next morning dawned with a sense of resignation. How could anything match the events of the day before! Well, were we in for a treat! The first thing we came across was a pride of nine lion attempting to hunt. Initally they unsuccessfully stalked a couple of buffalo, but then turned their attention to a small pod of hippo, allowing for some awesome photo opportunities. After about a half an hour, both parties called it an honourable draw and the lions moved on.

Later that afternoon, a couple of us visited the Musiara Marsh in the western part of the Reserve to do some birding, and came across a hyaena carrying the leg of a zebra in its mouth. There is nothing like the wild!

So, what about the birds?! Well, as usual, they were amazing! White-browed Robin Chats woke us each morning (along with the occasional grunt of a lion somewhere in the distance), and then we were greeted by Grey-headed Bush Shrike, Black-headed Oriole, Tropical and Slate-coloured Boubou, Superb and Ruppell's Starlings, Schalow's Turaco, Common Bulbul and Common Wattle-eye. The plains yielded Crowned, Blacksmith and Spur-winged Plovers, Fischer's Sparrow-lark, Three-banded Plover, White-bellied, Kori and Black-belied Bustards, Ground Hornbill, Helmeted Guineafowl, Black and White-headed Roughwing Swallows, Angola and Wire-tailed Swallows, African Rock and Sand Martins, White-browed Coucal, Sooty and Anteater Chat, Masai Ostrich, Bateleur and Martial Eagles, White-backed and Nubian Vultures, Ring-necked, Red-eyed and Emerald Spotted Doves, Grey Crowned Crane and Red-necked Spurfowl.

A couple of hours at the Musiara Marsh produced some of my favourites including Lilac-breasted Roller, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Fish Eagle, Pygmy Kingfisher, Saddle-billed Stork, Wattled Plover, and a fantastic view of the very rare Rufous-bellied Heron out in the open. Birding in the Mara is always incredibly rewarding - with riverine habitats and swamp systems interspersed amongst the rolling savanna grasslands. No lifers, but a brilliant time none-the-less.

Grey-headed Bush Shrike

Black-bellied Bustard

Nubian Vulture

White-browed Robin Chat

Red-necked Spurfowl

Crowned Plover

Three-banded Plover

Wattled Plover

Lilac-breasted Roller

Ring-necked Dove

Crowned Crane

The second part of our trip that involved serious birding was an afternoon spent at Lake Naivasha, located in the Great Rift Valley some 100kms west of Nairobi. Lake Naivasha is a fresh water lake, unlike many of the soda lakes spread along the floor of the Valley. It is a haven for both birds and mammals. A quiet walk through the gardens of the Lake Naivasha Country Club yielded its normal abundant array of bird-life, including African Hoopoe, Grey-backed Fiscal, White-browed Robin Chat, Cape Robin Chat, Common Drongo, Dusky Flycatcher, African Paradise Flycatcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Superb Starling and many others.

However, the best way to see birds at Lake Naivasha is to go on a boat ride. All up we saw seven different species of Heron (Black, Black-headed, Grey, Purple, Squacco, Goliath and Black-crowned), African Jacana, Yellow-billed Stork, Egrets (Great, Yellow-billed, Cattle and Little), White-breasted and Long-tailed Cormorant, Kingfishers (Giant, Pied and Malachite), Grey-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Great White Pelican, Hadada and Sacred Ibis, Red-knobbed Coot, Yellow-billed Duck and Hottentot Teal, Little Grebe, and the icon of the lake, the African Fish Eagle.

African Hoopoe

Grey-headed Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Cape Robin Chat

Squacco Heron

African Jacana

Great White Egret

Yellow-billed Stork

Purple Heron

Goliath Heron

African Fish Eagle!

And we saw some hippos up close and personal!

If you have never been to Kenya, put it on your bucket list. It is absolutely stunning! Oh, and I saw this beautiful Bronze Sunbird in Nairobi! Enjoy!