DBPs with colour, Phillip Island

Double-banded plover Charadrius bicinctus, Phillip Island, 9 Aug 2014

I was interested to see photos of Double-banded plovers taken recently in Werribee, Victoria. The photos showed breeding plumage so I was inspired to pay a visit to Observation Point yesterday as I knew that these birds had frequented the sandy spit in our autumn earlier this year.

I have never seen them in colour before until yesterday. What handsome little birds!

They have intrigued me as they have a unique migration pattern - breeding in New Zealand and wintering in Australia. Pizzey states that part of the South Island (NZ) population migrates annually and spends February - September in Southern Australia.

I think we have a male (left) and female (right) in this shot. Rather than black, the female is said to have a brown upper band and less black and white markings on the forehead.

Female DBP feeding

While enjoying these birds' breeding colours for the first time there was an unexpected visitor ...

I have not seen a Ruddy turnstone at Observation Point before. It wandered around and fed in characteristic fashion.

Something about the angle of shot and posture of the turnstone implies that the two species are a similar size although the turnstone is generally slightly larger than the DBP

Ruddy turnstone vigorously flicking seaweed and other debris out of the way in characteristic fashion 

RT: "Yeah, I couldn't be fagged flying all the way to Siberia this year. "
DBP: "Choice Bro"

Another migrant dropped in for a real meeting of ways. Now we have (L-R) DBP, Red-necked stint and Ruddy turnstone

Red-necked stint

Caspian tern

Caspian terns, Observation Point, Phillip Island, Vic

Crested terns

Jeff lacked subtlety at times

The "usual plovers" being Hooded plovers (a nice gathering of four birds) and Red-capped plovers (just a single bird identified) were far outnumbered by the Double-banded visitors.

Having already had an interesting and enjoyable outing I was treated on the walk back to a White-breasted sea eagle fly-by.

Something up ahead!!!

White-bellied sea eagle, Observation Point beach, Phillip Island

When kids get hold of your phone .... I hadn't noticed till too late that my iphone camera was applying filters to today's shots. Thanks Hannah!

Sharing with I'd Rather B Birdin'

Bird on!

Birds of the Roebuck Plains

The town of Broome in Western Australia is a well-known birding destination. The tidal mudflats of Roebuck Bay play host to large numbers of migratory waders and it is on these shores that the Birdlife Australia Broome Bird Observatory is located. The observatory provides information, walking trails, bird hides and camping accommodation. It also offers tours and it was a tour called the Lakes Tour that I joined on 24 August 2012.

The trusty vehicle our guide had grown to love, Roebuck Plains

The tour gives access to land owned by the Roebuck Plains Cattle station. It is my understanding that the Roebuck Plains area was originally the massive delta of the Fitzroy River - a large river system that now flows into the King Sound. In "the wet" the plains are awash and impassable. The tour runs in the dry season and visits three residual shallow lakes as they dry out.

Our guide Theresa, a visiting Spanish ornithologist, was a gun at bird ID. This is Lake Campion. We are viewing birds on the other side of the lake.

I was impressed by the Google earth image showing a striking difference in the topography between the plains and the surrounding West Kimberley bush. This is not really appreciable as you zip along Highway One!

This was classic long-range birding using scopes and binoculars. Up close photographic opportunities were few but many species were identified including several lifers.

"Is there a particular bird you would like to see?" asked Theresa
"I have never seen Australian bustard." Sure enough we had our tick within the hour.

Four of a group of seven Australian bustard wandering away from the track

Our first stop was at Lake Eda - we were met with fine views of a White-bellied sea eagle. Brolga were readily seen around the area. Taken through the tinted windscreen of a slowly-moving car these photos are particularly poor but I am amused by the pictures of this bird descending with its landing gear down.

White-bellied sea eagle, Lake Eda

White-bellied sea eagle

Brolga descent and then grazing near Lake Eda

Lake Eda was followed by Lake Campion and then Taylor's Lagoon. At each lake I practiced trying to differentiate between the different waders present (Wood and Marsh sandpiper principally). I enjoyed my first ever sighting of Cockatiel (albeit at a great distance). Australian pratincole paraded obligingly.

Australian pratincole, Lake Eda

An across-the-lake view of a group of Cockatiel, Lake Eda

Not my kit .... unfortunately! Yes I was "out-lensed", Taylor's Lagoon

Red-backed kingfisher

Rainbow bee-eaters

Black-winged stilt

We had a few Zebra finch encounters (above) but my favourite photo opportunity of the day would have to be the Long-tailed finch that came down to drink near a magnificently placed branch!

Long-tailed finch, Taylor's Lagoon

77 species were seen in all including many ducks and other water fowl, budgerigar, raptors. You can see the entire list here (Eremaea website).

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

White-bellied sea eagles, Goodradigbee River

In the recent heat wave conditions the increasingly shallow waters of the Goodradigbee River lost their usual mountain stream chill. With water temperatures as high as 28 degrees celsius we started to notice that every 100 metres or so one or two dead fish could be seen and this appears to have attracted scavengers. White-bellied sea eagle are a familiar sighting around the Burrinjuck Dam 8km downstream and are known to nest in the area. While doing a spot of trout fishing along the Goodradigbee River near Micalong Creek we were surprised to see a pair of sea eagles on the river and this in one of it's steeper gullies.

White-bellied sea eagle gaining height after being surprised by fisherman on the Goodradigbee River, NSW

We caught nothing by the way and blamed the warm water! Most of the dead fish were small (15-20cm) but this magnificent Brown Trout was found floating in the Micalong Creek! Tragic!

River scene where the sea eagles were seen. The river bank also shows the damage from last year's floods 

More images of the Goodradigbee River near Swinging Bridge Reserve (Jan 2012)

Platypus photographed from across the river at Swinging Bridge Reserve (Jan 2012, before the flood, not seen this year) 

Two images from the flood plain (and sometimes bed of the Burrinjuck Dam). Currently much water has been let out of the dam which was full in recent months

Bird on!