Month: November 2016

FOR SALE: Zeiss Spotting Scope

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the appropriate forum so apologies in advance.

I’ve got a Zeiss Diascope 85mm Spotting scope for sale. (body only). Purchased in May 2016 from Camerahouse Leederville. Selling as I have another spotter that I use and this one doesnt get touched.

Spotting scope is in like new condition with minimal use.

Photos are here:

s12.photobucket.com/user/jeelanamin/slideshow/Optics/Zeiss%20Diascope%20Victory%20FL%2085mm

Retail in Aus is over $3,500. I’m asking $2,000

Perth based buyers are welcome to inspect and have a play with the scope. Please contact me for queries if interested.

cheers

Jeelan Amin
jeelan@safaridreaming.com

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

RFI Western NSW

I am out there fairly regularly and I was up in Macquarie Marshes about a
month ago and LC and Louth in June/July. A few comments:

* Lake Cargelligo is a good base for Round Hill/Nombinnie/Yathong NR,
Rankin Springs (Lachlan Fold Belt birds like Glossy Blacks) and a good
stretch of the Lachlan River. The swamps around Griffith are also a day trip
as is Cocopara, though the latter has been degraded by feral goats. The CP
has a couple of AC good cabins and there are all your basic services. It
will be hot but there is the lake for swimming and generally taking some of
the heat off surrounding land. Sitting watching cricket during the heat of
the day can pass the time but again maybe not so great for Poms – they do
play cricket don’t they? There is some bird routes and a list on the Lakes
Alive website. Like all road out west which have had floods the road
surface have been lifted creating potholes and many have been damaged by
trucks. The trip out through Forbes (Gum Swamp may be worth a visit after
the flooding) down to West Wyalong should be fine (Lake Cowal is full and
worth a look) but the roads along the Lachlan from Condobolin might be
severely damaged and probably best avoided.

* Macquarie Marshes were spectacular a month or so ago but slowly
receding there will still be plenty of birds around and lots of breeding.
Willie Retreat make a good albeit it rustic spot to stay with cabins and
powered sites. The insect load was dramatic but that is why the birds are
there. Most of the roads to and from and around the Marshes are fine albeit
with a few small wash aways and potholes.

* Kinchega/Menindee is gradually filling which should see an eruption
of local and migrant species. I have bird watched the area at the height of
summer a couple of times and it comes down to managing you time around
mornings and evenings on hot days but can be spectacular as you get
juveniles and adults. Broken Hill is close by (110km) for some civilised
relief. Accommodation can be tricky as the local take their holidays there
when there is water. We have used camping sites along the Darling and
Cawndilla as well as the CP at Kopi Hollow. There should be no road problems
at all.

* There are a couple of Outback Stays along the Darling such as
Trilby station near Louth, White Cliffs and the pub in Wanaaring which are
close to good birding areas on the Darling, Lake Peery and the Paroo
respectively. If there is water in the Paroo, and I think its full, then
Nocoleche NR can be worth a few days and is just out from Wanaaring. The pub
is, well let’s just say, colourful but very hospitable. There are three
small AC rooms. We had a ball out there as well as good birds. Roads out
past Bourke and north of BH are always bad in places. Corrugations are the
main issue on the main ones such as Bourke-Wanaaring, Wanaaring-Tibooburra
and Tibooburra-BH. If they are not used to these conditions then probably
best avoided. I have found that many of the back roads such as White
Cliffs-Wanaaring or Louth- Wanaaring actually much better as they don’t the
heavy freight traffic. However these road a not kind to the radial tyres
found on most soft-roaders and sedans.

For a European (sorry I guess we can’t say that about the poms anymore) any
of these places is dramatic plunge into outback Australian culture as well
as good birding. I took my young Italian in-laws out there one summer and
despite the heat, flies and dust, they didn’t want to leave – they weren’t
birdwatchers either. Hope this helps and come back if you want any detail

Chris Lloyd

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

RFI: Sydney to Cairns

Dear Birding Aus,

My wife and I are planning a long trip from Sydney to the tip of Cape York
and back. We have most of a month (approximately Dec 27 to Jan 17) to do
the trip. We are planning to drive our SUV and camp most nights. We know
this is a trip which a lot of birders have done or will do, or at least
some part of it. Could we have your suggestions about how to alter the
above route to make the most of the birding, natural history, photography
and camping opportunities? If each of you have one or more suggestions it
will immeasurably increase the quality of our trip.

To say thanks, *I will annotate and keep a custom Google map available for
all to use/save for their own uses as they wish after I compile my own
research and any given suggestions.* We can all benefit from the exercise. Here
is the link
:

drive.google.com/open?id=1yBP1xG7F7B_EHhwg7vFfB3F7ja0&usp=sharing

A couple of specific questions:

1. Is Cape York 4WD accessible from Cairns during this period? If so, is it
wise to try it if we are a lone vehicle (or should it only be done in 4WD
convoy during the ‘wet’ for safety reasons)?
2. Is this just too long of a trip for the time given (I think it may be).
Perhaps, due to travel difficulties, we should cut out the Cape York leg
and do that on dedicated trip, if possible?
3. Does anyone living along these routes have a desire to go out birding
with us as we pass through? Love to spend some time with you all in your
‘local patch’!

*We’d really appreciate any tips that we definitely will not find in a
travel guide or other common resources, especially related to birding,
other natural history highlights, photography and amazing camping spots.*

Send notes directly to me or to the BirdingAus list as you see fit. Also,
if you are interested enough, you can just make changes directly to the map
by adding markers to it and adding a note to the marker. I have layers on
the map for “birding spots”, “natural history spots”, “photography spots”,
“camping spots” and “driving route”. This is especially helpful for places
which might not be well marked, but you know exactly where they are.

Many thanks, and feel free to use my mobile number below as well,

Kai and Sonja
Berowra, NSW
+61 04 9999 1240

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

RFI travel in mid NSW

Dear birding-aussers

My London son is visiting, a keen birder, and wants to get a look at
some of the birds the other side of the Divide, west of Dubbo, ie: out
around Lake Cargelligo, Bourke, Walgett and Nombinnie Nat.Park, etc.

Has anyone recent experience of travelling in these areas – state of
roads, heat, flies, vegetation, wetlands?

Any information would be most gratefully received.

Thanks

Penny, Gloucester

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

Birdpedia – Australia – Weekly Digest

The following is a digest of Sightings Reported on Birdpedia for the period Monday, November 28, 2016 to Sunday, December 4, 2016:

Area: SA

Location: Flinders Park

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) (1) A single bird perched on overhead wires at dusk on Dillon Avenue, Flinders Park about halfway between Hartog Street and Fowler Avenue. Login for GPS reading.

Reported by: Martyn Price on Monday, November 28, 2016

———————————————

Location: Strathalbyn Sewerage Ponds

Crested Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus) (1) A single bird foraging in the top of a gum along Swamp Road. Login for GPS reading.

Reported by: Martyn Price on Monday, November 28, 2016

———————————————

Date: Friday, December 2, 2016

Location: Overhead at Highbury near the Linear Pk

Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura) (1) I was alerted by the calls of a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo over the Linear Park which it disturbed. It then flew low, directly overhead before heading south towards Black Hill CP at Athelstone.

Reported by: Graham Crooks on Friday, December 2, 2016

———————————————

Need more information about a sighting? Login and contact the poster directly.

Receive sightings via email or SMS immediately they are posted.

Not a member of Birdpedia? Membership is free and gives you access to information for over 230 countries.

To sign up go to the Birdpedia Web Site (www.birdpedia.com/).

To find out more about Birdpedia and what it can do for you, see ‘What is Birdpedia?’

———————————————

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

Photo of Eastern Bristlebird

Hi all. I’m putting together a small booklet as a Xmas present to family and friends. There will be 50 copies printed. I really need a reasonable photo of an Eastern Bristlebird to include in this book. My own photos of this bird are just not good enough. If anyone is happy to provide me with a copy of a photo of an EB, I’d be very appreciative. I need it ASAP.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Cheers
Brian Johnson

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

Port Stephens pelagic this Sunday – vacancy

Hi all,

I currently have a vacancy for this Sunday’s pelagic out of Port Stephens (Nelson Bay). Some big southerly fetches in the Tasman Sea and onshore winds this weekend (plus a Mottled Petrel off Southport last weekend apparently) could make for an interesting trip.

Contact me offline if you’re interested.

Mick

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

BirdLife Victoria Portland Pelagic – 11 December 2016

Dear Birding-Ausers,

I currently have four vacancies for the December trip. If anyone would like
a spot, please let me know.

Regards

Chris

For details of future Portland trips, go to the BirdLife Australia web
site at the bottom of the relevant Birdlife Victoria page at
www.birdlife.org.au/locations/all-victoria-statewide/activities-vic

For reports of past BA-Vic and BirdLife Victoria trips from Portland
and Port Fairy, search the Birding-Aus archives for the trip reports
at bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/birding-aus/

Birding-Aus mailing list

Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org