The Spirit of Tasmania averages 27 knots (or around 50 km/hr) on its Bass Strait crossings. This is a fair bit faster than the tubs that take birders out on pelagic trips. While travelling on the ferry last month, I was fascinated to see how effortlessly the seabirds (albatross, shearwaters, prions) kept up with the … Read more
Hi all Just wondering if anyone is aware of a recent sighting of the RN Phalarope that was reported a few weeks ago around Kirk Point I’m thinking about heading across from Adelaide to attempt to twitch the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and thought the Phalarope might be a good Plan B if the Sandpiper is a … Read more
In case anyone wants to try for it over the weekend, there are a couple of Vic Birdline entries for this bird for yesterday and today. Loads of discussions going on on Facebook, seem to be mostly in the Australian Twitchers group. Found, I believe by Danny Rogers. www.eremaea.com/BirdlineRecentSightings.aspx?Birdline=1 Sent from my iPad Birding-Aus mailing … Read more
Surely it is more sensible to change anachronistic and confusing common names even if it upsets our possessive addiction to those names in common use. I know several people who still insist on calling the Australian Black-necked Stork a Jabiru. The up-coming generation of birders will not thank us oldies who refuse to adopt sensible … Read more