Brief early report of highlights of birding observations on Christmas Island from 14-21 Feb (Tim Faulkner, Rick Webb, Scott Ryan and John Weigel)
Well into our ten-day Christmas Island stay, we have several interesting observations to report. This is the first CI trip for all of us, and we remain gob-smacked by the nature of the place. The frigate-birds, boobies and tropicbirds overhead, and football-sized crabs underfoot have to be seen to be believed – the experience has been absolutely stunning.
Conditions on arrival were dry and warm. We had all the endemic species and most of the iconic island regulars on the first day. Especially memorable were encounters with CI goshawks, CI hawk-owls and massive CI imperial pigeons. Day two gave us Java sparrows, barn swallows, a single white-breasted water hen at the rubbish tip, and a very few lesser frigate-birds among the spectacular and ever-present greater frigate-birds and CI frigate-birds. The highlight of the second day came at sunset, with views of a PROBABLE GREY NIGHTJAR at the northern end of the airstrip. Lisa Preston had joined us and had just played her recording of a grey nightjar call for an interim period of 15 seconds. A medium-size nightjar appeared less than a minute later, with circling passes, followed by a landing on the track approximately 30 metres away, allowing a sustained view. No calls were heard.
That night brought a much-welcomed thunderstorm, which dramatically improved conditions on the morning of 17 February. We had excellent views of a YELLOW BITTERN at the resort swamp at daybreak. At mid-morning we received a call from Lisa advising of a MALAYAN NIGHT-HERON on the track to Margaret Knoll. Less than 10 minutes later we had tremendous views of this spectacular bird.
The known hot-spots for vagrants were visited with regularity, but with no additional ‘hits’. We are not optimistic about finding any passerine vagrants during our final three days on the island.
On the evening of the 18th we returned our attention to the airstrip. At last light we observed a medium sized nightjar hawking over adjacent forest, but could not entice a closer visit with recorded calls. However, upon exploring the large gravel pit just north of the airport, we encountered a smaller nightjar. We had good views and heard the distinctive call of SAVANAH NIGHTJAR. This bird was observed again on the night of the 20th.
Also on the night of the 20th, we played newly downloaded (Xeno-Canto) calls of GREY NIGHTJAR C. i. jotaka. In less than a minute we were rewarded with an identical call from approximately 40-50 metres away in adjacent forest where the above-mentioned hawking nightjar had been seen two nights earlier. The call was comprised of a single two-second call comprised of approximately 12 intonations. The call was clearly heard by all four of us, and was striking in its precise replication of the call we had been playing. This night continued to provide excitement, when less than half an hour later after hearing the grey nightjar, and a short repeat of the Xeno-Canto call, we heard an additional nightjar call off in the distance. We located the bird in the deep gully just north of the airstrip, and got within approximately 20 meters, allowing us to record its call, but without a view. The call differed from the early call that we heard in that it was slower (approx. 3 pulses per second vs approximately 6 per second in the earlier call). Of note was the persistence of this bird’s calling – which extended for perhaps a half-hour. We will endeavor to get views of this bird. The call recording has been sent to Mike Carter.
We have benefitted from the previous trip reports and personal advice of Mick Roderick, Richard Baxter, Mike Carter and Frank O’Connor. Lisa Preston did a remarkable job in organizing the details of our trip to Christmas Island and ongoing trip to Cocos/Keeling. Anyone planning a birding trip to these incredible locations without the benefit of Lisa’s assistance would be mad.
To be contined!
Tim Faulkner
Operations Manager
Australian Reptile Park & Devil Ark
P. O. Box 737
Gosford, NSW 2250
Phone: (02) 4340 8614
Mobile: 0415 904 710
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