Rohan, I love the fact that the trip is a week or two later than usual – during the week that had previously only been available to your ‘research’ trips. Could be the motherlode for vagrants, though the spectacle of those amazing seabird assemblages on the Ashmore breeding islands, and the verifiable lucky dip for crazy-rare pelagic species that last year included Australia’s first Heinroth’s Shearwater, is reason enough for me to dig even further into the retirement fund. The chance to be one of the first birders to experience Browse/Adele is just the icing on the cake. See you in Broome! John Weigel To: “birding-aus@birding-aus.org” < birding-aus@birding-aus.org> Subject: Bonus day (and island) added to the Ashmore Reef Expedition Oct/Nov 2015 (Advertisement of sorts) From: Rohan Clarke < rohan@wildlifeimages.com.au> Hi All, As part of the Kimberley Birdwatching expedition to Ashmore Reef my research group are covering the cost of an additional day of charter so that we can recover one of our seabird tracking stations that’s at Adele Island. This means everyone gets an extra day and a landing at one of the most significant seabird islands off the Kimberley coast at no extra cost. In addition to the usual seabirds that nest at Adele Island, we’ve recently discovered Lesser Noddy breeding there, occasionally record Common Redshank on the northern tip of the island and have logged several vagrant land birds including Oriental Reed Warbler and Grey Wagtail. This year’s Ashmore trip was already shaping up to be special as the plan is to do the usual voyage up to the reef (Swinhoe’s and Matsudaria’s Storm-Petrels, Bulwers and Jouanin’s Petrels amongst others), landings at Ashmore Reef to search out seabirds (Red-footed, Masked and Brown Booby, both Frigatebirds, both tropicbirds, all three noddy species) and rarities before heading home via Browse Island. The expeditions haven’t been to Browse Island before (a tiny atoll about 150km off the Kimberley coast) but I’ve landed there a few times in recent years. Whilst Ashmore has the best potential for vagrant land birds our list for Browse is also impressive and includes Blue and White Flycatcher (a male), Asian Brown Flycatcher (twice), Dark-sided Flycatcher, Tiger Shrike (twice), Kamchatka Leaf Warbler, Pechora Pipit, Island Monarch (twice) and Grey Wagtail (twice). The island’s small size (400 x 300m) means anything that is there is likely to be found whilst we are ashore. The island also has a very interesting history. Once considered the jewel in the crown of seabird islands in the nw it is now largely devoid of seabirds but in its place is abundant evidence from the guano collecting days; tiny rail carts, neatly stacked walls of beach rock, old concrete footings and pads. As a bonus any birds on Browse Island can be claimed on your Western Australian list 🙂 This extra day and a landing at Adele Island is likely to be a once-off so if you are interested contact George Swann for more information (0429706800) or to book you can contact Kimberley Expeditions via their website. http://www.kimberleyexpeditions.com.au/cruises/ashmore-reef-birdwatching-cruise/ Dates are 30 October to 7 November 2015. I understand there is a handful of spaces left and that numbers are already sufficient to ensure it proceeds. Leaders are George Swann, Mike Carter and myself. Cheers, Rohan — Rohan Clarke www.wildlifeimages.com.au Latest updates http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent
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