Author: John Weigel

Hi folks, I’ve been in contact with the skipper of the ‘La-Golandrina’, a re-fitted cray-boat (see www.lagolcharters.com.au) re a three-day pelagic trip out of Kettering. The aim is to spend considerable time at and beyond the shelf, hopefully getting out as close to the licenced limits of the vessel – 100 nautical miles as sea conditions will allow. This distance unfortunately is short of the elusive seamounts, but might be sufficient for some interesting birding. Cost for a group of seven for a three-day, two-night trip, including meals would be $750 each. The targeted dates are Sunday morning 9th November departure, with a return late avo of the 11th. If you are interested in participating, please send me an email at jweigel@reptilepark.com.au . Undertaking the project will depend upon sufficient interest. Cheers John Weigel

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Thanks for the timely suggestions, particularly to Lindsay Popple, who suggested Chinaman Creek Dam at Cloncurry, having seen large numbers in mid-August. I’m happy to report that the Pix are still on the job there, though seemingly in much less apparent numbers. This is a perfect example of how helpful Birding Aus can be. Thanks again all. John Weigel Pictorella Mannikin – any current Qld locales? BY JOHN WEIGEL, ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2014 Hi folks, My increasingly bogie-ish challenge to find is Pictorella Mannikin, which I’ve missed once this year in Gulf country and twice in NT/WA. I don’t have any other outstanding northern breeding species, and down to only a half-dozen breeding species continent-wide. For a bird that was so underfoot two years ago, I’m at a loss to explain my lack of success in finding Pix. If anyone has current sightings or knowledge of current sightings (this year only please) anywhere in Queensland besides pet shops, please let me know. Big final road-trip for the year begins tomorrow – a final long-range zig-zag throughout many wonderful regions, with exciting prospects of my first Vic Desert Neale Junction venture. Will report how I go. John Weigel jweigel@reptilepark.com.au

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Hi folks, My increasingly bogie-ish challenge to find is Pictorella Mannikin, which I’ve missed once this year in Gulf country and twice in NT/WA. I don’t have any other outstanding northern breeding species, and down to only a half-dozen breeding species continent-wide. For a bird that was so underfoot two years ago, I’m at a loss to explain my lack of success in finding Pix. If anyone has current sightings or knowledge of current sightings (this year only please) anywhere in Queensland besides pet shops, please let me know. Big final road-trip for the year begins tomorrow – a final long-range zig-zag throughout many wonderful regions, with exciting prospects of my first Vic Desert Neale Junction venture. Will report how I go. John Weigel jweigel@reptilepark.com.au

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Sorry about that folks. In communal email exchanges about the sighting of three Northern Pintails at Hastings Swamp last week, and frustration about learning of it only now, I failed to notice that the birding aus address had been added to the participants’ list. Glad I didn’t use any of the usual expletives!. Hopefully Alan and Martin can re-locate the birds – as it turns out they apparently split the scene of the crime shortly after initially being spotted on Friday. John Guys, we owe it to lots of guys to get that on report onto birdline. Who will do that? John John Weigel AM Australian Reptile Park PO 737 Gosford NSW 2250 (02) 4340 1022 jweigel@reptilepark.com.au www.reptilepark.com.au www.devilark.com.au

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Guys, we owe it to lots of guys to get that on report onto birdline. Who will do that? John John Weigel AM Australian Reptile Park PO 737 Gosford NSW 2250 (02) 4340 1022 jweigel@reptilepark.com.au www.reptilepark.com.au www.devilark.com.au

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If any members of the secret society of Melbourne birders gets an update this morning on possible House Crow as per Birdline unconfirmed report, would appreciate a call as soon as possible, so as to detour today’s trip from Sydney to Hobart (impending weekend Eaglehawk tick-fest) through Australia’s second best city. 0414883166 Thanks! John Weigel

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Hi Chris and Jenny, The 20 – 27 October Ashmore trip will be aboard the Flying Fish V – the vessel that has made the trip in all recent ventures besides this April. It isn’t as big as the vessel used in April, but is a wonderfully comfortable ride all the same, well appointed with wonderful meals and fantastic snorkel-diving between day trips to the islands. The nightly bird-count debriefings led by Mike Carter are priceless! Brief details are at: http://kimberleybirdwatching.com.au/ashmore-reef-october-2014/ . As Jenny alluded, there are no guarantees of future trips of this nature, and anyone who has yet to experience the adventure of birding the northwest seas, the islands of Ashmore Reef and the Lacerpede Islands, I wouldn’t dither. Hope to see you in Broome in about three months’ time! John Weigel Dear Jenny,, We went on the Reef Prince in April 2014 to Ashmore Reef and yes, it was very very comfortable. But I’m not sure that they are using the same boat on the October trip. I would recommend that interested parties double check which boat is going. Cheers Chris Chris Melrose cmelrose099@gmail.com phone numbers: +61 (2)9438 3635 (Home) +61 407 705 140 (mobile) On 17 Jul 2014, at 2:46 pm, Jenny Spry <malurus.jenny@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi all, > > Following up on an earlier email I have just found out there are still 2 > spots left on this October’s trip. If you are interested please contact > George Swann at: > info@kimberleybirdwatching.com.au > > If you want to see how hard the trip is going to be (smile), have a look at > the boat on the brochure at George’s website, talk about a beautiful > looking birdwatching come tropical cruising boat: > > http://kimberleybirdwatching.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ashmore-brochure.pdf > The brochure shows details for last April’s trip. This trip is 19th to 28th > October. > > Can’t you just imagine sitting on that top deck as cetacean, turtles, sea > snakes and tropical birds pass us in the sunshine? – whoops, sorry about > that embarrassing bit of rave, I am totally biased ‘cos I have done the > trip once already and want to make sure this trip happens (smile). > > But there is a serious side to the trip too. The trips have been going > every October or November since the 1990s, at least, and as George Swann > said in an email “I think its important that we keep the trip going every > year as it keeps Ashmore in Australian Birders mind plus we continue to > collect data that is building into a huge data set for the Islands and the > Browse Basin that is undergoing massive development with the oil and gas > industry.” > > cheers > > Jenny > http://jenniferspryausbirding.blogspot.com.au/ > _______________________________________________ > Birding-Aus mailing list > Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org > To change settings or unsubscribe visit: > http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org http://kimberleybirdwatching.com.au/ashmore-reef-october-2014/ John Weigel AM Australian Reptile Park PO 737 Gosford NSW 2250 (02) 4340 1022 jweigel@reptilepark.com.au www.reptilepark.com.au www.devilark.com.au _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

Brendan, The North American chicken run sounds like a terrific project. In the mean time please give us a report on your Alaskan birding trip. Re BBBQ at Inskip, although I stand by the apparent shrinkage of the area at the well-known site being ‘plateletised’, what a difference time-of-day makes: the birds are much easier to hear scratching about at sunrise, and I had four sightings of busy little beavers chugging about within a half-hour. John W On Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:30:48 -0700, brendan cook <bcook84@hotmail.com> wrote: >This got me thinking, would it be possible to complete a non-lethal Grouse >Grand Slam with all 7 North American grouse species (12 species if you include >ptarmigan and prairie-chicken) being observed during the breeding season in >one short, say 2week trip? >From what I can gather this would involve crossing through at least 4 states >(Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas and maybe even venturing across the >boarder into British Columbia) It’s usually called a “Chicken Run” normally consisting of an April trip to the four corners of Colorado where it is possible to get Sharp-tailed Grouse Greater Prairie-Chicken Lesser Prairie-Chicken Greater Sage-Grouse Gunnison Sage-Grouse Dusky Grouse White-tailed Ptarmigan With a summer trip to Alaska one could reasonably add Willow Ptarmigan Rock Ptarmigan Spruce Grouse Ruffed Grouse To add Sooty Grouse would require a separate trip to one of the Pacific states or British Columbia. Colorado “Chicken Runs” are quite popular and lots of fun but getting all 12 species in a single two-week trip would be crazy. — Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA “It turns out we’re very good at not seeing things” – Jack Hitt John Weigel AM Australian Reptile Park PO 737 Gosford NSW 2250 (02) 4340 1022 jweigel@reptilepark.com.au www.reptilepark.com.au www.devilark.com.au _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

David, I’ve sent you a small file image. If anyone else wishes to see it, would you mind if they contact you for a forwarding of the image? I’m still on the never-ending birding trip, with two birds to go before end of June to make my targeted ‘half-year’ species list of 700. I will be home for a week in mid July if anyone needs a big file image. BTW if anyone knows where I have best shot at Regent Bowerbird in Brisbane, please let me know (tonight!). Recent locations please. Isn’t there a cafe somewhere near Mt Glorious with tame birds? PS: Number 698 was Inskip Black-breasted BQ today, and I thought it worth mentioning somewhere that for some reason the area with ‘platelets’ appears to have shrunken, and I took hours, not the usual minutes to find a bird. Not sure if its the predomination of ferns and spreading Lantana, or if a cat has moved in, or if, as usual, I’m grasping for excuses. John W Hi John, that is very interesting. Have you put the photo online ? And if so what is the link to it. I’d be very interested in seeing it. Thanks for replying, David On Thu, Jun 26, 2014 at 12:14 PM, John Weigel <jweigel@reptilepark.com.au> wrote: > Hi David > > I photographed one on Crab Ck Rd 1km before Broome Bird Observatory. > George Swan later told me it is predominant form in the region. > > John W > *To*:”birding-aus@birding-aus.org” > <birding-aus@birding-aus.org>*Subject*:”blue > ‘ Brown Quail*From*:David Richardson <albatrossvaldez@gmail.com >*Date*:Tue, > 24 Jun 2014 15:48:42 +1000 > > Hi everyone, > Just enquireing if anyone on list has encountered the “blue ‘ form of Brown > Quail ? > Very interested to know of sightings and where . > > Thanks, > David Richardson John Weigel AM Australian Reptile Park PO 737 Gosford NSW 2250 (02) 4340 1022 jweigel@reptilepark.com.au www.reptilepark.com.au www.devilark.com.au _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

Hi David I photographed one on Crab Ck Rd 1km before Broome Bird Observatory. George Swan later told me it is predominant form in the region. John W To: “birding-aus@birding-aus.org” <birding-aus@birding-aus.org> Subject: “blue ‘ Brown Quail From: David Richardson <albatrossvaldez@gmail.com > Hi everyone, Just enquireing if anyone on list has encountered the “blue ‘ form of Brown Quail ? Very interested to know of sightings and where . Thanks, David Richardson _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org John Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org