This isn’t a crank posting, there is actually a Hoopoe at Roebuck Roadhouse 30kms out of Broome right now.
Bird was found by Kim Oton, Maartin Hulzebosche and Chris Hassell a few minutes ago.
Hoopoe was definitately not on my list of possible new records for the Australian list, but what a fantastic bird to lob in, I saw one in Greece last year and they are a seriously crazy and fantastic bird to look at.
Cheers Jeff.
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Get a life everyone!!
My original comments, as I said in my last email were as much tongue-in-cheek as serious!!!
But as usual everyone has an opinion……………
The predicted “Climate Change” will see birds becoming extinct or harder to observer, so why should we screw it now to the detriment of future bird watchers?
Even a little bit of thought or consideration is a positive!!
So yes, this topic is still about birds……………………….
Yours in all things “green”
Regards
John Harris Manager, Environment and Sustainability Donvale Christian College 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111 03 9844 2471 Ext 277 03 9844 1102 Fax 0409 090 955 john.harris@donvale.vic.edu.au
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) I’m burning a ton of wood for no reason every time someone flames a birder for traveling to see a bird.
On Monday, 14 November 2011, david taylor wrote: to jump a plane and go see a rare bird! or not we should repent of our sins if we board a bloody plane! but lets keep birding-aus for the birds! ===============================
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Yep, me too, my Pc is a wood burning steam driven device.
Tony
Yeah, me too.
Tony
I’m burning a ton of wood for no reason every time someone flames a birder for traveling to see a bird.
On Monday, 14 November 2011, david taylor wrote: jump a plane and go see a rare bird! not we should repent of our sins if we board a bloody plane! lets keep birding-aus for the birds! ===============================
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You are probably right about keeping birding-aus about birds. Could you do the same too? I would take issue with what you said about sustainability but lets keep it about birds.
Reg Lawler
If we want to be sustainable we should not travel by plane. We should not travel by car. We should not have back yards. We should not exist, breathe and expire carbon dioxide. It is a big and important subject, but let’s keep birding-aus about birds.
David James, Sydney burunglaut07@yahoo.com ==============================
________________________________ Cc: Birding Aus Sent: Monday, 14 November 2011 5:54 PM
Sorry Joy, I wasn¹t having a shot at you, rather answering Philip, and should have worded my reply more carefully.
I really liked your story as well you expressed your happiness in your expedition beautifully. I well remember crazy things I¹ve done on the spur of the moment. (although they differ a bit from yours). Like accepting a job shooting buffalo, or dancing Zorba the Greek with a principal member of the Kirov Ballet (after too many brown vodkas, I might add); spending hours standing up to my knees in mangrove mud (once at midnight) waiting for Chestnut Rail.
I often guide birders who like you, have that joy of discovery, and I share it with them.
A major reason many of those I guide, and American respondents to my questionnaire, watch birds is to ³feel a special connection with the environment.² And I do my best to help them make that connection, sometimes aided by my Aboriginal relatives. Quite recently a relative , Una, and I took American writer, Jonathon Franzen, to Spirit Dog Dreaming in western Arnhem Land. He saw two birds, one a Whistling Kite (and you¹d know how common they are) and a Sandstone Shrike-thrush. It wasn¹t so much the birds that made an impression on Jon, but that they appeared to be duetting, their songs echoing around the escarpment walls. And in that place you might not know but the spirit dog is a thylacine. And then there were the red ochre rings around all the trees standing in the white sand a senior traditional owner had died. It seemed to be the ultimate sendoff !
However, Jon nearly spoiled the moment when he went to squat by the water¹s edge. Later thinking about it I thought from the look on his face that he was going to meditate. One does not do such a thing so near a pool occupied by a large, hungry crocodile. Una and I screamed a warning and dragged him away Despite that rather dramatic ending I doubt that Jon will forget those few hours.
if your day was as awesome then good on you. Denise
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Sorry Joy, I wasn¹t having a shot at you, rather answering Philip, and should have worded my reply more carefully.
I really liked your story as well you expressed your happiness in your expedition beautifully. I well remember crazy things I¹ve done on the spur of the moment. (although they differ a bit from yours). Like accepting a job shooting buffalo, or dancing Zorba the Greek with a principal member of the Kirov Ballet (after too many brown vodkas, I might add); spending hours standing up to my knees in mangrove mud (once at midnight) waiting for Chestnut Rail.
I often guide birders who like you, have that joy of discovery, and I share it with them.
A major reason many of those I guide, and American respondents to my questionnaire, watch birds is to ³feel a special connection with the environment.² And I do my best to help them make that connection, sometimes aided by my Aboriginal relatives. Quite recently a relative , Una, and I took American writer, Jonathon Franzen, to Spirit Dog Dreaming in western Arnhem Land. He saw two birds, one a Whistling Kite (and you¹d know how common they are) and a Sandstone Shrike-thrush. It wasn¹t so much the birds that made an impression on Jon, but that they appeared to be duetting, their songs echoing around the escarpment walls. And in that place you might not know but the spirit dog is a thylacine. And then there were the red ochre rings around all the trees standing in the white sand a senior traditional owner had died. It seemed to be the ultimate sendoff !
However, Jon nearly spoiled the moment when he went to squat by the water¹s edge. Later thinking about it I thought from the look on his face that he was going to meditate. One does not do such a thing so near a pool occupied by a large, hungry crocodile. Una and I screamed a warning and dragged him away Despite that rather dramatic ending I doubt that Jon will forget those few hours.
if your day was as awesome then good on you. Denise
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My point was Mark, that we need to be conscious about our impact on the environment considering we are bird watchers, mammalogists, herpetologists, botanists etc etc…..
My other point was that it was a little sarcastic, tongue in cheek for all those who dash off to see the Hoopoe, to ponder on their flights
As Denise sums up “We may have little impact even in our own neighbourhood, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying”
Yours in all things “green”
Regards
John Harris Manager, Environment and Sustainability Donvale Christian College 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111 03 9844 2471 Ext 277 03 9844 1102 Fax 0409 090 955 john.harris@donvale.vic.edu.au
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) G’day John, everyone
I’m not sure I buy into your comment. I can’t work out if your intent was to be educational or to induce a sense of guilt to produce the effect of trying to coerce people into not going to see the bird. Personally I doubt the amount of pollution/increase in carbon footprint that was produced from the arrival of this one bird would be significant. Or to look at it the other way, whether the abstaining of using resources that were going to be in use anyway would be measurably beneficial in the whole scheme of things.
Regards, Mark
On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 10:51 AM, John Harris < John.Harris@donvale.vic.edu.au> wrote:
from
Phillip that’s a very thoughtful answer. I know that not all who go racing off after some vagrant or another are not necessarily pathological collectors. However, there are some I really do wonder about. One of the questions I ask in my PhD questionnaire on American birders is whether they’ve ever felt themselves in danger while birding. Quite a number have – they’ve mostly been held up at gunpoint, robbed or kidnapped in Central or South America.
I’ve found myself in danger quite a few times without putting myself there on purpose.
I’d like to know how many members of Birding Aus would drop everything to see a new bird, all else being equal.
John’s point about carbon emissions is also valid as far as I’m concerned. Yes, planes will continue to fly to Broome whether birders are on them or not. But shouldn’t we all be setting examples of restraint and good behaviour to others? That’s why Michael and I don’t have a cat, and why our electricity usage at home is 1/3 the Australian average.
We may have little impact even in our own neighbourhood, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
Denise
G’day John, everyone
I’m not sure I buy into your comment. I can’t work out if your intent was to be educational or to induce a sense of guilt to produce the effect of trying to coerce people into not going to see the bird. Personally I doubt the amount of pollution/increase in carbon footprint that was produced from the arrival of this one bird would be significant. Or to look at it the other way, whether the abstaining of using resources that were going to be in use anyway would be measurably beneficial in the whole scheme of things.
Regards, Mark
On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 10:51 AM, John Harris < John.Harris@donvale.vic.edu.au> wrote:
Hope all you twitchers are paying to offset your carbon emissions from your plane flights, otherwise it is not “harmless” as Greg puts it!
Yours in all things “green”
Regards
John Harris Manager, Environment and Sustainability Donvale Christian College 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111 03 9844 2471 Ext 277 03 9844 1102 Fax 0409 090 955 john.harris@donvale.vic.edu.au
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) It is good to hear people enjoying a little harmless madness.
Greg Little
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Joy
Congratulations on seeing the birds. It is good to hear people enjoying a little harmless madness.
Greg Little
Gotta be an illegal , tell Julia.
Tony
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2011 11:46 AM
Is it seeking refuge status???
Yours in all things “green”
Regards
John Harris
Manager, Environment and Sustainability
Donvale Christian College 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111 03 9844 2471 Ext 277 03 9844 1102 Fax
0409 090 955 john.harris@donvale.vic.edu.au
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE)
Dammit, have to get the bike out again !
Tony
Is it seeking refuge status???
Yours in all things “green”
Regards
John Harris Manager, Environment and Sustainability Donvale Christian College 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111 03 9844 2471 Ext 277 03 9844 1102 Fax 0409 090 955 john.harris@donvale.vic.edu.au
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) Past President, Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) Dammit, have to get the bike out again !
Tony
Dammit, have to get the bike out again !
Tony
What a brilliant record. I’ll be surprised if it hangs around, they aren’t that territorial, but you never know. Hoopoe is a long distant migrant that reaches the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo as a vagrant (subspecies saturatus I believe). It also winters on islands like the Maldives and Adamans, so it is not averse to migrating across water. It is not kept in cages in Java, where many of the boats originate (though it might be in Sri Lanka). I don’t think there have been many boats stopped near Broome lately, anyway. There is no evidence at this stage that it had to arrive by boat, and I would think naturally vagrancy is much more likely in this case. It is the migration season after all, and it seems no less likely than many of the other astounding rarities that have shown up in Broome in the last decade or two.
David James, Sydney burunglaut07@yahoo.com ==============================
________________________________ Sent: Thursday, 10 November 2011 4:32 PM
I have only been out of Australia once, to China 2 years ago and I saw two of these in two very distant places. Quite an amazing funny looking bird. My father lived in Israel and had these as garden birds. Hard to imagine it flying here from Asia or east Africa or Madagascar. I wonder whether Asian or middle eastern people keep them as pets (or even eat them) but this is surely assisted as a boat arrival.
Do customs or coast guard ever find fauna among the possessions of the boats that Tony wants to stop?
Philip
Siberian Thrush at Esperance (SW WA) earlier this year and now a Hoopoe at Broome. My guess is that both are ship-assisted movements.
There’s a lot of cargo ships oil/LNG tankers and iron ore vessels moving between north-western Australia and China these days. Don’t know if any of these ships anchor at the Port of Broome, but they certainly do at Port Hedland, which is about 450 km SW of Broome. Port Hedland ships would pass close to Broome’s coastline. Also, I think cruise ships anchor at Broome. I think it would be easy for a Hoopoe to hitch a ride on one of these ships.
Nevertheless, an exciting discovery. I’m tipping that we will see even more “first-timers” as shipping traffic associated with the current mineral and oil boom increases.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW
Hi All,
Hoopoes can be strong migrants and certainly overshoot their usual range in Europe, every chance it’s a vagrant, so go twitch it if you’re inclined and able.
Roebuck Roadhouse is a great destination too, if I was a Hoopoe, I’d drop in.
Smart bird, increasing observer coverage and popularity of birding means more unusual visitors like this will be found. Who knows what else is out there..
Cheers,
Simon Clayton
Manager
Birdrangers, Gibraltar Reserve
Cangai, NSW, 2460
http://www.birdrangers.com
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With the way the southern European economies are going I am sure you are right Bill.
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I’m thinking it’s an economic refugee!
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It was hungry?
Actually the correct answer is that ssp epops is strongly migratory between Eurasia and Africa, the bird would have got here the same way the Eurasian Roller did on Cocos Island and Baltic Gull in Broome, by accident down the wrong side of the Indian Ocean.
Cheers Jeff.
Okay I’ll bite. How the heck did a Hoopoe come to be at Roebuck Roadhouse?
Belinda Stirling W.A.