(no subject)

G’day, Wayne Peacock and I saw one Blue-billed duck on a dam on Bellview Station, west from Chillagoe in early August 2015. It was with some wandering whistling ducks. They flew away but it stayed and actually swam over to us, coming within 20m. In June/July, I came across several buff-breasted button quail near the Holroyd River, north of Pormpuraaw while riding my quad about hunting pigs. I also came across flocks of spotted nightjars, some numbering some 50 odd birds in the same area. The Pormpuraaw Land and Sea Rangers had commenced burning in the second week of June, but stopped it when they discovered that finches and doves were still breeding. I mentioned this to the traditional owner after coming across several burned nests. He reckoned I was the first white man to note that as others were pushing them to do carbon burning, but the T/Os refrained from doing so because it was too early. I have seen this In Arnhem Land also where I was made aware of the exact timing of traditional burning practices after finding flocks of 500 strong or more Gouldian finches feeding in burned out areas. I was doing a guiding stint for the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge and had a number of twithers with me. We estimated we saw some 2,000 Gouldian finches south of Maningrida. On another stint 2 years ago we saw 18 freckled ducks on a billabong near the lodge, causing one birder to lament that she had not come this far north to see them. Cheers Dick Eussen