All bad I’m afraid folks.
Jack and myself met up with Biggles in Cairns and arrived at Terry and Michelle’s flower farm at abt 1100 Sat 12th Feb. The Eye-browed Thrush (ET) hadn’t been seen by Dion et al that morning (Dion had left by the time we got there). We patiently waited for the next 6 hrs before we dropped Biggles off at CNS airport for an early evening flight. We stayed ON in CNS and drove the 90min trip back on the 13th Feb arriving at abt 0700. We met the legendary Barbara Harvey (who held the Oz female list record until Tanya pipped her!). She hadn’t seen the bird earlier that morning. We decided to share my hire car and check out a Golden Bowerbird location (found the bower OK but not the bird and we had all previously seen GBB) and also drove into an area where BFPFinches had been seen recently (no luck either). We drove back to the flower farm and met a couple of other birders who hadn’t seen the ET whilst we were gone. We left in time to catch our flight back to BNE and a drive to Bundaberg.
Some points of interest:
1. Speaking to Terry, I don’t think anyone has seen the ET since abt noon Thurs 10th. They want to mow the grass in the area and I am sure Alan (via Terry) will let us Birding-Aus know if the ET turns up again. I doubt that it is worth other birders going up there to Stonehouse Rd at the moment. Terry found the ET and knows his birds well and will keep an eye brow out for it (attempted humour from a dipping twitcher).
2. There is limited suitable habitat for the ET around the immediate area and I suspect that it had moved on despite it being a bit of a skulker.
3. A local (I think) photographer did ,in fact, ‘push’ the bird soon before it apparently departed. We won’t know for sure, but I reckon that there would have been a fair chance that it would still be there now had that not occured. Certainly, Terry said as much. Mike pre-empted this possible occurence. I doubt that this was intended but sensible protocols amongst birders should be adhered to especially when twitching rarities. PS This kind of ties in a bit with another thread on Bird-Aus (which I have just skimmed over and deleted from my inbox)…..
4. Terry and Michelle Heidenreich were incredible hosts. Despite dipping, I again came away thinking that Tableland people have to be the nicest in Australia! I experienced this every time previously and whole-heartedly recommend the area.
5. TC Yasi has knocked over a few trees but otherwise, you’d hardly notice. This is because most of the damage to the forests and towns is south of CNS.
6. Accommodation in a flash multi-storey hotel (the Best Western) on the Esplanade was cheap (AUD80 for a twin) and their All you can eat Seafood Saturday for AUD25/hd was extraordinary. So, in short, it is a great time to visit the non-Yasi parts of FNQ.
7. Thanks to Alan Gillanders, Mike C , Terry and Michelle (who even gave Jack and I a bunch of flowers to take home to Jackie!) and other birders that we met (sorry I am hopeless remembering people’s names)
Hopefully ET will re-appear!
Bill
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Greetings, I am not sure that the bird was ‘pushed’ as the photographer (assuming it is the one I heard someone complain about) was sitting (as far as I know, and I saw him there) in the same place on the north side of the lychee tree as those who got the great pictures on Wednesday morning were standing. I would have preferred that everyone stayed under the tree or back near the house but I moved out a little further than this on Wednesday afternoon when the bird was sitting quietly in the denuded avocado. This was my best and only clear and last view. On the Tuesday afternoon I had gone further still into the area but not nearly as far as Terry took the kitchen scraps.
At one stage it was reported that the bird was becoming used to people and it certainly came close to Michelle when both she and the bird were in the open. It is very hard to tell in situations like this what the bird is reacting to as we are only seeing things from our view point. The longer grass may have made worm chasing more difficult. Other possible complicating factors include the total number of people present, a terrier, feisty Buff-banded Rails, breeding Bushhens and the weather. When we don’t know, our opinions and actions can vacillate, mine do. I’ll let you know if it turns up again.
My point is that we should be caring of the birds and also of our fellow birders.
Not quite relevant in this case but to quote my wife, “I always put the blame where it belongs; on someone else.”
Regards, Alan
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