Hi all,
Last Saturday morning myself and two clients observed 2 Scarlet-chested Parrots at Gluepot at around 8:15am. The following morning with Helga Kieskamp I observed 2 Orange-bellied Parrots at Melaleuca at around 9:15am. Later I realised that both sightings were just over 24 hours apart (allowing for the 30 mins time difference). We flew to Melaleuca with TasAir, who I can recommend as they were very flexible and accommodating of birders’ needs. Once at Melaleuca we had excellent weather for two days and observed Orange-bellied Parrots many times (highest count was a flock of 6), also a recently fledged juvenile. Other good birds seen were Ground Parrot, Striated Fieldwren, Southern Emuwren, Dusky Robin, Beautiful Firetail and a Latham’s Snipe.
Photos in my webalbum: https://picasaweb.google.com/waanders.peter/BirdPhotos2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink
cheers Peter
Fifteen months ago, I was unsuccessfully chasing hooded parrot around Pine Creek, NT, and was advised to try Nitmiluk NP near Katherine. Went there and finally heard some distant calls from the road. Chased across country and got to within 25 m of a flock of about 8 feeding in an area of burnt grassland. Got them in my bins, and additionally found three Gouldian finches (including a male) feeding in their midst. Extra pleasing because I had dipped on Gouldian on a visit to Mornington Sanctuary in 2006.
In one afternoon I managed Regent Honeyeaters and a small group of Australian Painted Snipe, I was quite chuffed with that.
Michael Ramsey
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Gooday all on BA
I finally managed to see and tick the White-winged Black Tern near Newcastle, NSW, after several years with most of the Newcastle Bird Club watching out for me. Beat that.
Greg Little
I managed all 12 Tasmanian endemics in 5.5 hours on Bruny Island last summer (though I’m sure someone else will have done better!). It would have been 3 hours, except I couldn’t find a Yellow-throated Honeyeater… I guess it is one of those rules, that you can never find the common birds when you want them 😉 Joshua Bergmark
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Good one Peter. Arguably the two hardest to see neophemas in just over 24 hours. I wonder how many other similar achievements have been accomplished by others in the past. I know that when Ruth and I were in central Australia with Tim Dolby in 2010 we figured, over a beer or two, that to see both Princess Parrot and Grey Falcon in the same day would be the pinnacle of Australian birding achievements – alas, it was not to be! Ruth and I managed to see all three bitterns in Victoria in the same week in December 2010, starting with Little Bittern at Reedy Lake near Geelong, followed by Aussie Bittern in Terrick Terrick a day or two later, and then Black Bittern at Gipsy Point two days after that. I know that Tim Bawden noted that he saw all six neophema parrots in a calendar year in 2011 – a feat that has probably only been accomplished by a few birders in the past (Dools, Kevin Bartram and a few others that have attempted Australian Big Years). Ruth and I have also been on a pelagic in which all on the boat, including two very experienced experts got a tick – but I am sure that probably happens every other year or so.
I would be really interested to hear anyone else’s achievements.
Paul Dodd Docklands, Victoria
Peter, Glad you had a good time in Tassie – and great to get two special parrots in virtually the same day!!
John Tongue Ulverstone, Tas.
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