BIRD OF THE WEEK

Black Noddy

The Black Noddy is a common, conspicuous, gregarious dark tern which is found around our globe in tropical waters.

Why Noddy and not tern? Well, it certainly immediately looks different from every other tern, being dark with a white cap rather than the converse. So that explains why the reluctance to call it and its other congeners [Brown or Common and Lesser] terns. The term noddy has a couple of theories. The first refers to the courtship between the male and female which does involve nodding. The second, a term given to the birds by unforgiving and hungry sailors in years past who called them noddies, as synonymous with simpletons, for their naivety that allowed them to be harvested from their nests by hand. The genus name Anous, which means "unmindful" in Greek, further reflect this perception of the birds being both simple and naïve.

The Black Noddy is, in a behaviour that is typically un-tern, a tree nester. Not only does it place a nest in trees it actually makes a substantial nest – again unlike every other marine tern. Keeping the differences going, it regurgitates food to its young, behaviour more typical of gulls than terns.

Our Bird of the Week has a distribution throughout the Great Barrier Reef and onwards throughout the Pacific [being found widely on the Hawaiian islands for example] and then throughout the Atlantic’s Caribbean Sea. Nesting on treed atolls the birds are generally found close to their nesting sites and no migration nor long distance movement.

On Lady Elliot Island in our southern Barrier Reef, where I recently visited, the Black Noddies began breeding recently in 1985. The reason for their initial absence also explains their return. Lady Elliot Island (LEI) was clearly a wonderful seabird breeding island as attested by the huge reserve of guano. From the commencement of guano mining, demanded by the rapid rise in industrial agriculture, in the 1860s until the 1970s, LEI remained almost devoid of all vegetation and had minimal birds nesting on it. Since a re-vegetation program commenced in 1969, bird numbers have dramatically increased. In 2020 the revegetation project continues, in addition to the pesticide weed control, and with them the growing number of trees and, with them, the tree nesting Noddies!

Pisonia tree decorated with Noddy nests

The Pisonia tree (Pisonia grandis), a common species found on coral cays, actually benefits by being crowded with Noddies’ nests. For starters it gains their droppings as fertiliser. Indeed the trees are ornithocoprophiles, plants that require bird droppings to fuel their growth. Second, Pisonia seeds are covered in extremely sticky resin, and birds that brush against them often end up carrying the seeds between islands. Sadly, many birds starve and die cruel deaths when their wings become burdened by an excess of seeds; their bodies ending up too as fertilizer for the nutrient hungry trees.  

Bridled Tern with the beginning of a seed problem...

On the Queensland coast the only other similar / confuser species is the Brown or Common Noddy. It is larger, browner with a less pronounce pale cap. It is, by way of contrast, a ground nester.

Brown Noddy

BIRD OF THE WEEK

Buff-sided Robin

When I first saw the Buff-sided Robin some 40 years ago, whilst visiting Lawn Hill Cattle Station, I was immediately struck by the character of this lovely bird. No long lenses required, just sit, listen and wait and it will come around to inspect you, landing on a branch nearby, to see if you disturb some insect to pounce upon. Like most Robins you can watch them for hours. 

The Buff-sided Robin is found in NE Western Australia, Northern Territory and in Queensland only found within the lower Gulf of Carpentaria region in the North West. 

A solitary breeder in the Spring/Summer from October to March. The nest is built by the female. A clutch of 2 to 3 eggs and one or two broods produced each season. The young are tended by both adults. It feeds mostly on invertebrates, some seeds and inhabits riparian monsoon forests. It can generally be quite easy to see and photograph any time of the year, with a little patience.

A generally common bird in suitable habitat, but appears to be declining as a result of destruction and degradation of riparian vegetation by indiscriminate and poorly managed cattle grazing and feral animals, mostly pigs and cats.

On our North West Queensland tour, the lovely Buff-sided Robin is high on the 'wanted' bird list when we visit Lawn Hill Gorge region.

BIRD OF THE WEEK!

 

AUSTRALIAN BUSTARD

This week’s Bird of the Week is a typical Australian Bustard!

Sadly, against common perception, there is only one true bustard in the country.

There are many other bustards across Asia and especially Africa but down under we just have the one.

And like the many other species surviving across the old world it is a deeply impressive bird; Males stand well over a metre tall!

The birds breed using Leks. That is breeding grounds where males gather for the purpose of display. The females observe and take their pick of all of the males present; thus it is they who have their hands on the steering wheel of evolution….

It is a bird quite closely related to the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard. At the risk of getting way ahead of myself perhaps the Australian Bustard could one day be introduced into India as an ecological substitute for the [perhaps] inevitable day that the Indian Bustard slides into oblivion. *Obviously this would only be done if the threatening processes [Hunting is considered the major causal factor] could be controlled.

[On a similar subject, a similar species, the Great Bustard has been recently re-introduced into the United Kingdom. See http://greatbustard.org/the-project/ ]

Great Bustard has been reintroduced on to the Salisbury Plain, UK

An old name for the specie is Plains Turkey. The turkey part of it is particularly ill-deserved however the Plains part of it is useful as this is a bird of grasslands and savanna over much of the northern and central part of the continent.

This bird can be seen on a variety of our tours; indeed many of the trips that venture either north or west there is a better than average chance of a sighting or several.

BIRD OF THE WEEK

 DUSKY WOODSWALLOW

This week our Bird of the Week is a specie to represent a genus of birds which are primarily Australian in distribution.

The Bird of the Week is the Dusky Woodswallow. And the genus is Artamus and  in it are some eleven species. Six of them are found within Australia. Other members are found in New Guinea, SE Asia, Sulawesi and Fiji. Think of stout little birds that have been created by crossing flycatchers with much sleeker swallows. Like both flycatchers and swallows they feed on insects on the wing.

The Dusky Woodswallow is joined in Australia by the Little, White breasted, Black faced, Masked, White browed.

The Dusky Woodswallow is a predominately brown bird which has a distinct white leading edge on its wing.

It is a migrant that heads vaguely north each autumn and winter; the birds leave Tasmania in April and can be seen as far north as Rockhampton in central Queensland. Certainly each winter on the Sunshine Coast hinterland we can get good numbers of Dusky Woodswallows.

Dusky Woodswallows swarm together to fend off the cold. I captured the image above on a freezing [well very cold] morning in the forests near Jimna, itself on the western parts of the Sunshine coast hinterland. It is an uncommon picture as the birds probably more often than not assemble like this at night.

More commonly on the Sunshine Coast is the White breasted Woodswallow.

To see the other species a Sunshine Coast birder basically needs to head north and west.

Now this is a subject that every birder in Australia has considered from time to time; the naming fiasco that is the Black faced versus Masked in Woodswallows. The short story is the Masked Woodswallow has a large black face [almost exactly like a Black faced Cuckoo shrike]. The Black faced Woodswallow, in an appalling contrast, has a limited area of black on its face, kinda like a mask….. Check out the pictures and decide for yourselves whether a huge error has been made!!

Black faced Woodswallow

Masked Woodswallow

The last two species are better named. The Little Woodswallow is indeed smaller than the rest. It does look superficially like a small Dusky although it does also lack the leading white on the wing.

The White browed Woodswallow is a strongly nomadic bird, ranging over most of the continent, often in the company with Masked. It is difficult to see just one or two of these birds as they are often in very large flocks.     

White-browed Woodswallow

Any of our tours that venture in the wilds of western Queensland offer chances to see most of Australia’s Woodswallow species!

This weeks 'Bird of the week' is the not so shy 

'Shy Albatross' 

In 2019 I had the chance to do some Guiding for Cradle Mountain Lodge in Tasmania. During my 7 month stay in Tassie, I had some specific birding plans. Most of my life has been spent in Northern Australia, so there were some missing pieces to my birding puzzle. The number one priority was to get myself on a pelagic birding trip. 

                Shy Albatross (tip to tip 2.5metres) 

Together with my partner Winnie and friend Paul Fraser we booked the pelagic trip, leaving from Pirates Bay, on the South East Coast. 

Not far from shore, we started to see some Shy Albatross, my heart was pounding. As we steamed further east, more followed. Eventually we stopped and started to burley. The Shy Albatross grew in  numbers and boldness, soaring a couple of metres above our heads. Binoculars and long camera lenses not needed for this bird. With a wingspan of 2.5 metres (over 8 feet), not the largest by any means, but an amazing sight for anyone who doesn't see these birds often. 

               Shy Albatross, just metres from the boat. 

The Shy Albatross is the most common of the Albatross seen in Australia. All the Albatross species throughout the world are under significant threats from feral pest predation, fishing pressure, floating plastics (they pickup bits of plastic and feed to their young) and habitat destruction. 

A diagnostic of this species is the black notch where the leading edge of the wing meets the body. The only Albatross to breed in Australia on some islands in Bass Strait and southern Tasmania

Whether you are a birder or not, you will get immense satisfaction seeing these giants of the oceans.  

               Hungry Shy Albatross

Note: On this particular day we saw 7 species of Albatross (Wandering, Antipodean, Southern Royal, Northern Royal, Black-browed, Shy and Buller's) and other pelagic species

We will be developing a Tasmania Birding Safari, so follow our blog and facebook pages for future developments. Enjoy! All photos and story by Steve Grainger

BELATED BIRD OF THE WEEK

 BLUE WINGED KOOKABURRA

Most English-speaking people over the age of 50 would be familiar with the sound, if not the appearance, of Australia’s Laughing Kookaburra.

In the imaginings of a few generations of Hollywood sound engineers Australia’s Laughing Kookaburra was part of the exotic soundscape that helped conjure a deepest darkest Africa, that was in turn tamed by a single bare chested white man, one Lord Greystoke or more commonly known as Tarzan.

So the Laughing Kookaburra, has a name which is an onomatopoeia based on its call, like the [Eurasian] Cuckoo.

The appearance of the Kookaburra is well known, I would suspect, to every single Australian as it is a large bird [the world’s largest Kingfisher], loud [its chuckling laughter often coming from multiple birds], common and conspicuous [it is found in every capital city in the continent save Darwin].

HOWEVER the Laughing Kookaburra is NOT the Bird of the Week.

But is close relative the slightly smaller lesser known, northern cousin – the Blue winged Kookaburra is!

Our Bird of the Week is a large, loud conspicuous specie too. It is immediately recognisable as a Kookaburra. It has, as its name suggests blue wings. It has a large pale head, lacking the chocolate mask of the Laughing and its bill is huge.

Here on the Sunshine Coast it is a very rare visitor; usually occurring further north.

Bird of the week, the Kalkadoon Grasswren

Grasswrens! Well if you are looking for a Birding challenge, you really can't go past this group of Australian birds.  

All the Grasswrens are tricky. Some Birders have described them as 'Looking for a needle in a haystack.' Ken Cross describes them as such, but adds 'only the needle is trying to hide from you' 

The Kalkadoon Grasswren, is found in the spinifex lined escarpments, ridges and gullies of the Selwyn Range near Mt Isa in arid North Western Queensland. Appropriately named after the Kalkadoon Aboriginal People of the area. 

Their diet consists of mainly spinifex seeds and insects in about equal proportions. Breeding occurs between July and October. The nest is constructed from grass and twigs and built in the spiked spinifex. Young are fed by both parents and perhaps other members of the troupe

Unfortunately the threats are all to familiar and include inappropriate fire regimes, feral cats, climate change and poor grazing practices. Fortunately recognition and respect of Aboriginal People's, culture and skills, learned over millennia are helping to mitigate these threats. 

Sometimes hours of patience and perseverance are required to find this little bird. I can tell you though, all that effort is most satisfying. 

Keep the dream alive on our North West Queensland Safari for 2021, because the Kalkadoon Grasswren is high on the list. Enjoy

BIRD OF THE WEEK!

 

Terek Sandpiper surrounded by Grey tailed Tattlers

Sandpipers are among the last birds, people ‘come to grips with’. They are migratory; meaning, among other things, that they are here in and on Australian wetlands, mudflats and estuaries for only part of the year.  For the part of the year that they are here they have lost their breeding finery so appear in a relatively faded appearance dominated by the colour grey.

And, especially to the beginning birder, they all look annoyingly alike. There is some truth in that statement however when you actually start seriously looking conspicuous differences between the species do become apparent.

To try to encourage more and more folks to begin the highly rewarding past-time of wader watching, allow me to present this week’s Bird of the Week – the charismatic wader; the Terek Sandpiper! 

The Terek Sandpiper is no where near the most common sandpiper to visit Australian shores it is however arguably the most distinct and, I think, charming.

It is distinct for a few reasons.

One  - bright orange legs. You might think that having bright orange legs might make you stand out. And to a degree it does; especially among many of the waders with black legs however it often accompanies the similar sized yellow legged Tattlers.

Second – its bill is slightly upturned. This is in contrast with the normal pedestrian down turned bill that is favoured by almost every other specie.

Third – It runs around quite energetically while it is searching for food and it has a particular jizz as it runs around with its back hunched and its head down making it look even more distinctive.

[BTW -   Jizz or giss is the overall impression or appearance of a bird garnered from such features as shape, posture, flying style or other habitual movements, size and colouration combined with voice, habitat and location. ]

One can expect to see a Terek Sandpiper among flocks of mixed waders anywhere around our continent in the Summer months. Expect to see mostly single birds however occasionally they can be seen in small flocks.

Terek Sandpiper  - Grey tailed Tattler in contrast behind

Cairns Esplanade is one of the best places in Australia to observe waders like the Terek Sandpiper. So consider joining a Wet Tropics to Cape York birding tour to see a huge bunch of species and perhaps your first Terek Sandpiper!

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS

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BIRD OF THE WEEK!

 GIBBERBIRD

Fun Fact? Australia is both the flattest and driest continent in the world. Or to put it another way much of Australia is desert. 

So if being an Australian birder demands that you make an attempt to see all of Australia’s birds [and it does..] then one must plan to get to the deserts and see the species that have adapted to survive there.

Which brings me to our Bird of the Week which is such a desert specialist that it is named after a type of desert.

The Gibberbird.

Gibber, according to Wikipedia, is an Australian term referring to a desert surface covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobble size. A common theory suggests they form through the gradual removal of sand, dust and other fine-grained material by the wind and intermittent rain, leaving the larger fragments behind.

So the Gibberbird, and you have guessed this already, lives in Gibber deserts. 

If you look carefully you will see that this picture features more than rocks..

This bird rocks! [See what I did there?]

The Gibberbird is a challenge to see because it lives in these very hard, remote places. It is a small flighty Chat [indeed it is sometimes named Gibber Chat], related to other Australian Chats, that are named not after where they live but after the primary colours of their males; Crimson, Yellow and Orange for example.

Crimson Chat male

Orange Chat female

The Gibberbird feeds on invertebrates unlucky enough to be blown onto the gibber or among small patches of vegetation adjacent. The bird, because it surely does not pay to be too choosy in a desert, also eats seeds. 

Another fact, which is sort of obvious, is that it nests on the ground.

The Gibberbird is similar in plumage between male and female however the male does have slightly stronger yellow across more of its face, chest and belly.

Consider joining us on a safari to the extreme south west of Queensland where we will see desert aplenty and attempt to find some Gibberbirds.

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS

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Bird of the Week - October 2020 The Palm Cockatoo

The Palm Cockatoo is one of the world's most sort after birds. On Cape York Peninsula in Northern Queensland, it is locally referred to simply as 'Palmy'. 

It is the largest Cockatoo in Australia, with an 'Elvis' style swept back crest, it's no wonder birders come from near and far to view this genuine character of the bird world.

It is a robust slate-black cockatoo, with a huge bill and orange/pink facial skin, that turns bright scarlet when excited.

The species has several races, with the bird occurring in West Papua and New Guinea as well as Cape York.

Breeding occurs between July and March. Pairs are territorial and resident, nesting in hollows of dead or living Eucalypt trees with suitable hollows. Both partners give a spectacular drumming display at the nest hollow holding a specially prepared stick or seed pod from' The Bushmans Clothes Peg' (Grevillea glauca) in one foot and beating it against the hollow trunk. 

I first saw this behaviour almost 40 years ago, whilst fishing, thus making this bird one of my all time favourites. 

Chiefly a quiet arboreal feeder, taking seeds and fruits from a wide variety of seasonal plants, but also seen on the ground feeding on fallen nuts and fruits. Often seen in Pandanus plants and Beach Almond trees. 

The presence of the bird in a tree can go unnoticed, but for the sound and sight of falling fruit and nuts. When wandering around the bush of northern Cape York keep an eye open, but also keep an ear out for the unique high pitched whistle call, often finished by a short screech. 

The conservation status is uncertain as its home range has changed little. Threats include smuggling, irregular fire regimes that destroy nesting trees plus land clearing. 

Once seen and heard you will be smitten with this icon of the remote and wild region of Cape York peninsula. Every birder needs to go to Cape York. The Palm Cockatoo is a highlight of our Wet Tropics/Cape York safari 

 

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS’ BIRD OF THE WEEK OCTOBER 2020

GLOSSY BLACK COCKATOO

Australia has been described as the land of the parrots and with some 60 species of cockatoo, lorikeet, fig-parrots and parrots the description is warranted. Perhaps of all the Australian parrots the ones that command the most respect and awe are the Cockatoos and among them, the group of black cockatoos. 

Female - top picture. Male - picture below

Now this group has a number of species; two near identical species that exist in the south west of Western Australia, the wide ranging Red tailed Black Cockatoo, the Yellow tailed Black Cockatoo, the striking Palm Cockatoo and this week’s Bird of the Week, the glossy Black Cockatoo.

Now as a group these birds are simply awesome; they are not subtle and are loud and huge. Globally Macaws and south east Asian Hornbills are the only birds that come close to demanding a staring, dumbstruck response.

Glossy Blacks, which I will call them, have been chosen as they are able to be seen around my part of the planet, here on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. 

They are the smallest of the Black Cockatoos. 

And the most specialised; as they appear to feed almost exclusively on the seeds of She-oaks -Allocasuarina species (A. verticillata, A. littoralis, A. torulosa). Cones are picked individually and fragmented in specialized bill to release seeds; these are then separated by working tongue and lower mandible against upper mandible and discarding the chaff. According to Birds of the World their cone-handling time is 40–140 seconds, depending on size of cone. One can walk around a She oak and see the discarded seed pods if the birds have been using it for feeding.

Confusingly, perhaps, they have red tails and thus invite confusion with the Red tailed Blacks but similarities between the two species are limited. The Red tails, pictured below, also overlap with the range of Glossies in part.

Red tailed Black Cockatoos [male upper; female lower]

The species is no where particularly common and has been listed as Vulnerable. The isolated Kangaroo Island sub species is endangered, particularly so after bush fires ravaged their habitat in early 2020.

There has been work on the Sunshine Coast to create and expand habitat for this species with the planting of of Casuarina trees.

On our Brisbane Birding Breaks tour of the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland we will hope to find some of the few Glossy Black Cockatoos.

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS

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BIRD OF THE WEEK - OCTOBER 2020 WEEK 2

 GROUND CUCKOO SHRIKE

When Europeans first ventured to Australia they could be forgiven for thinking that they had entered an area of separate creation. The wildlife of this continent was pretty obviously not just a slight variation of a theme from Europe. 

Obviously they found the marsupials, the pouched mammals, Kangaroos, Possums, Koala and wombats, both startling and confusing. They considered the famous duck billed Platypus [a monotreme] so bizarre as to propose that it was in fact a hoax. 

Perhaps what is less known is the birds also caused some consternation and confusion. This confusion is still implied through the still existing names today.

As the first white naturalists attempted to describe Australia’s birds they tried to make sense of them using the avian vocabulary already established from home.

So we have birds still labouring under names such as Shrike-thrushes, Magpie-Lark and, like this week’s Bird of the Week, the Ground Cuckoo-shrike.

The Ground Cuckoo-shrike is a striking bird, atypical to the rest of its group. Now that is not to say that the others are not striking just that the Ground is atypical.

The other Cuckoo shrikes, found not only in Australia but in Asia and Africa as well, are found in more arboreal situations.

The Ground Cuckoo Shrike is found, amusingly according to Slater’s field guide, “in small parties walking slowly on the ground or flying or [snip] sitting on a dead branch”. So walking or flying or sitting…

Another truth is that the Ground Cuckoo shrike is difficult to find; Slater recognises that it is an ‘uncommon nomad’ so it is easier to show people where it was rather than where it is….

Juvenile Ground Cuckoo shrike 


This handsome species may be seen on many of our tours but perhaps none are guaranteed. Perhaps the best chance is on one of Brisbane Birding Breaks – either to the Bunya Mountains or to the Giraween area – as both offer part of a day birding in the Lockyer Valley where a small party of Ground cuckoo shrikes have been seen walking, flying or sitting!

 

BIRD OF THE WEEK

Australian Birding Safaris' very own logo: The Noisy Friarbird. 

A Handsome Bird, you'll agree. We are not biased though...

BIRD OF THE WEEK WEEK 1 04/10/20 - Noisy Friarbird feeding on Bottlebrush nectar

The Noisy Friarbird is a large dark grey Honeyeater, with a bare black leathery head [indeed one of its previous common names was Leatherhead], downward angular bill and prominent casque on upper mandible. Its eyes are a striking red. Long-curved silver-white plumes accentuate the collar and upper breast. The sexes are generally alike but males are slightly larger.

Some people say it looks like a small vulture; the feathers on the head are sparse. The bald leathery head surrounded by neck feathers was thought to resemble the tonsured head of a friar.

Ken and I, sadly, have a strong affinity with this bird.

Noisy Friarbird. Contemplating the next move

It is widely distributed along the East Coast and adjacent inland; a common, easily-seen specie in the garden, especially during the breeding season between August and January.

It is a wanderer, enjoying a nomadic lifestyle, travelling between flowering foodplants, especially Eucalypts, Banksias, Grevilleas, Bottlebrushes and Melaleucas. It is a major pollinator of our native trees and shrubs, trapping pollen within the white feathers of the collar and transported between plants.

Friarbirds can be noisy [some may say almost deafening] when in large groups however they should be considered a welcome visitor to our gardens as they supply a zero-cost, chemical-free insect control. A large part of the diet is insects and spiders, taken opportunistically whilst searching for nectar. 

Noisy Friarbird. Feeding with one eye on me

Another benefit? The Noisy Friarbird has been recorded taking eggs and nestlings from the Common Starling (an introduced invasive species).

The Leaden Flycatcher will commonly nest near the Noisy Friarbird, presumably for protection from predators.

Although nesting is often parasitized by cuckoo species including the Pacific Koel and Pallid Cuckoo, its fledgling rate is quite high.

We hope you enjoy every encounter with Noisy Friarbirds and that you can look upon this bird with kindness.

As a common specie this bird will be encountered on many of our birding tours. Please check our 2021 calendar for options.

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS

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Pictures and story by Steve Grainger.

BIRD OF THE WEEK!

 This is going to be, as it suggests a weekly entry, where we get the chance to highlight some of the wonderful birds of Oz. Please follow our blog and learn a few fun facts about our birds. 

MAGNIFICENT RIFLEBIRD - BIRD OF THE WEEK - WEEK 4 09/2020

One of Australia's Birds of Paradise  - the Magnificent Riflebird. This is a male.

Some birds that capture the imagination of everybody, let alone self-confessed birders would include the group named, imaginatively yet accurately, Birds of Paradise.

If you have never seen Birds of Paradise – shame on you – but you should check out this youtube clip; Introduction to the Birds of Paradise Project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTR21os8gTA ].

Now sadly a minute and a half into this preview they have shared with us the fact, that Birds of Paradise are found no where else on the earth’s surface than the island of New Guinea. 

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Here in Australia we are lucky enough to have four species of Birds of Paradise; one manucode and three riflebirds.

It is one of these riflebirds – the aptly named Magnificent Riflebird – that is our Bird of the Week!

This specie is found on New Guinea but also in the northern parts of Queensland’s Cape York Peninsular and it is a specialty specie that we will search for on our Wet Tropics to Cape York tour.

The male Riflebird, superficially at least, is more attractive than the female. It is his job to seduce through a showy combo of plumage, gape colour, sound, moves and posture.

His call, to me at least, sounds like old school seduction as it is a showy wolf whistle. In this, his call is unlike the two other Riflebird species that are found further south.

female Magnificent Riflebird on Iron Range

AUSTRALIAN BIRDING SAFARIS

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Ken Cross - words and pictures

WELCOME BACK TO THE WADERS

High tide roost at Toorbul

Toorbul, perched looking over Pumicestone Passage and Bribie Island, is a great little birding locale on the southern end of the greater Sunshine Coast area. And it is a regular destination for a birding outing for the Birdlife Australia’s Sunshine Coast group. 

Recently I led a Saturday outing to Toorbul, especially to welcome back the waders!

A good group of birders enjoyed a good variety of migratory waders.

With the sun at our backs we enjoyed good views of the birds as they gathered at the high tide roost site.

Bar tailed Godwits, Australian Terns and the occasional Grey tailed Tattler

The larger species, Bar tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Far Eastern Curlews were present.

Red Knot centre. Residual red plumage noticeable on the bird's belly. Other birds include Whimbrel, Bar tailed Godwit, Grey tailed Tattler, Great Knot.

Great and Red Knots were present as were big numbers of Grey tailed Tattlers. Among the tattlers were good numbers of the charismatic specie, the Terek Sandpiper.

Terek Sandpiper[s] among Grey tailed Tattlers. How many can you find?

Ruddy Turnstones plus a single Red necked Stint completed the migratory waders.

Oddly missing were any Sharp tailed or Curlew Sandpipers.

Spot the Ruddy Turnstone!

Resident species such as Pelican, Swans and Stilts plus Oystercatchers completed the scene with a little help from both Australian [Gull billed] and Caspian Terns.

Words and pictures - Ken Cross