A regional group of BirdLife WA since 2005 ● Birds are in our Nature ● Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin

Issue 77 June 2021

Wedge-tailed Eagles (? branching before fledging)

Photos Brad Keyser

CONTENTS PAGE Program 2 From the Editor 3-4 Pacific Gulls 5-6 BirdBlitz The Ridge, Gracetown 7 Flesh-footed Shearwaters 7 Seabird Charter 8-10 Two Oceans Watch 11-12 Capes Osprey Watch 12 Cockatoo Capers 12 Hoodie Happenings 13 Cape to Cape Chatter 14 Sightings 14 Birding beyond the Capes 15-18

The confluence of the Darch Brook and the Margaret River

Photo Christine Wilder

The Cape to Cape Bird Group does not have activities planned for July. Just a reminder that if you are feeling unwell on the day of an activity, please do not join in, and if you do attend and subsequently fall ill, please notify the Cape to Cape Bird Group or BirdLife WA. At time of writing we in the capes are not in lockdown but still required to keep 1.5 metres apart where possible.

Past Issues of this newsletter Visit ‘birdlife western australia publications’

Go to ‘Regional Group Newsletters’ - ‘Capes’ Website – http://birdlife.org.au/locations/ birdlife-western-australia/publications-wa

BirdLife WA’s Cape to Cape Bird Group Based in Margaret River

PROGRAM

● BirdBlitz the Ridge 2021 ● NO EXCURSIONS PLANNED FOR JULY

The ‘BirdBlitz the Ridge’ walk for August is planned to Mt Duckworth, north of Yallingup. Details will be published in the July newsletter.

Leaders Jill and Roger Cornes. Our June BirdBlitz at Gracetown did not go ahead due to storm, so we may re-schedule that one later on.

Christine - 0427 312 848 - cwilderone@yahoo.com.au

Monthly seabird surveys with Leeuwin Marine Charters Keep in touch with seabird charters on board “Diversion”

Seabirds, marine life, spectacular coastal scenery Augusta Islands, Cosy Corner, Hamelin, Black Point

For notification of seabird charter dates contact: cwilderone@yahoo.com.au

Yalgardup Brook karris – Photo Christine Wilder

Note: All the local excursions/campouts/meetings are for BirdLife Australia members, supporters and general public. The leader will always be present at the meeting place and will decide whether or not to proceed. In the event of threatening weather, those planning to attend an excursion (particularly if travelling some distance) are welcome to check conditions with the leader prior to the excursion (email/mobile).

Convenor – Christine Wilder cwilderone@yahoo.com.au Deputy Convenor – Jennifer Hunt

Comic Strip #3 – Credit Rose Ferrell

Photographs and artwork in this publication are the property of individuals or BirdLife Australia. Permission is necessary to reproduce any photographs/artwork.

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Rapids Landing Primary School students birdwatching at the Margaret River

Photo Christine Wilder Bird Lists – Primary School Excursions 11 June 16 June 24 June RLPS MPS APS Darch Yalgardup Hardy Inlet

Musk Duck - - 12 Black Swan - - 1000+ Australian Shelduck - - Several calling Australian Wood Duck - 11 5 Pacific Black Duck √ 2 3 Hoary-headed Grebe - - 50 Common Bronzewing √ - - Great Egret - - 5 Australian Pelican - - 35 Little Pied Cormorant - - 11 Little Black Cormorant - - 67 Great Pied Cormorant - - 6 Australasian Darter - - 1 Silver Gull - - 3 Pacific Gull - - 7adults 3juv Caspian Tern - - 1 Crested Tern - - 10 Eastern Osprey - - 2+4 Whistling Kite - - 3 Laughing Kookaburra √ 1 - Galah √ 4 - Little Corella - 2 - Red-capped Parrot - 1 - Western Rosella - 6 - Australian Ringneck √ 3 - Red-winged Fairy-wren √ - - Splendid Fairy-wren - 1 - New Holland Honeyeater √ 6 - Brown Honeyeater - 1 - Gilbert’s Honeyeater √ 1 - Western Spinebill - 1 - Red Wattlebird √ 5 1 Spotted Pardalote - 1 - Spotted Scrubwren - 1 - Yellow-rumped Thornbill √ 1 - Inland Thornbill √ 1 - Grey Shrike-thrush - 1 - Australian Magpie √ 4 - Willie Wagtail - 1 - Grey Fantail √ 1 2 Australian Raven √ 1 - Scarlet Robin - - 1 White-breasted Robin √ - - Silvereye √ 10 - A total of 44 species counted over three visits

From the Editor

This school term Michelle Keppel and I have been out on all day excursions with school students. As well as other activities on these excursions, students are provided with binoculars and introduced to the local birdlife.

Rapids Landing Primary School (RLPS) 16 bird species were identified on our walk along the Darch Brook to the Margaret River and return.

Montessori Primary School (MPS) The walk from Wallcliffe Road along the Yalgardup Brook to Margaret River and return has an abundance of birds and this year we recorded 24 species.

Augusta Primary School (APS) This is the second time we have travelled on the Hardy Inlet on a Blackwood River Houseboat, skippered by Pam Winter, and this year we counted 21 bird species. This trip is always a highlight as we set up on the top deck where we have a commanding view of the river when travelling north past Molloy Island and return. At our picnic stop we were treated to four Eastern Ospreys displaying and calling high above us. Thanks to Pam Winter once again for a great day out.

It is so much fun working with the students. If you wish to assist with school visits please get in touch. You will need to apply for a BirdLife Working with Children Check.

Pacific Gull – Photo Jeffrey Venning

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Montessori Primary School students birdwatching along Yalgardup Brook

Looking for a sea-eagle nest from the top deck of the Blackwood River Houseboat; The Hardy Inlet from the houseboat

Triple selfie at Augusta Whalesong Festival From left - Dr Janean Robinson, Research Fellow, School of Education, Murdoch University and Lynnath Beckley – Emeritus Professor (Marine Science), Murdoch University, with Christine Wilder (closest to camera)

Seabirds/plastics display at the Augusta Whalesong Festival

It has been quite a month for meeting and talking to people. Winter means a focus on wild weather and ocean.

Congratulations to the newly launched Geographe Marine Research Institute – Chair Frank Eckler, Associate Professor Chandra Salgado Kent, Chris Burton, Ian Wiese, Rodney Peterson and Tim Humphry. Since 2004, local volunteers and researchers have so far spent 20,000 hours, collecting and analysing observation data on the southern whale migration through Geographe Bay. What an achievement. This has no direct connection with our monthly seabird surveys out of Cape Leeuwin, however we do record fur seal numbers on the offshore islands to share with Ian Wiese, who records numbers at the northern cape.

Before dawn on Sunday 6 June, I set up the bird group’s gazebo at the Augusta Boat Harbour for the Whalesong Festival/Blessing of the Fleet. The display featured seabird/pelagics seen around Cape Leeuwin and nurdles/plastics/debris found on local beaches. Thanks to Jenny Kikeros (Tangaroa Blue) for providing nurdles/found plastic items for our display. The weather turned out ok for the huge crowds attending on the day although gusting winds meant the bird display was kept small to minimise risk of material blowing into the harbour.

A beautiful ceremony was presented by the Reverend Sarah MacPherson as she made her way to bless each vessel in the harbour boat pens. Wadandi Elder Izsaac Webb performed the smoking ceremony. It was a special day and accolades go to Caroline Foley and the organising committee.

Christine Wilder

The blessing on board “Diversion”

All photos this page – Christine Wilder

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Pacific Gulls

It has been a bit of a mystery if Pacific Gulls actually breed in the capes as we do record adults, immatures and juveniles along the coast, but in the past no nests or chicks have been reported. I have lived here since 1997 and only last year received brief details of an exciting breeding record, documented with photographs by local photographer Rob Bigelow. Rob has provided some of his hundreds of photos (the exact location not revealed for obvious reasons).

Researcher Dr. Bruce Robertson has been studying Pacific Gull (and Kelp Gull) populations and movements nation-wide for many years and banding Pacific Gulls in Victoria since 1978.

Bruce has provided us with identification information to look out for and if you do record these gulls along our coast or find them breeding locally, please do get in touch so that observations can be provided to Bruce.

Christine Wilder

I provided Bruce Robertson with most of my findings and exact location of the nesting site with some photos of the Pacific Gulls from the previous breeding season (7/11/2019 hatching to 15/1/2020 fledging) at the same location. (I actually have hundreds of photos of these gulls).

Last breeding season (2020/2021) wasn't successful for the Pacific Gulls, both eggs didn’t survive, and I can only assume due to an increase in visitors to the area. I see more and more people visiting, and many with dogs, despite signs stating no dogs allowed.

It is interesting to know more about the birds I photograph in my spare time.

Rob Bigelow

Pacific Gulls All photos this page provided by Rob Bigelow

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RECORDING PACIFIC GULLS I am thrilled if you want to "share the love" of my beloved Pacific Gull. I do not have all of the answers, but we can all have fun trying to work out what is going on in your neck of the woods. The quick answer is that nobody really knows! This is why I am trying to start a whole new project in Western Australia (WA), to get some local WA data on this topic. Aging: we refer to a 2nd-year/second-year bird as a bird in its second year of life - on a calendar year. We can be a bit more precise and call a bird, seen say in February, an "early" 2nd-year bird or if seen in say October, a "late" second-year bird. I suggest that you ignore the various overseas age-scoring systems. After a 7-year study of individually identifiable banded birds in South Australia (SA), I can tell you that they are completely different to growth and development of immature birds in Victoria. And I suspect that the birds in WA will be different again. There can be an overlap of 12 months between the age classes e.g. an advanced second-year bird can look the same as a slow developing third-year bird. So when certain people go on Facebook and say that a bird is a third-year bird, they may be right but they may be wrong. To understand how to age Pacific Gulls, you need to understand a bit about feathers and moult. Feathers are arranged very precisely, in areas around the body called feather tracts. Feathers constantly wear and are replaced by the process called moult. Most birds have a single, full/complete, annual moult over the summer period, after they have finished breeding. During this moult, they replace all of their wing feathers and all of their tail feathers (and the associated coverts - the feathers that grow over them and protect the base of the feather). Birds also have a partial moult over the winter period, at which time they replace/moult only their body feathers (NOT wing and tail feathers).

Pacific Gulls become a bit tricky because this partial/winter moult lasts for many, many months. This bit is where I would respectfully suggest that HANZAB is in error. If I catch an immature bird, I can be fairly sure that I will find body moult in at least one feather tract, somewhere on the body, at pretty much any time of the year. To moult and grow new feathers requires energy. So to spread this process out over most of the year eases the energy load/requirement on the bird, especially at a time of the year when food/energy may be short e.g. during winter. A few quick tips: - The true juvenile plumage of the Pacific Gull lasts only a few weeks - usually when the birds are still on the offshore breeding islands. It refers only to the first brown plumage that the bird attains when it replaces the natal down with the first generation of true feathers. - The true juvenile plumage ceases once the bird starts to moult and gets the next generation of feathers, which for the Pacific Gull are the whitish feathers at the base of the bill. This partial moult extends up and over the head of the bird and down through the neck and chin areas.

- Immature Pacific Gulls are in a state of continuous change in their appearance (because they are in a state of continuous body moult). - The overall appearance of a bird is the combined effect of their feathers (plumage) and the colour of their bare/soft parts (bill, iris/eye, eye-ring and legs). - These two features (plumage and bare parts) are separate and completely independent of each other. - As with humans, not all individuals change/mature at the same rate. Some are "fast" developers and some are "slow" developers. - Also, the rates of change of these two separate traits are not always constant. There can be growth "spurts" as well as periods of "suspended" development. - Confused? Yes? Good - you are starting to grasp the concepts.

To start with: - The exact nest site (Rob Bigelow’s records) is somewhat typical, but it is also unusual in that it is on the mainland and also quite close to humans. - Rob has taken a great photo of the adult Pacific Gull carrying a Turbo shell, which it will later drop on the rocky platform to expose the fleshy contents. Critical points: - Moult: this is when the "old" feather is replaced from underneath by a "new" feather - like kids getting their adult teeth. - The Pacific Gull has two types of moult: a full annual "summer" moult and the partial "winter" moult. - Sometimes we need to weigh up the feather features and bare part features of a bird, to come up with an estimate of its age. - The immature birds in WA and SA get their white head and chest etc. much quicker than do the birds in Victoria. It is very easy to fall into the trap of calling an advanced first-year bird a second-year bird because it is so white. Look at the colours of and the colour patterns of the bill. Try to also see what other immature birds in the area look like. Also, look carefully at the rump and the tail. But this can be tricky when they are flying in the field and this is usually better done by looking at photos of the bird.

- A major ID key is the presence of the black subterminal band of the tail. This occurs with the second full annual summer moult, leading to the bird becoming a 3rd-year bird. Hatch --> fluffy chick -----> juvenile -----> 1st year -----> 2nd year -----> 3rd year ----->4th year -----> Adult (black and white). If in doubt, take some photos and we can work together to estimate the age of the birds.

Dr Bruce Robertson Reference: Higgins, P.J. & S.J.J.F. Davies (Eds) 1996. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds (HANZAB). Volume 3: Snipe to Pigeons. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

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Excursion Report

BirdBlitz The Ridge – north from Cowaramup Bay

Sunday 27 June

No birds whatsoever on Cowaramup Bay – Photo Christine Wilder

GRACETOWN GRIZZLER We should have heeded the early morning shepherd’s warning: the sparkling sunrise producing azure colours beneath the looming bank of rolling clouds. No rain yet, maybe, just maybe it would hold out till later on in the day. What optimists!

After the 45-minute drive to Gracetown from Augusta things did anything but improve. Were we mad? Absolutely. The carpark was a lake of deep puddles, rising, as four of us forlornly sat waiting for any other crazily keen birders. Nothing for it - headed for Gracie’s Café for hot coffee solace - and home again.

Bird count: one Pacific Black Duck swimming round and round in an ever-deepening puddle on the track to the car park.

Mary Whittall

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross – Photo James Bennett

Opinions, statements or views in this newsletter are those of the Editor or individual contributors and may not be those of BirdLife Australia. Every effort has been made to check the accuracy of content. If you notice any errors or inaccuracies please contact the Editor.

Shearwaters and other pelagics …

This by Keely Jobe on Flesh-footed Shearwaters at Lord Howe Island left me with a lump in my throat. In the past I led my bird tours to Lord Howe Island and I could not imagine having dinner at any restaurant there at dusk, without hearing shearwaters noisily making their way to their burrows.

An opening quote from Keely’s article – “In the centre of the bird, a message. Bottle top golf tee balloon clip tube cap cable tie nurdle pen top strapping tape twist top lollipop bread tag glow stick …”

If you have ever seen these brilliant little brown torpedoes flying around your boat and maybe wondered how they survive, then this will have you asking what can be done?

Keely Jobe is a writer of fiction and nonfiction and her article appeared in the Australian literary magazine – “Island”. https://islandmag.com/read/315s-159e-by-keely-jobe?fbclid=IwAR0wC_PkGIOI0aRGc0K9PKyYHrag5_IP3vRacPb_I9mfrtjr2ROpE8GUIdE

Dr. Harriet Paterson has been researching marine debris from the south-west coast of Australia and reported on her findings on the existence of plastics in Flesh-footed Shearwater burrows at south-western Australia colonies. If you ever get the chance to attend one of Harriet’s workshops/talks, it will be one of your most memorable experiences. Check out this site for information: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328566762_Minimal_plastic_in_flesh-footed_shearwater_ardenna_carneipes_burrows_at_southwestern_australia_colonies

Flesh-footed Shearwaters are a highlight on our seabird charters out of Augusta Boat Harbour and we look out for them as soon as we make our way west. We have not counted many shearwaters on our last trips, but at this time of year a lower count of flesh-footeds is to be expected.

Worldwide, the threats to seabirds/pelagics are enormous. As well as ingesting plastics, the warming oceans, illegal fishing practices, oil/nurdle spillages and injuries from discarded tackle are just some of the other issues.

Christine Wilder References: Jobe, K. (2021). “Island” magazine. Available at https://islandmag.com/read/315s-159e-by-keely-jobe?fbclid=IwAR0wC_PkGIOI0aRGc0K9PKyYHrag5_IP3vRacPb_I9mfrtjr2ROpE8GUIdE Paterson, H.L. & J.N. Dunlop. (2018). Marine debris from the south-west coast of Australia. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328566762_Minimal_plastic_in_flesh-footed_shearwater_ardenna_carneipes_burrows_at_southwestern_australia_colonies

Flesh-footed Shearwaters in formation, 18 April 2020 - Photo Brad Keyser

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Trip Report – 26 June 2021 LEEUWIN MARINE CHARTERS

Past the lighthouse, hugging the coast to Deepdene then west of Geographe Reef, in an arc to

SE Rocks, Flinders Island, St. Alouarn Island, Seal Island and return to Augusta Boat Harbour

Group near Seal Island – Photo Christine Wilder

The long-range weather forecast was so bad that we postponed our planned trip out until the following week and then we were lucky to squeeze it in as the following day was gale force winds, heavy rain and wild storms all day. On the day our group of eleven felt like we were in the tropics with warm sun and aqua ocean.

Our special guest was Lynnath Beckley, Emeritus Professor (Marine Science) – Murdoch University, who provided us with information on the Leeuwin Current and other topics, and a link to the IMOS website for Ocean Currents:

http://oceancurrent.imos.org.au/ Just click on the whole of Australia image, specific areas will pop up.

Due to the wind direction, we headed towards the west coast, passing Seal Island and the lighthouse. A whale was immediately seen, two more performing and another giving a huge tail slap, a total of five Humpback Whales altogether. But we weren’t chasing whales and came upon three juvenile Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses sitting on the water, with one feeding on a cuttlefish, later adding two Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses to the tally. We headed south in an arc cutting across to Spout Rock, between Flinders Island and SE Rocks, around to St. Alouarn Island, lastly to Seal Island. A Brown Skua was seen alongside a small dinghy with fisher folk on board. We couldn’t make radio contact to ask if we could go closer to investigate if it was the same bird with a numbered band that had been seen and photographed earlier in the month by Dean McFaull. No shearwaters or storm-petrels recorded but there were quite a lot of gannets, some sitting in small rafts and others diving. The usual terns and cormorants were counted on the islands, with one small bird amongst the Crested Terns – an overwintering Ruddy Turnstone. Five dolphins at the harbour entrance to top off the morning.

Details for the trip: Total distance travelled: 63 km (34 nautical miles) to a depth of 40 metres 8km due west of Cape Leeuwin Wind NNE 22km/hr (12 knots) Swell 1.8 metres

We had a number of bird photographers on board and it was a little disappointing not seeing more pelagics, but we have to accept what we find. Thanks to David Muller for another interesting area search off Cape Leeuwin.

Christine Wilder

Cormorants on rocks on Seal Island – Photo Jeffrey Venning

Seabird charter from Augusta Boat Harbour and return – from 9:00am 26 June 2021 – Bird species (Alphabetical Order) Australasian Gannet 14STA, 11 flying/sitting on ocean Brown Skua 1 sitting on ocean Crested Tern 94 (SI & STA) Great Pied Cormorant 2STA, 54SI Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross 2a3j Pacific Gull 1aH, 2aFI, 1aSI, 1aSTA, 2a flying Ruddy Turnstone 1FI Silver Gull 1H, 1FI, 1SI, 1 flying Welcome Swallow 3H NZ Fur Seal 29FI, 10SER Common Bottlenose Dolphin 5 at harbour entrance Humpback Whale 5 a=adult, j=juvenile, sa=sub-adult; F-Flinders Island, H-Harbour, SER-South East Rocks, SI-Seal Island, STA-St Alouarn Island

Rocks at eastern end of Seal Island – Photo Jeffrey Venning

Photos Christine Wilder 8

Australasian Gannet, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Photos James Bennett

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses – Photos Kerri Bennett

Right – Australasian Gannets, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, one feeding on cuttlefish,

Crested Terns and fur seals (Note – fur seal with material wrapped around base of neck

was reported to Parks and Wildlife Ngari rangers) Photos Jeffrey Venning

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Can you spot the odd bird out – an overwintering Ruddy Turnstone? – Photo James Bennett

Terns with St. Alouarn Island in background – Photo Jeffrey Venning

Great Pied Cormorants on Seal Island – Photo Jeffrey Venning

All photos taken on seabird charter – 26 June 10

Two Oceans Watch

Above - Giant-Petrel sp, seen off Canal Rocks, 4/6/21 (note same species

seen again in similar location on 27/6/21) – Photos Greg Smith Below - Giant-Petrel sp, Augusta, 22/5/21 – Photo Machi Yoshida

Note – Northern/Southern species to be confirmed

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, off Cape Leeuwin, 2/6/21 – Photos David Muller

3 June - 1 Southern Fulmar seen off Cape Leeuwin (depth 40 metres). David Muller

Above and left – Brown Skua with leg band – Photos Dean McFaull

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My last snook fishing trip (in June) turned into a pelagic bird tour with a Brown Skua that wouldn't leave me alone and then two Wilson's Storm-petrels flying quite close to the boat. This was all inside Flinders Bay about 1km off Deadfinish. The skua had a numbered band on the right leg and a normal band on the left. It was very difficult to read the numbers which looked like 1080 when looking from the boat, but checking the photos later it looked more like 662? The skua came so close I could have touched it. It seemed to have a scar on the right side of its head where the feathers had not grown back.

Dean McFaull

Wilson’s Storm-Petrels – Photos Dean McFaull

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses with cuttlefish, 24/6/21

Fishing charter – Photo David Muller

Pacific Gulls at Augusta Boat Harbour, 28/6/21 – Photo David Muller

Capes Osprey Watch

Eastern Osprey at Colourpatch, Augusta, 26/6/21 – Photo James Bennett

30 June - Adrian and I watched one adult Eastern Osprey fly off the nest on the Telstra Tower on Molloy Island this morning.

Janean Robinson

Osprey perched near Molloy Island tower nest – Photo Janean Robinson

Cockatoo Capers

Black-Cockatoos excited about the grasstree – Photo Christine Wilder

27 June At home in Augusta, with thunder and lightning overhead, a big commotion out the front near the bins with around ten Black-Cockatoos, some in the shrubs and two birds excitedly ripping apart the top of a dead grasstree. European bees had been attracted to the gum of the grasstree for weeks. The magpies had been attacking Baudin’s Black-Cockatoos on and off here for about a month and were now attacking some in this group. In one instance I saw a magpie viciously attack a cockatoo, that sort of fell backwards, and I could then hear some mournful calls carrying on and on from the bushes. After about a minute the calls stopped and magpies and cockies all flew off. Christine Wilder

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Hoodie Happenings other beach nesting birds and migratory shorebirds

Hooded Plovers and Sooty Oystercatcher,

northern end of Deepdene beach

31 May - 25 Australian Pied Oystercatchers and 10 Sooty Oystercatchers, Deere Beach, Augusta. I noticed lately that Sooty Oystercatchers are feeding in the grass along Albany Terrace, ~100m north of Turner Caravan Park in a little grassy park area. I usually only see Australian Pied Oystercatchers in the grass. 8 June - A pair of Hooded Plover at Hillview Beach. It was a very cool day and the birds were ‘puffed’up. There was a good-sized swell and the blowhole was working. 17 June - We did a beautiful walk today from Deepdene to Cosy Corner with two Hoodies and a Sooty Oystercatcher at the northern end of Deepdene Beach. In the little bay between the granite outcrops just past the northern end of Deepdene Beach were Australian Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers, Silver Gulls and a Juvenile Pacific Gull. And at Cape Hamelin a gorgeous Rock Parrot was checking out having a drink from the fresh water.

Jenny Kikeros

25 June, 4:45pm – A pair of Hooded Plover at the high tide line, 100 metres north of Deadfinish, Cape Leeuwin.

Morven Hansen

Rock Parrot, Cape Hamelin

Sooty and Australian Pied Oystercatchers, Silver and Pacific Gulls,

northern end of Deepdene beach

Hooded Plover, northern end of Deepdene beach

Pacific Gull

All photos this page by Jenny Kikeros

If you see Hooded Plovers on any beach please report them, especially if you find a nest or adults/chicks. Check for leg flags. Two birds were released in 2019 - one with a yellow BA flag & one with a blue BA flag

Email - Christine Wilder - cwilderone@yahoo.com.au BirdLife WA - wa@birdlife.org.au

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Juvenile Red-eared Firetails, Margaret River garden, 13/6/21

Photo Terry Scott

White-fronted Chats at Walsall

Just wanted to let you know about an interesting bird species (a new one for me) we have hanging around at our bush block in Walsall (south of Busselton).

It took me a while to work out what they were, but the call is really quite unique. There is at least one pair of White-fronted Chat (male and female) which hang around a fence-line in a partially cleared paddock near our shed. They have been hanging around for the past month or so.

There are remnant Podocarpus drouynianus (Emu bush) along the fence and in the paddock which provide great shelter for small birds so they may nest in one of those. I don’t have any good pictures I’m afraid (only terrible phone pics from a distance).

Ben Lullfitz

Birds at the Margaret River-mouth

11 June I was mapping Arum Lilies today from the Margaret River-mouth to Wallcliffe Road. Wow, so many little bush birds along the Cape to Cape Track. I even saw four Red-eared Firetails, lots of fairy-wrens and a pair of Dusky Woodswallows. A most enjoyable afternoon. The river was flowing fast and there were lots of birds either on the sand or bathing in the calm water at the river-mouth.

Jenny Kikeros

BirdLife Australia’s ethical birding guidelines promote the welfare of birds and their environment, where observers are encouraged to practice minimum disturbance to nesting birds and birds in general. Be sure to follow BirdLife’s photography ethics standards and be aware of the impact photography, camera flash, drones and playing bird call apps can have on birds.

https://www.networkbirdlife.org/home/birdlife-australias-ethical-birdwatching-guidelines-updated-and-ready-for-summer

Western Whistler with prey – a grasshopper nymph – Augusta garden

Photo Roger Crabtree

Sightings ●

Thank you for sending articles, photos, unusual/interesting sightings from the capes region (or beyond) for inclusion in newsletters. All contributions are acknowledged. To ensure megabytes are kept to a minimum when attaching to emails, please send photos as jpeg (NOT MORE THAN 1MB EACH), maximum three photos each email or if large numbers of photographs send via Dropbox. DON’T EMBED photos/articles in email but send as attachment, articles preferably in Word. Confirm photographer. Email to: cwilderone@yahoo.com.au

Christine Wilder – Editor

Here are the reported sightings: Galah 121, perched on power lines (during thunderstorm), front of my Augusta garden, 27/6/21 – Christine Wilder

Galahs roosting on powerlines in storm, Augusta – Photo Christine Wilder

Western Whistler, Gimble Reserve, 19/6/21 – Photo Jenny Kikeros

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BIRDING BEYOND THE CAPES Wherever you go there are birds to watch

‘Bird stories and photos beyond the capes - by group members’

Great-billed Heron – Photo Mick Cross

BIRDS OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY Spent a couple of weeks in the Northern Territory in May and visited Arnhem Land for a few days. The rest of the time was spent in Darwin. We loved Darwin for the birds and the weather and will return next year. A few birds from our trip, to fill in the winter blues.

Mick Cross

Partridge Pigeon and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Photos Mick Cross

Rainbow Pitta, Rufous Owls, Barking Owls – Photos Mick Cross

Southern Scrub-robin, Monkey Mia – Photo Mick Cross

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Sulphur-crested Cockatoo – Photo Ann Storrie

BIRDS OF THE KIMBERLEY

I recently did a trip to the Kimberley for six weeks with friends. My interest is not only in birds, but any nature and landscape photography, so it was a bonus to see so many birds on our travels. The areas visited included the Broome Bird Observatory, Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungle), Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve, Wyndham, Mitchell Falls, Bachsten Creek Bush Camp (on the border of the Prince Regent National Park), a few gorges along the Gibb River Road and Cape Leveque.

The highlight for birds was at the Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve, south of Wyndham, with a huge number of species viewed. I’m afraid I am not proficient at ids and counts, however, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has recorded over 80 species of water dependent birds in this area and I can believe that! Some species also have thousands of representatives. I have certainly never seen so many Pink-eared Ducks, Magpie Geese and Grey Teal. It is not uncommon to record over 25,000 individual birds on these lagoons.

One evening as I was standing on the observation deck that overhangs the main lagoon, a big salty visitor arrived. If you haven’t been to Parry Lagoons, do add it to your list along with the Broome Bird Observatory, when you’re next up that way. I have included some of my favourite bird photos from that trip.

Ann Storrie

Right - Australian Bustard, Brown Falcon with snake, Pink-eared Ducks Photos Ann Storrie

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Brown Booby – Photo Jane Scott

BOOBIES AND OTHER BIRDS Christmas Island must be one of the world's easiest birding spots! Birds are everywhere and they are just so accessible! There are several endemics, enabling rank amateurs like me to feel that I have seen some really special birds.

Some, like the Island Thrush, pop out from the undergrowth as if saying 'Photograph me please', while Christmas Island Goshawks flew in front of our car and perched on low branches three times in order to stare at us!

The boobies are numerous and friendly, with the Red-footed being the most common, welcoming us to our chalet the first evening with their constant growling from their roosts in the nearby trees, Brown Boobies were nesting close to a boardwalk on a sharp limestone platform above the waves, with one or two juveniles still shedding the last of their down and exercising their wings. I was excited when we stopped once in the middle of the island to hear an eerie, low gutteral squawk high in the rainforest canopy, which just had to be an endangered Abbott's Booby, just as the interpretive sign we were reading told us. I looked up and there it was!

All three frigatebirds, Greater, Lesser and Christmas Island, frequent the cliff tops, wheeling high above and attacking the boobies and other birds as they try for an easy meal. Very difficult to tell apart - I am pretty sure the photos are of the Christmas Island species as both adult and rather grumpy-looking juvenile were in places that they nest. Common Noddies perched up close on the thinnest of ledges at one of the most popular beaches.

Others seen but not photographed included the Christmas Island Imperial Pigeon, Emerald Dove (endemic sub-species), Christmas Island White-eye, and the wonderful Silver and Golden Bosunbirds (White-tailed Tropicbirds to us) that circled constantly above Flying Fish Cove.

Cocos Islands didn't have as many easy-to-see birds, but the pretty little White Terns were very evident, and White-breasted Waterhens (which I had missed seeing on Christmas Island) stalked around the gardens without any fear.

NB. Most of this information gleaned from an excellent little brochure at the Visitor Centre!

Jane Scott

Juvenile Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, Abbott’s Booby

and White-breasted Waterhen – Photos Jane Scott

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CARNARVON

We enjoyed our trip up north to Exmouth and now back home and settled into the winter season. We were lucky to have time in Carnarvon on our way up and back as there were lots of bird and I have included some photos which I took there. Saw 50 plus Rainbow Bee-eaters fly into the Winter Sun Caravan Park then another 30 arrived and settled into the tree next to our chalet. There were lots of Nankeen Kestrels, saw fifteen on one day, and heaps of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes.

Alan Burdett

Rainbow Bee-eaters White-plumed Honeyeaters

Budgerigars

Photos this page by Alan Burdett

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