Several car loads of members and friends met at the Baruni turn off at 06:00. Unfortunately two car loads were lost before the birding had begun, one to a puncture and a second to escort duties. The latter was subsequently unable to locate the rest of the party. Perhaps a map of reas to be visited should be supplied to all participants in the future. Along the way to the first stop at Lea Lea salt pans, Australian Kestrel and Horsfield’s Bushlark were seen in the grassland near Fairfax. Relatively few waders were recorded at the salt pans: several Common Sandpipers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Red-necked Stints and one each of Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Little Curlew and Grey-tailed Tattler. The Eastern Curlew was the first returning bird after the northern breeding season.Two of the uncommon (or less often observed) herons, White-faced Heron and Striated Heron were seen around the edge of the pans.
From the salt pans it was a short drive to the mud flats at Lea Lea where an opening in the mangroves afforded some good views of a variety of shore birds being pushed steadily closer by the in-coming tide. There were distant views of four species of terns: Little, Common, Gull-billed and Crested (Swift). The proble of distinguishing between Greater and Lesser (Mongolian) sand-Plovers raised its ugly head again. For me the bird of the day was the solitary Terek Sandpiper, with bright orange legs and an incongruously long upturned bill, so long it seemed it might over-balance.
The next stop was Lake Iaraguma. Here the birds were watched from a small hillock over-looking the flood plain of the Laloki River, most of which was under water. It was quite an unexpected vista. There were distant views of soaring White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Australian Pelicans. One of the latter drifted over head and landed on the lake in full view. Amongst the many herons and egrets were four Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage. A single Australian White Ibis and a flock of 11 Little Curlew were seen flying over the lake, possibly looking for non-existent mud.
To sum up: 74 species were recorded including 9 species of heron.
Australasian Grebe, Lesser Frigatebird, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Darter, Australian Pelican, Eastern Great Egret, Pied Heron, Intermediate Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Egret, Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Nankeen Night Heron, Australian White Ibis, Whistling Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Swamp Harrier, Papuan Harrier, Nankeen Kestrel, Spotted Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Brown Quail, Comb-crested Jacana, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Masked Lapwing, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Sand-Plover, Greater Sand-Plover, Eastern Curlew, Little Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Swift (Crested) Tern, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Yellowish-streaked Lory, Rainbow Lory, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Oriental Dollarbird, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Pacific Swallow, Tree Martin, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrke, Willie Wagtail, Golden-headed Cisticola, Mangrove Greygone, Lemon-bellied Flyrobin, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, New Guinea Friarbird, Grey-headed Mannikin, Singing Starling, White-breasted Wood-Swallow, Black-backed Butcherbird, Torresian Crow.
From the salt pans it was a short drive to the mud flats at Lea Lea where an opening in the mangroves afforded some good views of a variety of shore birds being pushed steadily closer by the in-coming tide. There were distant views of four species of terns: Little, Common, Gull-billed and Crested (Swift). The proble of distinguishing between Greater and Lesser (Mongolian) sand-Plovers raised its ugly head again. For me the bird of the day was the solitary Terek Sandpiper, with bright orange legs and an incongruously long upturned bill, so long it seemed it might over-balance.
The next stop was Lake Iaraguma. Here the birds were watched from a small hillock over-looking the flood plain of the Laloki River, most of which was under water. It was quite an unexpected vista. There were distant views of soaring White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Australian Pelicans. One of the latter drifted over head and landed on the lake in full view. Amongst the many herons and egrets were four Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage. A single Australian White Ibis and a flock of 11 Little Curlew were seen flying over the lake, possibly looking for non-existent mud.
To sum up: 74 species were recorded including 9 species of heron.
Australasian Grebe, Lesser Frigatebird, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Darter, Australian Pelican, Eastern Great Egret, Pied Heron, Intermediate Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Egret, Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Nankeen Night Heron, Australian White Ibis, Whistling Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Swamp Harrier, Papuan Harrier, Nankeen Kestrel, Spotted Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Brown Quail, Comb-crested Jacana, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Masked Lapwing, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Sand-Plover, Greater Sand-Plover, Eastern Curlew, Little Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Swift (Crested) Tern, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Yellowish-streaked Lory, Rainbow Lory, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Oriental Dollarbird, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Pacific Swallow, Tree Martin, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrke, Willie Wagtail, Golden-headed Cisticola, Mangrove Greygone, Lemon-bellied Flyrobin, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, New Guinea Friarbird, Grey-headed Mannikin, Singing Starling, White-breasted Wood-Swallow, Black-backed Butcherbird, Torresian Crow.
