September 3, 2016
Brisbane International Airport - not really a key destination, but it was the site of my first two lifers for the trip: Noisy Miner and Australian Magpie.
Boondall Wetlands Reserve - nothing but lifers here: Pied Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Australian Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Whistling Kite, Crested Pigeon, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone, Gray Butcherbird, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Rufous Whistler, Rufous Fantail, Gray Fantail, Leaden Flycatcher, Torresian Crow, Mistletoebird.
Nudgee Beach Reserve - White-faced Heron, Masked Lapwing, Bar-shouldered Dove, Torresian Kingfisher, White-breasted Woodswallow, Pied Butcherbird.
Brisbane to Lamington National Park (birds not in taxonomic order) - Plumed Whistling-Duck, Maned Duck,White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Sacred Kingfisher, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Magpie-Lark, Straw-necked Ibis, Intermediate Egret, Laughing Kookaburra, Willie-Wagtail, Common Bronzewing.
Lamington National Park - Australian Brushturkey, Crimson Rosella, Regent Bowerbird, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairywren, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Eastern Yellow Robin, Welcome Swallow, Red-browed Firetail.
Total species for the day = 50
Total lifers for the day = 50
Torresian Crow
Plumed Whistling-Duck
Maned Duck
Eastern Rosella
Satin Bowerbird
Lewin's Honeyeater
White-browed Scrubwren
Eastern Yellow Robin
September 4, 2016
Lamington National Park - White-headed Pigeon, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Australian King-Parrot, Green Catbird, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Australian Logrunner, Eastern Whipbird, Pied Currawong, Gray Shrikethrush, Golden Whistler, Paradise Riflebird, Rose Robin, White-throated Treecreeper, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Bassian Thrush.
Total species for the day = 30
Total lifers for the day = 16
Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Regent Bowerbird
Australian Logrunner
Australian Brushturkey
Australian King-Parrot
Pied Currawong
Red-browned Firetail
September 5, 2016
Lamington National Park - Topknot Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, White-naped Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote.
DJ Smith Park - Spotted Dover, Noisy Friarbird
Canungra to Goondiwindi (birds not in taxonomic order) - Australian Kestrel, Pacific Black Duck, Chestnut Teal, Australasian Grebe, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Australasian Darter, Great Egret, Dusky Moorhen, Long-billed Corella, Australian Reed-Warbler, Australian Kite, Spotted Harrier, Australian Hobby, Variegated Fairywren, Fuscous Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler, Little Corella, Apostlebird, Common Myna, Emu, Cockatiel, Turquoise Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot.
Total species for the day = 62
Total lifers for the day = 29
Emu
September 6, 2016
Goondiwindi Botanical Gardens - Cattle Egret, Peaceful Dove, Pale-headed Rosella, White-plumed Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Weebill, Australian Raven, Diamond Firetail, Double-barred Finch.
Goondiwindi to Bourke (birds not in taxonomic order) - Fairy Martin, European Starling, Yellow-throated Miner, Black Kite, Rock Pigeon, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Black-faced Woodswallow, Red-winged Parrot, Rufous Songlark, White-winged Chough, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, House Sparrow, Australian Ringneck, Southern Whiteface, Rufous Night-Heron, Eurasian Blackbird.
Total species for the day = 63
Total lifers for the day = 22
Little Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Black Kite
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
September 7, 2016
Gundabooka National Park - Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Mulga Parrot, Splendid Fairywren, White-fronted Honeyeater, Singing Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Red-capped Robin, Hooded Robin.
Gundabooka National Park to Rylstone (birds not in taxonomic order) - Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little Raven, Pink Cockatoo, Gray-crowned Babbler, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Eurasian Coot, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Western Gerygone.
Total species for the day = 43
Total lifers for the day = 16
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Splendid Fairywren
Red-capped Robin
Pink Cockatoo
Capertee Valley (birds not in taxonomic order) - Black-chinned Honeyeater, White-browed Babbler, Dusky Woodswallow, Crested Shrike-Tit, Olive-backed Oriole, Eastern Rosella, Brown Treecreeper, Red Wattlebird, Tree Martin, Brown Falcon, Jacky-Winter, Australian Bushlark, Golden-headed Cisticola, Australasian Pipit, Zebra Finch, New Holland Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Yellow Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, White-bellied Cuckooshrike.
Total species for the day = 58
Total lifers for the day = 20
Eastern Rosella
Brown Treecreeper
Dusky Woodswallow
Brown Falcon
Australasian Pipit
September 9, 2016
Capertee Valley (birds not in taxonomic order) - Plum-headed Finch, Little Lorikeet, Spotted Pardalote, Silver-eye.
Capertee Valley to Sydney (birds not in taxonomic order) - Australian Shoveler, Silver Gull.
Total species for the day = 51
Total lifers for the day = 5
Plum-headed Finch
September 10, 2016
Royal National Park (birds not in taxonomic order): Today was supposed to be the pelagic trip, but the trip was postponed until September 11 due to weather. Thankfully, Steve Anyon-Smith was able to flip his schedule (as he was also a guide on the pelagic) and take me out for the day. Australasian Figbird (the best lifers are the ones you get while ordering morning coffee), Australasian Swamphen, Wonga Pigeon, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Superb Lyrebird, Little Wattlebird, Black-browed Albatross, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater, Australasian Gannet, Great Cormorant, Great Crested Tern, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Rockwarbler, Beautiful Firetail.
Nearby areas around Royal National Park (birds not in taxonomic order) - Gray Teal, Powerful Owl, Pied Oystercatcher, Swamp Harrier, Kelp Gull, Black Swan, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Bar-tailed Godwit.
Total species for the day = 74
Total lifers for the day = 23
September 11, 2016
Pelagic (Sydney) - Yellow-nosed Albatross, Buller's Albatross, Salvin's Albatross, Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant-Petrel, Providence Petrel, Fairy Prion, Hutton's Shearwater, Wilson's Storm-Petrel, White-faced Storm-Petrel, Brown Skua, Sooty Oystercatcher.
Total species for the day = 21
Total lifers for the day = 12
Yellow-nosed Albatross
Buller's Albatross
Black-browed Albatross
Wandering Albatross
Great-winged Petrel
Fairy Prion
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
September 12, 2016
Malacoota area (birds not in taxonomic order) - White-cheeked Honeyeater, Little Egret, Gray Goshawk, Far Eastern Curlew, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Caspian Tern.
Total species for the day = 48
Total lifers for the day = 3
Silver Gull
Pied Oystercatcher
September 13, 2016
Mallacoota to Melbourne (birds not in taxonomic order) - Mallard, Southern Emuwren, Hooded Plover, Scarlet Myzomela, Red-capped Plover, Red-necked Stint.
Total species for the day = 49
Total lifers for the day = 5
Scarlet Myzomela
September 14, 2016 (all day guided tour with Simon Starr of Firetail Birdwatching Tours)
Melbourne area - Tawny Frogmouth
Brisbane Range National Park (birds not in taxonomic order) - White-eared Honeyeater, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Scarlet Robin, Brown Goshawk, Eurasian Skylark.
Serendip Sanctuary - Magpie Goose, Cape Barren Goose, Little Eagle, Swift Parrot, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
Avalon Beach - Pied Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, Australian Fairy Tern, White-fronted Chat, Striated Fieldwren, Little Grassbird, European Goldfinch.
Western Treatment Plant (Werribee) - Blue-billed Duck, Musk Duck, Hoary-headed Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Brolga, Whiskered Tern.
Lakeland Wetlands - Black-fronted Dotterel, Latham's Snipe.
Melbourne area - Musk Lorikeet
Total species for the day = 96
Total lifers for the day = 24
Cape Barren Goose
September 15, 2016
Melbourne to Chiltern (birds not in taxonomic order) - Bell Miner, Flame Robin, Pacific Heron.
Chiltern National Park - Pink-eared Duck, Brown-headed Honeyeater.
Total species for the day = 65
Total lifers for the day = 5
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
Pacific Heron
Pink-eared Duck
September 16, 2016
Chiltern National Park (birds not in taxonomic order) - Gang-gang Cockatoo, Varied Sittella, White-eyed Duck.
Total species for the day = 48
Total lifers for the day = 3
September 17, 2016
Jerrabomberra Wetlands - Buff-banded Rail.
Bungendore - Australian Shelduck.
Total species for the day = 53
Total lifers for the day = 2
Australian Shelduck
September 18, 2016 - today was supposed to be a pelagic out of Port Stephens, but the trip was cancelled due to weather. This cancellation may have been a blessing in disguise, as there few life birds that I would likely get on this pelagic, but the alternate plan was very productive and not part of my trip plans. A pleasant surprise one might say.
Karuah - Striated Heron, Brahminy Kite.
Cattai Wetlands - Pacific Baza, Comb-crested Jacana, Pacific Emerald Dove, Red-backed Fairywren, Spangled Drongo, Tawny Grassbird.
Ellenborough Reserve - Black-faced Monarch, Spectacled Monarch, Forest Raven.
Total species for the day = 76
Total lifers for the day = 11
Azure Kingfisher
Red-backed Fairywren
Tawny Grassbird
Pacific Emerald Dove
September 19, 2016 (back in Brisbane)
Tinchi Tamba Wetlands - Gull-billed Tern, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet,
Murumba Downs - Cotton Pygmy-Goose
North Lakes - Chestnut-breasted Munia
Total species for the day = 45
Total lifers for the day = 4
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Chesnut-breasted Munia
September 20, 2016 (clean-up day...chasing whatever I can get on last full day)
Goldscrubs Lane - Square-tailed Kite, Varied Triller
Kumbartcho Sancturary - Australian Owlet-Nightjar, Noisy Pitta, Little Cuckooshrike.
D'Aquilar National Park - Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Pale-yellow Robin, Russet-tailed Thrush.
Mount Glorious - Forest Kingfisher.
Eatons Crossing Road and Albion Road - Channel-billed Cuckoo.
Bay Avenue and Main Terrace Park - Osprey.
Deception Bay - Whimbrel, Great Knot, Gray-tailed Tattler, Common Greenshank.
Total species for the day = 97
Total lifers for the day = 12
Australian Owlet-Nightjar
Noisy Pitta
Wompoo Fruit-Dove
Great Knot
September 21, 2016
Sandy Camp Road Wetlands - Brown Quail
Total species for the day = 38
Total lifers for the day = 1
Trip Summary
Total species for the trip = 288
Total lifers for the trip = 263
Total eBird checklists = 162
Total distance driven = 6,274 kms
Total birding days = 19
Thanks to the many individuals that I met along the way and pointed me in the direction of good birds, great food, and excellent coffee and baked goods. Also a huge thanks to those who provided identification tips (especially on the Sydney pelagic), and to eBird Regional Coordinators who caught a couple of data entry errors. Until next time, happy birding wherever you may be.
