HUDSONIAN GODWIT

Photographed at Lake Wollumboula, NSW December 2015

741                  HUDSONIAN GODWIT            Limosa haemastica

Australia            (584)

Found in tidal mudflats and estuaries; waterways in mangroves; salt marshes, freshwater wetlands. 37-42 cm. Range: breeds Alaska to Hudson Bay, Canada; winters in far s. S. America; some reach Nz almost annually. In Aust. summer vagrant to coastal mudflats (NSW, Vic, Tas, SA)

PARADISE SHELDUCK

Photographed at Lake Wollumboula, NSW December 2015

740             PARADISE SHELDUCK              Tadorna variegata

Australia          (583)

The Paradise Shelduck is endemic to New Zealand and this one seen at Lake Wollumboula (near Nowra) NSW is the first record of one appearing in Australia. They are prize game birds and were hunted in New Zealand outside the breeding season, when the birds can not fly.

SOOTY OWL

Photographed at Bunyip State Forrest, Victoria December 2015

739              SOOTY OWL           Tyto tenebricosa

Australia          (582)

Found in tall, wet forrest in sheltered e. and se.-facing mountain gullies, with dense understory layer. 38-50 cm, female larger. Range: coastal e. Australia: mostly on and e. of Divide from Dandenong Ras., e. of MelbourneKinglake NP (Vic), to Connondale Ra. (se Q.). Until recently this and the Lesser Sooty were amongst our lesser known birds.

SONG THRUSH

Photographed at West Sunshine, Victoria December 2015

738          SONG THRUSH           Turdus philomelos

Australia          (581)

Also known as English Thrush. 23 cm. Found in parks, gardens, woodlands, forrest, thickets. Range: native to Europe, n. Africa, w. Asia; introduced to Melbourne 1860s; Patchy Dandenong Ras.-Mt Macedon, Melbourne and suburbs, Mornington Pen; Geelong-Lorne. Local. Also introduced Lord Howe and Norfolk Is., NZ.

Taken Norfolk Island January 2016