EURASIAN CURLEW

Photographed at Port Douro, near Bunbury, Western Australia February 2016

761               EURASIAN CURLEW             Numenius arquata

Australia        (605)

Also known as Common Curlew or European Curlew. 50-60 cm. Breeds from w. Europeto sw Siberia, winters s. Europe, Africa, occasional e. to Malaysia, Borneo. In Australia, one confirmed recordEighty Mile Beach near Broome (WA) Nov 2007, several unconfirmed sight records; until this bird at Port Douro, WA Feb 2016.

Darwin, January 2024

CINNAMON QUAIL-THRUSH

Photographed c.80 kms west of Tibooburra, February 2016

760          CINNAMON QUAIL-THRUSH             Cinclosoma cinnamomeum

Australia           (604)

Found in stony plains/tablelands, ridges; gravelly flats with sparse, low saltbush, bluebush, shrub-grown gullies. 17-24 cm. Range: an area covering sw Queensland, nw NSW, ne SA and se NT.

BLUE-BREASTED FAIRY-WREN

Photographed at Billy's Light Point, Port Lincoln, South Australia February 2016

759               BLUE-BREASTED FAIRY-WREN            Malurua pulcherrimus

Australia         (603)

Also known as Blue-breasted Superb Warbler or Blue-breasted Superb Fairy-wren. 13.5 - 15 cm. Found undergrowth in drier forrest, woodlands; sandplain-scrubs, heaths; tea-tree and mallee associations; low dense dune-vegetation, acacia-thickets, saltbush. In SA (Eyre Pen.) heath country, swampy localities. Range: broken distribution in sw WA and Eyre Pen. (SA).

Female.

CHESNUT QUAIL-THRUSH

Photographed in Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria February 2016

758            CHESTNUT QUAIL THRUSH            Cinclosoma castanotus

Australia          (602)

Found in mallee-spinifex; mulga, cypress pine, with shrub layer; desert eucalyptus woodlands; saltbush, desert-heaths, coastal tea-tree. 20-26 cm. Range: se Aust.: from Round HillNR (NSW), s. to Cocoparra NP, n. to c. Roto; mallee areas of sw NSW-nw Vict., s. to ne. Little Desert NP; se. SA. Sedentary. Locally nomadic. Was named Chestnut-backed Quail-thrush but after recent split is now Chestnut Quail-thrush, and the split is Copper-backed Quail-thrush.

MALLEE EMU-WREN

Photograph near the Nowingi Track, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria February 2016.

757             MALLEE EMU-WREN              Stipiturus mallee

Australia            (601)

Found in spinifex, with mallee gums, native cypress, on sandhill swales, slopes; also tall heathland with tea-tree, broom, fringe-myrtle, spinifex. 13-15 cm, incl. tail (8-9 cm). Range: region s. of Murray R. in NW Vic.-se SA: from Hattah-Kulkyne NP (Vic) s. to Wyperfield NP-Big Desert Wilderness; w. into SA, from c. Nadda-Peebinga s. to Ngarkat Cons. Park, n of Keith, w. to Carcuma Cons. Park, ne of Cooalpyn.

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE

Photographed at the Western Treatment Plant, Werribee January 2016

 756             RED-NECKED PHALAROPE                Phalarope lobatus

Australia             (600)

Also known as Northern Phalarope. 18-19 cm. In Aust. found in shallow pools; in commercial salt fields; tidal mudflats, beaches, salt marsh, freshwater wetlands. Range: breeds around Arctic; winters at sea. East Siberian population migrates to Celebes Serfdom s. Philippines, e. to PNG and Bismarck Arch. Irregular summer migrant to Aust. (Aug-Apr), regular in nw WA, but many sight records in se Aust. Odd birds over-winter acquiring breeding plumage. 

NOTE: Bird number 600!!!!!! And such a rare bird in southern Australia. I was a little disappointed, after following the bird for a couple of days these were the best photos I could get because its such a small bird and stayed out in the centre of the pond most of the time.

NORFOLK ISLAND GERYGONE

Photographed on Norfolk Island January 2016

755                NORFOLK ISLAND GERYGONE            Gerygone modesta

Australia          (599)

Also known as Grey Warbler, or locally as ‘peurty’. Endemic to Norfolk Island. 10-11 cm. Found in most environments with tree or shrub cover, feeds in canopy of trees and shrubs, hover gleans from outer foliage. Common but regarded as Near Threatened because its whole population is on one island.

KERMADEC PETREL

Photographed on Phillip Island (near Norfolk Island) January 2016

754          KERMADEC PETREL             Pterodroma neglecta

Australia         (598)

38 cm; wingspan c. 90 cm. Range: breeds across s. Pacific from Lord Howe I (Ball’s Pyramid) and Phillip Is. near Norfolk Is. to Juan Fernandez (se Pacific). Disperses throughout warmer Pacific waters. Rare visitor summer-autumn-winter to coastal e. Australia from se Q to about Jervis Bay (NSW).

GREY TERNLET

Photographed on Phillip Island (near Norfolk Island) January 2016

753              GREY TERNLET            Procelsterna albivitta

Australia          (597)

Also known as Grey Noddy. 25-30 cm; wingspan 50-60 cm. Found on oceanic islands and surrounding seas. Range: tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean, incl. Lord Howe and Norfolk Is. Casual alive or beach washed e. coast Aust., usually after storms.