ASIAN DOWITCHER

Photographed(bird in the middle) at Broome Bird Observatory, September 2016

807              ASIAN DOWITCHER        Limnodromus semipalmatus

Australia         (651)

Also known as Asiatic Dowitcher. 33-36 cm; female larger, longer bill. Found on tidal mudflats, beaches, commercial salt fields, sewerage ponds. Breeds in c. and e. Siberia, Mongolia, ne China: winters from Persian Gulf to coastal mudflats of Indonesia. Scarce but regular summer migrant to coastal n. Aust. (Sept-April); mostly abundant from Top End (NT) to Port Hedland (WA). Casual elsewhere.

ORIENTAL PLOVER

Photographed near Broome Bird Observatory, September 2016

806             ORIENTAL PLOVER       Charadrius veredus

Australia         (650)

Found on open plains; bare, rolling country, often far from water; ploughed land; muddy or sandy wastes near inane swamps or tidal mudflats, bare playpens; margins of coastal marshes; grassy airfields, sport fields, lawns. 22-25 cm, wingspan 46-53 cm. Breeds in Mongoliaand Manchuria; regular summer migrant to Aust. (Sept-March). Records all states, but regular across coastal and n. inland.

BARN SWALLOW

Photographed in Broome, September 2016

805              BARN SWALLOW             Hirundo rustica     

Australia         (649)

Also known as Common or European Swallow. 16-17 cm. Found above open country; agricultural land, especially near water; railcards, towns, overhead wires. Widespread in Northern Hemisphere, ‘winters’ in s hemisphere.East Asian race gutturalise regular non-breeding summer migrant to Philippines, Indonesia, PNG, and n. Aust, mostly Sept-March. Now seen regularly, annually from Kimberley (WA) to ne. and se. Q; vagrant to e. NSW, c SA, n. Vic.

COMMON REDSHANK

Photographed at Broome Bird Observatory, August 2016

804              COMMON REDSHANK            Tringa totanus

Australia         (648)

Found on tidal sandbars and mudflats; mangroves; freshwater swamps and lagoons; salt fields. Breeds from British Isles to e. Asia: migrates to Africa, s. and se. Asia, Indonesia region. Uncommon but perhaps regular, mostly summer migrant to coastal n. Aust; Some overwinter.

LAUGHING GULL

In non-breeding plumage, photographed at Venus Bay, South Australia, August 2016

803      LAUGHING GULL         Lares atricilla

Australia         (647)

Found on coasts, tidal flats. 36-40 cm.; span 1.05 cm. Breeds coastal e. N. America, and California: migrates to ne. Brazil and down Pacific coast to n. Chile. Vagrant to Hawaii, Samoa, elsewhere in Oceania. Sighted in Cairns, and in 2016 Venus Bay (SA). Vagrant.

ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS

Photographed on Kiama pelagic, July 2016

802                    ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS        Diomedea antipodensis

Australia         (646)

Also known as Antipodes Albatross, New Zealand Albatross, and Gibson's Wandering Albatross. 1.1 m; span 2-3 m. Nominate race breeds Antipodes and Campbell Is. Outside breeding season ranges over s. Pacific, including s. Aust waters. Race gibsoni breeds on Auckland Is., forages in Tasman Sea and sw Pacific; common off s NSW. Endangered.

SLENDER-BILLED PRION

Photographed on Port Fairy pelagic, August 2016

801         SLENDER-BILLED PRION         Pachyptila belcheri

Australia         (645)

25-26 cm, span 56 cm. Breeds Crozets and Kerguelen Is (s Indian Ocean); Falkland Is (S. Atlantic) and islands off S. America. Ranges n. in winter to c. 30 degrees S. Uncommon winter/spring visitor from s. WA to Tas., NSW to se Q. Common on sw and s coasts.

Port MacDonnell pelagic, South Australia, 26 August, 2019

GREAT-WINGED PETREL

Photographed on Port Fairy pelagic, August 2016

800            GREAT-WINGED PETREL           Pterodroma macroptera

Australia             (644)

With other birds it is also referred to as Muttonbird, also by NZ name oi. Recently split from Grey-faced Petrel. 42-45 cm. Breeds in southern hemisphere between 30 and 50 degrees south, including coast of southern Aust.

PAINTED BUTTON-QUAIL

Photographed at Chiltern State Forrest, August 2016

799            PAINTED BUTTON-QUAIL             Turnix varia

Australia            643

Found in scrublands, open woodlands with branch, leaf debris; tussocks, stones; heathlands, farm regrowth, mallee. 17-19 cm, female larger. Range e. and se. Aust., Tas. and s WA: from Atherton Tablelands (ne Q) to Tas., w to Eyre Pen. and Kangaroo Is., n to s Flinders Ras. (SA) In sw WA n to Shark Bay, including coastal islands. Sedentary, nomadic.

Note:  Not a very good photograph but the only ones I have been able to manage of this elusive bird so far.

GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL

Photographed on Kiama Pelagic, July 2016

798           GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL          Garrodia nereis

Australia           (642)

Breeds on islands in NZ region; also Macquarie, Kerguelen and islands in s. Indian Ocean and S. Atlantic. NZ population visits offshore waters of se Aust. in all months but mostly winter. Records from Eyre Pen. (SA), w and e Vic., Tas., and c. coast NSW. Flocks of hundreds reported beyond continental shelf.

WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL

Photographed on Kiama Pelagic, July 2016

797           WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL         Pelagodroma marina

Australia          (641)

Breeds in late spring and summer on many coastal islands in s. Aust. from Abrolhos group (WA) at least to Broughton Is. (NSW); Bass Strait and Tas. islands; also Kermadecs; NZ and NZ sub-Antartica Is; N. and S. Atlantic. Part of Aust population winter n. Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea; some e. coast birds range into the Pacific. Present offshore s. Aust.in summer; apparently (usually) absent in winter. Migratory.