BLACK KITE

Photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal March 2017

(97)                   BLACK KITE                 Milvus migrans

NEPAL          21

Mainly occurs around cities and villages, closely associated with habitat; feeds mainly on offal and refuse but is omnivorous; bold scavenger, can swoop and turn with amazing dexterity when snatching food. 58-66 cm.  Resident in south, passage visitor in central and summer visitor in north.

BLACK-THROATED THRUSH

Photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal March 2017

976              BLACK-THROATED THRUSH              Turdus atrogularis

Used to be lumped with Red-throated Thrush and known as Dark-throated Thrush. Common winter visitor. 26.5 cm. Found in forest edges, pastures with trees.

SPOTTED OWLET

Photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal March 2017

975                 SPOTTED OWL                   Athene brama

NEPAL               19

Common and widespread resident in the southern half of Nepal. 21 cm. Found around habitation and cultivation; hunts around streetlights; usually in family groups or pairs; crepuscular and nocturnal.

HOUSE SPARROW

Female, photographed in Kathmandu, Nepal March 2017

44    HOUSE SPARROW       Passer domesticus

NEPAL        (18)

14-16 cms. Abundant and widespread resident. Generally in cities, towns, rural areas, also cultivation areas in winter.

SCRUBTIT

Photographed on Bruny Island, Tasmania February 2017

974                SCRUBTIT              Acanthornis magnus

AUSTRALIA             706

Found in undergrowth of temperate rainforests, fern gullies; on King Island., paperbarks. 11-11.5 cm. Tasmania: widespread except drier e. coast; on King Island sparse in suitable habitat. Fairly common, sedentary.

SWIFT PARROT

Photographed on Bruny Island, Tasmania February 2017

973         SWIFT PARROT          Lathamus discolor

AUSTRALIA          705

Found in forests, woodlands, plantations, banksias etc; street trees, parks, gardens. 23-26 cm. Breeds only in Tasmania:most migrate in March-June to se Aust., w to Mt Lofty Ra., (SA), n to c. Bowen in coastal e Q; inland to Griffith-Warialda (NSW), Chinchilla (Q). Nomadic on mainland. Returns to Tas. Aug-Oct.

FORTY-SPOTTED PARDALOTE

Photographed on Bruny Island, Tasmania February 2017.

972              FORTY-SPOTTED PARDALOTE            Pardalotus quadragintus

AUSTRALIA             702

Found in drier eucalypt forests, especially 'Manna' (white) Gum. 9-10 cm. Now confined to coastal se Tas; South Bruny Island north to Maria Island, adjacent Hobart environs, especially Tinderbox Pen., s of Kingston. Rare, local. Sedentary, young dispersive. Endangered.

SOOTY SHEARWATER

Photographed on Eaglehawk Neck pelagic, February 2017

971               SOOTY SHEARWATER            Puffinus griseus

AUSTRALIA               703

Also known as New Zealand Muttonbird. 46-54 cm; wingspan c. 1 m. Predominantly a NZ species, breeding on many NZ islands and Macquarie Island; present off NSW, Vic and Tas., mostly Oct-Feb; WA s coast June-Oct. 

Photographed on second Eaglehawk Neck pelagic, Tasmania February 2017

WHITE-THROATED NIGHTJAR

Photographed at Bunyip State Park, Victoria February 2017

970             WHITE-THROATED NIGHTJAR               Eurostopodus mystacalis 

AUSTRALIA              702

Also known as Fern Owl or Laughing Owl. 32-37 cm. Found on bare ground with leaves, rocks, branches; bracken on dry ridges, slopes of coastal heath; forests, woodlands, wallum country. Range: coastal e. Australia from Cape York (Q) to Otway Ranges (Vic) inland to western slopes of Divide.

LEWIN'S RAIL

Photographed at Edithvale Wetlands, Melbourne, February 2017

969               LEWIN'S RAIL               Rallus pectoralis

AUSTRALIA               701

Also known as Lewin Water Rail. Found in swamp woodlands, reeds, rushes, rank grass in swamps, creeks, paddocks, wet heaths, tree ferns; samphire in salt marshes. 21-27 cm. Patty in suitable habitat in coastal e. Australia from c. Port Douglas (Q) to se SA.

Also photographed at Edithvale Wetlands, February 2017

AUSTRALIAN PAINTED SNIPE

Photographed at Lakes Road, Lake George, near Bungendong, NSW, February 2017

968                    AUSTRALIAN PAINTED SNIPE                  Rostratula benghalensis

AUSTRALIA              700

Found in well-vegetated shallows and margins of wetlands, dams, sewerage ponds; wet pastures, marshy areas, irrigation systems, lignum, tee-tree scrub, open timber. 22-30 cm, female bigger. Range mostly se Aust., s of Brisbane-Adelaide; scarce, erratic over much of inland., n. Q, Nt, and coastal WA; vagrant Tas., Rare. Dispersive or irruptive in response to rainfall, possibly part migratory, moving n into Q. in summer.

The female is the more brightly coloured one on the left.

INLAND DOTEREL

Photographed at Shoalhaven Heads, January 2017

967               INLAND DOTTEREL             Charadrius australis         

AUSTRALIA                        699

Found in stony, sparsely vegetated plains and uplands; gibber, stock routes, outback roads, bare pastures, crops, golf courses; occasionally ploughed land; seldom near water, but drinks at playpens, stock-tanks etc at dusk. 19-20 cm; wingspan 43-47 cm. Ranges across inland parts of all mainland states, mostly s. of Tropic, extending patchily to coast from se SA to c Exmouth Gulf, casual n to Dampier Arch (WA). Vagrant e coast and Gulf coast (NT). Nomadic: movement influenced by  plant-growth following rainfall.

NOTE: single vagrant bird found at Shoalhaven Heads (NSW) end of January 2017.