Toorbul Report

Toorbul birders [S.Turnbull]

Bar-tailed Godwits were the most populous of the migratory waders at the high tide roost at Toorbul when our club visited on the 4 October, 2014. Our first afternoon outing yielded some 300 of these Godwits and only a couple of the Black-tailed. Sadly the Asian Dowitcher lost its invite somewhere and failed to turn up or conveniently burrowed its way into the Godwit flocks and was never seen. Great Knots, also in hundreds, were present with a few Red Knots as well. Smaller numbers of smaller waderswere also at the roost; Greenshank, Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler. Whimbrel and Curlews were there briefly as well but must have been elsewhere in numbers.

Bar-tailed Godwits [J. Thompson]

Godwits on the wing and Whimbrels grounded [J. Thompson]

Black-winged Stilts [J. Thompson]

The high tide roost also hosted Black Swan, Pelican, Black-winged Stilt and a lone, loud Goose.

a not completely Black Swan [J. Thompson]

Bush birds were a little light on our lists for as usual waterbirds, and perhaps the birds flying above it, attracted the most attention. In that latter category White-breasted Sea Eagle, Brahmany and Whistling Kites plus a few tern species.

Caspian Tern [J. Thompson]

Bird Call was held as the sun set and the wind got up to the discomfort of some of our group of thirty or so. And there was a distinct lack of cuppers. A few folks took advantage of the BBQs and cooked in the shelters opposite the store; although it failed to shelter some from the wind. And a few other lazier people, myself included, simply bought take away.

Not birds but birders' bums [S. Turnbull]

 Recorded spp;
Domestic goose sp. (Domestic type)  1

Black Swan  72

Australian Brush-Turkey  1

Australian Pelican  37

Great Egret  1

White-faced Heron  1

Cattle Egret  6     across road from high tide roost

Royal Spoonbill  14

Osprey  1

Whistling Kite  4

Brahminy Kite  2

White-bellied Sea-Eagle  1

Black-winged Stilt (Australian)  25

Australian Pied Oystercatcher  6

Masked Lapwing  12

Grey-tailed Tattler  4

Common Greenshank  20

Whimbrel  40

Eastern Curlew  1

Black-tailed Godwit  2

Bar-tailed Godwit  312

Great Knot  125

Red Knot  4

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper  14

Curlew Sandpiper  20

Gull-billed Tern  2

Caspian Tern  6

Crested Tern  1

Crested Pigeon  8

Peaceful Dove  1

Laughing Kookaburra  1

Collared Kingfisher  2

Galah  11

Little Corella  4

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo  1

Australian King-Parrot  1     reported heard

Pale-headed Rosella  2

Rainbow Lorikeet  4

Mangrove Honeyeater  4

Noisy Miner  12

Brown Honeyeater  2

Blue-faced Honeyeater  2

Little Friarbird  1

Noisy Friarbird  2

Striated Pardalote  4

Mangrove Gerygone  4

Grey Butcherbird  1

Pied Butcherbird  3

Australian Magpie  5

Grey Shrike-thrush  1

Australasian Figbird  4

Willie Wagtail  6

Grey Fantail  4

Magpie-lark  6

Torresian Crow  6

Welcome Swallow  2

Common Myna  3

Mistletoebird  1

and being Toorbul there were many Grey Kangaroos!

Toorbul Teaser

Mangrove Kingfisher

I've spent much of the morning at Toorbul taking some guests, Max O'Sullivan from Leeton and Martin Odino from Kenya, on a little search for birds!

We arrived a couple of hours before the official high tide and travelled to the north end of the esplanade first for Mangrove Kingfisher and Mangrove Gerygone. Both were obliging as were a numer of honeyeater species in the flowering bottlebrush.

Then south, past the street lights with their Pelican ornaments, past the Kangaroo mob lazing in eucalypt shade to the waders that had already begun to obediently assemble. Residents, Black-winged Stilts and Pied Oystercatchers, stood out among the grey brown flocks as did the two Terns; Caspian and Gull-billed.

Waders in flight at Toorbul

Then the waders were sorted via size; Red-necked Stints out in front with some Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Grey tailed Tattlers were numerous as were Great Knots. Two still so slightly Red Knots hid among the Greats. Whimbrels and hundreds of Bar-tailed Godwits shielded a single Black-tailed Godwit and, perhaps more impressively, an Asian Dowitcher.  Finally some Curlews came in.

Asian Dowitcher surrounded by Bar-tailed Godwits

Osprey

* all photos by Martin Odino.
For more information about Martin and his campaign to help stop bird poisoning in Western Kenya please read http://stopwildlifepoisoning.wildlifedirect.org/author/martin-odino/

October Outing to Toorbul

Afternoon Outing!!

Our next outing is on Saturday afternoon at 4pm on the 4^th October at Toorbul. [Currently we have outings on the first Saturday of every month save January.] Toorbul is an excellent birding location on the east coast looking towards Bribie Island. There is a mix of woodland species but it is best known for migratory waders and a mix of mangrove species. Drive slowly around the town as there are large numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos.

Meet at 4pm at park opposite general store. Please remember to plan extra travel time to visit the Lagoon on the way in for Brolgas and perhaps other waders. We may travel to the north end first for Mangrove Kingfisher, Mangrove Gerygone etc before heading to the southern end for the waders. High tide is c 6pm so we should get good views of migratory waders as the tide rises with the light behind us. 

Please consider bringing food for a BBQ as there are Electric BBQ's at the northern end of the esplanade or you can get basic takeaways from the general store. There is also camping at a Caravan Park if anyone would like to make a night of it.  

Toorbul

Help save Cockatoos!

action alert!

The Western Australian government is chopping down the pine plantations where Carnaby's black cockatoo make their homes -- a catastrophe for these endangered birds.

	Save Australia's Black Cockatoos!
please share it helps!

Dear Bruce,

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo is an iconic species beloved by Perth people. Cockatoos form strong bonds with their partners for their whole lives (males often fly over 12 kilometres to find food for nesting females) and can live for 50 years in the wild.

But in just 20 years these intelligent, affectionate birds could be extinct.

Like many woodland species, Carnaby's have seen their homes destroyed as native forests are felled to make way for timber plantations. Cockies have proved more flexible than many; in the 1950s, they started moving into the Gnangara pine plantation north of Perth and have settled there.

Now the pines the birds rely upon for food and nesting are to be cut down. The trees require a great deal of water and the Western Australian government has been clearing the 23,000 hectare plantation to protect the region's water cachement area. But the government has failed to replace the razed trees with native forest where Carnaby's could live.

Swaths of native bush that provide food for the birds are also being eliminated. No wonder that cockatoos' numbers are falling by 15 percent every year.

About 10 percent of the world's population of Carnaby's lives in the Swan River Region. The Western Australian government must stop clearing the area's bushland until trees where cockatoos can live are planted and have matured. We can stop the loss of these birds before they disappear for good.

Tell Australia, save Carnaby's black cockatoo!

Thank you for taking action, Kristina C. The Care2 Petitions Team

September Outing Report - Maroochy Bush Botanical Gardens

Hovia acultifolia [J. Thompson]

Another excellent turn out with some forty members and guests enjoying a pleasant hike through a mix of rainforest, wet schlerophyll and drier eucalypt forest and planned garden spaces. Just over fifty species recorded with the highlights being Rose crowned Fruit Dove , which afforded great views,  a single call of  a Noisy Pitta announcing its presence, great numbers of vocal Golden Whistlers, and an excellent range of common bush species.

Olive-backed Oriole [J. Thompson]

I had visited the gardens before but was surprised, pleasantly, by the large amount of bush adjacent that had tracks working their way through. We could have explored much more than we did! In addition the prepared gardens had an interesting variety of sculptures and displays - many on a natural history theme. And some were especially designed for children. Many members - visiting for the first time expressed an interest to revisit with their [non-birding?] famililies.
to be continued....

Rose crowned Fruit-dove [K. Cross]

Reserves and parks not enough to protect nature – David Attenborough

• Environment
• Conservation

Reserves and parks not enough to protect nature – David Attenborough

Broadcaster calls for radical new approach to conservation, urging people to use all spaces from gardens to roadside verges to help wildlife

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/03/david-attenborough-nature-conservation-wildlife

Project Wild Thing

I think we need something like this in Australia.....

About Project Wild Thing

from http://projectwildthing.com/about

Project Wild Thing is a film led movement to get more kids (and their folks!) outside and reconnecting with nature. The film is an ambitious, feature-length documentary that takes a funny and revealing look at a complex issue, the increasingly disparate connection between children and nature.

And Project Wild Thing is much more than a film, this is a growing movement of organisations and individuals who care deeply about the need for nature connected, free-range, roaming and outdoor playing kids in the 21st century. Hundreds of people have already committed huge amounts of time, energy, resources and money to help get the project where it is today. Which is really just the beginning.

The journey started in late 2010 with film-makers Green Lions exploring a film approach to an emerging issue coined ‘nature deficit disorder’ in kids. A collaboration formed with the National Trust who were also looking at the issue and through the Britdoc Foundation support for the development of the film and movement has gathered along the way from RSPB, Play England, Play Scotland, Play Wales, NHS Sustainable Development Unit, TFT, Woodland Trusts, AMV BBDO and Arla foods.

In summer 2012 Greenlions formed a collaboration with Good for Nothing, helping co-create the foundation of David Bond's nature marketing program, this was supported by generous contributions from the Do Lectures, TYF Adventures, Eden Project and Al Kennedy.

In the autumn of 2012 the Natural Childhood Summit hosted by the National Trust brought together hundreds of organisations to explore the challenges and issues more widely and collaboratively.

Project Wild Thing emerged and thousands of people have pledged to support the project a year before the film has launched. A Kickstarter campaign raised further funding from hundreds of awesome individuals around the world to finish the film production.

In January 2013 Swarm Partnership came on board with support from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and The Wild Network was hatched. The network is an open, growing collaborative group of organisations big and small seeking to tackle the many issues raised in the film and champion the wonders of being outside. An advisory group was established with the WildLife Trusts currently heading that up.

Phew!

Project Wild Thing and The Wild Network is a people powered movement, it's success will be down to the actions and the energy of this growing community.

If you want nature, wildness and free-range living for kids and adults to exist alongside an increasingly industrialised and technological society then join us and get involved in making that happen.

See you on the outside.

Check out http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2014/09/01/4078404.htm