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Depart London/Heathrow 26-Nov-98 22.00 (BA 0033)
Arrive London/Heathrow 22-Dec-98 05.35 (BA 0012)
Malaysia ---
Australia ---
Bali
Malaysia
Arrival at Kuala Lumpur (KL) 18.35, caught the courtesy bus (Rm 25) which dropped me at the Swiss Inn hotel - Rm 135 including a basic breakfast but the patio offers a chance to viewing flocks of Edible-nest Swiftlets and House Swifts wheeling around the tall buildings.
Traveled to Fraser's Hill, the Swiss Inn is about a ten minute walk from the bus station - catch the number 66 bus to Kuala Kuba Buku (KKB). From platform 20/21 you pay on the bus (Rm 3.5) - do not try to buy a ticket in the main hall, these buses leave every half an hour or so. Once at KKB there are only two buses to Fraser's Hill or the Gap; one leaves at about 10.30 am, the other leaves at 2.00 p.m. - this has recently changed from 12.30.
I caught a taxi (Rm 45) which was more convenient. The Taxi driver advised me to stay at the Temerloe chalets (Rm 55/night) which were rather basic and quite far from the restaurants and shops - though the really good views from the window made up for this. I arrived at 12.00 and enjoyed a good wander-round in the afternoon. I walked around the golf course and roadways observing some of the more common birds found here: Wedge-tailed Pigeons, Long-tailed Sibias, Silver-eared Mesias, Chestnut-capped Laughing Thrushes, Streaked Spiderhunters etc. It is very worth while going to the WWF center at Fraser's Hill; here you can get the latest information about sightings and some good advice, checklists and maps. Later I walked down to the rubbish tip where a group had observed Pied Hornbills in the morning; I missed these birds but drongoes and bulbuls were very evident.
The main problem I experienced at this point was the torrential rain that seems to occur about mid afternoon - this was rather detrimental to birdwatching.
Early start - walked around some of the trails, as is usual with forest birding; watch for bird waves and try to follow them. A lot of potential ticks were missed due to having up to 17 species coming through at once which is very confusing. However I did manage to pick up some cracking birds such as Black-and-Crimson Oriole, Little Pied Flycatcher, Bar-winged Mesia, Large Niltava, Mountain Fulvetta, Asian Paradise Flycatcher. In the afternoon I walked the Bishops trail; to get to this I started at the WWF center and followed the Hemmant Trail till it hits the road leading to the start of the Bishops. Again some good birds were seen including Green Magpie, sunbirds, and flowerpeckers.
Moved to the Gap Rest House, which is located at the bottom of the Fraser's Hill road (Rm 45/night). The easiest way to do this is to catch the 10.00 am bus from Fraser's Hill. It stops directly outside the Gap Rest House. The best birding strategy here is to walk up the Road to Fraser's Hill and look into the roadside forest. By doing this slowly you are almost certain to come across at least a couple of bird waves which include Mountain Leaf Warbler, Sultan Tits, Bar-winged Cuckoo-Shrikes, leafbirds, and babblers. Also seen here were Black-headed Bulbuls, Mountain and Dark-necked Tailorbirds, Yellow-browed Warblers and Checker-necked Woodpecker. After this I returned to the rest house to enjoy the luxuries of good food and a really big hot bath.
Virtually the same agenda as the previous day but walked up to Fraser's Hill (8 km). Similar birds as the 30th, but due to unusually good weather I had more raptors to watch: Black Eagles seemed common as did Serpent Eagles. A good sight was a stooping Rufous-bellied Eagle, which passed within about 20 feet of me on it's way down. Other notable birds were Long-tailed Minivet, Blue Nuthatch, Drongo Cuckoo, Golden Babbler, and Mountain Imperial Pigeon. A fruiting fig tree half way up produced Crimson-throated and Fire-tufted Barbets.
Arrived at Fraser's Hill by about 2.00 pm at which point the rains came down, so hitched back to the Gap and spent the rest of the day watching flower-peckers, sunbirds, Pacific Swallows and Wreathed Hornbills out of the hotel windows.
This day was spent travelling to Singapore - I caught the 9.30 am bus
from the Gap to KKB, and then one of the half-hourly buses to
KL. Once in KL I caught a taxi to the airport (Rm 75). Here I
bought a standby ticket to Singapore (Rm 207) which caused an
anxious moment as it was quite busy, and I had to make a
connection in Singapore.
Australia
Arrived at Cairns and hired a car for the week. From the airport I drove to the Chamber Lodge, which is situated near Lake Eachem up on the Atherton Tablelands. I would recommend this place as John Chambers who owns and runs the lodge goes out of his way to make people welcome (chambers@tpgi.com.au) He provides a lot of recent information, can organise guided tours, and generally provides a bit of heaven on earth. This is self-catering, and food (and more importantly, beer) can be bought in nearby Yungburra or Malanda. The lodges themselves are extremely comfortable and have every facility one could wish for including checklists, bird books, telly and microwave plus very good hot showers.
The individual lodges are situated around a clearing in the middle of some excellent rain forest. Brush Turkeys wander around the chalets, and Lewin's Honeyeaters come in through the windows to feed from the dining tables. I spent the first day just walking around the forest trails. Picking up the local species such as Atherton and Large-billed Scrub-wrens, Spotted Catbird, Tooth-billed and Satin Bowerbirds, various gerygones, King Parrot, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Grey Fantails, Varied Triller, Golden Whistler, White-throated Treecreeper, Spectacled and Black-faced Monarchs and the very common Grey-headed Robins. The birds here are very approachable and are easily "pished" out from cover.
In the evening John Chambers feeds the Pademelons outside one of the chalets and gives a running commentary on what is happening. He also puts a honey/sugar solution onto the balcony rails to attract the very cute Sugar Gliders. During this first night Lesser Sooty Owls were calling (a sound like a falling bomb) and a Southern Boobook Owl came into the lighted area and provided extremely good views.
After an early morning alarm call from the Lewin's Honeyeater, I walked down to and around Lake Eachem. Here was a similar selection of birds to Chambers Lodge, however new species included Pale-yellow and Eastern Yellow Robins, Pied Monarchs, Wompoo Fruit-pigeons, Emerald Dove, White-headed Pigeon, Victoria Riflebirds, various honeyeaters, and Crimson Rosellas. Also seen were a lot of Water Dragons and turtles. In the afternoon I slowly walked around Chambers Lodge again picking up one or two new species such as Bowers Shrike-thrush, and Fairy Gerygone. I also encountered my first leeches - the thought of these is much worse than the experience. In the evening I met up with an American couple who were staying at the lodge, and we went spotlighting by the Curtain fig tree near Yungburra - here we managed to spot Tree Kangaroos. It was also nice to see the phosphorescent fungi and fireflies.
Did the due thing of driving to Lake Barrine and going on the touristic boat trip around the lake picking up Little Pied, Little Black and Great Cormorants as well as Australian Pelican and Darter. I also walked around the lake and had one of those magical birding moments. About half way around this lake I was watching a Victoria Riflebird displaying, when I heard what I thought was a person behind me. Turning around I found my self staring into the face of a curious Cassowary from about two feet away. After looking at me for a time, it then continued feeding and wandered off down the track leaving me with a very vivid memory and slightly stained underpants. Well, they are big birds and should be treated with caution (people have been seriously hurt by Cassowaries). After finishing at Lake Barrine I drove out onto some open farmland to find some different species. I managed to clock up Tawny Grassbird, Chestnut-breasted Mannakin, Brown Quail, Pied Currawong, Australian Magpie, Pied Butcherbird, Black-Faced Cuckoo-shrike, and Golden Headed Cisticola.
Through John I had arranged a half-day with Glenn Holmes who is in my opinion one of the most knowledgeable and approachable birders I have ever met. I had asked specifically to see Noisy Pitta and Yellow-breasted Boatbill, which we saw, though the pitta was elusive, and only a flying view was obtained - a half tick. However, we saw some forty-odd species during the course of the morning, and I picked up a lot of information and tips from Glenn and got to know a lot of the more common calls. Some of the highlights were seeing Little and Shining Bronze-Cuckoos (at thew same time as hearing a Horsfield's), Bush Thickknee, Northern Fantail, Blue-faced, Yellow-faced, Brown, Brown-backed, Yellow Honeyeaters. As well as Leaden Flycatcher, Red-backed Fairy Wren, Topknot Pigeon, Brown Goshawk, Large-billed Gerygone, Fairy Martin, Green Pygmy Goose, Hardhead, Brush Cuckoo, Scarlet Honeyeater, Mistletoebird, Little and Grey Shrike-Thrushes, Crested Terns. In the afternoon I followed up on some of Glen's tips for good sites:
Hastie's Swamp - here I managed to get Magpie Goose, Brolga, Wandering and Plumed Whistling Duck, Australian White Ibis, Channel-billed Cuckoo and more Fairy Martins. Wattled Lapwings are absolutely anyway near water.
Mount Hypipamee - This large crater and waterfall is surrounded by good rainforest, and the car park area holds Macleay's Honeyeater, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, White's Thrush. While near here is a site for Golden Bowerbird (not sure about giving site details?).
Bromfield Swamp: This site supports a number of ducks, herons, and rails but is famous for roosting cranes - I saw approximately 30 Brolgas fly in; apparently I was a little late for the really good numbers. However, there were White-faced Heron and Glossy Ibis also present.
I did not have any particular plans set for this day, so I took it fairly easily, and had a long shower, a really relaxed and drawn-out breakfast (watching the Tooth-billed Bowerbirds, Spotted Catbirds, and all the other birds that make the stay at Chamber's Lodge so rewarding). I then took a slow drive re-visiting some of the good sites like the Bromfield and Hastie's Swamps, Mount Hypipamee. During this drive I made frequent stops when I saw anything or at good-looking habitat. This way I picked up Varied Sittela, Rufous Bush Lark, Pied Butcherbird, Spotted Harrier, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Pale-headed Rosella, Western Gerygone and Singing Bushlark. A flock of cranes near Bromfield Swamp turned out to be Sarus Cranes. This day was nice as it allowed me to visit the various sites at a different time to the previous - giving different birds. For instance I had visited Mount Hypipamee at dusk before, this time I arrived at 2.00 pm and saw McLeay's Honeyeater where before had been Bassian Thrush. Continuing the tour I headed towards Tinaroo Waters, ending up at Kaipu. At this point I decided to drive the Bear Pocket Road. This was good but I had to concentrate on the road - more holes than road. After this exhausting drive I headed in Yungburra and treated myself to a pizza before returning to the Lodge.
Drove north to Mareeba and birded around the golf course. Apsotlebirds, Grey-crested Babbler, Dollarbirds and Forest Kingfishers and Straw-necked Ibis were noted as well as Grey Kangaroo though I did miss out on Great Bowerbird which has a bower around the area. The rest of the day was spent doing some tourist-type things, but I did drop into the Mangrove broadwalk which is located near the airport at Cairns; Shining Flycatcher and Toressian Crow were noted.
Drove into Cairns and birded the Crocodile Park located south of Cairns. White-browed Crake, Crimson Finch, Little Bittern, Royal Spoonbill, Intermediate and Little Egret, Azure Kingfisher, Crested Pigeon, and Black-fronted Plover were present though it was too hot for most of the crake species usually present to be viewed.
From here I drove to the Esplanade in Cairns two hours before high tide. The numbers of wader species was very good with Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Broad-billed and Terek Sandpipers, Red-necked Stint, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Little, Common and Caspian Terns, Bar- and Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshanks all being present. I also saw what looked like an Eurasian Curlew but it was quite distant and flying fast. The trees above the Esplanade held Figbird and Double-eyed Fig Parrot.
Later in the day I went birding around the Botanical Gardens at Cairns - picking up Metallic Starlings, Rainbow Bee-eater and White-necked Heron.
After this I found a cheap motel near the airport and dropped the hire car. From the motel I booked myself on a Barrier Reef excursion.
Picked up from the motel by the excursion organisers. Any birder or non-birder must go to the Barrier reef and go snorkeling or diving. It is one of the most brilliant life experiences that I have ever had. Being within touching distance of the corals and multi-coloured fish is something not to be missed (fish spotting seems like a good pastime). The trip also included a half-an-hour visit to Michelmas Cay, which holds thousands of breeding Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies. Other birds seen included Black-naped Tern, Greater Frigatebird, Brown Booby, and Wedge-tailed Shearwater.
Basically all I had to do today was walk into Cairns and confirm my flight and get to the airport for my trip to Sidney. I had about two hours free, so I birded the Esplanade and got Pied Oystercatcher. Made my way to the airport and about six hours later arrived in Sydney. I booked up a hotel from the airport and later found myself in Kings Cross (the notorious "spot" of Sydney). The hotel was fairly miserable and expensive. But it had a shower and was convenient for restaurants and bars.
Sydney, NSW Pelagic Report - 12th December 1998
Conditions: Departed at 7.15 am and returned at 3.00 p.m. 2-3m swell, winds strong NE to 25 knots reaching 32 Nautical Miles E of Sydney Heads. Water temperature 23.3°C. Primary chumming location 34°02'S 151°45'E.
Those on Board: Steve Anyon-Smith, Andrew Atkin, Lennart Bachman, Antony Bavarstock, Pierre Charbonneau, Detlef Davies, Andy Deighton, Mike Doyle, Trevor Ford, Rod Gardner, Paul Keogh, Ed Hagan, Nick Hodges, Bill McLean, Pete Milburn, John O'Rouke, Tony Palliser, Robert Payne, David Siems, Tab Shimba, Andrew Stafford, Johannes Wagner, Morton Wagner.
Summary: A somewhat uncomfortable trip due to the strong hot north-easterly winds, and as a result a reduced number of species. The albatross and cooler climate species having been replaced by warm water tropical species. The strong northerly winds clearly being a factor with the occurrence of two tropical rarities. Although not national rarities, both the Brown Booby and particularly the Black Noddy is unusual as far south as Sydney. In fact it is the first time that this species has been recorded from a pelagic either from Sydney or Wollongong. Also noteworthy were the Sooty Terns and the complete lack of Hutton's and Fluttering Shearwaters. Unfortunately the 'cookalaria' petrels could not be clenched as views were too brief and at the wrong angle (flying away) to allow positive identification.
Birds (numbers in brackets = highest count at any one time; numbers before the name assist in the recording process):
- 005-Little Penguin 2(2)
- 075-Great-winged Petrel 50+(30+)
- 078-Gould's Petrel (Possible sighting only) 1
- 955-Black-winged Petrel (Possible sighting only)
- 069-Wedge-tailed Shearwater 100+(50+)
- 072-Flesh-footed Shearwater 10-15 (5)
- 070-Sooty Shearwater 4-4 (2)
- 071-Short-tailed Shearwater 300+ (60+)
- 102-BROWN BOOBY (1)
- 106-Australasian Pelican 3 in the harbour
- 945-Pomarine Jaeger 10+(4)
- 128-Arctic Jaeger 6 (4)
- 125-Silver Gull 10+ inshore
- 115-Crested Tern 3-4
- 953-Common Tern 40+ (30+)
- 120-SOOTY TERN 10-14 (10+)
- 124-BLACK NODDY 1
14+ species beyond the heads
Mammals: None seen
Sydney Pelagics depart on the 2nd Saturday of each month, Wollongong Pelagics depart on the 4th Sunday of each month, and Eden Pelagics on the 3rd Sunday of each month through 1999. If you would like to join one of these trips please contact either Tony Palliser or Pete Milburn to make a booking.
It was due to one of those quirks of fate that I met up with Trevor Ford and his friend Detlef Davies on the Pelagic. I had known Trevor before he moved to Brisbane some three years previously. As I had no care and no real plans at this stage I asked if they would mind me tagging along for a day or so, to which they didn't. Therefore a quick nip back to the Hotel to get my kit, we drove off to try and find the Lewin's Rail at Narabeen lagoon. Though we dipped on this, I did see my first Variegated and Superb Fairy Wrens, Pied Heron, White-browed Scrub-wren, Galah, Red Wattlebird, Noisy Miner etc. Whilst trying to tape out the Lewin's a "crake" happened to cross a ditch directly behind Trevor; unfortunately it was dark and quick, and I completely failed to get anything on it which is a pity as any of the Sora-type crakes would have been a tick (it was too large for a White-browed). After this we spent two hours trying to find a hotel. Eventually we ended up back in Sydney and found a really luxurious hotel at the Crows Nest located on the Pacific Highway where we shared a family room - this worked out at fiftyfive dollars each (would have been $AS 150 for a single)! The Crows Nest area is brilliant for entertainment and food - we had an excellent curry and lots of beer. Therefore a thunderous night ensued.
With typical "twitcher spirit" we got up at the crack of 8.30, had an excellent breakfast, and finally got on the road at 10.30. We drove up to Dharug NP crossing at the Wiseman Ferry crossing. It was extremely hot and humid - there was also a distinct lack of birds. However, we persevered. Turning right from the ferry we headed to the picnic site (about 3 km from the ferry). Here we saw Eastern Rosella, Striated Thornbill, and Silvereye. From this spot we then moved down to the bridge where Lewin's Rail is reported; the only bird we saw was a Red-whiskered Bulbul. The Campsite was a little bit more interesting with Noisy Friarbird, White-naped Honeyeater, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, and Yellow Robins found on the various trails. As usual though with the sun the Cicadas drowned out all noise which made it hard work.
The next stop on the itinerary was the "Old Northern Road" which is located about 1km left of the ferry landing. This is a truly spectacular piece of engineering made entirely using convict labour - the story unfolds in the form of information board as you walk up. In the heat you get a "sense" of history and place which can be overwhelming. The reason for the walk up here is to locate both Spotted Quail-Dove and Rock Warbler though at midday and in the heat it was unsurprising that we dipped. At this point we returned to Sydney pausing only for a White-bellied Eagle at the ferry crossing. After dropping Trevor off at the bus terminal, Detlef kindly gave me a lift to the airport so I could hire a car. Having done this I drove as far south as I could in the evening and ended up at Dapto where I stayed for the night. Dapto is fairly conveniently located just outside of Wollongong.
Drove up to the Barren Grounds NP, this an absolutely amazing place. Starting at the carpark picking up such species as Eastern Bristlebill (on the track leading up to the carpark), Brown and Buff-rumped Thornbills, Spinebill, Beautiful Firetail, five Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo's, Southern Emuwren etc I started walking along the Griffith Trail. Along here the most common bird seemed to be the White-browed Scrub-Wrens. Other species seen in the open areas were more Bristlebills, White-winged Chough and more Emu-wrens. The flies at this place were distracting to a degree and made birding a little arduous. As the trail continues it gets more wooded until you enter really dense rain forest. A flock of four Wonga Pigeons on the path were very nice but the Superb Lyrebird displaying just off the track was even nicer and truly a birding moment to remember. I continued for a few more km and started to return (the trail loops back to the carpark but the weather was starting to deteriorate). On the return I felt that I just had to try and see the Lyrebird again - I didn't but two Pilotbirds were some recompense, other birds noted in the forest included Eastern Whipbird and Golden Whistler. Whilst returning to the carpark I realised I had picked up a leech and stopping to remove it (DEET works very well) I flushed another star bird - Ground Parrot (see species account). On this high I reached the car just as the cloud descended, obliterating the landscape.
Driving back down the hairpin bends was a bit hairy in the fog, but a stop at a culvert in the rain forest revealed more thornbill, a rather nice Forest Kingfisher, and a male Satin Bowerbird. I later visited the Rain Forest Park at Minnamurra Falls - this is a pay-to-get-in job and looks like it could get pretty crowded on a weekend. However it was not too crowded being a Monday. Satin Bowerbirds and Lewin's Honeyeater were seen, but torrential rain really put the dampers on the day (except the sight of a group of young ladies trying to change clothes in the camper van parked next to me!).
From here I then drove onward to Mossvale via the Barren Grounds road, this was decidedly scary as visibility was about 20 metres (if you were lucky), and birding was non-existent. At the junction of the mountain road and the main Mossvale road there is a pie shop with really good gardens and birding posters; this must be a good place in the sunshine! Once through Moss Vale I visited the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve which is located on the banks of the banks of the Bong Bong Reservoir. This is located on the Borwal Road. Unfortunately it was absolutely tipping it down (I am certain I had upset and been cursed by some anti-birdwatcher rain god). So I didn't even get out of the car - I had decided to stay around the area that night so reckoned on an early morning start at this area.
With this setback I visited the Fitzroy Falls Reservoir, I must admit all I saw here was the inside of my eyelids as it was still raining. After waking up I headed to Fitzroy Falls where the rain actually let up, and the sun came out. Here I saw confiding Lyrebirds, Rosellas, Thornbills and an excellent Rufous Fantail and another Pilotbird. Two Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were sailing over this very spectacular area. The falls are impressive, and there is a carpark and visitors' centre here and is probably worth a half day's visit - once again I imagine it could get very crowded on weekends. At this point I called it a day and ended up back in Mossvale and stayed at the Bong Bong Motel - no dining room but plenty of restaurants in town.
After a good night's kip, I travelled down towards Gouldburn. I followed the railway rather than taking the main Highway which proved to be quite good; it was still wet but patchy. I had a few stops on route which allowed a few birds to be seen. There was one spot which I can't actually recall which was next to the railway line - sign posted something "rain forest centre". This proved to be limited access but the big wet areas proved pretty good and species here included Rufous Fantail, the only Sacred Kingfisher of the trip, Grey Shrikethrush, New Holland Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Pale-yellow Robin, Woodduck, some sort of Heron which I couldn't flush (blast - it was probably a tick), Rufous Whistler, lots of Crimson Rosellas, Dusk Moorhen, Coot and Eastern Whipbird.
Once I had joined the main Highway to Gouldburn I had an interesting encounter: A Common Bronzewing overtook the car followed by a Grey Goshawk hacking after it. I got a good close side view followed by a prolonged view of it's vent (I glanced at the speedo a little later and clocked the speed of both birds as approximately 90 km/h). I didn't see the result as a large wagon got in the way.
After a petrol and food break at Gouldburn, I then headed towards lake Bathhurst - stopping off at various "likely looking patches", from one of these I got Bell Miner. At one point I was stopped off about 4 km before Lake Bathurst at a small bridge. The only birds I could see were Coots, Dusky Moorhens, European Starling, House Sparrows, Goldfinches and two Eurasian Skylarks. I felt that I could easily have been in Norfolk as the birds and the Landscape were so familiar. Lake Bathurst itself was a large forbidding stretch of water, but the birds were excellent, and a lot were new, these included Black Swan, Australian, Hoary-headed and Great-crested Grebe; Australian Shelduck, Silver Gull, Royal Spoonbill, Masked Plover and Skylarks.
The next point on the agenda was the Seven Mile Beach NP south of Wollongong. This was a long drive down dirt roads. I followed a lot of tourist routes and encountered some excellent spots - I endeavoured to visit as many lookouts as possible. These offered good birdwatching vantage points. During one such spot I encountered Dusky Woodswallows and White-winged Triller. The reserve at Seven Mile Beach Is quite expansive, and as I was running short on daylight, I decided to just look out for Gannets and waders off the beach. The carpark held Red-browed Treecreeper and Variegated Fairy-Wren, while the sea gave good views of Fluttering Shearwater (no Gannets) and Crested Terns. By now it was getting quite dark so I decided to find accommodation at Jamberoo. I did not like the noise of the hotel here so decided to head towards Robertson. In the end I ended up at Bowral which was near where I started about 500Km back that morning.
I started birding at the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve, it was still overcast and drizzling when I arrived, but the weather cleared slightly once I got started - there was nothing really new here, but a Striated Pardalote nest in the picnic area was quite pleasant. Wildfowl included Grey and Chestnut Teal, Wood Duck, Pelicans, Dusky Moorhens and Coot - a Grey Kangaroo was quite a good spot. After this I had previously planned to move back up to the Sydney area as I wished to re-visit the Dharug NP once again. A long and grueling drive took me past some excellent spots like the Avon Dam - here was a nice tranquil spot almost devoid of birds except for Grey Fantails, Eastern Yellow Robins, Crimson Rosellas and Brown Thornbills. There are some really good spots through different types of forest ranging from virgin rainforest to blue-gum and ecalypt. A really good spot was at a bridge over a small river near the dam: Here New Holland Honeyeaters abounded as did Fairy Martin and Yellow-faced Honeyeater. (Avon Dam. Avon Dam Road. Access via the Princes Highway through Heathcote, taking the Picton/Appin turnoff - near Bargo.)
I ended in Sydney. I also encountered a Red-Rumped Parrot some where on route (I think it was near Penrith) at a casual stopoff. Eventually I arrived at Wiseman's Ferry and made my second visit to Dharug NP. The picnic spot only held Noisy Friarbirds, Lewin's Honeyeaters, Red-Browed Finches, Eastern Yellow Robins and a surprising amount of Satin Bowerbirds. After doing the campsite area I walked up the "Old Northern Road", again however it was not very good, with only a Female Satin Bowerbird showing itself. After Dharug I returned along the Pacific Highway and ended up at one of the motels situated near Crows Nest area.
Having had a fraught drive across Sydney to reach the airport in time (as
usual I left it too late and did not take into account the fact that
Sydney is preparing for the Olympics i.e. road works
everywhere). Finally made it, dropped of the car, and was the last
passenger on the plane. After a 4 hour stop-over in Melbourne
airport I left Australia and arrived at Denpasser at about 5.00 pm.
Bali
Got a taxi from the airport to Kota and stayed at the Pendawa Bungalow complex. I was really ripped off here and well overcharged - It really pays to haggle for hotels and read a Lonely Planet guide (wish I had). After booking in and having the most welcome shower imaginable (well since the last one anyway), I ventured out: Yellow-rumped Bulbuls were found to be fairly common around the hotel and surrounding areas, Nutmeg Mannakins were also noted, the palms around the hotel held Asian Palm Swift, and Cave Swiftlet haunted the skies above the "city". However the most common bird in Bali appeared to be Eurasian Tree Sparrows seen absolutely everywhere where there was human activity, which on Bali means absolutely everywhere. About 6 p.m. the heavens opened with one of the heaviest tropical rain storms that I had experienced since Malaysia - was it really only 3 weeks ago? This rain kept up for about 4 hours, so I found a decent Indian restaurant, and a lot of beers and a really good pea and potato curry was consumed. Waded back to the hotel.
Lazy Day - had a walk up to the beach, Crested Terns were seen here, but no different passerines to the previous day. The rest of the day was spent slobbing around the pool. In the evening I teamed up with some Austrian guys to sample some of the more sociable activities on offer in Bali (a veil shall be drawn over the actual details).
Woke up to torrential rain, packed up my kit, and hired a taxi to Bedugal (Rp 100,000). An interesting drive up to this town situated in the central highlands of Bali. I opted to stay at the Strawberry Hill guest house - basic but adequate accommodation with shower, this cost me about Rp 3,000 per night (GB£ 3.00). That afternoon I wandered up to Lake Bratan - from the Strawberry Hill losman head over the road and follow the road by the Statue of the policeman. Follow this road till you come to a point where a track leads off into the woods towards the lake - follow the track. Here I had Olive-backed Sunbird which I thought was a tick until I realised that it is the same species as the Yellow-bellied Sunbird seen in Australia. Also seen were three Collared Kingfishers, Oriental White-eye, Pallas's Warbler, and some birds which I did not have literature for - this was very frustrating, and my enthusiasm for seeing birds which I couldn't put a name was not very high (saying this, Woodcock and King was useful). Once again the rain drove me back to the guesthouse. Note Bedugal seems to close after about 8.30 pm so if you want a beer and some grub make sure you don't leave it too late.
I walked into Bedugal from the guesthouse (2 km) and visited the Botanical Gardens - The entrance is by a Statue of a Sweetcorn emerging from a cabbage! Again the weather was against me, and a constant drizzle was a real downer; consequently my enthusiasm was not high which reflected in my list of birds - however, highlights included Indonesian Honeyeater, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Little Spiderhunter (a real pain to actually see - but a very distinctive call similar to the Streaked Spiderhunters seen in Malaysia); Pied Bushchat, Grey-headed Flycatchers, and Golden Whistler. At about 10.00 am a local celebration with music and dance started up in the center of the gardens, which meant lots of kids running around throwing stones at the birds I was watching (fun for them). The Balinese attitude to birds and animals is either kill it or put it in a cage - In fact I was watching a white-eye around Lake Bratan when a kid with an air rifle shot it! My list for caged birds in Bali must have exceeded 40 species including myna birds, ground thrushes, Asian flycatchers and mannakins.
After rapidly exiting the Gardens, a welcome breakfast was eaten at the restaurant next to the statue - the coffee, toast and cheese omelet is pretty good. I got a bemo to Lake Buyan getting off at the next village, take the road which is sign posted to the "BERRY FARM", and walk along it, at first the road will take you past houses and small farms which edge onto the lake shore, cut down through these farms (keep to the path) and reach the lake's edge or as near as you can get. Here I saw Javan Pond Herons, various egrets, White-browed Crake, Yellow Bitterns - obligingly confiding here; also Javan Mannakins, Marsh and Common Sandpiper, Pintail Snipe and Black Eagle. Returning to the road, walk further up till you get to the "campsite". The whole area is worth exploring. Various tracks lead off with the main one. Around here, I saw Philippine Glossy Starling and white-eyes. Once I was caught out by the weather, this time by a really heavy thunderstorm. This weather had obviously set in for the day so I returned to the losman and spent the afternoon sitting around the open fire drinking beer and reading.
The weather lifted at about 9.00 am which was pleasant, however my flight from Denpasser was scheduled for a 4.00pm check-in, so I walked into Bedugul and caught a bus to the airport - this is a good way to get frustrated as you see birds which are obviously new to you but cannot see them for long enough to ID. However, 2 Black Eagles displaying about 100 feet away was excellent, and 4 Cattle Egrets on one of the lowland paddies were the only ones of the trip. At the airport I had intended to leave my kit in the left-luggage area and walk down to the fish pond nearby but a combination of sudden rain and no left-luggage facility combined to make it a long wait at the airport. Approximately 24 hours later I was sitting at home in Slough and reflecting on a truly remarkable trip.
Depart Denpassar 21-Dec-98 16.25 (QF0067)
Arrive Heathrow 22-Dec-98 05.35 (BA0012)
A = Birds seen in Australia
M = Birds seen in Malaysia
B = Birds seen in Bali
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
A) This bird found me at Lake Barrine whilst walking the trail that goes
around the lake. The bird passed close to me (within touching distance)
as it fed along his path. Observe caution when encountering this
species, slow non-threatening movements only. These birds can cause
serious injury.
Currently there is one reliable Cassowary at the car parking area at
the lake usually seen between 3 and 4 pm.
Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
A) Lake Barrine held good numbers of these birds, as did most of the
larger bodies of water.
Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)
A) Only sighting was of c 30 birds (mainly pairs with young) at Lake
Bathurst.
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
A) Seen on many large bodies of water, Lake Barrine, and Lake Bathurst
held large &tab;numbers.
Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus)
A)Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Fluttering Shearwater (Puffinus gavia)
A) 1 bird clearly identified as this species from the Seven Mile Beach
NP south of Wollogong. Lots of "Flutton's" sp. Pelagic - See report - 12th
December 1998.
Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)
A) One bird seen on Michelmas Cay harrying Brown Boobies.
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
A) 4 or 5 birds were seen on Michelmas Cay. Also Pelagic - See
report - 12th December &tab;1998.
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
A) ;Seen on marker pylons in Cairns harbour, also 1 present at Lake
Eachem.
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)
A) One present at Lake Eachem was the first of many seen in suitable
habitat.
Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)
A) Only one bird seen on the trip at Narabeen Lagoon north of Sydney.
Little Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos)
A) Two birds present at Lake Barrine, however a fairly common bird in
the right habitats.
Australian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)
A) Seen at lake Barrine and other larger bodies of water around
Queensland.
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
A) Seen at Lake Barrine, most coastal sites and in Sydney.
Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)
A) Not uncommon, very good numbers at Tinaroo waters, also noted at
Bromfield and Hastie's swamps.
Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)
A) A large flock of this species was present at Hastie's swamp.
Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
A) Though seen in Queensland, I observed a lot of these birds south of
Sydney where any small pool usually held anything from a pair to 200
birds.
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
A) First seen on Lake Bathurst, then later on larger pools toward
Wollongong.
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata)
A) Hastie's Swamp held a flock of 2-300 birds.
Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides)
A) Lake Bathurst held about ten pairs of this species.
Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
A) Seen around large bodies of water in Queensland, Tinaroo Waters held
good numbers.
Green Pygmy-goose (Nettapus pulchellus)
A) About 6 birds seen off Pelican point - Tinaroo Waters
Hardhead (Aythya australis)
A) About 10 birds seen off Pelican point - Tinaroo Waters, also two seen at
Lake Barrine.
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
A) Seen on "duck ponds". The Botanical Gardens held this species.
Pacific Black duck (Anas superciliosa)
A) Common and widespread.
Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
A) Not uncommon on large bodies of water around the Wollongong area.
Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)
A) Common and widespread in the South.
White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)
A) Only one bird seen at Cairns Botanical Gardens.
White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)
A) Seen at Bromfield Swamp and various other locations - quite
common.
Pied Heron (Ardea picata)
A) One bird seen flying over Narabeen Lagoon at dusk.
Javan Pond-Heron (Ardeola speciosa)
B) Seen at Lake Buryan, seemed quite abundant here, also seen on the trip
back from Bedugul
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
B) Curiously the only birds seen were on the return trip from Bedugul to
the Airport.
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
A) Seen at the crocodile farm south of Cairns, not really observed
elsewhere.
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
A) Seen at most coastal locations in Australia.
Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia)
A,B) Seen at most coastal locations in Australia; in Bali I only saw this
species at Lake Buryan.
Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)
A) 2 adult and 2 juveniles were seen at the crocodile farm south of Cairns.
Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)
B) Three seen at Lake Buryan. It never ceases to amaze me how these birds
can hide behind two grass stems and completely disappear.
Striated Heron (Butorides striatus)
A) One bird was present at the crocodile farm in Cairns, two were on the
Esplanade at Cairns, and one was seen at Narabeen Lagoon.
Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)
A) One bird seen at Mareeba golf course, two more were note at Hastie's
Swamp.
Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)
A) Flocks of these birds were encountered frequently around the area
Atherton tablelands mainly on wetter areas, but occasionally drier areas. The
Cairns esplanade was a good place to get really close to them. Also a very
common bird of Sydney city centre?
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
A) Two birds observed at Bromfield Swamp.
Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)
A) Fairly common around coastal Queensland, the crocodile farm and
Esplanade in Cairns held good numbers.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
A) One seen flying over the sea near Cairns airport.
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
A) A fairly common bird around the table lands in Queensland, at least
one seen everyday while there. Open farmland seemed the favourite habitat.
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
A) Only 3 seen on the trip - the group was seen rising after heavy rain
near Yungburra.
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
A) 1 bird seen at the crocodile farm south of Cairns, though it is
reported as being quite common in Queensland.
Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis)
M,B) At least 3 individuals noted around the Gap and Fraser's Hill. In
Bali a pair were displaying very close to the road back from Bedugugl.
Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
M) 4 Birds seen around the Gap and Fraser's Hill.
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)
A) Seen around the Tablelands, not Common.
Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura)
A) Fairly common on the Tablelands, less often seen in the South.
Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)
A) Seen on three occasions while driving around the Atherton tablelands
area.
Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)
A) I had a very close encounter with this bird as I was driving from Barren
Grounds to the coast. I was overtaken by a Common Bronzewing which
was followed by the Goshawk (I got a good view - especially of its vent!)
Rufous-bellied Eagle (Hieraaetus kienerii)
M) One bird seen very well along the road from the Gap up to Fraser's
Hill.
White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
A) This species was only observed at Wiseman's ferry on the first visit
- soaring very high and quite a distant.
Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
A) Two birds were seen displaying next to Bromfield Swamp.
Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)
A) One juvenile bird was found quartering the fields near Hastie's
Swamp.
Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides)
A) Regularly seen by roads and farmland throughout Australia.
Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt)
A) Shy, seen at Lake Barrine, Lake Eacham, and Cairns Botanical
Gardens.
Australian Brush-Turkey (Alectura lathami)
A) Very "noticeable" around rain forest trails, and car parks. These
birds can be a nuisance when they are scrounging (I had to chase them out
of my room at Chamber's Lodge on at least two occasions).
Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora)
A) I flushed this species on about 3 or 4 occasions from roadside
grasses - usually when I screeched to a halt looking for another bird.
Sarus Crane (Grus antigone)
A) Though I was too late to see the larger numbers of cranes that
usually habit the area, I felt lucky to bump into a small group of eight
birds when driving to Hastie's Swamp. These were quite close so I did not
have the problem of trying to separate them from the next species
through the heat haze.
Brolga (Grus rubicunda)
A) I saw groups of cranes scattered around the tablelands, however I
was only able to identify this particular species on 3 occasions. Heat haze
can be a real problem.
White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
M) My only encounter with this bird was at Fraser's Hill,
Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
A) Frequently seen, usually in the same areas/habitats as the next
species.
Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)
A) Common around open water with vegetation, many at Lake Barrine.
Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis)
A) A frequenter of roadside ditches and wetlands, I saw about ten of
these birds in a range of habitats: Gardens, running along roads, swamps,
and open fields.
Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
A) Common and widespread in the north, less frequent in the south.
Found in a variety of habitats with water.
White-browed Crake (Porzana cinerea)
A,B) Two birds seen at the crocodile farm south of Cairns.
One Bird seen at lake Buryan in Bali.
Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius)
A) Two birds were seen whilst out with Glen Holmes, exact location not
known, but it was a very dry eucalypt wood near Tinaroo waters.
Pintail Snipe (Gallinago stenura)
B) One bird flushed by Lake Buryan.
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
A) Small numbers of these birds were seen from the Cairns esplanade in
with the following species.
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
A) Moderate numbers of these birds were seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)
A) Small numbers of these birds were seen from the Cairns esplanade, and
around the airport at Cairns.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus )
A) Two flocks of these birds were seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
A) 1 bird seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
B) One bird flushed at Lake Buryan.
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
M) One seen at Fraser's Hill.
A) One Bird seen at the crocodile farm south of Cairns, one from the
Cairns esplanade.
B) A few birds were present at Lake Buryan.
Grey-tailed Tattler (Heteroscelus brevipes)
A) Two birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)
A) Six birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
A) Seven birds seen on Michelmas Cay.
Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)
A) A flock of c70 birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)
A) About 30 birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)
A) A flock of 30 birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus)
A) One bird identified from the Cairns esplanade; probably more were
present.
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
A) Ten birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)
A) One bird seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
A) Two birds seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)
A) Many birds of this and the next species were seen from the Cairns
esplanade.
Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)
A) Seen from the Cairns esplanade.
Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)
A) One bird seen at the crocodile farm south of Cairns.
Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)
A) A common bird of Queensland.
Arctic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae)
A) Common around the coast, very small numbers present on inland
waters. Also seen on the Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Crested Tern (Sterna bergii)
A) This tern was seen at Tinaroo Waters, all coastal sites and on the
Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)
A) Two birds were present off the Esplanade at Cairns
Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana)
A) One bird was seen on Michelmas Cay.
Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)
A) A small group of 5 birds were seen feeding in Cairns harbour.
Black Noddy (Anous minutus)
A) Pelagic - See report - 12th December 1998.
Common Noddy (Anous stolidus)
A) Abundant breeding bird at Michelmas Cay, not seen elsewhere.
Spotted Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
A,B,M) Common pigeon of the trip, seen regularly in all countries.
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
A,B,M) One for the numbers game - usual flying rats.
Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)
A) Common and widespread, seen in a wide range of habitats though
seemed more abundant around human habitation.
Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella)
A) Common forest pigeon around the table lands, less further south.
Little Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia ruficeps)
M) Seen frequently going to roost in the evenings at Frazer's Hill/The
Gap.
Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)
A) Seen when out with Glen Holmes, birds were seen around the fire
lookout near Tinaroo Waters (exact location not known)
Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica)
A) Seen frequently around the rainforest roads.
Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)
A) I saw this bird fairly frequently, usually squatting on shaded roads in
well vegetated drier areas.
Wonga Pigeon (Leucosarcia melanoleuca)
A) A flock of four birds were observed on the Griffith Trail as it passes
through dense forest.These birds prefer to run in front of you rather than
fly.
Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)
A) These birds were seen fairly regularly, Mareeba golf course seemed a
favoured place.
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula spilorrhoa)
A) A flock of 10 birds was seen flying over the Cairns Botanical Garden at
dusk. They all looked kosher.
Mountain Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula badia)
M) Common bird at Frazer's Hill.
White-headed Pigeon (Columba leucomela)
A) Two small flocks seen, one at Lake Eachem, and the other at Lake Barrine.
Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)
A) Seen on about 4 occasions around Atherton Tableland, heard a lot more
- very distinctive "wompoo" call.
Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)
A) Common and widespread.
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)
I had quite a few sighting of this bird all from the area around the
Barren Grounds reserve. The best views were of a flock of five birds feeding
around the car park at the "Ground" itself.
Galah (Cacatua roseicapilla )
A) I saw a lot of these birds in the area south of Sydney, none seen in
Queensland.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
A) Common and widespread - they make themselves known!
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma)
A) One bird was present in the trees along the Esplanade at Cairns.
Wedge-tailed Green-Pigeon (Treron sphenura)
Australian King-Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)
A) A few sighting of this rather splendid parrot, mainly from the
Atherton Tablelands.
Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus)
A) Two birds were seen around some farm buildings near
Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans)
A) A really good looking bird this one. At Atherton tablelands this bird
was not "uncommon" and kept mainly to the forest habitat, however this
species was fairly common in the area south of Sydney and was found in a wide
range of habitats.
Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)
A) This species seemed to be fairly common in a range of habitats, only
seen in the area south of Sydney.
Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)
A) Only one bird seen on the trip, and that was fluky as I made an
unscheduled comfort break near Moss Vale.
Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus)
A) This was not a bird I really expected, but as I walked back along the
Griffith Track at the Barren Grounds NP about 1 km from the car park I flushed
this small green parrot from cover. It flew along the track in front of me
allowing excellent views. I actually have to thank a leech for this bird, as the
bird was flushed by me stopping to remove the little vampire. If I had carried on
walking it would probably have stayed put.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)
A) One bird seen on one of the trails leading from the campsite at
Dhurag NP.
Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus)
A) Heard more than seen, appeared fairly wide spread but nowhere
common.
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis)
A) One was heard whilst out with Glen Holmes, somewhere near
Atherton. At the same time the following two species were seen:
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus)
A) One was seen whilst out with Glen Holmes, somewhere near
Atherton.
Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus)
One was seen whilst out with Glen Holmes, somewhere near Atherton.
Australian Koel (Eudynamys cyanocephala)
A) A couple of birds were heard from the Atherton Tableland area with one
brief sighting; more common and confiding in the areas south of Sydney.
Large Hawk-Cuckoo (Cuculus sparverioides)
M) >One bird seen on the road by the start of the Bishop's trail at Frazer's
Hill.
Drongo Cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris)
M) &tab;One bird seen about 2km down from Frazer's Hill on the road to the
Gap.
Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)
A) One bird seen flying over, flight more like a falcon than a cuckoo.
Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)
A) One bird seen near Tinaroo Waters and another at the Lagoon at
Narabeen.
Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata)
A) Heard this species "falling bomb" call while staying at Chambers
Lodge.
Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook)
A) At least one bird was heard calling at Chamber's Lodge on every
night. One obligingly came to the pademelon feeding session and was
spotlighted for quite a while.
House Swift (Apus nipalensis)
M) Many were seen flying over KL early in the morning in amongst
Edible-nest Swiftlets; as
usual, fairly common around habitation.
Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus)
M) This bird seemed common at Frazer's Hill, were they mixed with
other swiftlet species.
When I went these birds were building nests and displaying.
Glossy Swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta)
Edible-nest Swiftlet (Collocalia fuciphaga)
M) Common and widespread over the regions of Malaysia that I visited.
Cave Swiftlet (Collocalia linchi)
B) Seen frequently from most of the areas I visited on Bali.
White-rumped swiftlet (Collocalia spodiopygius)
A) Seen at Tinaroo and Kaipu areas of the Tablelands.
Asian Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
B) Fairly common on the coast of Bali, where there are stands of palms.
Silver-backed Needletail (Hirundapus cochinchinensis)
M) I saw two of these birds well at one of the frequent stops made
by the bus from KL to
KKB. Another 2 were found by at the waterfalls on the KKB to
Gap road.
Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus)
M) Three birds were seen flying around the observation tower at
Frazer's Hill. This is located on the road to the rubbish tip.
Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea)
A) Not an uncommon bird, found around larger bodies of water.
Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
A) Common, widespread, and conspicuous. It's call is one of the "sounds
of Australia" only rivalled by the cicadas.
Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)
A) Common and conspicuous, seems to prefer overhead cable and
fences.
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
A) Only one seen, and this was on a large body of water I discovered when
taking a diversion from the Moss Vale to Gouldburn Road.
Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
B) Three seen in a dead tree by Lake Bratan in Bali.
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
A) Fairly common at the coast around Cairns, also seen in the areas
south of Sydney.
Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus)
M) One bird seen on the return trip from KKB to KL.
Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)
A) Saw this species fairly frequently throughout the Australian part of the
trip.
Wreathed Hornbill (Aceros undulatus)
M) A flock of 6 birds were seen from the Gap guesthouse gardens, they
were flying up the valley in front of a storm front. The previous day I had
distant views of three hornbills flying at great height over the
neighbouring valley, these seemed to have more completely black
underparts - possible Rhinoceros Hornbills but as the views were distant
and the light very bad - who knows? (Wish I had lugged the scope with me)
Fire-tufted Barbet (Psilopogon pyrolophus)
M) Two of these birds gave a good display form the observation tower at
Frazer's Hill.
Red-throated Barbet (Megalaima mystacophanos)
M) A small flock of these birds were seen at late evening feeding on the
fruiting fig tree about 4km up the Gap/Frazer's Hill road
Grey-capped Woodpecker (Dendrocopos canicapillus)
B) I found one of these birds feeding around the shrines in the park
area of Bedugul Botanical Gardens.
Checker-throated Woodpecker (Picus mentalis)
M) A pair of these rather splendid woodpeckers was seen about 4km up
the Gap/Frazer's Hill road. I got pretty close to them and had cracking
views.
Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor)
A) One bird was located near the Firetower Track, behind Tinaroo Waters;
the bird responded to tapes but only flying views were gained.
Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
A) Another of those golden birding moments. As I was walking the rain
forest section of the Griffith Track at the Barren Grounds NP, watching
some Wonga Pigeons a Kookaburra started calling, then a Whipbird
followed by Golden Whistler, Australian Magpie, and a few other species I
did not recognise. There was only one bird it could be, and stalking up to as
I sat for about three minutes watching the full display of a Lyrebird. As it
strolled away leaving me out of breath, two Pilotbirds flew in to the area
just vacated - whew!
Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
A) Seen on a number of occasions in the areas south of Sydney. Often in
the larger forests.
White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus)
A) Seen more frequently in the north, similar habitat to the above
species.
Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)
A) Common and widespread in the areas around Sydney. The male of this
species (and the following) are absolutely cracking little birds - often
seen in flocks of 3-10 birds.
Variegated Fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti)
A) Seen on a number of occasions, the best being at the Lagoon at
Narabeen where a flock of this and the previous species were within about
ten feet of each other - really good for comparison in calls.
Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)
A) A cracking bird this, seen fairly frequently around Atherton Tableland
and Cairns.
Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus)
A) A single male bird was observed near the car park at the Barren
Grounds NP.
Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)
A) When I visited Australia it was the breeding season for this bird. 3 nest
sites were discovered, one at Barren Grounds NP, one at a routine stop off, and
another just outside of Moss Vale.
Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus)
A) 5 birds were seen in total at the Barren Grounds NP, 2 showed very
well on the drive up to the car park. The other two were a bit shier and
skulked in the heathy vegetation along the start of the Griffith Trail.
Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus )
A) Two birds were seen right on the escarpment edge about 50 metres
from the rain forest section of the Griffith track at the Barren Grounds NP.
One was also seen at Fitzroy's falls.
Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)
A) Two birds seen on the trail around the lake at Lake Barrine.
White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
A) A common bird in various habitats, only seen around and south of
Sydney. These birds are easily "pished" out of bushes.
Atherton Scrubwren (Sericornis keri)
A) Three birds definitely identified at Lake Eachem and Chamber's
Lodge, however this and the next species can be difficult to split. The
Atherton birds tend to be more terrestrial than the large-billed and darker.
Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostris)
A) Fairly common around the Tablelands - see previous species.
Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca)
A) Seen while with Glen Holmes, also at Chamber's Lodge.
Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris)
A) Glen Holmes showed me a nest site near Tinaroo water, which gave
excellent views of &tab;this bird.
Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki)
A) A fairly common bird on the Tablelands.
Fairy Gerygone (Gerygone palpebrosa)
A) Not as common as the previous species but still a fairly
frequently encountered bird on the Tablelands.
Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)
A) This and the next species appeared to be fairly common around the
areas explored south of Sydney.
Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)
A) See above.
Buff-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza reguloides)
A) Seen at the Barren Ground NP, and surrounding area.
Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)
A) A frequently encountered bird around and South of Sydney.
Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)
A) Frequently encountered in all areas visited, this is one bird which I
actively dislike. It can't sing, it looks disgusting, and it probably smells!
Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
A) Saw this species on three occasions, one near Tinaroo waters, one at
Mareeba golfcourse, and one at Cairns Botanical Gardens. They appear to prefer
more open areas with small bushes/trees.
Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)
A) Two birds seen just outside of Gouldburn. I had stopped due to a New
Holland Honeyeater but swapped interest when I heard these two birds
calling.
Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)
A) Common around the areas South of Sydney.
Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii)
A) The most commonly encountered Honeyeater around the Atherton
Tablelands, also fairly common in the area south of Sydney.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops)
A) Common in the area south of Sydney, especially around the Avon Dam
area.
Indonesian Honeyeater (Lichmera limbata)
B) Common at the Botanical Gardens at Bedugul, and two birds present
at the Strawberry Hill Guesthouse.
Yellow Honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavus)
A) One seen while out with Glenn Holmes.
White-throated Honeyeater (Melithreptus albogularis)
A) One seen while out with Glenn Holmes.
White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus)
A) One seen closely at Dharug NP campsite.
New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
A) Eight birds were seen in three separate sightings around the Avon
Dam area.
Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)
A) An excellent bird this, one which I saw fairly frequently in a wide
range of habitats. Found in both the North and South.
Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)
A) Occasionally seen in open woodland.
Brown-backed Honeyeater (Ramsayornis modestus)
A) Seen fairly often around Atherton Tablelands.
Macleay's Honeyeater (Xanthotis macleayana)
A) Supposed to be quite common, however I only identified one at Mount
Hypipamee.
Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta)
A) Not uncommon, I had numerous encounters with this cracking bird in
a wide range of habitats and areas.
Yellow-breasted Boatbill (Machaerirhynchus flaviventer)
A) One of the birds of the trip, a male was tape-lured out of a thick forest
edge on the way to the fire tower at Tinaroo Waters.
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)
M) One seen on the "rubbish tip" at Frazer's Hill.
Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)
A) A common bird of Australian rain forests, more frequently seen in
Queensland than Sydney.
Grey-headed robin (Heteromyias albispecularis)
A) Common in Rainforests on the Atherton Tablelands. Very abundant at
Chamber's Lodge where they are also very tame.
Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito)
A) Fairly common bird of thicker woodland and rain forest in both North
and South.
Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis)
A) A flock of seven birds was present at Mareeba Golf course.
Golden Babbler (Stachyris chrysaea)
M) I saw one of these birds in a bird wave I encountered by the Guards hut
at Frazer's Hill..
Black-headed Shrike-Babbler (Pteruthius rufiventer)
M) One seen at Frazer's Hill in a bird wave on the Hemmant Trail,
another was in a bird wave located on the Gap/Frazer's Hill road.
Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)
M)A common (the common) bird at Frazer's Hill, less common at the
Gap.
Long-tailed Sibia (Heterophasia picaoides)
M) Very common and conspicuous at Frazer's Hill, less so further down
the hill.
Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)
A) A common bird of rain forests and other woodland. Seen in both
northern and southern woodland.
Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)
A) A small flock were discovered in a patch of woodland near Hastie's
Swamp.
Mountain Bulbul (Hypsipetes mcclellandii)
M) Two birds seen on the Gap/Frazer's Hill road.
Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)
B) A common bird on Bali - but really nice.
Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
A) Two birds seen at the Wiseman ferry crossing and at the tidal creek at
Dharug NP (about 3 km after turning right as you come off the ferry).
Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus)
M) Two of these birds were seen in the late evening about 500m up the
Gap/Frazer's Hill road. This was a new sub-species for me, as I had only seen
the ruby-throated race found in Goa.
Mountain Fulvetta (Alcippe peracensis)
M) I saw one of these birds in a bird wave I encountered by the
guard's hut at Frazer's Hill.
Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus)
M) I had three sightings of this species at Frazer's Hill.
Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)
A,B) This bird was fairly common around the rain forest habitats found in
Australia. In Bali I found one of these birds at the Bedugul Botanical Gardens.
Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)
A) This species was not uncommon around Atherton Tableland, also saw
two at Barren Grounds NP.
Bower's Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla boweri)
A) Two birds seen at Chamber's Lodge.
Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)
A) Fairly common around the Atherton Tablelands.
Little Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha)
A) Fairly common around the Atherton Tablelands.
Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis)
A) Two separate sightings from Chamber's Lodge, three from Lake
Eachem and Lake Barrine.
Spectacled Monarch (Monarcha trivirgatus)
A) A fairly common bird around heavily forested areas both North and South.
Pied Monarch (Arses kaupi)
A) One bird seen from the rain forest track leading from Chamber's Lodge
to Lake Eachem.
Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
M,B) Fairly common at Frazer's Hill and the Gap. Two birds were also
seen at the Botanical Garden at Bedugul.
Hill Blue-Flycatcher (Cyornis banyumas)
M) One seen at Frazer's Hill in the pines along the road leading up to the
Temerloe Bungalows.
Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassina)
M) One seen in bushes near the Gap rest house.
Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni)
M) Three seen in birdwaves at Frazer's Hill and the Gap.
Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto)
A) A few sightings, the best being a male at the Mangrove broadwalk
near Cairns airport.
Large Niltava (Niltava grandis)
M) One bird seen at the WWF centre at Frazer's Hill - on the start of the
Hemmant Trail.
Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula)
A) A few siting from around Atherton Tablelands and Cairns.
Asian Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
M) One bird seen In a bird wave on the Frazer's Hill/Gap road.
White-throated Fantail (Rhipidura albicollis)
M) One seen at Frazer's Hill.
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
A) A common forest bird, seen at all "rain forest" sites, and frequent in
other wooded areas.
Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
A) Common and widespread.
Spotted Fantail (Rhipidura perlata)
M) Fairly common at Frazer's Hill and the Gap.
Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons)
A) One bird was found at Frazer's Fall south of Sydney, another at Avon
Dam.
Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris)
A) A pair of these birds was seen while out with Glen Holmes - located
near Tinaroo Waters.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
A) One bird was seen at close range on farmland behind Chamber's Lodge,
also seen at Narabeen Lagoon.
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis)
A) Not uncommon around Atherton Tablelands.
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus)
M) One bird seen In a bird wave on the Frazer's Hill/Gap road.
Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus)
M) A small flock of these birds was seen on the Frazer's Hill/Gap road.
Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)
M) A common bird at Frazer's Hill and the Gap.
Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela)
A) Seen a few times at Chamber's Lodge and other rain forest areas on the
Atherton Tablelands.
White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)
A) One bird was seen "Hovering" and flitting over a pasture near Avon
Dam.
Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae)
A) Fairly common in rainforest areas south of Sydney, Barren Grounds
and Dharug were particularly good.
Black-and-crimson Oriole (Oriolus cruentus)
M) A stonking bird, one was seen on the old Zoo trail at Frazer's hill.
Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus)
A) One bird seen while out with Glen Holmes, another was seen at
Narabeen Lagoon.
Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis)
A) Common and widespread in the north, but less frequent in the South.
Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)
A) One sighting of three birds sitting on wire near Avon Dam. Also
White-winged Triller seen here.
White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus)
A) A fairly common bird of open areas, there were a lot at Cairns airport,
making it my first Australian tick.
Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
A) Not as common as I expected - a couple of sightings around Atherton
tablelands where I "bumped" into them whilst driving.
Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)
A) One sighting of this bird whilst driving through farmland going
towards Barren Ground NP.
Magpie-Lark (Grallina cyanoleuca )
A) Common and widespread around road edges and farmland.
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
A) Common and widespread, more common in the south.
Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)
A) A fairly common and well distributed bird.
Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus)
M) Common at the Gap and Frazer's Hill.
Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)
A) Fairly common in the areas of Queensland that I visited. Less so in
the South.
Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)
M) Fairly common at Frazer's Hill and the Gap.
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus remifer)
M) Common around Frazer's Hill and the Gap.
Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides)
A) Common bird in and around Sydney, and the areas to the south.
Jungle Crow (Corvus levaillantii)
M) Seen every day at Frazer's Hill and the Gap.
Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)
A) Seen at the Mangrove Boardwalk near Cairns Airport, seen regularly
around farmland both north and south.
House Crow (Corvus splendens)
M) Common in Lowland Malaysia (note - if you see one in Australia
report it immediately!)
Green Magpie (Cissa chinensis)
M) One bird seen on the road by the start of the Bishop's trail at Frazer's
Hill.
Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea)
M) Three birds were seen in mixed flocks while walking from the Gap up
to Frazer's Hill.
Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)
B) A family group was seen at the Botanical Gardens at Bedugul.
Blue Nuthatch (Sitta azurea)
M) One bird was seen about 2 km from Frazer's Hill on the road to the
Gap.
Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea )
A) A group of these were present on Mareeba Golf course.
White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)
A) One bird was seen about a mile form the car park on the Griffith Trail
on the Barren Ground NP.
Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus melanotis)
A) Common at Chamber's Lodge and surrounding rainforest patches.
Tooth-billed Bowerbird (Scenopooetes dentirostris)
A) Common at Chamber's Lodge and surrounding rainforest patches.
Golden Bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana)
A) One bird was seen after following site directions (no details given
here)
Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)
A) Seen on the road to Barren Grounds NP, and at Dhurag NP.
Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)
A) Seen frequently on any suitable pipit habitat.
Rufous Songlark (Cincloramphus mathewsi)
A) Good views of one bird at Hastie's Swamp, other more distant
sightings of this bird scattered over Atherton Tablelands
Singing Bushlark (Mirafra javanica)
A) Two birds were present in the layby at Bromfield Swamp, other
sightings from stony/dry areas.
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
M) Three different birds were seen at Frazer's Hill and the Gap, mainly
seen feeding on roads.
Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
A) Two were observed around the Lake Bathurst area.
Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)
A) Regularly seen in small flocks at roadsides throughout the Australian
part of my trip.
Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton)
A) Present at the Crocodile farm south of Cairns.
Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)
A) One bird seen briefly at the start of the Griffith trail at the Barren
Grounds NP.
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax)
A) Common bird of patches of reeds or long grasses.
Javan Munia (Lonchura leucogastroides)
B) Four birds seen at Lake Buryan.
Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)
B) A Common bird in Bali, seen in most habitats.
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
A) Found to be quite common in the farmland around Lake Bathurst.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
M,A) A common bird around human habitation.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
B) Common and widespread on Bali.
Yellow-bellied Sunbird or Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis)
A,B) Seen on the coast around Cairns (none sighted at Atherton
Tablelands). On Bali this was quite a common bird.
Black-throated Sunbird (Aethopyga saturata)
M) Fairly common around flowering bushes at Frazer's Hill and the Gap -
a really nice bird.
Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)
B) This bird was seen at the Botanical Gardens in Bedugul. I only saw one
of these birds , but I heard plenty.
Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna)
M) A common bird at the Gap and Frazer's Hill, very vocal and
conspicuous.
Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum)
A) Not an uncommon bird, but a really nice little one.
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonostigma)
M) Two birds seen at Frazer's Hill, and one beautiful male in the Gap
Resthouse gardens.
Fairy Martin (Hirundo ariel)
A) I encountered a few flocks of these gorgeous little birds, one at Hastie's
Swamp, and another on road to the Avon Dam.
Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)
M) Six birds were seen on route to KKB.
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)
A) The "swallow" of Australia, seen virtually everywhere.
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
M) A few definite sightings from KL, KKB and the Gap. However a few
were the following species:
Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
M) Seemed fairly common at Frazer's Hill and the Gap, though there were
a lot of Barn Swallows present. However, two resting specimens at the Gap
resthouse gave excellent views.
Asian House-Martin (Delichon dasypus)
M) Five of these birds were seen during a late evening walk up to the
"4km" post on the Gap/Frazer's Hill road.
Orange-bellied Leafbird (Chloropsis hardwickii)
M) Common at Frazer's Hill and the Gap in fruiting trees, often appeared
in bird waves as well.
Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis)
A) A fairly common bird of farmland/roadside vegetation. Distinctive call
- like a badly tuned shortwave radio.
Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)
B) Seen at Lake Buryan in the rank grassy area by the campsite.
Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)
A) An excellent bird which was seen fairly often around open farmland
or grassy areas. After display flight, the bird usually alighted on a fence
post of telegraph wires.
Mountain Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus trivirgatus)
M) One bird seen in a bird wave near the Gap rest house.
Inornate Warbler or Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus)
M) Two birds seen from my chalet window at Frazer's hill.
Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
M) Seen at Frazer's Hill, and the Gap - not too common.
Mountain Tailorbird (Orthotomus cuculatus)
M) One bird seen at Frazer's Hill near the old Zoo.
Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis)
M) Two birds were seen 200m up from the Gap end guard house on the
Gap/Frazer's Hill Road - Seen at the same place on three occasions.
Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
A) Not an uncommon bird, a little stunner though.
Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
B) Common and widespread at Bedugul and surrounding area.
Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata)
A) A pair seen at Mount ???????, foraging around the car parking area
about an hour before dusk.
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush (Garrulax mitratus)
M) A stunning bird which was quite common at Frazer's Hill.
Black Laughingthrush (Garrulax lugubris)
M) I saw five of these birds at the start of the Gap/Frazer's Hill road. A
loose flock flying over this road produced good views of this cracking bird as
individuals stopped intermittently.
Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)
M) Fairly common, I saw about four birds on the way to Frazer's Hill,
and about 4 birds while there. One juvenile did show some signs of being a
Tiger Shrike but I couldn't really pull it off.
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
A) Common in Sydney; I also saw flocks flying over farmland in the area
around Lake Bathurst.
Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica)
A) A very large flock flew into Cairns Botanical Gardens about two hours
before dark.
Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis)
B M) Two probables were seen from the KKB to KL bus. The campsite at
Lake Buryan held &tab;three of this species
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
A, M, B) In Malaysia this bird was seen around human habitation but
nowhere really common. In Australia however they were considered a pest - in
the north they mainly were to be found human habitation though further south
the were everywhere. I saw one in Bali, near the airport.