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Vol.3 No.1 - BirdLife Northern Queensland?

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1. 2014 Australia Day Weekend at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge Julatten BirdLife Northern Queensland held its 14th annual Australia Day long weekend get together at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge Julatten hosted by Keith amp Lindsay It was well attended with over 30 people coming to enjoy field trips guided walks talks and a movie night As usual these weekends are very social with lots of interesting food and a relaxed atmosphere Saturday morning saw the group going up onto Mt Lewis to look for some of the Wet Tropic endemics all 13 occur on the mountain The main attraction was Blue faced Parrot Finch which occur here from November to April We were not disappointed as there were at least eight feeding alongside the road Other good sightings were white phase Grey Goshawk male Golden Bowerbird two families of Chowchilla having a territorial dispute Victoria s Riflebird and a Barred Cuckoo shrike feeding young in a nest In all we saw 27 species Late afternoon we went to Wessel Road in Julatten to look at open woodland and Melaleuca Swamp country Here we found 29 species including Buff banded Rail plus Lovely and Red backed Fairy wren The evening was spent sharing a communal dinner followed by a talk from Lloyd Nielsen Lloyd is a well known ornithologist who lives in the area and has been studying local bird fauna for many years His talk was about the status of Fuscous and Yellow tinted Honeyeater in our r
2. Bingil Bay Wongaling and South Mission Beach was a total of 1 500 PIPs Within the 7 year history of the project graph below this could be regarded as a fairly typical number However year to year comparison is inexact due to changes in procedures dates and sites Only three of the sites began in 2007 Bingil Bay was added in 2008 and Kurrimine in 2012 1000 H The extremely low total in 2011 is probably a Uy consequence of severe habitat devastation caused by o ate Tropical Cyclone Yasi but we have no convincing oa ee eee explanation for the very high count in 2009 Kurrimine not included in the graph is another puzzle a total of 1 311 PIPs in 2012 but only 200 in 2013 Perhaps a longer series of counts may shed light on the extreme variation 4000 3000 2000 Total count at standard sites A modest number of wonderful people responded They provided useful new data and made helpful suggestions for next season I am currently collating the additional records and will report on them in a For better insight into PIP dynamics the counts need to future newsletter cover a much wider geographic range We took the first step towards that goal by calling for people anywhere along the Queensland coast to count PIPs following the standard procedure at any site convenient for them during the month of November 2013 Many more participants will be needed to extend coverage in the coming PIP season Please consider help
3. Wardrobes are not a good place for storage as your clothes will hold dust and moisture gt Do not disassemble the binos in any way as this could knock the optics out of alignment If there is dirt or mould inside have them cleaned by a professional r SUNCOAST OPTICAL a OPTICAL EQUIPME NT SPECIALISTS 6 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland A Guide to Binocular Care How to Clean Binocular Lenses Incorrect cleaning can lead to damage of external lenses ruining binoculars You should always follow the steps below when cleaning binos Taking good care of lenses will preserve the lens coatings protecting them from scratches or blemishes Since most binos are similar in design cleaning instructions seldom vary from one model to the next For the best results you should always check the user manual or the manufacturer s guidelines Of course prevention is always better than cure and lenses should be kept clean and free of moisture and dirt by using lens caps and cases Step 1 Remove Loose Dirt and Dust Before cleaning the lenses always remove any sand dust or dirt particles Rubbing on the lenses while grit is present will cause scratches in the lens coating resulting in cloudy images Dirt can be removed by gently brushing it with a soft brush or by blowing on the lenses using either compressed air or a blower brush If using compressed air you should use short bursts as a sudden drop in te
4. Nominated by positions Seconded by Convenor I hereby accept this nomination Deputy Convenor signature of nominee Secretary Date Treasurer Please return this form before the meeting to northernqld birdlife org au Committee Members Introducing our new website Have you visited our new website http birdlifeng org It also works by simply typing birdlifeng org in the address bar of your search engine The website was designed to fit well on iPad and tablet devices in addition to general personal computers I would like members to access the website and report if there are any issues Email northerngld birdlife org au Mikev Kudo ie 2 ca Image courtesy of Doug Herrington birdlife i BirdLife Northern Queensland mi Slideshow Set 1 Open Close Coming Events News March 2014 e Our website design will be renewed e Sat 1st March 5 6 pm for AGM in from 1 Jan 2014 The website will be Cairns automatically transferred to new URL Sun 2nd March 6 30am Birding posted 28 Dec 2013 Centenary Lakes with John Seale The November Issue of Contact Call by Sat 15th March 3 6pm Wave the our Editor Ceri Pearce is now Waders Goodbye available from the Newsletter page posted 4 Nov 2013 April 2014 The October issue of The Drongo the Quarterly Magazine of BirdLife e Saturday oth April Club Meeting at Townsville was just issued posted 27 Kingfisher Park Oct 2013 More events More news Proje
5. Notice Introducing our new website 4 Mission Beach PIP count 2013 5 Saving the nutmeg pigeon Margaret Thorsbourne AO Thanks to Del Richards for his input and to Hiroshi and guide to binocular care Miho Hashimoto for allowing us to use their image of 7 Kingfisher Park Australia Day weekend trip report the Yellow billed Kingfisher 8 Birding in splendid isolation Cape York Peninsula Keith amp Lindsay Fisher 9 Cumberland Dam Georgetown Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge 10 Identifying Grey Falcons 11 Databases listing and challenges The new Eremaea eBird 12 Monitoring Lovely Fairy wrens on Redden Island 13 Notice Board 14 Activities calendar birds are in our nature Birdlife Northern Queensland From the Convenor The start of 2014 has been fairly successful for the birds in our part of the world Every day I m seeing youngsters being fed or nests with expectant parents And the promise of inland rains should bring hope for the birds out west We seem to have been inundated with sightings of unusual species Red necked Phalaropes Eastern Yellow Wagtail Spotted Whistling ducks and even Sanderlings All the more reason to get out there and keep a watchful eye on our residents and visitors alike Your committee under the guidance of Murray and Doug have developed an interesting program of monthly meetings and activities for the next 6 months please see page 20 for details The m
6. combination by listing the code for each of the four colours in order with a separating the two colours on the left leg from the two on the right leg for example All birds have a silver metal band S usually in lower left position as part of the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme 18 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland 7 Tiare zj 1 x r He JfES ROimUnb whee pa NB Please do not use playback for resighting these birds This is important both for animal welfare reasons playback forces birds to mount a territorial defence response that imposes unnecessary stress over and above their natural territory maintenance behaviour especially at a site that many people visit and for achieving the research goals of this project e g using targeted playback experiments to determine the function of female song Rinsiinn MSY TES TANA A lt L i Ea mA L paie a i _ O rT Ene mMWSNRT ee hy e i Er x J ie iy i Sa i Epi T Eas TPR WOEN Oa ed Nes Sy ant a an A bF 5 gt EA wiit 4 i 0 a An w T fa E a ote d it ONN SIRRIMUSINAMUND AE HE a ali Bs i Colour Codes N Noir black O Orange A L JJ Q S Silver metal Y Yellow Volumes Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland For example Female and male banded wrens Colour codes would be ES RO for the female and WS NR for the male bird Article
7. confused is the pale morph white breasted Brown Falcon Falco berigora followed by Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae It is sometimes confused with the other two Accipiters Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus and Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus as well as though rarely Black Shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris and Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides Adult The orange yellow bare parts especially the cere and base to bill stand out like a beacon even ata considerable distance and in flight If these are not obvious at close to mid ranges and further then it is not an adult Grey Falcon Sight records that do not mention this feature should be suspect In these cases it is either a juvenile Grey Falcon or another bird of prey most likely a pale breasted Brown Falcon Juvenile More easily confused with other grey birds of prey than the adult it can be separated from pale breasted Brown Falcon and Grey Goshawk with care When perched all grey and white plumage striations on underparts short legs long trousers wingtips which fall level with the tail and a single dark malar cheek stripe are fairly obvious In flight wing shape Shortish tail lack of brown trousers and colour of upperparts if possible should be noted Brown Falcon pale morph these individuals appear white or near white when seen from below When perched a Brown Falcon can be eliminated by its brown upperparts short brown trousers and bar
8. few showers of rain but luckily they did not interfere with a very successful weekend in which we saw 113 species and heard a further 11 species Thanks to all those that made the weekend a success especially Del Richards Lloyd Nielsen Kath Shurcliff and Doug Herrington Birdlife Northern Queensland Activities Officer Report by Keith amp Lindsay Fisher S 4 N ve WON At least eight Blue faced Parrot finch were seen feeding at Mt Lewis Photo courtesy of Dominic Chaplin Kath Shurcliff presented a talk about Eremaea to weekend participants Volume 3 Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland Birding in splendid isolation Cape York Peninsula Alarm clocks are redundant in my Bamaga home on the edge of this small Indigenous community The pre sunrise chorus of Yellow Orioles in my garden trees takes care of that If I happen to sleep though them then very often the screeching call of the Palm Cockatoo will have me bolt upright in a flash Palm Cockatoo Image ues A Ian aa Not only the Papuan but even occasionally the Marbled Birdway com au Frogmouth can be heard at night from my bed competing with the ever present Barking Owls and Bush Stone curlews of course There s a Cuscus about lately too His cussing and hissing did have me tossed for a while thinking it was possibly a drunken nocturnal Fawn breasted Bowerbird Annually for the past 2 decades he often with Lloyd Nielsen brings guests in for
9. reprinted courtesy of Dr Michelle Hall DONT FORGET TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP Notice Board From the Editor Next newsletter deadline Please submit stories news reports by April 30th 2014 to birdlifenqnewsletter gmail com Newsletter deadlines for 2014 gt April 30th for the June Edition gt July 31st for the September Edition gt October 31st for the December Edition please note if you have requested to receive printed newsletters from Birdlife Australia these are usually posted out with the Australian Birdlife Magazine The electronic version of Contact Call is available earlier via email or on our web site usually in February May August and November December each year Would you like to advertise in Contact Call Advertisements and sponsorship help support Birdlife Northern Queensland Any profit is used for education and conservation projects The advertisements must be relevant to Birdlife Northern Queensland members and compatible with Birdlife Australia objectives and fund raising guidelines Quarter page advertisements for 4 issues can be purchased for 70 plus GST or 20 plus GST for single issue advertisements Contact the Editor of Contact Call for further information Activities Come and join us Everybody s welcome For day trips do bring a hat sunscreen lunch refreshments water and a folding chair For more information about an outing or an event contact the leader listed or chec
10. AND AAA totale BIRDWATCHING B amp B Conveniently located to Daintree River specialist bird and wildlife tours and Daintree National Park Tasteful ensuite rooms overlooking tropical rainforest garden and swimming pool Fabulous full cooked breakfast included Extensive nature library bird lists local Information and mud maps provided Guiding available Eco fnendly Member discounts available www redmillhouse com au www daintreebirdwatching com au info redmillhouse com au O7 4098 6233 11 Stewart St Daintree QLD 4873 Australia Day Bird watching Kingtisper par Situated 114 hours north of Cairns in Far North Queensland we offer a variety of accommodation options self contained units single or two bedroom bunkhouse rooms powered caravan sites and camping The property is a rainforest wildlife sanctuary catering for birdwatchers and naturalists We are central to a variety of habitats and provide bird species lists area maps natural history library and internet Morning walks and evening spotlighting by arrangement Special group packages and a local bird guide can be arranged Keith amp Lindsay Fisher RNG Mt Kooyong Road Julatten QLD 4871 Ph 07 4094 1263 Email sootyowl bigpond com www birdwatchers com au Blog http kingfisherparkbirdwatchers blogspot com eco CERTIFIED March 2014 7
11. April details Sat 3 6 to 8pm Cominos House Club meeting Doug Herrington northerngld bir May 27 Greenslopes St First speaker John Grant on the Bali Starling Recovery and Murray Hunt dlife org au Edge Hill Program Second speaker Fergus Power from the Environmental Defender s Office talking about The GBR and legal entity Sun 4 6 30am Centenary Lakes Centenary Lakes Bird Walk with John Seale May Cairns meet opposite Rondo Theatre Sat 7 6 30am amp 90 minute Daintree River cruises Book direct with 0417651929 June 8am 6 30am and 8 30am Murray Hunt 25p p Sat 7t 6 to 8pm Wildlife Habitat Club meeting Murray Hunt northerngld bir June arrival Port Douglas Del Richards presenting Birding Anecdotes NQ History 50 discount on dlife org au from People and Unusual Sightings entry to Wildlife 5 30pm Wildlife Habitat staff presenting a talk on the avian collection Habitat for BNQ at the Habitat Birding Quiz led by Murray Hunt members that Drinks available for purchase weekend Sat 5t 6 to 8pm Cominos House Club meeting Doug Herrington northernqld bir July 27 Greenslopes St Speaker to be announced and Murray Hunt dlife org au Edge Hill Sun 6 6 30am Centenary Lakes Centenary Lakes Bird Walk with John Seale meet opposite July Cairns Rondo Theatre Fri 1 Yungaburra area Birding Weekend and Club Meeting Doug Herrington 0418757288 or S n a northerngld bir Aug Friday 1 Meet at Nick s Restaurant Yungaburra for d
12. Cape York Bird Week just at the start of the wet This year Murray Hunt also provided guiding services in addition to the Big Two With gallery forest just behind and rainforest proper a AS one guest this year pointed out This is as close as few hundred metres ahead the Riflebirds and it gets to FNQ Birding Royalty Manucodes are always on song The old orchard just Indeed over the fence not only harbours Brush Fan tailed in the dry and Little Bronze cuckoos but recently a Chestnut breasted was heard The Oriental turns up in the yard annually Next Time A bit about Bamaga history Indigenous culture and the Lockerbie Scrub It certainly is a week I look forward to as it is the only opportunity I ever have to bird with others up here and some fabulous birds are on offer Tawny breasted Honeyeaters plus the usual local Queenslanders Graceful Yellow spotted Brown Article by Rob Reed backed and Dusky etc are always flitting about with the Sunbirds Gerygones and Flycatchers The Yellow billed Kingfisher has spotted me again I don t know where it is exactly but is commonly heard Balcony birds all STOP THE PRESS It s not always so easy Sometimes I have to leave the property to go birding as there are a few more CY Red necked Phalarope sighting specials out there to see All possible habitats exist except for montane A Red necked Phalarope was sighted by Rob Reed at the Umagico settling ponds
13. Z birdlife Contact call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland Volume 3 Number 1 March 2014 An unusual visitor Yellow billed Kingfisher On the 28th December 2013 a female Yellow billed Kingfisher was seen along Bushy Creek at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge by Vena Beetson who was a guest at the Lodge The kingfisher was subsequently photographed by Hiroshi and Miho Hashimoto also guests at the Lodge which confirmed the sighting as a female Yellow billed Kingfisher A further search on the 29th did not sight the bird but it was heard calling in rainforest adjacent to Bushy Creek by four observers experience with its call early in the morning The normally accepted range of this species in Australia is from Cape York Peninsula south to Weipa on the west coast across the cape to the southern extent of the McIlwraith Range near Silver Plains Station just south east of Coen HANZAB 1999 This record represents an extension of range of about Newsletter Contents 360km We speculate that it is possible that this bird followed the river systems from the west coast of Cape York along the Mitchell River into Rifle Creek and then Bushy Creek Yellow billed kingfisher sighting From the Convenor Del Richards from Fine Feather Tours says there has been at least five reports of this species south of their normal range but none of them have supporting evidence which makes this record important 1 Ze 3 AGM
14. ace White trousers elongated feathers on the thighs extend to below the tarsal joint and cover half the lower legs Darker grey upperparts than adults Underparts are similarly white but with fine dark streaks on the breast and dark markings on the flanks It shows greater contrast of darker upperparts and all white underparts than the adult and lacks the bright orange yellow of the bare parts i e cere and eye ring are pale blue grey legs and feet mid to pale yellow It has a fairly obvious single thin malar stripe running down cheek from base of bill In the first few months after fledging it shows a buff half collar on the hind neck March 2014 11 IN FLIGHT Wings are broad and fairly pointed in most situations but not acutely pointed Normal flight is swift and hobby like but often leisurely with shallow easy wing beats Sometimes wings can be raised above the body like a Brown Falcon with higher and deeper wingbeats It then resembles a very fast version of Brown Falcon It glides on flat wings and soars with wingtips slightly upswept In soaring flight the wings may be held somewhat stiffly forward with slightly rounded tips It is capable of soaring for long periods without wingbeats often gaining a great height It does not hover but will sweep rapidly over waterholes at low level to flush prey The orange yellow bare parts especially the cere and eye ring of the adult are immediately obvious When seen from unde
15. cts Links Past Events Committee Members AGM Reports birds are in our nature March 2014 3 Birdlife Northern Queensland Birdlife Mission Beach Pied Imperial pigeon count 2013 Annual monitoring of Pied Imperial pigeons PIPs at Mission Beach is conducted jointly by Birdlife NQ and Birdlife Townsville On one afternoon in November several count teams keep watch from 4 00PM to 6 30PM at designated sites They record the numbers and approximate flight directions of PIPs that fly out to sea photo below heading back to their breeding colonies and roost sites on various islands The latest count took place on 2 November 2013 The afternoon was greatly enhanced by the inspiring participation of north Queensland conservation champion Margaret Thorsborne AO next page and Suzie Smith Secretary of Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast Hinchinbrook branch Thanks to these two expert observers and new volunteers and local residents we had sufficient counters despite a rather low turnout of Birdlife members PIPs flying out to sea photographer Julia Hazel We had less than perfect weather for the first time Since these counts began Fortunately the occasional showers were brief and all count teams were able to Pied Imperial pigeons Mission Beach successfully complete their monitoring Afterwards a a ice most people got together for a sociable dinner The result for the four long term count sites at Garners ene Beach
16. d Bree 2 Green Pygmy goose M Add Dotais If I had listed any species which normally are not ___ 8 Pacific Black Duck Aai Dota found in the region then I would be asked to supply a eee ma additional details before submitting the list To make 7 Australian Brush Turkey it easier to find the species I saw on this long list I Dasi can jump to the observed species by typing in some Breeding NB ConfirmediProbable Nest Building of its name in the Jump to Species box But I usually a reduce the number of species on the scroll list by ea co checking the box Group by Most Likely Then those species which are recorded most frequently at this site occur at the top of the long list where I can more readily find them March 2014 15 Birdlife Northern Queensland As well as being easy to enter data and lists into Eremaea eBird you can also readily get loads of helpful information out of it Want to know the best places to go birding in an area Just go to Hotspot Explorer in Explore Data A world map appears zoom into the area you are interested in and focus on the redder squares which indicate higher numbers of species Zoom in further and you will get all the hotspots in that square and they are colour coded for the number of species recorded there Click on the brightest coloured one and the total number of species and lists comes up Explore Data MyeBird Help Sign in or Register Language Year round Al
17. d Submit Observations Explore Data My eBird Help Kath Shurcliff crabplover 2 Sign Out Language eBird Submit Observations Explore Data MyeBird Help Kath Shurcliff crabplover Sign Out Language 1 3 Date an d Effo rt Keatings Lagoon CP Cooktown Q E gt Where did you bird Required Observation Jan v 21 J 214 v fa 7 Identify the location where you made your observations re k l a e A E E Observation Traveling You traveled a specific distance walking a trail Keatings Lagoon CP Cooktown T Continue Type driving a refuge loop field birding ra onc O Stationary You stayed at a fixed location watching froma J More hfo P y db window hawkwatching seawatching PAR J Incidental Birding was not your primary purpose or you lack Find iton a Map required effort information noting a bird while Bae driving or gardening historic records that lack effort Select existing personal locations and hotspots or plot a new location info Use Latitude Longitude D a Create a new location using latitude and longitude often when covering the same ground repeatedly Examples include a thorough survey of a rd or local park Select an entire city county or state your yard or local pa If you were birding across a very large area e g an entire state county or city select this option Please consider A using more precise locations when reporting to eBird so that your observations a
18. do gt Juvenile Grey Falcon has a single malar cheek stripe Brown Falcon has double cheek markings gt Pale Brown Falcon has short brown trousers and brown upperparts References Bravery J A 1970 Birds of Atherton Shire The Emu 70 49 63 Garnett S T Szabo J K amp Dutson G 2010 Grey Falcon The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010 149 151 CSIRO Publishing Collingwood Vic Marchant S amp Higgins P J Eds 1993 Handbook of Australian New Zealand amp Antarctic Birds Vol 2 Raptors to Lapwings Oxford University Press Melbourne Olsen P D amp Olsen J 1988 Population trends distribution and status of the Peregrine Falcon in Australia In Peregrine Falcon Populations Their Management and Recovery The Peregrine Fund New York Schoenjahn J 2010 Field Identification of the Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos Australian Field Ornithology 27 49 58 Schoenjahn J 2011 How scarce is the Grey Falcon Boobook 29 24 25 Article by Lloyd Nielsen March 2014 13 Birdlife Northern Queensland Databases Listing and Challenges The New Eremaea eBird I ve been an obsessive lister of bird species wherever I go It all started way back in the late 1970 s when the RAOU kicked off its first field atlas filling in lots of record sheets and sending them into my local Regional Organiser And the result Australia s first Atlas of Australian Birds where the distribution of ev
19. e grey legs rarely yellowish unfeathered below the tarsal joint Even in the palest Brown Falcon the double moustachial or cheek markings are still evident juvenile Grey Falcon has a single malar cheek stripe which is faint or absent in adults and the upperparts are always a degree of brown The Brown Falcon usually has a distinct upright stance when perched In flight Brown Falcon can be eliminated by its distinct slightly upswept wings never illustrated well in most field guides brown trousers which are usually obvious with good binoculars and longish barred tail Flight of the Brown Falcon is not fast for a falcon it has a slower heavier flight than other falcons It has darkish wingtips when seen from underneath The Brown Falcon is far more vocal than Grey Falcon and often calls in flight Volumes Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland Grey Goshawk when perched adults can be eliminated by the longish legs bare from the tarsal joint fine grey barring on the breast and wingtips which fall well short of tail tip Though the adult has a yellow or orange yellow cere it lacks the bright orange yellow eye ring and the yellow base to the bill of the adult Grey Falcon which makes the latter stand out amongst birds of prey Juvenile Grey Goshawk has coarser darker barring on the breast which with the longish bare legs fairly easily separates it from Grey Falcon In flight the short broad rounded wings with disti
20. eetings will continue to be on the first Saturday of each month alternating between Cairns Cominos House and another location on the Tablelands or elsewhere in our vast region We started the 2014 program with the Australia Day outing to Kingfisher Park in Julatten one of the jewels for birding in our part of Queensland Hopefully by now you have all had an opportunity to visit our new website at http birdlifeng org It is now much easier to find out what is happening and when our next meeting is on Thanks to our website guru Mikey Kudo I am always amazed at how much talent and experience there is among our members And speaking of members our National Office will have a focus this year on building up our supporter and membership base Currently we have about 10 000 members nationally but they estimate that we need about 13 000 members to keep our balance Sheet in the black And we have a goal of growing to 15 000 by 2018 So why not bring a friend along to our next meeting or outing and lend them one of your back issues of BirdLife and maybe we can recruit them as our next member of BirdLife Northern Queensland For those of you who receive this newsletter issue electronically a reminder that the Annual General Meeting is on 1 March at Cominos House Is now the time you might like to offer your skills and talent and join us on the committee We are always looking for enthusiastic people with ideas to revitalise or e
21. egion resulting in the possibility that there are no Fuscous Honeyeater but several forms of Yellow tinted Honeyeater or even a new species Further investigation will require DNA testing to sort it out Sunday morning was spent at a private property along Rifle Creek in Mt Molloy where we saw 35 species including Black Bittern Pacific Baza Double eyed Fig Parrot Shining Flycatcher and Eastern Yellow Robin Also seen here were hundreds of Sapphire Flutter dragonflies Early afternoon we had a talk by Kath Shurcliff Birdlife Northern Queensland Convener about the list and atlas entry of the Eremaea online database which is moving to a new website called Eremaea eBird We were introduced to the differences between the two databases and how to use eBird for entering and retrieving data The evening was spent watching a DVD filmed at the Lodge about the breeding cycle of the Buff breasted Paradise Kingfisher which migrate from Papua New Guinea to breed in North Queensland rainforest each 8 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland year during the wet season They nest in low terrestrial termite mounds before heading back to PNG in April Monday morning was spent in and around the Lodge for two hours during which time we recorded 52 species including Plumed Whistling Duck White bellied Sea Eagle 30 Red tailed Black Cockatoo and a White bellied Cuckoo shrike nest with two very large chicks in it We experienced a
22. ery species was mapped out in 1 degree blocks with its reporting rate a great achievement only to be Surpassed by the second Atlas a decade or so later The thrill of seeing one of my tiny dots in the midst of nowhere filling in that gap where otherwise it would just be blank and empty well that hooked me And I ve been doing it ever since But around 10 years ago the mechanical filling in of record sheets gave way to interactive websites where I could readily enter all the needed data directly from my computer I was always losing those record Sheets anyway Eventually I found out about the revolutionary Eremaea website where I could readily enter all my lists with ease and more importantly I could also pull out all the information I wanted how often and in what months did I actually see White streaked Honeyeaters in the Cooktown area And because I could with one press of the keyboard send my lists to the Birds Australia database I was hooked again So much so I entered so many lists that the organisers of Eremaea Margaret and Richard Alcorn asked me to become a local moderator for the northern Queensland region The Eremaea site has been great because you can not only keep track of your own lists and records but it is easy to access all the records that have gone into it with as much detail as originally provided Something that has been sorely lacking with the Birds Australia Birdata website And also keep trac
23. hotos audio or video Show Points Sooner Display points at broader scales when possible 2000 points max aE Bi OarL 3015 11 99 20130104 Careia 2073 014 Checkin f 2013 12 29 Checkin 3013 10 15 Chedal 2B Chedi A ML Cecilia 2010 10 15 E 201W Chechiiat 2010 06 01 Celia 2008 11 24 28 11 17 2011 17 heeiiai Checkin Chee oO EG Chappbist 701116 h g I hope this is enough information to get you started on using Eremaea eBird But there is additional information on the web pages for most items just click on the to view this A comprehensive help section is found by clicking on Help at the top of the page And this will also take you to the Community Help where you can ask any question and get helpful advice from other users One of the great advantages of joining forces with eBird is the added resources which are now made available to us here For instance eBird has an arrangement with Zeiss Sports Optic to provide binoculars as prizes for winners of monthly challenges to encourage more entry of lists These challenges are open to all eBird registered users and any one of us could win Volume Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland In future issues of Contact Call we ll take a closer look x s at what information you can obtain from all these lists M O N ItO ri N g Lovely managing your own lists sharing lists with others the role of data reviewers and the Smar
24. ing with this project You can choose any coastal site it does not have to be a place with many PIPs Zero counts provide valuable data too This only needs a few hours of your time on any afternoon that suits you in November 2014 How about putting it on your calendar now Report by Julia Hazel 4 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland Volume3 Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland At the Birdlife meeting in November photo below left Savi N g the N utmeg everyone listened enthralled to Margaret s story In the mid 1960s she and Arthur discovered that intensive Pig eons shooting of Nutmeg Pigeons at island breeding colonies was having a devastating effect on pigeon numbers The Thorsbornes immediately began campaigning for Ma rga ret Thorsborne AO effective protection of breeding islands and with incredible courage they confronted shooters in person They also consulted wildlife experts who explained the importance of long term monitoring In response Margaret and Arthur began systematic pigeon counts at the devastated breeding colony on North Brook Island in 1965 Margaret showed us the battered notebook in which she recorded their original counts and year after year tracked the very slow recovery that followed Her notebook is a wonderful piece of conservation history Regular PIP counts at North Brook Island have continued with additional help up to the present season Unfortunately the future
25. inner followed by dlife org au 6pm spotlighting at Curtain Fig with Doug Herrington Saturday Meet at Hastie s Swamp Bird Hide for tag a long birding trip 2 with Doug Herrington 6 30am Bring your lunch and tea Saturday Club meeting at Yungaburra Community Hall 2 6pm Pot Luck Dinner Bring a plate to share Speakers TBA Sunday 3 Proposed Birding breakfast cruise on Lake Tinaroo 3 hrs Cruise register Sunrise 35pp interest with 12 seats only BOOKING ESSENTIAL Doug Herrington on Ph Sunday 4 Birding along Petersons Creek walking track with Doug 0418757288 10 30am Herrington Meet at Platypus viewing station near Nick s Swiss Restaurant Boulia area Kalkadoon Grasswren Survey Graham Riflebird1 gmail Harrington com 07 40965051 6 Sept 6 8 pm Cominos House Club meeting Doug Herrington northerngld bir 27 Greenslopes St Speaker to be announced and Murray Hunt dlife org au Edge Hill Sun 7t 6 30am Centenary Lakes Centenary Lakes Bird Walk with John Seale May Cairns meet opposite Rondo Theatre 20 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland Volume 3 Number 1
26. ired preventing cattle from entering Cattle can still drink from the smaller dam just above the main lagoon The parking area is also surrounded by low level fencing which prevents people from driving around the dam Rubbish bins are provided and the whole area is a lot cleaner than it used to be On the first night Sep 10 about twelve caravans including a few with dogs were present Next morning we counted the number of bird species from 06 00 10 00 recording 60 species in total This included Zebra Masked and Black throated Finch This number is broadly similar to other visits made over the years Most noticeable this time were the spectacular large flocks of Budgies coming in to drink in the early morning I have been visiting this dam regularly for about 15 years and occasionally see a small flock But this time perhaps a thousand were here making for lovely photos Also present was a flock of 20 30 Cockatiels Again I have occasionally seen the odd pair but there were much more this time obviously forced in by the very dry conditions throughout NW Queensland We made the trip to Karumba and back and stayed again at the dam a few days later This time no Caravans were present We counted over the same time period and this time recorded 59 species little different from when all the nomads were there Overall I don t think the presence of the caravans is having a damaging effect on the bird numbers We all like to visit our fa
27. is in doubt December 2013 saw the end of invaluable logistical support from Parks amp Wildlife at Cardwell Hopefully Birdlife and other conservation organisations may consider helping to keep these island PIP counts going in future seasons Article by Julia Hazel Margaret Thorsborne at Birdlife Mission Beach meeting photographer Jeff Larson Margaret Thorsborne photo above together with her late husband Arthur has been campaigning tirelessly over half a century to protect Queensland natural habitat and wildlife Many species have benefitted most of all the birds that were known as Nutmeg Pigeons when their plight first caught the Thorsbornes attention The name Pied Imperial pigeon was officially assigned much later The PIP team Margaret Thorsborne AO Julia Hazel and Trish Pontynen Photo courtesy of Jeff Larson Z birdlife NORTHERN QUEENSLAND JOIN US ON FACEBOOK Group at Birdlife Mission Beach meeting Photo courtesy of Jeff Larson March 2014 5 Birdlife Northern Queensland Proper care and cleaning can extend the lifetime of your binoculars significantly Here are a few tips to keep your binoculars in their best condition so you can always get the maximum performance from your equipment gt Do not touch the lenses Aside from finger marks the fatty acids on your fingers could affect the lens coating gt Don t leave your binoculars on the car seat while you are driving If you
28. k of who has been out and about in your local area and what they have seen This site has been the brainchild of Margaret and Richard Alcorn who have not only developed and maintained it but have actively grown the community of users and volunteers who assist in keeping it up to standards somewhat like the role of the previous Birds Australia Atlas regional organisers The Alcorns were thinking ahead about the long term future and longevity of the Eremaea Atlas who would look after it after they could no longer do this And how could we grow the user base to realise the potential of growing number of birders getting to every corner of Australia and beyond They looked around 14 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland and decided the best option was to form partnerships with the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology s eBird program and the University of Queensland s Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science two institutions of high regard On 1 February of this year the new website Eremaea eBird was launched And it looks as though BirdLife Australia may soon join this partnership to revitalise Birdata eBird has been gathering momentum in North America over the last 10 years with more than 100 million lists As well as providing basic distributional information these data are now being used by scientists to develop forecasts of migrations of species Just have a look at some of the species maps a
29. k the website Doug Herrington Activities Coordinator For more great bird watching activities in the Cairns area also check out http cairnsbirds blogspot com au March 2014 19 Birdlife Northern Queensland CALENDAR OF EVENTS Sat 1 6pm to Cominos House 6pm to 6 30pm AGM Murray Hunt northernqld bir March 8 30pm 27 Greenslopes St followed by pizza and salad 2 a slice dlife org au Edge Hill 7 to 8 30pm Cliff Frith on Birds of Paradise History Art Culture and Sex Sun 2 6 30am Centenary Lakes Centenary Lakes Bird Walk with John Seale meet opposite March Greenslopes St Rondo Theatre Cairns Sat 15 3 to Cairns RSL Wave the Waders Goodbye Doug Herrington northerngld bir March 5 45pm Catalina room 3pm workshop at the RSL and Murray Hunt dlife org au then the 4 30pm to 5 45pm wader watching on the Esplanade Esplanade 6pm join us for dinner at the RSL if you wish Sat 5 7pm to Kingfisher Park Club meeting Doug Herrington northerngld bir April 8 30pm Birdwatchers Come early in the day for birding in the local area and Murray Hunt dlife org au Lodge Julatten BYO BBQ dinner in the cook shed at 5pm 7pm Keith Fisher presenting Birds of Kingfisher Park Sun 6 8am Mt Molloy Bird survey of Peter Brown s property along Rifle Creek at Mt Del Richards April Molloy Easter Georgetown Proposed Campout Monitor the 18 Possible dual group campout with BirdLife Townsville website for 21
30. l Years _ Close All Window s Send Feedback O Zoom Tool Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Q Lodge MAP TYPE AU QLD Street Year round All Years SPECIES Bar Charts High Counts Directions l j v i j J Er g Terain Satellite CHECKLISTS Hybrid FILTER BY RECENT ACTIVITY All Hotspots Past Month Past Week SPECIES OBSERVED Click on bar graphs and you will get a complete species list with weekly frequency levels Sign In or Register Translate to Enalish Espanol Francais Portuqu s lt Hotspot Explorer Bird Observations v Date Range Change Date 1 1 12 31 1900 2014 Combine Years v For Change Location Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge 256 species 3 other taxa Jan iFeb Mar Apr May n lul Ag Sep Oct Nov Dec E map E f i bd es If you want to find the best place to see a particular species then click on Range and Point Maps type in the species you are after on the top of the map page Zoom into the darkest coloured areas on the frequency maps Click on any of the hot spots in the square and a list of all sightings will occur 16 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland bmitObservations Explore Data MyeBird Help Sign Inor Register Language Year Round Al Years i Enter place name or address P iQ Zoom Tool WE Ful Species Range Tern Steal Satie Hyd Explore Rich Meda Only show locations with p
31. mperature could damage components or cause fluorite lens coatings to crack Step 2 Remove any Remaining Dirt Inspect the lens under good light and remove any remaining dust with a cotton swab moistened with water or lens cleaning solution You should use lens cleaning solution that has been specifically designed for use with coated lenses Never pour cleaning solution onto the lens as it could seep into the binocular barrel Step 3 Wipe the Lens Once all the dust and grit has been removed you can safely wipe the lens using a lens tissue or microfiber lens cloth Always be gentle and never apply too much pressure For residual smudges apply lens cleaner to a cloth and gently wipe the lens using circular motions Do not clean lenses with toilet paper paper towel or newspaper or use acetone or homemade cleaning solutions as these materials could cause permanent and irreversible damage Clean binocular lenses only when necessary such as when they have been used in dusty conditions or if they have been contaminated by spills or used near sea spray or moist salty air Take good care of your binoculars and they will provide you with many more hours of hassle free viewing Article by Lyn Porter Suncoast Optical Volumes Number 1 Feathers n Friends Birdwatchers amp nature lover s accommodation Feathers n Friends cottage is fully selFcon tained with extensive facilities to ensure guests can enjoy short or extended
32. nct fingers at the tips are obvious Brown Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk though they can appear pale in flight at a distance underparts are rufous barred adults or brown streaked juveniles and immatures Upperparts are slate grey When perched wingtips fall well short of tail tip Both lack the extensive orange yellow bare parts about the face of the Grey Falcon cere is cream to olive yellow in both species In flight both have rounded wings with tips of individual primary feathers fingers clearly visible at the wingtips Further the trailing edge of the accipiter wing is convex i e the silhouette of the wings tapers towards the body In Grey Falcon the wing is at its broadest at the body With careful observation these species should not be confused with Grey Falcon Brown Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk Images courtesy of Ian Montgomery Birdway com au Nankeen Kestrel in flight Note the sub terminal black band on the tail Image courtesy of Ian Montgomery Birdway com au gt a Nankeen Kestrel has rufous upperparts and a sub terminal black band in the tail in flight IN SUMMARY gt Adult Grey Falcon is easily identified by the stand out orange yellow bare parts gt If the entire leg is exposed below the tarsal joint the bird is not a Grey Falcon gt Black wingtips are not sufficient to identify a Grey Falcon gt Grey Falcon does not show prominent fingers at the wingtips as accipiters
33. nd how distributions change over a year for example http ebird org content ebird occurrence yellow billed cuckoo Imagine if we could do that for our waders or New Guinea migrants Entering bird lists on Eremaea eBird is straightforward Go to the website at http ebird org content australia First you need to register with an username email address and password This sets up your own My eBird account where all your own lists are stored and can be accessed and managed A CHECK LIST SHOULD INCLUDE BASIC INFORMATION Location be as precise as possible e g Keating s Lagoon not Cooktown Effort date and time and duration distance or area covered Species preferably a complete list of every species seen not just the highlights This helps to build up the frequency picture which is the best indicator of how likely you are to see a species at a given place I visit Keating s Lagoon near Cooktown on a regular basis So when I come home after a morning s walk along the lagoon I enter my list on Eremaea eBird I just login and click on Submit Observations at the top of the page Then I choose Keating s Lagoon under My Locations and continue A second page comes up where I fill in date time and effort information including the type of survey I completed To find Eremaea eBird go to http ebird org content australia Volumes Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland eBir
34. on Tuesday 4th February Rob writes in Birdline North Queensland this is the fourth Red necked Phalarope I have seen in 3 separate locations in 4 days There are still 2 at Bamaga settling ponds Possibly the heavy rain last week courtesy of a cyclone from southern Indonesia PNG In its course it travelled straight over us This may have moved the birds Whereas many have conducted surveys here on short from their pelagic non breeding residence to here bird focussed trips the history really belongs to Klaus Uhlenhut He lived here for 2 years at the former Wilderness Lodge at the very Tip in the mid 1980s recording 2 weekly checklists which apparently he still has somewhere We would like to see those Klaus hint hint again So where is this place If you pack up your 4WD and head north along the East Coast you ll end up here eventually when you run out of road It s a bit of trek but we all know that Kath and Dave have even ridden their bikes birding this far History of Bamaga birding March 2014 9 Cumberland Dam Georgetown Cumberland Dam just west of Georgetown is one of the best places in Australia for bird watching Fifty species in an hour can be recorded here It is situated towards the edge of inland Australia and given the boom bust nature of our country you never know what might turn up In the late 1980s the Naturalists Club used to regularly record Gouldian Finch here b
35. p dynamics and territory size of colour banded individuals Key information to note gt Date gt Number of birds seen gt Location grid reference on the territory map below or lat long in decimal degrees gt Colour combination of any colour banded birds see below for instructions gt a March 2014 17 Image courtesy of Ian Montgomery Birdway com au Birdlife Northern Queensland Please report sightings to Dr Michelle L Hall hall m unimelb edu au or A Prof Raoul A Mulder r mulder unimelb edu au or follow this link to a spreadsheet https dl dropboxusercontent com u 37653946 Lovel yFairywrenSightingsReddenlIsland xlsx Redden Island Territory Map below Group members are identified as female f male m or juvenile j and as unbanded Unb or by their unique combination of coloured leg bands see below for code Grid references e g 7D can be used to identify locations if the Latitude and Longitude in decimal degrees are unknown RAF Ty 2l SIWO i io ue met lal NS ean ag O E i l Be go F Rg 11 1OINSION MWS UL fESTRES ya a S11 OS WWn bipair yee tae IDENTIFYING COLOUR BANDED INDIVIDUALS Identify the colours of the four bands in order gt bird s left leg upper position closer to body gt left leg lower position closer to foot gt right leg upper position gt right leg lower position Code each colour using the single letter code Write out the colour
36. re more valuable for analysis Start Time 07 00 Any Duration hrs 20 min Import Data Import data from a spreadsheet database or birding program Leam how 2 hectares Y 2 Enter the total number of people in your birding party centered on the bird hide amp Cornell Lab of Ornithology Contact FAQ This is usually a Travelling one of 0 8 kms anda Stationary one when I have morning coffee eBird Submit Observations Explore Data MyeBird Help Kath Shurcliff crabplover Sign Out Language Kesings Lagoon GP Cosham G Cse di The next page is the list of species where I enter the EE kar ane tl Ton en 2 a E numbers seen or an x if I did not estimate numbers GROUPS BASED ON 5 COMPLETE CHECKLISTS FOR KEATINGS LAGOON CP COOKTOWN Q The list is either in taxonomic order or alphabetically FREQUENT 10 by main group e g Honeyeater Yellow spotted not 450 Magpie Goose A oo Yellow spotted Honeyeater I can also add further helpers details for each species numbers of males females rone Show Rarities immatures any noted breeding activity or any other EE a TO comments After listing all the species seen or heard Juvenile _immature_Adult_Age Unknown then finally I check that this list is complete that it ame N E shortcuts Preterences includes all species that I actually could identify Then Sexuninown 1 a I click Submit and I m finished Add data Age Sex Broodno Cove _Cte
37. rneath it is very pale Wingtips are not always obviously dark Tail is short with no obvious terminal or sub terminal tail band From above it appears mid grey with the primaries near black At no time does it show fingers tips of primaries at the wingtips as accipiters goshawks and Sparrowhawk do CALL The most commonly heard call is similar to that of the Peregrine Falcon but slower deeper and harsher it is profoundly different from any call of the Brown Falcon Call is heard mostly about the nest Away from the nest or at a roost it is usually silent IDENTIFICATION AND CONFUSION Generally the Grey Falcon is not described well in most field guides and field marks traits and characters to separate them from other birds of prey are mostly absent The adult Grey Falcon is more easily identified than the juvenile which can be difficult Brown Falcon Image courtesy of Ian Montgomery Birdway com au 12 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland Birdlife Northern Queensland Black wingtips seem to be responsible for some misidentifications Although the upper wings are conspicuously and broadly tipped black the underwings may show hardly any dark tips Several other raptors have dark or blackish wingtips when seen from below If black wingtips are the only characteristic observed it is not sufficient for identification of a Grey Falcon Schoenjahn 2010 The species with which it is more often
38. sidentified as Grey Falcons Schoenjahn 2011 The Grey Falcon is extremely rare people often go years without a sighting Some never see it In over 50 years of observation which includes many trips to the arid and desert areas of western Queensland South Australia and the Northern Territory I have only ever seen three pairs all in the far west and south west of Queensland In 23 years in the Wet Tropics I have not seen a Grey Falcon Population estimates of Grey Falcon across the Australian continent vary It has been estimated that there are between 200 to 350 breeding pairs Schoenjahn 2011 to 550 915 pairs Garnet et al 2011 with a precautionary average of about 500 pairs This compares with an estimate of about 3000 5000 pairs of Peregrine Falcon on the Australian continent Olsen and Olsen 1988 The population of Grey Falcon is spread over probably about 5 million square kilometres Roughly even if the entire population is as much as 900 pairs which is highly unlikely this averages a breeding pair to about 5 500 Square kilometres some indication of its rarity When perched a Grey Falcon appears as a broad shouldered short legged falcon with powder grey upperparts black primaries white underparts and wingtips which fall level with the tail All bare parts are bright orange yellow i e cere eye ring legs and feet The base of the bill is also yellow which accentuates the extent of orange yellow about the f
39. stays The secluded lodging is surrounded by tropical rainforest and beautiful gardens with varying habitats and a large variety of birds and wildlife Activities in the area include birdwatching at nearby Mt Lewis and other birdwatch ing locations as well as Daintree River nature tours and other attractions Discounts available for Birdlife Australia members Check our website for comprehensive details rates and bookings www feathersnfriends com au Fred amp Jeanette Birkbeck 244 Clacherty Road Julatten QLD 4871 Tel 07 4094 1665 Email freddy feathersnfriends com au DAINTREE boatman MATURE TOURS Daintree River Cruises Daintree Boatman Nature Tours operates the premier birdwatching cruise on the Daintree River with regular sightings of Great billed Heron Papuan Frogmouth Black Bittern Shining Flycatcher and Little Kingfisher Birdwatching Day Tours The Daintree Boatman also provides day tours combining a Daintree cruise with a visit to key sites of Julatten Mt Molloy amp Mt Lewis If tides permit a secondary cruise on the Mossman River may also be provided to observe birdlife unique to the mangrove environment Day tours are customised to match guests viewing and photographic desires BOOKINGS amp ENQUIRIES Murray Hunt 0417 651 929 boatman daintreerivertours com au www daintreerivertours com au Birdlife Northern Queensland RED MILL HOUSE DAINTREE TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSL
40. suddenly have to stamp on the brakes your binoculars could hit the floor and perhaps get knocked out of alignment It is safer to put them on the floor to begin with in their case gt Be aware that any sudden impact can cause an error to the optical alignment Therefore if you have your binos in a backpack don t drop them on the ground when you take it off Place them down gently If the binos are on the car floor slow right down for speed bumps gt Do not keep your binos stored in the car especially in the glove compartment This environment can become super heated and create problems with gases being emitted from the greases and other materials used in the binos These fumes will cool and settle on the internal optics making them hazy gt Fully retract the eyepieces for travel or storage gt If you have twist up eyecups keep them retracted for storage or travel A bump or knock can cause the eyecups to become cross threaded and stuck in place gt To avoid birdos neck consider using a shoulder harness to take the weight off your neck Never dangle them in your hands by their strap as it is easier to drop them hit things or collect dirt gt Do not store binos that are damp or put lens caps on damp lenses This will encourage mould mildew growth Instead gently wipe the body and leave the binos where air can circulate around them Once completely dry clean the lenses if necessary and then they can be stored
41. tphone Fa PY W re nN S O nN Red d e n applications that are now available to make the entire process of entering and obtaining information all that Is a N d easier Kath Shurcliff North Queensland Eremaea eBird data reviewer RESULTS OF SURVEY AND COLOUR BANDING o Population size and density estimate BirdLife Northern Queensland htto birdlifena or gt There are at least 11 ani groups on Redden northerngld birdlife org au Island containing 29 birds e2 groups of four pairs with 2 dependent juveniles each e3 groups of three e6 pairs gt Density 0 34 birds per hectare 29 birds in the approximately 85 hectare area of Redden Island We banded 20 birds in 10 groups all members banded in 4 groups with a numbered metal band from the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme and with a unique combination of coloured leg bands to allow Birds are individuals to be distinguished in the wild Breeding activity IN our Two groups had dependent juveniles still being fed by nature adults and two groups had nests awaiting egg laying It is likely that other groups were also breeding Territory size Some colour banded individuals were seen ranging over at least 200m However territory sizes are still unknown and require additional sightings of colour banded individuals Reporting sightings Reportings of sightings of lovely fairy wrens are helpful for monitoring overall population density and the survival grou
42. ut these finches seem to have disappeared in recent decades The nearby Gilbert River was once a source for finch collectors and there is still the occasional rumoured sighting The most reliable sighting in recent years was of one female bird in 2009 at Flat Creek Station about 50 km to the south There have been recent proposals to turn the area into a vast irrigation complex growing sugar cane and fruit with water to be sourced from the Gilbert River A suitable source of funding is still awaited In recent years Cumberland Dam has become a staging post for grey nomads seeking a free spot to park their homes for the night These free camping grounds are becoming more and more popular and large numbers of caravans can be recorded at the Mareeba Rodeo Grounds and at Rocky Creek near Tolga Concern was raised by our members that the presence of these nomads might be adversely affecting the birdlife at Cumberland Dam so we decided to have a look For a balanced view I was accompanied by someone who was both a retiree traveller and a birdwatcher A highly technical scientific approach was taken whereby we compared the number of species present on a day when many caravans were present to a day shortly afterwards with none 10 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland Some work has recently been carried out perhaps by the local council to improve the area The damaged fence surrounding the lagoon has been repa
43. ven challenge us on the committee I would like to conclude this by simply thanking all of you our members for your contributions enthusiasm and interest in helping us to protect and understand our BirdLife in northern Queensland and elsewhere Hope to see you at the AGM and at our meetings and outings throughout the year Kath Shurcliff Convenor BirdLife Northern Queensland Contact us BirdLife Northern Queensland Committee email northerngld birdlife org au website www birdsaustraliang org Committee Members Convenor Kath Shurcliff Secretary Murray Hunt Treasurer Ian Northcott IBA Coordinator Graham Harrington Birdlists amp Brochures Dominic Chaplin Conservation Coordinator Martin Willis Website Administrator Mikey Kudo Activities Coordinator Doug Herrington Crane Count Coordinator Virginia Simmonds Committee member Martin Cachard Newsletter Editor Ceri Pearce Bird of Paradise Victoria s Riflebird Image courtesy of Ian Montgomery Birdway com au 2 Contact Call Newsletter of Birdlife Northern Queensland Volume 3 Number 1 Birdlife Northern Queensland Notice for our 2014 AGM Birdlife Northern Queensland Committee Nomination Form The BirdLife Northern Queensland AGM will be held on Saturday 1 March 2014 at Position Cominos House in Cairns starting at 5 00pm Please consider nominating for a position Nominee Nominations are called for the following
44. vourite remote sites and enjoy being the only people there But exponential global population growth and an increasing number of mobile retirees means there is less space and fewer quiet areas on this planet every day We just have to live with it Article and photography by Dominic Chaplin Volume 3 Number 1 There has been a number of recent sightings of Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos from the Wet Tropics While this desert falcon does occur very rarely in areas well outside of its usual arid zone range probably coinciding with a time when severe drought is rampant in inland Australia most of these sightings that I have seen have not been supported by convincing evidence as to identity If submitted to a rarities committee none would be accepted Without wanting to sound provocative unfortunately these records are of no value and are unusable by researchers The following may help with positive identification Despite the misleading statements in HANZAB that it ought not to be confused with other raptors and blackish wingtips above and below contrasting strongly with pale grey dorsum and pale underparts diagnostic Marchant amp Higgins 1993 the Grey Falcon is easily confused with other species in the field more so when one is unfamiliar with this bird of prey Consequently many published and unpublished records of Grey Falcon are often incorrect Schoenjahn 2010 and other raptor species are time and again mi

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