One, possibly two, more species for the Challenge!!

In 2006, we set up the inaugral Challenge to see if we could collectively record 250 species during the year in the club's survey area. How did we go? Extremely well considering the drought... Plenty of unusual and rare birds .... some great records from non-members too. It was a fascinating year. And a worthwhile exercise which we encourage other groups to follow. See for yourself...

Moderator: Mick Atzeni

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Mick Atzeni
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One, possibly two, more species for the Challenge!!

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Without spoiling their thunder, just wanted to let you know I'm awaiting further details from Rod Hobson who's currently away, and Pat & Dave Cleary, on a couple of recent sightings.

Clues? One's a non-passerine, the other isn't.

Watch this space ...

Cheers
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
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Rod Hobson
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Brahminy Kite in Toowoomba

Post by Rod Hobson »

Mick,

At last I've got around to it. Hereunder some details for my Brahminy Kite of the 21.11.06. That morning I had been for a walk along the edge of Glen Lomond Park and had just arrived at the top of Flagstone Creek Road on my way home; time was 10.20am. I was loitering awhile and was presently attracted to a raptor soaring in a gentle circuit high overhead under a clear blue sky, no cloud, a light breeze, warm and mild. I got very good views through my binoculars (Zeiss 10 x 40B) for about six minutes before the bird decamped to the southwest.

Initially I thought the bird to be a Black-breasted Buzzard with its short, but quite rounded tail (odd!) and without the diagnostic bulls-eyes of the buzzard's underwing pattern (odder!). The wings were held in a moderate dihedral, not quite as exaggerated as a buzzard's (perhaps!) - clearly a bird that I was not familiar with locally - a bit of a puzzler. For various reasons I also eliminated the other possibilities such as Red Gossie, Little Eagle, Whistling and Square-tailed Kites, Brown Facon. Nothing 'fitted', however a conspicuous feature that I did notice very distinctly was the animal's brownish belly onto a very distict buff-coloured vent. These, and a few others were the impressions that accompanied me home and into HANZAB, and there in Vol. 2, plate 7 was the mirror image of my strange bird, a juvenile Brahminy Kite with its diagnostic buffy bum for all the world to see; a most unexpected visitor to the Toowoomba Range escarpment. A long way from the seasides and estuaries of its usual haunts.

GPS for this record is GDA 94 - s 27 deg 36' 17.1", E 151 deg 58' 44.7".

And that it, Mick.

Regards,
Rod Hobson
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Mick Atzeni
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Aberrant corvid

Post by Mick Atzeni »

To complete the other half of the story, Pat and Dave Cleary submitted photos of a very odd corvid, taken at their Withcott property, which had very blue eyes and a slightly deformed bill. As well, it was extremely tame - perhaps a pet bird? - and it was being harassed by the resident crows suggesting it may be something other than a Torresian Crow, perhaps a young Australian Raven.

However, from the photos it appears to be a Torresian Crow. We'll publish some images in a future club NL for those interested.

Thanks to Pat and Dave for supplying the photos. It makes the job a lot easier!

Cheers
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