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Eremaea Birdlines
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Interesting and unusual bird observations
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Birdline
North Queensland
Birdline North Queensland is a site for the reporting of rare or unusual birds outside their normal range, unusually high or low numbers, early or late arrivals or departures for migrant species and interesting behaviour or unusual habitat usage. The coverage for the Birdline North Queensland site is from Bowen west to the Northern Territory border and north to the tip of Cape York Peninsula and includes all the offshore islands. We encourage any one with a long list of species to enter them into Eremaea eBird.
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1/29/2014
All reports are not necessarily confirmed and are published here to encourage others to confirm them.
Recent Sightings
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Reports published in the past 30 hours.
|  | Highlight |
April 2019
| Tue 9 | | Swinhoe's Snipe
Carrington Road ATHERTON |
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| A neighbour handed me the bird pictured today. He noticed the very fresh corpse while mowing. The head has been neatly severed and we both suspect local raptors - Brown Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk and Grey Goshawk are here at present. One leg has also been severed and he suspects his previous pass on the mower.
It is certainly a Swinhoe's Snipe. Tail feather count is 25. The toes and feet on the remaining leg protrude by no less than 32mm past the tail feathers. I forgot to measure wingspan before freezing the bird and a "disinterment" suggests the wingspan is approx 128mm. The bird clearly shows the notch under the tail, behind the vent - unlike the smoothly tapering underbody of Latham's.
We have been observing northbound Snipes for the past three seasons between early February and late March. Last sighting this year was 20 March. Various combinations of birds ( 1 - 6 ) at any time have been observed from a temporary hide at the rear of our property, adjacent to a seasonal stormwater drain. All of the single birds have been observed in flight, including one of each pair when seen together. All have protruding feet-toes. All birds have behaved as Swinhoes - alarm flight, inhabiting drier ground, demonstrating the characteristic notch under-tail. Photos have been adequate to convince highly experienced watchers that the ID is accurate.
If any researcher has an interest in the corpse I can be contacted via the site convernor. Don't take too long - my partner is not happy that it is in the freezer !!! |
| Paul Newman 9/4 #238205 |
| Fri 5 | | PEREGRINE FALCON Japanese race. ssp japonicus
Cairns Cbd. |
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| A report has been put into BARC. Watching this bird as it should leave soon for Japan. eBird checklist |
| Norton Gill 5/4 #238169 |
March 2019
| Sat 30 | | Pied Heron
Townsville Town Common--Bald Rock Area |
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| Single, very approachable bird feeding with egrets and spoonbills at end of Bald rock Road. Uncommon in this area. eBird checklist |
| Ed Pierce 30/3 #238111 |
| Outside normal range |
| Early arrival; late departure |
| Interesting behaviour |
| Threatened |
| Hard to see |
| Unusual habitat |
| Uncommon in area |
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| Rare |
| Endangered |
| Vagrant |
| Irruption |
| Unusual numbers |
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