Well, it’s 8pm on 31st January. Unless a Barking Owl starts calling outside my window I’m going to finish the month on 210 species. Overall I’m very happy with progress, having secured pretty much all of the rarest and transient species that have turned up in Brisbane since the start of the year. The highlights are Musk Duck, Black-necked Stork, Australian Little Bittern, White-necked Heron, Eastern Reef Egret, Glossy Ibis, Australian Spotted Crake, Grey Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher, Oriental Cuckoo, Grey-crowned Babbler, Brown Songlark, Rufous Songlark, Common Blackbird and Plum-headed Finch. Quite a roll call!
I haven’t yet started searching in earnest for many of the most difficult resident species, although I’ve missed Black Bittern twice. I’ll start as soon as the Common Sandpiper is bagged. I’m so determined to see it I’ll either get it, or finish the year on 210 trying! The tides look good for tomorrow morning, a 0.19m low tide at 0352 in the morning glancing through the tide chart I think this is the lowest tide of 2018. It’ll start getting light less than an hour after low tide, and surely there will be maximal mud exposed at Kedron. I’ll be there, but need to be back before 0630 as usual to start the kids on morning routine.
Today I was confined to the laptop again, finishing writing my grant proposal. We are hoping to do some research on migratory birds globally, working out how to coordinate their conservation, and I’m delighted to be working with the wonderful Drs Sam Nicol (CSIRO) and Brad Woodworth (UQ) on the proposal. A few years ago Claire Runge, a PhD student at UQ, showed that more than 90% of the world’s migratory birds are inadequately protected, so there is a huge job to be done. I’ll have the proposal drafted by tonight, then I can actually get back to watching birds and not just writing about them.
With no year ticks today, my year list at the end of the day remained on 210 species. I spent 5 minutes birding, walked 0 km and drove 0 km.
Big Brisbane Bird Quest (BBBQ): The List so far
| 1 | Magpie Goose | 02-Jan-18 | Nudgee Waterhole Reserve |
| 2 | Plumed Whistling-Duck | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 3 | Wandering Whistling-Duck | 02-Jan-18 | Dowse Lagoon (Sandgate) |
| 4 | Black Swan | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 5 | Australian Wood Duck | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 6 | Pacific Black Duck | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 7 | Grey Teal | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 8 | Chestnut Teal | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 9 | Pink-eared Duck | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 10 | Hardhead | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 11 | Musk Duck | 02-Jan-18 | Dowse Lagoon (Sandgate) |
| 12 | Australian Brushturkey | 02-Jan-18 | Woodland Street Park |
| 13 | Brown Quail | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 14 | Australasian Grebe | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 15 | Black-necked Stork | 13-Jan-18 | Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve–First Lagoon, Wyampa Rd |
| 16 | Little Pied Cormorant | 01-Jan-18 | 212 Hawkesbury Road (restricted access) |
| 17 | Little Black Cormorant | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 18 | Pied Cormorant | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 19 | Australasian Darter | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 20 | Australian Pelican | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 21 | Australian Little Bittern | 17-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 22 | White-necked Heron | 04-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 23 | Great Egret | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 24 | Intermediate Egret | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 25 | White-faced Heron | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 26 | Little Egret | 03-Jan-18 | Lytton Wader Roost and Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk |
| 27 | Eastern Reef Egret | 28-Jan-18 | Fisherman Island–reclamation |
| 28 | Cattle Egret | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 29 | Striated Heron | 02-Jan-18 | Boggy Creek |
| 30 | Nankeen Night-Heron | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 31 | Glossy Ibis | 26-Jan-18 | Dowse Lagoon (Sandgate) |
| 32 | Australian White Ibis | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 33 | Straw-necked Ibis | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 34 | Royal Spoonbill | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 35 | Osprey | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 36 | Black-shouldered Kite | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 37 | Pacific Baza | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 38 | Wedge-tailed Eagle | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 39 | Brown Goshawk | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 40 | Whistling Kite | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 41 | Brahminy Kite | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 42 | White-bellied Sea-Eagle | 24-Jan-18 | Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve |
| 43 | Buff-banded Rail | 10-Jan-18 | Metroplex Wetlands |
| 44 | Lewin’s Rail | 27-Jan-18 | Mookin-Bah Reserve |
| 45 | Pale-vented Bush-hen | 06-Jan-18 | Sherwood Arboretum |
| 46 | Australian Spotted Crake | 22-Jan-18 | Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve |
| 47 | Spotless Crake | 13-Jan-18 | Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve–First Lagoon, Wyampa Rd |
| 48 | Australasian Swamphen | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 49 | Dusky Moorhen | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 50 | Eurasian Coot | 02-Jan-18 | Dowse Lagoon (Sandgate) |
| 51 | Bush Stone-curlew | 03-Jan-18 | 38 Delaney Circuit |
| 52 | Black-winged Stilt | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 53 | Red-necked Avocet | 11-Jan-18 | Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve |
| 54 | Australian Pied Oystercatcher | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 55 | Sooty Oystercatcher | 28-Jan-18 | Fisherman Island–reclamation |
| 56 | Grey Plover | 28-Jan-18 | Fisherman Island–reclamation |
| 57 | Pacific Golden-Plover | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 58 | Masked Lapwing | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 59 | Lesser Sand-Plover | 12-Jan-18 | Wynnum Esplanade at Penfold Parade |
| 60 | Greater Sand-Plover | 21-Jan-18 | Lota Foreshore |
| 61 | Red-capped Plover | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 62 | Red-kneed Dotterel | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 63 | Black-fronted Dotterel | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 64 | Comb-crested Jacana | 02-Jan-18 | Dowse Lagoon (Sandgate) |
| 65 | Whimbrel | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 66 | Eastern Curlew | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 67 | Bar-tailed Godwit | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 68 | Black-tailed Godwit | 05-Jan-18 | Off Manly Esplanade |
| 69 | Ruddy Turnstone | 28-Jan-18 | Fisherman Island–reclamation |
| 70 | Great Knot | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 71 | Broad-billed Sandpiper | 19-Jan-18 | Off Manly Esplanade |
| 72 | Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 73 | Curlew Sandpiper | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 74 | Long-toed Stint | 18-01-18 | Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve |
| 75 | Red-necked Stint | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 76 | Pectoral Sandpiper | 26-Jan-18 | Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve |
| 77 | Asian Dowitcher | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 78 | Latham’s Snipe | 02-Jan-18 | Dowse Lagoon (Sandgate) |
| 79 | Terek Sandpiper | 21-Jan-18 | Lota Foreshore |
| 80 | Grey-tailed Tattler | 05-Jan-18 | Off Manly Esplanade |
| 81 | Common Greenshank | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 82 | Marsh Sandpiper | 03-Jan-18 | Kianawah Road Wetland (Hemmant) |
| 83 | Silver Gull | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 84 | Little Tern | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 85 | Gull-billed Tern | 12-Jan-18 | Lota Foreshore |
| 86 | Caspian Tern | 12-Jan-18 | Lota Foreshore |
| 87 | Whiskered Tern | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 88 | Crested Tern | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 89 | Rock Dove | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 90 | White-headed Pigeon | 06-Jan-18 | Sherwood Arboretum |
| 91 | Spotted Dove | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 92 | Brown Cuckoo-Dove | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 93 | Common Bronzewing | 04-Jan-18 | 212 Hawkesbury Road (restricted access) |
| 94 | Crested Pigeon | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 95 | Wonga Pigeon | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 96 | Peaceful Dove | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 97 | Bar-shouldered Dove | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 98 | Wompoo Fruit-Dove | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 99 | Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 100 | Topknot Pigeon | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 101 | Pheasant Coucal | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 102 | Pacific Koel | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 103 | Channel-billed Cuckoo | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 104 | Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 105 | Shining Bronze-Cuckoo | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 106 | Little Bronze-Cuckoo | 17-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 107 | Fan-tailed Cuckoo | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 108 | Brush Cuckoo | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 109 | Oriental Cuckoo | 04-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 110 | Sooty Owl | 11-Jan-18 | D’Aguilar NP–Lawton Rd |
| 111 | Southern Boobook | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 112 | Tawny Frogmouth | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 113 | White-throated Needletail | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 114 | Pacific Swift | 14-Jan-18 | Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens |
| 115 | Laughing Kookaburra | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 116 | Torresian Kingfisher | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 117 | Sacred Kingfisher | 01-Jan-18 | 3–8 Matfield Street, Moggill |
| 118 | Rainbow Bee-eater | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 119 | Dollarbird | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 120 | Australian Hobby | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 121 | Peregrine Falcon | 06-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 122 | Galah | 01-Jan-18 | 2255 Moggill Road, Kenmore |
| 123 | Long-billed Corella | 06-Jan-18 | Sherwood Arboretum |
| 124 | Little Corella | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 125 | Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 126 | Australian King-Parrot | 04-Jan-18 | Moggill Road at -27.513, 152.933 |
| 127 | Crimson Rosella | 11-Jan-18 | D’Aguilar National Park–Westside Track |
| 128 | Pale-headed Rosella | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 129 | Little Lorikeet | 01-Jan-18 | 255 Sugars Road, Anstead |
| 130 | Rainbow Lorikeet | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 131 | Scaly-breasted Lorikeet | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 132 | Noisy Pitta | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 133 | Green Catbird | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 134 | Regent Bowerbird | 11-Jan-18 | Joyners Ridge Rd–rainforest section |
| 135 | Satin Bowerbird | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 136 | White-throated Treecreeper | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 137 | Variegated Fairywren | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 138 | Superb Fairywren | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 139 | Red-backed Fairywren | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 140 | Eastern Spinebill | 11-Jan-18 | Mount Glorious Road at -27.332, 152.761 |
| 141 | Lewin’s Honeyeater | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 142 | Yellow-faced Honeyeater | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 143 | Bell Miner | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 144 | Noisy Miner | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 145 | Little Wattlebird | 13-Jan-18 | 38 Delaney Circuit |
| 146 | Mangrove Honeyeater | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 147 | Brown Honeyeater | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 148 | Blue-faced Honeyeater | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 149 | White-throated Honeyeater | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 150 | Striped Honeyeater | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 151 | Little Friarbird | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 152 | Noisy Friarbird | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 153 | Striated Pardalote | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 154 | Yellow-throated Scrubwren | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 155 | White-browed Scrubwren | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 156 | Large-billed Scrubwren | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 157 | Brown Thornbill | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 158 | Yellow-rumped Thornbill | 24-Jan-18 | Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve |
| 159 | White-throated Gerygone | 03-Jan-18 | Kianawah Road Wetland (Hemmant) |
| 160 | Brown Gerygone | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 161 | Mangrove Gerygone | 02-Jan-18 | Boggy Creek |
| 162 | Grey-crowned Babbler | 04-Jan-18 | 212 Hawkesbury Road (restricted access) |
| 163 | Australian Logrunner | 11-Jan-18 | Joyners Ridge Rd–rainforest section |
| 164 | Eastern Whipbird | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 165 | White-breasted Woodswallow | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 166 | Grey Butcherbird | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 167 | Pied Butcherbird | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 168 | Australian Magpie | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 169 | Pied Currawong | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 170 | Black-faced Cuckooshrike | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 171 | Common Cicadabird | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 172 | Little Shrikethrush | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 173 | Grey Shrikethrush | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 174 | Rufous Whistler | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 175 | Olive-backed Oriole | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 176 | Australasian Figbird | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 177 | Spangled Drongo | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 178 | Willie-wagtail | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 179 | Rufous Fantail | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 180 | Grey Fantail | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 181 | White-eared Monarch | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 182 | Black-faced Monarch | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 183 | Spectacled Monarch | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 184 | Magpie-lark | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 185 | Leaden Flycatcher | 03-Jan-18 | Sandy Camp Road Wetlands |
| 186 | Torresian Crow | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 187 | Apostlebird | 04-Jan-18 | 212 Hawkesbury Road (restricted access) |
| 188 | Paradise Riflebird | 11-Jan-18 | Mount Glorious Road at -27.332, 152.761 |
| 189 | Pale-yellow Robin | 11-Jan-18 | Joyners Ridge Rd–rainforest section |
| 190 | Eastern Yellow Robin | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 191 | Welcome Swallow | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 192 | Fairy Martin | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 193 | Tree Martin | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 194 | Australian Reed-Warbler | 02-Jan-18 | Luggage Point |
| 195 | Brown Songlark | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 196 | Tawny Grassbird | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 197 | Rufous Songlark | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 198 | Golden-headed Cisticola | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 199 | Silvereye | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 200 | Russet-tailed Thrush | 11-Jan-18 | Mount Glorious Road at -27.332, 152.761 |
| 201 | Common Blackbird | 11-Jan-18 | 2010 Mount Glorious Rd |
| 202 | European Starling | 01-Jan-18 | Priors Pocket, Moggill |
| 203 | Common Myna | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 204 | Mistletoebird | 01-Jan-18 | Anstead SES Depot (Hawkesbury Rd) |
| 205 | Australasian Pipit | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 206 | House Sparrow | 03-Jan-18 | Port of Brisbane Shorebird Roost |
| 207 | Red-browed Finch | 07-Jan-18 | Gold Creek Reservoir |
| 208 | Plum-headed Finch | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 209 | Double-barred Finch | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |
| 210 | Chestnut-breasted Munia | 01-Jan-18 | Oxley Creek Common |