Danika's Big Year 2020

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dwatsonbb
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Superb effort, racking them up at warp speed.Thanks for sharing.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

dannyka6
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A long day out at The Pines hoping for a look at the Glossy Cockatoo thats visiting from up north since the fires but no cigar. On the way, we happened by a golf course that had a pond with some grebes, and afterwards I checked out a local wetland for waders.

137) Hoary-headed Grebe

138) Australasian Shoveller

dannyka6
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Thanks Dale

dannyka6
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I've been deleting photos to make space on my hard drive and found this from January in South Australia - a horrible long shot and hard crop but still...

139) Common Greenshank

sue818
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Doing well, you are seeing quite a variety of birds in your travels. We all enjoy seeing them, thank you.

Devster
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For some reason I missed these. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming dannyka. 

dannyka6
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Well it's been a long while.

First lockdown, then that shocking 5km limit.

Then gradually getting back out there with the 25km limit and finally no limit.

But to be honest I sort of forgot about the count until I hit Reef Island this week and hit a little migratory bird gold mine, and it reminded me of some other birds that I'd gotten over the last couple of months as well.

So here they are. Enjoy!

The Gurdies, 19th November

Blue-winged Parrot - improvement shot

Dandenong Ranges, 7th November

Superb Lyrebird, improvement shot

141) Eastern Whipbird

Begola Wetland Reserve, 21st November

142) Latham's Snipe

Bushy Park wetlands, 24th November

140) Scarlet Honeyeater

Reef Island adventures to follow!

dannyka6
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Reef Island, 9th December

A delightful island able to to accessed at mid to low tide from the mainland and full of migratory waders!! Definitely recommend it! Especially in the absence of our beloved Western Treatment Plant.

145) Red-necked Stint

146) Pied Oystercatcher

144) Eastern Curlew

143) Ruddy Turnstone

dannyka6
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Our friendly neighbourhood Tawny has returned with his wife as he does every year, this year with one child. I haven't been able to get a good family portrait but here is Mr being harassed by the resident Noisy Miner who doesn't like the temporary interloper!

Replacement

dwatsonbb
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Glad you survived the Victorian lockdown, and are now able to get out and about. Some nice photos of some great birds, well done and thanks for posting.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Well done, you survived that lockdown and Victoria's commitment was appreciated by all of us. Wonderful to see you getting out and about posting sightings again. Nice set of birds. Welcome back!

TommyGee
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Hey dannyka, a fellow lockdown survivor! Great pics :) 

Devster
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Vey nice set Dannyka, I especially lone the BW Parrots and the Lyrebird. You did well to get the Snipe in flight

Alex Rogers
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Hello again, and great to see you back posting pictures :-) How cool that you caught the lyrebird in full song! And that snipe - nicely done, I've never managed to catch one on film, they are so shy. 

dannyka6
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Thanks everyone for your encouragement! It is exciting to be back out birding again. I was super lucky with the Snipe, I recommend that spot if you want a look at it, I literally flushed it as soon as I arrived! And again, and again, I was unlucky enough to never see it before it saw me! It was a case of shooting again and again until I caught it in frame.

149) I forgot that I had this one from mid-November at the Gurdies - Dusky Woodswallow baby being fed by a parent

147) From Corinella Cemetery, a surprising but excellent birding site on 9th December - Brown-Headed Honeyeater baby

Avalon/WTP - 15th December

I'm dying for Melbourne to reopen for permits so I can actually get inside the gates of the Western Treatment Plant!! Anyone who has access I'd love to tag along. I've been told you can get 75 species going around the outside so I thought I'd take a crack at it!

148) I've been chasing this for a while and finally improved on it greatly!! Eurasian Skylark at Kirk's Point.

150) Also at Kirk's Point, many many Common Tern.

152) Along Beach Road, there were Fairy Martins everywhere and I finally got a few shots, still not as good as I'd like but getting there.

Also along Beach Road, just what WTP is famous for, it's raptors - Brown Falcons, Whistling Kites and Black Kites as well as a Black-Shouldered Kite - so here's a replacement Black Kite photo.

151) At Avalon Beach, I was photographing Red-necked Stints and now that I'm home I find an accidental Red-capped Plover! Bonus! Totally out of focus but bear in mind I didn't know it was there.

I'm definitely heading back!

(Please excuse the messed up numbering, it was easier than fixing my spreadsheet)

Alex Rogers
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Oh good, you are back with a bang - congrats on a bnch of great birds! Yes, I'm also waiting for the WTP to open to the public - will be great to get back there. 

dwatsonbb
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150+ that's a nice count, nice going, great birds in there, and some good photos. Hopefully WTP will open up soon (I thought I heard somewhere it had?).

A place I am keen to visit, but I don't think I will get the chance anytime soon. Keep plugging away, you have done well.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Another nice set of birds, Dannyka. I think Werribee is open to those with an existing pass.

dannyka6
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Yes WTP is open to those who already have a permit, but no new permits being issued right now. Just missed the boat before Covid-19!!!

153) A Little Egret here from Lake Victoria near Point Lonsdale today...still adding to the count, also 154) a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater - excuse the weird colour, I forgot to change the colour balance before heading out!

Thanks Sue, sorry I keep forgetting the numbers!

sue818
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Nice to see you still adding new birds, Dannyka. Would you like to edit the last post and add numbers 153 and 154 so you do not get out of sync? Over 150 and still climbing, well done especially in trying conditions. Plan Werribee for next year.

dwatsonbb
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Would like to see a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. Are they common and easy to photograph?
Nice bunch of birds.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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You should hear them, Dale. I think they sound like a young bird practising its song... readily identifiable.

dannyka6
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Dale I wouldn't say the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater is common in Victoria, this is the only one I've seen this year and the only one I saw last year was in much drier country in Flinders Ranges, SA. I associate them with South Australia because that's where I've seen them most in drier country but I don't know if this is typical. They do have an odd raspy call but I think they are easy enough to photograph when you do see them, like other wattlebirds

dannyka6
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Somehow I forgot to add this tern from the 9th December! Dunno how that happened! So here's number 155) Fairy Tern, as well as one from today's walk on the Bellarine Peninsula, 156) Caspian Tern...excuse the bad photo, I promise it is a Caspian Tern!

dannyka6
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A slight improvement on the Caspian Tern from Queenscliff 27/12/2020

dannyka6
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Well it may nearly be the end of 2020 but today was my first outing with a new birding group and to a location I haven't been to for some time, and boy was it worthwhile for picking up some last minute birds!!

Before the outing I spent some time again around Point Wilson/Western Treatment Plant rim because you never know what you might pick up, and I picked up two fun birds, both lifers, all before 9am!!

157) Zebra Finch

158) Striated Fieldwren, for which there doesn't seem to be a factsheet

Then on to Serendip Sanctuary, a beautiful site near the You Yangs which has some aviaries (I promise I haven't included any from there! However tempting, think freckled duck, bush stone curlew...!!!) and beautiful bushlands. Here I picked up 3 more and remembered that I forgot to include one that I saw on my birthday outing back in October! So:

159) Cape Barren Goose

160) About 300 Magpie Geese!!

161) Black-fronted Dotterel...I'll put in my pic from October

162) Crested Shrike-tit

Lastly we headed to the You Yangs themselves in search of Rainbow Bee-eaters and actually found them! Another lifer! 3 in one day! I'm super stoked, but I also walked nearly 10km today so I'm super tired and its sapping a bit of my excitement. So I'll put them up for your enjoyment and come back tomorrow to be excited :)

163) Rainbow Bee-eater

As an improvement shot, I'll throw in a Yellow-billed Spoonbill

Not bad for 2 days to go, a shame I have to go to work tomorrow otherwise I hear there's a Wood Sandpiper calling near Heathcote!

sue818
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Well done, Danika. What a great assortment and to get any lifer always feel good. Enjoy the moment!

Devster
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Got to love lifers. They keep you going back for more. Well done!

TommyGee
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Fantastic! What a 2 day haul :)

karentwemlow
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Some great last minute additions, well done! 

dwatsonbb
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Well done. Imagine how you will go when you can access the inner WTP. Hopefully they will open it up a bit more in the new year.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

Alex Rogers
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Some awesome birds there - I;d love to see one of those Crested Shrike-tits! Isn't Serendip a great place? I was building a little solar farm at Monash near there, and popped in to Serendip while waiting for a flight out of the local airport - and was blown away by the birds there - and saw my first ever Cape Barren Goose as well :-) 

dannyka6
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Serendip is terrific - although there are plans to develop it which may ruin it so watch out for that! It regularly has unusual and different birds to what you expect.

I saw and photographed a Rufous Whistler there which makes 164 - totally didn't include it thinking I'd already put it in elsewhere! Can never check too many times. A weird angle but the closest I've been, and a very accomodating bird.

Mohitvermaji51
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Big Year 2020: My target is 110 Local Species for the year 103. A big year is a ... A salute to the Birds of the United States and Canada Danika's Big Year 2020.

Holly
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Awesome work Danika and everyone! I will update the main info thread about the year and declare a winner soon :)

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