Unidentified mannikins (Lonchura sp) in the NT

Whilst we were near Timber Creek, NT recently Mike Eaton and I stopped at a waterhole (…around lunch-time) and saw a variety of finches drinking, there were Long-tailed, Star, Zebra, Pictorella Mannikin but can anyone identify the two immature Mannikin? (I believe they are either Chestnut-breasted or Yellow-rumped but would welcome others views. Please note that there are Long-tailed and Star Finch (immature with red tail) also in the video, plus Diamond and Peaceful Doves.

Unidentified Mannikins
  • With a Pictorella Mannikin
  • With a Star Finch
  • With Star Finches

Soon to be heading ‘north-bound’ waders

In early-March I received the opportunity to assist in a count of wading-birds at high-tide at Manly Marina in South-east Queensland. The birds will soon be heading northwards to their ‘breeding-grounds’ in Siberia and north-east Asia and many are starting to moult into their ‘breeding-plumage’. I was asked to help find and photograph ‘flagged’ birds to assist the ongoing-migration analysis with Arthur and Sheryl Keates of the Queensland Wader Study Group (QWSG) (…please note that Manly Marina roost is a ‘restricted area’ and is only accessible by ‘invite’)

View of roost-site facing east

Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, note the blue flag on the leg of one of the tattler, originally ‘banded’ in Hokkaido, Japan.


Little Tern, Bar-tailed Godwit, Terek Sandpiper, Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, all present in this clip.


Little Tern and Red-necked Stint

Little Tern, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Great Knot and Curlew Sandpiper.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper Great Knot and Pied Stilt

One bird that had only just arrived moulting out of it’s ‘breeding-plumage’, a Double-banded Plover from New Zealand.
Outside Manly Marina I filmed these Bar-tailed Godwits, Great Knot and Silver Gulls on nearby Wynnum Esplanade, the bird call is a Pied Oystercatcher, there were 77 just off camera!

Pied Oystercatchers with Bar-tailed Godwits in background.

Bar-tailed Godwits, Great Knots and a single Red Knot (centre)

This Grey-tailed Tattler was photographed at Scarborough further north on Moreton Bay.

Hope this post has given you ‘inspiration’ to assist further with the conservation of the many ‘globally-threatened’ wader-species, they face many issues and need our help………..please investigate Birdlife Australia (Wader Study Group) , Birds Queensland or Wader Quest amongst others.

Albert’s Lyrebird at Lamington Jan 2020

Ran into a couple of Albert’s Lyrebird near the O’Reilly’s Guest-house last week , filmed this one at the start of the Border Track, unfortunately the cicadas were also ‘singing’…..

Albert’s Lyrebird

There were plenty of bowerbirds, this one had a bath near the main-reception.

Male Regent Bowerbird

Also close to the reception a ‘tuckeroo’ tree provided fruits for the Paradise Riflebirds, sadly the male wasn’t as ‘extrovert’.

Female Paradise Riflebird