Norfolk Island November 2017
After spending 12 days around the Brisbane area, mainly in the hinterland in and around Lamington National Park, we were ready to head off to Norfolk Island. We met our friends from Darwin Mary and Peter before joining the Air New Zealand flight from Brisbane International Airport which took just under 2 hours. Norfolk Island is part of Australia (New South Wales), situated 1,412 kilometres (877 miles) directly east of mainland Australia in the South Pacific Ocean and covering an area of 34.6 sq. Km. We were here for the annual Norfolk Island Bird Week to enjoy some of the islands unique birds and add them to our Australian life list!
We were met at the airport and shown our hire car and then our accommodation, a very nice house overlooking the ocean and Phillip Island, 6km offshore. We were to share this with our friends, Mary and Peter. After settling in we drove down to the local supermarket in Burnt Pine, the main centre of the Island. There are many introduced species on the island and we found some of them immediately, European Starling, Common Blackbird and Crimson Rosella.
After stocking up on supplies we drove along the Kingston foreshore where we saw 3 Californian Quail. Behind here on the Kingston Common, were Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden Plover and Ruddy Turnstone.
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| Kingston looking towards Nepean and Phillip Islands |
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| Ruddy Turnstone |
18/11/2017 Kingston Common
3 California Quail
11 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
31 Pacific Golden-Plover
1 Whimbrel
2 Bar-tailed Godwit
12 Ruddy Turnstone
4 Crimson Rosella
1 Welcome Swallow
1 Common Blackbird
51 Common Starling
2 European Goldfinch
18/11/2017 Kingston, Emily Bay
Sooty Tern
Common Blackbird
House Sparrow
19/11/2017
The following morning we added 4 Californian Quail plus Song Thrush to our list, foraging in the garden of our house, this species is becoming difficult to find on the mainland.
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| Californian Quail |
19/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property)
4 Californian Quail8 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Crimson Rosella
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
2 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
2 Common Starling
3 House Sparrow
The first of the bird week activities started with a walk (about 50mins for non birders) through the mainly Norfolk Pine trees of the Hundred Acres Recreation Reserve (formally known as Rocky Point Reserve) down to the coast. White Tern were nesting in the pines and along the coast were many seabirds including Red-tailed Tropicbird, Sooty Tern and Masked Booby. The Hundred Acres Reserve is actually 55 acres, the name was adopted from the Hundred Acre Farm, the northern most portion of the reserve was once an integral part of the farm which formed part of the Melanesian Mission established on the island in the 1860’s
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| Hundred Acres Reserve |
19/11/2017 Hundred Acres Reserve
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| Red-tailed Tropicbird |
14 Red-tailed Tropicbird
2 Masked Booby
20 Common Noddy
30 Black Noddy
50 White Tern
6 Sooty Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
4 Crimson Rosella
6 Norfolk Island Gerygone
4 Grey Fantail
15 Silvereye
2 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
6 Common Starling
6 House Sparrow
By now it was time for morning coffee and cake at The Golden Orb Bookshop and Cafe Great cakes and good coffee.
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| Golden Whistler |
In the afternoon we went up to the Norfolk Island National Park which is a protected area of 6.50 km². We heard Norfolk Island Parakeet, but did not see any. The endemic Golden Whistler males showed well and are brown unlike the Golden Whistler on the mainland, which has a white underthroat, black breast band and yellow belly.
19/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park
4 White-throated Gerygone
4 White-throated Gerygone
1 Golden Whistler
3 Grey Fantail
1 Common Blackbird
The following morning we had a flat battery on our hire car so we birded around our accommodation until it was fixed.
1 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Crimson Rosella
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
2 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
2 Common Starling
3 House Sparrow
Flat battery fixed we drove to the Kingston area to look for a few target species, which had been reported – Northern Shoveller, Laughing Gull and Kelp Gull, but no sightings of these birds.
20/11/2017 Lagoon near Kingston Common
4 White-faced Heron
26 Pacific Golden-Plover
2 Bar-tailed Godwit
2 Ruddy Turnstone
3 Red Knot
1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
4 Crimson Rosella
1 Norfolk Island Gerygone
3 Welcome Swallow
43 Common Starling
2 European Goldfinch
3 House Sparrow
21/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park, Mount Bates Track
9 Red Junglefowl (Domestic)
1 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
4 Norfolk Island Parakeet
6 Crimson Rosella
11 Norfolk Island Gerygone
10 Golden Whistler
8 Grey Fantail
1 Welcome Swallow
2 Slender-billed White-eye
5 Silvereye
5 Common Blackbird
21/11/2017 Point Howe
18 Masked Booby
3 Sooty Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
6 Crimson Rosella
8 Welcome Swallow
6 House Sparrow
On the way back to town we stopped at Mission Pool, a small farm dam to look for a reported Pectoral Sandpiper, but no luck.
1 Pacific Black Duck
3 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
12 Welcome Swallow
2 Common Starling
We checked out the Kingston Lagoon, but again no Northern Shoveller.
So we went back to the Jetty. This time we found the Laughing Gull standing on the mudflats some distance away.
We then traveled further along the coast to Bloody Bridge at the end of the road. Two Red-tailed Tropicbird were sitting on nests on the ground.
21/11/2017 Bloody Bridge
From here we went up to the Norfolk Island National Park and Captain Cook Memorial which overlooks Bird Island where many seabirds nest.
Sooty Tern were the main species, but also good numbers of other terns and a few Great Frigatebird. A good end to a great days birding.
1 White-faced Heron
1 Ruddy Turnstone
5 Black Noddy
30 Grey Ternlet
50 White Tern
200 Sooty Tern
2 Crimson Rosella
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
The evening was spent enjoying some great fresh fish and good company - how a holiday should be!
Lindsay had her wrist in plaster due to falling over and breaking it several weeks before, so sensibly decided against making the trip. The boat journey to Phillip Island, which is 6km south of Norfolk Island, took 25 minutes. The landing was quite tricky with slippery rocks to negotiate before getting onto the small beach. Once ashore there is a steep climb up the cliffs with the aid of ropes, ladders and wooden walkways. After this it was all uphill until we reached the top at Jacky Jacky, 280m (920ft) above sea level.
Along the way we had nesting seabirds including, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Common Noddy, Masked Booby, Kermadec Petrel and Black-winged Petrel.
The vegetation of Phillip Island was devastated due to the introduction, during Norfolk's penal colony days, of goats, rabbits and pigs. These feral animals have now been removed and some areas have been re-vegetated by volunteers and parks staff making these areas more suitable for the nesting seabirds. In the late 1980’s the
RAAF used Hercules aircraft to aerial seed the island with Norfolk Island Pine. Ground nesting seabirds now face threats from Purple Swamphen which fly over from Norfolk Island and eat the eggs. These birds probably arrived from New Zealand originally, they also have been seen to eat ducklings at Kingston Common. On the way down we saw White-necked Petrel along with NI Skink (only a freshly dead one) and NI Gecko.
The evening was spent at the Botanic Gardens listening to three excellent talks - Pacific Robin, Norfolk Island Parakeet and Boobook Owl .
23/11/2017
Up early and checked out the garden at the house.
23/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private)
8 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
17 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
6 Common Starling
15 House Sparrow
23/11/2017 Bumboras Reserve
12 California Quail
22 White Tern
1 Sooty Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
2 Crimson Rosella
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
9 Silvereye
4 Common Blackbird
2 Common Starling
4 House Sparrow
Back to the house for breakfast then off to the National Park to walk the Palm Glen Track (910m), which is an easy to moderate walk. Most of the walk passed through tree ferns and Norfolk Palm trees, unique to Norfolk. Birds were pretty quiet in here but we did see Norfolk Island Parakeet, Norfolk Island Gerygone and Slender-billed White-eye.
23/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park--Palm Glen
1 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
3 Norfolk Island Parakeet
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
8 Crimson Rosella
11 Golden Whistler
6 Grey Fantail
2 Slender-billed White-eye
2 Common Blackbird
23/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park--Red Road Track
4 Norfolk Island Gerygone
8 Golden Whistler
4 Grey Fantail
9 Slender-billed White-eye
5 Silvereye
We walked back to the beginning of the Palm Glen track at the car park and were rewarded with a pair of Pacific Robin foraging in the vegetation just before the end of the track near a picnic table, thanks to Mary for spotting them. Another endemic which we had been hoping to see. We celebrated with a muesli bar and a coffee.
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
6 Golden Whistler
2 Grey Fantai
2 Pacific Robin
7 Silvereye
From here it was back to the house for lunch. In the afternoon we did a bit more food shopping before dropping the ladies back at the house. Peter an myself drove back down to the lagoon at Kingston Common, still no sign of the Northern Shoveller. We concluded that it had left the area as it had not been seen for several days despite everyone looking for it.
8 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
18 Pacific Golden-Plover
4 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
From the lagoon we went down to the pier for a 4.00pm boat trip along the coast and out to sea between Nepean and Phillip Islands. Not much diversity, just hundreds of Wedge-tailed Shearwater, a couple of Wedge-tailed Shearwater and a few Grey Ternlets. The coastline was interesting with many caves carved into the volcanic rocks by sea erosion.
23/11/2017 Strait between Norfolk Island and Phillip Island
2 Flesh-footed Shearwater
X Wedge-tailed Shearwater
X Red-tailed Tropicbird
X Masked Booby
X Ruddy Turnstone
X Black Noddy
X Grey Ternlet
X White Tern
X Sooty Tern
The evening was spent with the whole group having a communal farewell dinner. Some of the group had arrived a day earlier than us from Sydney, so were leaving the next day. Having travelled from Brisbane we had another day to ourselves.
26 White Tern
3 Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
2 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Crimson Rosella
4 Norfolk Island Gerygone
5 Silvereye
2 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
18 House Sparrow
After breakfast I went birding around the Kingston area while the others went on a Museum tour, which took in the historic buildings at Kingston. Ever hopeful I looked for the Northern Shoveller, but it had long gone. The Laughing Gull and Kelp Gull flew over to say farewell. A group of White-faced Heron were foraging on the grass, they looked like they had more white down the front of their neck than I'm used to on the mainland.
24/11/2017 Kingston Common--Main lagoon
17 White-faced Heron
2 Australasian Swamphen
21 Pacific Golden-Plover
1 Crimson Rosella
18 Welcome Swallow
3 Common Blackbird
22 Common Starling
6 European Goldfinch
26 House Sparrow
3 Grey Fantail
1 Common Blackbird
In the evening we attended a communal dinner where we met all the other birdweek participants, nearly 40. We had not met most of them so far as we were divided up into small groups visiting different parts of the island at different times. This made for enjoyable birding, in addition we had plenty of down time to do our own birding. We met Margaret Christian who is the main driving force for the Birdweek, also author of the Norfolk Island Bird Guide - “Norfolk Island … the birds”. Margaret gave us a run down on the weeks events which we were all looking forward to.
20/11/2017
20/11/2017
The following morning we had a flat battery on our hire car so we birded around our accommodation until it was fixed.
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| Sacred Kingfisher |
20/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property)
8 White Tern1 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Crimson Rosella
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
2 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
2 Common Starling
3 House Sparrow
Flat battery fixed we drove to the Kingston area to look for a few target species, which had been reported – Northern Shoveller, Laughing Gull and Kelp Gull, but no sightings of these birds.
20/11/2017 Lagoon near Kingston Common
4 White-faced Heron
26 Pacific Golden-Plover
2 Bar-tailed Godwit
2 Ruddy Turnstone
3 Red Knot
1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
4 Crimson Rosella
1 Norfolk Island Gerygone
3 Welcome Swallow
43 Common Starling
2 European Goldfinch
3 House Sparrow
We then joined our group for an orientation tour of the island where we learnt about the history and the islands geography. Along the way we saw the Kelp Gull flying along Slaughter Bay. Back for lunch, which we had at the Olive Cafe. Had a relaxing afternoon until 5.30 when we went out to Headstone Reserve to see the returning Little and Wedge-tail Shearwater coming back to their burrows for the night. Also looked unsuccessfully for Norfolk Island Boobook, but we only heard them.
21/11/2017
Early start to get down to the information centre in town for a morning birding tour with Margaret Christian. Headed off at 7.15 to the Mount Bates Track in the National Park. Saw Norfolk Island Parakeet (Green Parrot) and Slender- billed White-eye, which were both lifers for us, but not find the Pacific Robin.
21/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park, Mount Bates Track
1 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
4 Norfolk Island Parakeet
6 Crimson Rosella
11 Norfolk Island Gerygone
10 Golden Whistler
8 Grey Fantail
1 Welcome Swallow
2 Slender-billed White-eye
5 Silvereye
5 Common Blackbird
After 1¼hr we headed off to Point Howe, where Margaret's house is, for morning coffee and cake. Her house is on the cliff top overlooking the ocean along with Masked Booby nesting in her garden. Other seabirds soared and glided past whilst we sat around relaxing.
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| Masked Booby |
21/11/2017 Point Howe
18 Masked Booby
3 Sooty Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
6 Crimson Rosella
8 Welcome Swallow
6 House Sparrow
On the way back to town we stopped at Mission Pool, a small farm dam to look for a reported Pectoral Sandpiper, but no luck.
21/11/2017 Mission Pool
3 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
12 Welcome Swallow
2 Common Starling
Before we reached town a stop at the end of the airfield runway produced 1 Ruddy Turnstone and 169 Pacific Golden Plover.
Back in town we picked up our cars and headed down to the Kingston Jetty, where lunch had been organised - yummy sandwiches and cake. Whilst we were eating these we were keeping an eye out for target species. A Kelp Gull cruised by, an uncommon visitor. Down on the rocky shore a Grey-tailed Tattler was near Wandering Tattler, which was much darker with no eye stripe which the Grey-tailed Tattler had.
21/11/17 Kingston Jetty
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| Birding on the Kingston Jetty |
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| Wandering Tattler |
21/11/17 Kingston Jetty
2 White-faced Heron
1 Pacific Golden-Plover
8 Ruddy Turnstone
1 Grey-tailed Tattler
1 Wandering Tattler
1 Kelp Gull
1 Pacific Golden-Plover
8 Ruddy Turnstone
1 Grey-tailed Tattler
1 Wandering Tattler
1 Kelp Gull
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| Kingston Jetty |
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| Laughing Gull |
We checked out the Kingston Lagoon, but again no Northern Shoveller.
So we went back to the Jetty. This time we found the Laughing Gull standing on the mudflats some distance away.
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| Red-tailed Tropicbird |
We then traveled further along the coast to Bloody Bridge at the end of the road. Two Red-tailed Tropicbird were sitting on nests on the ground.
21/11/2017 Bloody Bridge
3 Red-tailed Tropicbird
3 Black Noddy
1 Grey Ternlet
6 White Tern
2 Sooty Tern
Then back to Kingston to look for the Northern Shoveller, still no luck, no sign of it.
21/11/2017 Kingston Common --Main lagoon
3 Greylag Goose (Domestic)
6 White Tern
2 Sooty Tern
Then back to Kingston to look for the Northern Shoveller, still no luck, no sign of it.
21/11/2017 Kingston Common --Main lagoon
11 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
2 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
21 Pacific Golden-Plover
3 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Red Knot
3 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
13 Welcome Swallow
We went back to the jetty and found a group of fishermen filleting fish so we bought some Red Emperor for dinner.
Dropped off the fish at the house before heading back out to Mission Pool to look for the Pectoral Sandpiper, which we found this time. This was a catch up bird for Lindsay as I had seen one years ago in Darwin. Great to see one again.
21/11/2017 Mission Pool2 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
21 Pacific Golden-Plover
3 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Red Knot
3 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
13 Welcome Swallow
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| Fish Filleting |
We went back to the jetty and found a group of fishermen filleting fish so we bought some Red Emperor for dinner.
Dropped off the fish at the house before heading back out to Mission Pool to look for the Pectoral Sandpiper, which we found this time. This was a catch up bird for Lindsay as I had seen one years ago in Darwin. Great to see one again.
3 Greylag Goose (Domestic)
4 Muscovy Duck (Domestic)
6 Red Junglefowl (Domestic)
1 Pectoral Sandpiper
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| Pectoral Sandpiper |
From here we went up to the Norfolk Island National Park and Captain Cook Memorial which overlooks Bird Island where many seabirds nest.
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| View to Bird Island |
Sooty Tern were the main species, but also good numbers of other terns and a few Great Frigatebird. A good end to a great days birding.
21/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park--Captain Cook Memorial
9 Great Frigatebird1 White-faced Heron
1 Ruddy Turnstone
5 Black Noddy
30 Grey Ternlet
50 White Tern
200 Sooty Tern
2 Crimson Rosella
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
The evening was spent enjoying some great fresh fish and good company - how a holiday should be!
22/11/2017
Drove down to the Kingston Pier for a 7.00am start by boat out to Phillip Island. We were greeted by the Laughing Gull standing on the pier edge allowing a close approach for great photos.
22/11/2017 Kingston Jetty
1 Laughing Gull
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| Laughing Gull |
Lindsay had her wrist in plaster due to falling over and breaking it several weeks before, so sensibly decided against making the trip. The boat journey to Phillip Island, which is 6km south of Norfolk Island, took 25 minutes. The landing was quite tricky with slippery rocks to negotiate before getting onto the small beach. Once ashore there is a steep climb up the cliffs with the aid of ropes, ladders and wooden walkways. After this it was all uphill until we reached the top at Jacky Jacky, 280m (920ft) above sea level.
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| Walk up to Jacky Jacky |
Along the way we had nesting seabirds including, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Common Noddy, Masked Booby, Kermadec Petrel and Black-winged Petrel.
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| Masked Booby + chick |
RAAF used Hercules aircraft to aerial seed the island with Norfolk Island Pine. Ground nesting seabirds now face threats from Purple Swamphen which fly over from Norfolk Island and eat the eggs. These birds probably arrived from New Zealand originally, they also have been seen to eat ducklings at Kingston Common. On the way down we saw White-necked Petrel along with NI Skink (only a freshly dead one) and NI Gecko.
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| Back Down the Cliff |
Unfortunately coming down Mary slipped over when her boot laces locked horns and hobbled her, resulting in a broken arm. Although in discomfort Mary managed to get back down the cliff and onto the boat back to the hospital. Luckily it did not stop her continuing on to join in with the rest of the weeks activities.
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| Black Noddy |
22/11/2017 Phillip Island
3 Kermadec Petrel
3 White-necked Petrel
Black-winged Petrel
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Red-tailed Tropicbird
Common Noddy
Black Noddy
Grey Ternlet
Sooty Tern
2 Sacred Kingfisher
Red-tailed Tropicbird
Common Noddy
Black Noddy
Grey Ternlet
Sooty Tern
2 Sacred Kingfisher
The evening was spent at the Botanic Gardens listening to three excellent talks - Pacific Robin, Norfolk Island Parakeet and Boobook Owl .
23/11/2017
Up early and checked out the garden at the house.
23/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private)
8 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
2 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
17 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
6 Common Starling
15 House Sparrow
Then went for a walk down to Creswell Bay, which is in the Bumboras Reserve.
23/11/2017 Bumboras Reserve
12 California Quail
22 White Tern
1 Sooty Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
2 Crimson Rosella
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
9 Silvereye
4 Common Blackbird
2 Common Starling
4 House Sparrow
Back to the house for breakfast then off to the National Park to walk the Palm Glen Track (910m), which is an easy to moderate walk. Most of the walk passed through tree ferns and Norfolk Palm trees, unique to Norfolk. Birds were pretty quiet in here but we did see Norfolk Island Parakeet, Norfolk Island Gerygone and Slender-billed White-eye.
23/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park--Palm Glen
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| Grey Fantail |
1 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
3 Norfolk Island Parakeet
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
8 Crimson Rosella
11 Golden Whistler
6 Grey Fantail
2 Slender-billed White-eye
2 Common Blackbird
The Palm Glen Track joins up with the Red Road Track which we walked along for a while before retracing our steps back to the Palm Glen Track. The Red Road Track is very steep so the two wounded ladies had to tread very carefully!
23/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park--Red Road Track
4 Norfolk Island Gerygone
8 Golden Whistler
4 Grey Fantail
9 Slender-billed White-eye
5 Silvereye
We walked back to the beginning of the Palm Glen track at the car park and were rewarded with a pair of Pacific Robin foraging in the vegetation just before the end of the track near a picnic table, thanks to Mary for spotting them. Another endemic which we had been hoping to see. We celebrated with a muesli bar and a coffee.
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| Pacific Robin (M) |
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| Pacific Robin (F) |
23/11/2017 Norfolk Island National Park--Palm Glen
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
6 Golden Whistler
2 Grey Fantai
2 Pacific Robin
7 Silvereye
From here it was back to the house for lunch. In the afternoon we did a bit more food shopping before dropping the ladies back at the house. Peter an myself drove back down to the lagoon at Kingston Common, still no sign of the Northern Shoveller. We concluded that it had left the area as it had not been seen for several days despite everyone looking for it.
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| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper |
23/11/2017 Lagoon near Kingston Common
18 Pacific Golden-Plover
4 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
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| Nepean and Phillip Islands |
From the lagoon we went down to the pier for a 4.00pm boat trip along the coast and out to sea between Nepean and Phillip Islands. Not much diversity, just hundreds of Wedge-tailed Shearwater, a couple of Wedge-tailed Shearwater and a few Grey Ternlets. The coastline was interesting with many caves carved into the volcanic rocks by sea erosion.
 |
| Masked Booby |
2 Flesh-footed Shearwater
X Wedge-tailed Shearwater
X Red-tailed Tropicbird
X Masked Booby
X Ruddy Turnstone
X Black Noddy
X Grey Ternlet
X White Tern
X Sooty Tern
The evening was spent with the whole group having a communal farewell dinner. Some of the group had arrived a day earlier than us from Sydney, so were leaving the next day. Having travelled from Brisbane we had another day to ourselves.
24/11/2017
Had a slow start to the morning, just pottering around the garden and surrounds birding before breakfast.
24/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property)
2 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)26 White Tern
3 Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
2 Sacred Kingfisher
2 Crimson Rosella
4 Norfolk Island Gerygone
5 Silvereye
2 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
18 House Sparrow
After breakfast I went birding around the Kingston area while the others went on a Museum tour, which took in the historic buildings at Kingston. Ever hopeful I looked for the Northern Shoveller, but it had long gone. The Laughing Gull and Kelp Gull flew over to say farewell. A group of White-faced Heron were foraging on the grass, they looked like they had more white down the front of their neck than I'm used to on the mainland.
24/11/2017 Kingston Common--Main lagoon
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| White-faced Heron |
2 Australasian Swamphen
21 Pacific Golden-Plover
1 Crimson Rosella
18 Welcome Swallow
3 Common Blackbird
22 Common Starling
6 European Goldfinch
26 House Sparrow
24/11/2017 Lagoon near Kingston Common
1 Pacific Black Duck
24 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
7 Pacific Golden-Plover
24 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
7 Pacific Golden-Plover
1 Bar-tailed Godwit
2 Red Knot
1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
1 Laughing Gull
1 Kelp Gull
7 Welcome Swallow
11 Common Starling
14 House Sparrow
Picked up the others and headed back to the Golden Orb Bookshop and Cafe for coffee and cake. We had been told to visit Flercher’s Mutiny Cyclorama, a 360º painting bringing to life the history of the Norfolk Island people and their connection with the infamous mutiny on the ‘Bounty’. The amazing art work depicted the history of the Bounty adventures and explained how the world’s most famous mutiny created the Pitcairn and Norfolk Island communities. Definitely worth a visit.
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
4 Norfolk Island Parakeet
2 Crimson Rosella
8 Norfolk Island Gerygone
4 Golden Whistler
12 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
Mid-afternoon we drove out to Mill Road, in an area known as Cascade to look for a Long-tailed Cuckoo which had been reported, but no sign of it here.
24/11/2017 Foresters Court, Mill Road
14 California Quail
2 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
4 White Tern
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
5 Common Blackbird
35 House Sparrow
24/11/2017 Hundred Acres Reserve
2 Pacific Golden-Plover
6 Black Noddy
15 White Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
3 Crimson Rosella
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
4 Silvereye
6 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
17 Common Starling
25/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property)
3 Red-Junglefowl (Domestic Type)
1 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
1 Crimson Rosella
4 Silvereye
11 Common Blackbird
48 House Sparrow
Packed up and once again headed of to the nearby Hundred Acres Reserve.
25/11/2017 Hundred Acres Reserve
3 Red Junglefowl (Domestic)
50 White Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
2 Crimson Rosella
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
3 Grey Fantail
1 Slender-billed White-eye
20 Silvereye
1 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
Fuelled up the car and drove down to the Kingston Common for the last time, nothing new here, certainly no Northern Shoveller! There was a Crimson Rosella perched on an adjacent building.
8 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
7 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
28 Pacific Golden-Plover
2 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Sacred Kingfisher
1 Crimson Rosella
9 Welcome Swallow
3 Common Blackbird
14 Common Starling
8 European Goldfinch
38 House Sparrow
Stopped off at Watermill Dam on the way to the airport and saw a Nankeen Kestrel hovering over the grassy edge of the airfield runway, our last Norfolk Island tick.
2 Greylag Goose (Domestic type)
22 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
1 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
4 Welcome Swallow
17 House Sparrow
The flight from Norfolk Island was uneventful and once we had cleared customs we were back in Brisbane.
2 Red Knot
1 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
1 Laughing Gull
1 Kelp Gull
7 Welcome Swallow
11 Common Starling
14 House Sparrow
Picked up the others and headed back to the Golden Orb Bookshop and Cafe for coffee and cake. We had been told to visit Flercher’s Mutiny Cyclorama, a 360º painting bringing to life the history of the Norfolk Island people and their connection with the infamous mutiny on the ‘Bounty’. The amazing art work depicted the history of the Bounty adventures and explained how the world’s most famous mutiny created the Pitcairn and Norfolk Island communities. Definitely worth a visit.
The early afternoon was spent wandering around the botanic gardens looking at the plants and checking out the birds including a Common Blackbird nesting in the crown of a palm tree.
24/11/2017 Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
4 Norfolk Island Parakeet
2 Crimson Rosella
8 Norfolk Island Gerygone
4 Golden Whistler
12 Silvereye
3 Common Blackbird
Mid-afternoon we drove out to Mill Road, in an area known as Cascade to look for a Long-tailed Cuckoo which had been reported, but no sign of it here.
14 California Quail
2 Red Junglefowl (Domestic type)
4 White Tern
3 Norfolk Island Gerygone
5 Common Blackbird
35 House Sparrow
Then we headed off to Hundred Acres Reserve, nothing new here, but a nice place for a walk through the Norfolk Island Pine trees in the company of angelic White Terns.
 |
| White Tern |
2 Pacific Golden-Plover
6 Black Noddy
15 White Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
3 Crimson Rosella
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
4 Silvereye
6 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
17 Common Starling
25/11/2017
Up early to be met by an overcast wet day. Managed to see a few familiar birds in the garden.
25/11/2017 Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property)
3 Red-Junglefowl (Domestic Type)
1 White Tern
1 Sacred Kingfisher
1 Crimson Rosella
4 Silvereye
11 Common Blackbird
48 House Sparrow
Packed up and once again headed of to the nearby Hundred Acres Reserve.
 |
| Grey Fantail |
3 Red Junglefowl (Domestic)
50 White Tern
1 Pacific Emerald Dove
2 Crimson Rosella
2 Norfolk Island Gerygone
3 Grey Fantail
1 Slender-billed White-eye
20 Silvereye
1 Common Blackbird
1 Song Thrush
Fuelled up the car and drove down to the Kingston Common for the last time, nothing new here, certainly no Northern Shoveller! There was a Crimson Rosella perched on an adjacent building.
Crimson Rosella
25/11/2017 Kingston Common--Main
lagoon
lagoon
8 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
7 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
28 Pacific Golden-Plover
2 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Sacred Kingfisher
1 Crimson Rosella
9 Welcome Swallow
3 Common Blackbird
14 Common Starling
8 European Goldfinch
38 House Sparrow
Stopped off at Watermill Dam on the way to the airport and saw a Nankeen Kestrel hovering over the grassy edge of the airfield runway, our last Norfolk Island tick.
25/11/2017 Watermill Dam
2 Greylag Goose (Domestic type)
22 Mallard x Pacific Black Duck
1 White-faced Heron
1 Australasian Swamphen
4 Welcome Swallow
17 House Sparrow
25/11/2017 Norfolk Island International Airport
1 Nankeen Kestrel
 |
| Nankeen Kestrel |
Species Recorded with dates of first sightings.
1 Common Blackbird Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 18 Nov 2017
2 Song Thrush Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 18 Nov 2017
3 California Quail Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
4 White-faced Heron Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
5 Australasian Swamphen Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
6 Pacific Golden-Plover Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
7 Whimbrel Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
8 Bar-tailed Godwit Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
9 Ruddy Turnstone Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
10 Crimson Rosella Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
11 Welcome Swallow Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
12 Common Starling Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
13 European Goldfinch Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
14 Sooty Tern Emily Bay NF- 18 Nov 2017
15 House Sparrow Emily Bay NF- 18 Nov 2017
16 White Tern Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 19 Nov 2017
17 Sacred Kingfisher Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 19 Nov 2017
18 Norfolk Island Gerygone Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd.(Private) NF-19 Nov 2017
19 Silvereye Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 19 Nov 2017
20 Masked Booby Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
21 Common Noddy Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
22 Black Noddy Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
23 Pacific Emerald Dove Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
24 Grey Fantail Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
25 Golden Whistler Norfolk Island National Park--Summit Track NF- 19 Nov 2017
26 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Headstone Reserve NF- 20 Nov 2017
27 Little Shearwater Headstone Reserve NF- 20 Nov 2017
28 Red Knot Lagoon near Kingston Common NF- 20 Nov 2017
29 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Lagoon near Kingston Common NF- 20 Nov 2017
30 Norfolk Island Parakeet Norfolk Island NP--Mount Bates Track NF- 20 Nov 2017
31 Slender-billed White-eye Norfolk Island NP--Mount Bates Track NF- 20 Nov 2017
32 Kelp Gull Slaughter Bay NF- 20 Nov 2017
33 Rock Dove Anson Bay Reserve NF- 21 Nov 2017
34 European Greenfinch Anson Bay Reserve NF- 21 Nov 2017
35 Pacific Black Duck Mission Pool NF- 21 Nov 2017
36 Wandering Tattler Kingston Jetty NF- 21 Nov 2017
37 Red-tailed Tropicbird Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
38 Grey Ternlet Bloody Bridge. NF- 21 Nov 2017
39 Pectoral Sandpiper Mission Pool NF- 21 Nov 2017
40 Great Frigatebird Norfolk Island NP--Captain Cook Memorial NF- 21 Nov 2017
41 Laughing Gull Kingston Jetty NF- 22 Nov 2017
42 Kermadec Petrel Norfolk Island--Phillip Island NF- 22 Nov 2017
43 White-necked Petrel Norfolk Island--Phillip Island NF- 22 Nov 2017
44 Black-winged Petrel Norfolk Island--Phillip Island NF- 22 Nov 2017
45 Pacific Robin Norfolk Island National Park--Palm Glen NF- 23 Nov 2017
46 Flesh-footed Shearwater Strait between Norfolk Island & Phillip Island NF-23 Nov 2017
47 Nankeen Kestrel Norfolk Island International Airport NF- 25 Nov 2017
2 Song Thrush Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 18 Nov 2017
3 California Quail Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
4 White-faced Heron Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
5 Australasian Swamphen Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
6 Pacific Golden-Plover Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
7 Whimbrel Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
8 Bar-tailed Godwit Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
9 Ruddy Turnstone Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
10 Crimson Rosella Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
11 Welcome Swallow Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
12 Common Starling Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
13 European Goldfinch Kingston Common--Main lagoon NF- 18 Nov 2017
14 Sooty Tern Emily Bay NF- 18 Nov 2017
15 House Sparrow Emily Bay NF- 18 Nov 2017
16 White Tern Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 19 Nov 2017
17 Sacred Kingfisher Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 19 Nov 2017
18 Norfolk Island Gerygone Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd.(Private) NF-19 Nov 2017
19 Silvereye Whitewood Sea, Bumbora Rd. (Private Property) NF- 19 Nov 2017
20 Masked Booby Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
21 Common Noddy Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
22 Black Noddy Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
23 Pacific Emerald Dove Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
24 Grey Fantail Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
25 Golden Whistler Norfolk Island National Park--Summit Track NF- 19 Nov 2017
26 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Headstone Reserve NF- 20 Nov 2017
27 Little Shearwater Headstone Reserve NF- 20 Nov 2017
28 Red Knot Lagoon near Kingston Common NF- 20 Nov 2017
29 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Lagoon near Kingston Common NF- 20 Nov 2017
30 Norfolk Island Parakeet Norfolk Island NP--Mount Bates Track NF- 20 Nov 2017
31 Slender-billed White-eye Norfolk Island NP--Mount Bates Track NF- 20 Nov 2017
32 Kelp Gull Slaughter Bay NF- 20 Nov 2017
33 Rock Dove Anson Bay Reserve NF- 21 Nov 2017
34 European Greenfinch Anson Bay Reserve NF- 21 Nov 2017
35 Pacific Black Duck Mission Pool NF- 21 Nov 2017
36 Wandering Tattler Kingston Jetty NF- 21 Nov 2017
37 Red-tailed Tropicbird Hundred Acres Reserve NF- 19 Nov 2017
38 Grey Ternlet Bloody Bridge. NF- 21 Nov 2017
39 Pectoral Sandpiper Mission Pool NF- 21 Nov 2017
40 Great Frigatebird Norfolk Island NP--Captain Cook Memorial NF- 21 Nov 2017
41 Laughing Gull Kingston Jetty NF- 22 Nov 2017
42 Kermadec Petrel Norfolk Island--Phillip Island NF- 22 Nov 2017
43 White-necked Petrel Norfolk Island--Phillip Island NF- 22 Nov 2017
44 Black-winged Petrel Norfolk Island--Phillip Island NF- 22 Nov 2017
45 Pacific Robin Norfolk Island National Park--Palm Glen NF- 23 Nov 2017
46 Flesh-footed Shearwater Strait between Norfolk Island & Phillip Island NF-23 Nov 2017
47 Nankeen Kestrel Norfolk Island International Airport NF- 25 Nov 2017
