*insert witty title here*
Apr. 10th, 2005 08:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreWhen doves walk on the roof it sounds like rain. Then they all scuttle off in a flurry of squeaking wings. There's crested, peaceful and bar-shouldered up there at the moment.
Yesterday I took my first real tour. It was a mangrove tour. Now I'd been to the mangroves twice before and had no luck, only got mangrove grey fantails which are hardly awkward to see, the cute little buggers come right up and check you out. So I wasn't familiar with most of the species we were looking out for. I wanted to go to the mangroves to add to my lifelist. I also had a vague wariness of the mud.
All in all however the tour was a success. We saw the grey fantail and yellow white-eye as expected. Saw plenty of dusky gerygone which was a newie for me. Duskies are pretty plain birds and not very exciting. I was hanging out for a white-breasted whistler and I did hear the little bastards, but they refused to be whistled up. Then as I stood and listened I heard the familiar "scissors-grinder" call of a flycatcher. After a brief time stalking I found my quarry - a stunning broad-billed flycatcher. Everyone got looks at this lovely little bird who came to check us out. So that alone made it a success. On the way back along the beach the waders flew over our heads as the tide pushed them into the saltmarsh and we caught a glimpse of what was probably a female white-breasted whistler. I'm calling it a half-tick.
Ricki missed our massive phasmid, apparently she was battling a mantis just as large.
There was also a Stimpson's Python in the toilet. After frogs most likely. As I snapped photos it slowly made its way under the toilet rim until it was completely out of sight. That toilet is closed for now.
Yesterday I took my first real tour. It was a mangrove tour. Now I'd been to the mangroves twice before and had no luck, only got mangrove grey fantails which are hardly awkward to see, the cute little buggers come right up and check you out. So I wasn't familiar with most of the species we were looking out for. I wanted to go to the mangroves to add to my lifelist. I also had a vague wariness of the mud.
All in all however the tour was a success. We saw the grey fantail and yellow white-eye as expected. Saw plenty of dusky gerygone which was a newie for me. Duskies are pretty plain birds and not very exciting. I was hanging out for a white-breasted whistler and I did hear the little bastards, but they refused to be whistled up. Then as I stood and listened I heard the familiar "scissors-grinder" call of a flycatcher. After a brief time stalking I found my quarry - a stunning broad-billed flycatcher. Everyone got looks at this lovely little bird who came to check us out. So that alone made it a success. On the way back along the beach the waders flew over our heads as the tide pushed them into the saltmarsh and we caught a glimpse of what was probably a female white-breasted whistler. I'm calling it a half-tick.
Ricki missed our massive phasmid, apparently she was battling a mantis just as large.
There was also a Stimpson's Python in the toilet. After frogs most likely. As I snapped photos it slowly made its way under the toilet rim until it was completely out of sight. That toilet is closed for now.
