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Happy bird day to me
Sep. 29th, 2005 07:03 amThe last two days I’ve gotten four new birds. This is after about 4 months of nothing new except a vagrant Little Shrike-thrush at the start of the month. It’s like I just got here.
It all started on Tuesday when I gave a mangrove tour. Of course the goal was the Mangrove Golden Whistler. Every whistle I followed, and got awesome views of many White-breasted Whistlers. Mainly females, but a few males too, saw a pair exhibiting nesting behaviour. We also got good views of all the mangrove regulars, everyone was happy. A couple of the tour guests brought their kids along. A girl who I reckon was about 4 or 5 and an 8 month old. Now usually we think kids that young are too young, they will just get bored, get noisy, scare birds and be nothing but trouble. But these parents had done it right. These kids had been getting into the thick of nature since day one. The little girl was fascinated and quiet when she had to be, the little boy rode in one of those pack carriers and smiled and gurgled happily – not loud enough to bother birds however. If I ever have kids I will do that. No plonking them down in front of the T.V. or computer – “C’mon kids we’re gonna go mudbashing!”
Oh yeah, so we emerged from the mangroves and were about to head off, when I heard a soft whistle again. Bugger it I thought and ploughed back into the mud and mangroves, off the beaten track. About 15 metres in I saw him. His Royal Yellowness emerged from the leaves and sang for me. God he was a beautiful bird, so yellow! 3 of the tour guests also saw him, which was awesome.
I had to take 2 of the guests back into town. As I passed the school oval I thought to myself, “This is where the Banded Lapwing was seen last.” There has been a single Banded Lapwing puttering about town, I think he’s very lost, he’s way out of his range. As I drove past I had to do a double take. Among the usual Masked Lapwings there he was! My first Banded Lapwing!
So that was pretty damn awesome. Stuart decided I should do the Bush & Plains tour the next day and get the Varied Lorikeets that had been seen there. No problem. I picked up the two guests that I had to pick up/drop off yesterday and off we went.
Probably the best Bush & Plains tour I’ve given. Tagrana Bore was alive, especially one Bauhinia. I tracked down a familiar, magpie like call to an Olive-backed Oriole, pointed out the Great Bowerbird’s bower and whistled to a nearby Pied Butcherbird, beginning a chorus from him and an incoming partner. It’s so cute how they hold their wings and head when they call.
Ah yes, that one Bauhinia, that was near the start. We were watching the Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters flit around and saw another one. Put the bins on it. Hrm, that’s an awfully dark headed Yellow-tinted Honeyeater. Quick investigation of the field guide revealed it to be a Grey-headed Honeyeater! Pity he flew off so I couldn’t get another look.
We stopped in the flowering melaleuca to get the Banded Honeyeaters – which we did. This is also where the Varied Lorikeets had been seen and not far in we disturbed them and they proceeded to wheel about squawking shrilly. Unfortunately we were unable to get close to them while they were on the trees so I got bad views of about 30 of them. Enough for me to tick it off.
Then I thought, “Hell, we’re having a great day. Let’s get the Yellow Chats!” So I drove around to the fence corner (the 300 Oriental Plovers of a couple of days ago were absent yesterday). I’d been warned not to drive too far up the fence (in the salt marsh) in the past but I thought, “It’s been neap tides, and it looks hard as a rock.” Part way through I realised it was softer than anticipated. I put it in 4WD and continued just a little further before deciding to stop. When I got out I was like, “Woah, slippery mud.” We got great views of about 10 Brolgas and 5 Whistling Kites on the salt marsh but no chats in sight. A bunch of White-breasted Woodswallows sat on the fence line and looked cute. Seeing the ruts I’d left coming over I decided to turn around and drive back over the samphire until I reached dry earth again. My idea was going great until I reached a small break in the vegetation. Almost across when the tyres began to spin. Bugger. I backed up a bit and tried again. No bikkie. I looked out the windows at the tyres and just mumbled, “Shit.” I was a good 15cm into the mud. So I got out and one of my guests did and we collected some samphire and shoved it under the back tyres. I managed to move back a little and try to manoeuvre around but again, tyres started to spin eventually. I decided I better call base, lucky we got those CBs working or I would have been walking about 4km back to the Obs!
Now, if Ricki (and to a smaller extent Chris – who was out on a plane ride with his parents) had still been here it would have been a major drama. But ol’ unflappable Stu just radioed that he’d grab some equipment and get John and they’d come out to rescue me. John has many years of 4WD experience. I have next to none. I know a lot of theory, which helped, but yeah, in practice things are different.
A while ago the guys got bogged down in the dunes. Ricki refused to give them a hand because they’d been warned not to go down there. It turned out the only reason they couldn’t get out was because they’d forgotten to lock the wheels. Sand falls away and is dry. This mud was sticky and slippery at the same time. After walking in it a bit my shoes weighed a ton. I requested Stu bring my mud boots along, which were very useful. The wheels were caked in the stuff and there was zero traction anywhere. You can have all the 4WD you want but if none of the tyres have traction you’re screwed.
John sized up the situation and investigated the surface. He drove along the road that I’d deemed to hairy to go back along. Apparently it was perfectly fine if tackled properly. He parked on a clump of samphire and let me know he’d pull me out backwards. He also warned I’d move “a hundred miles an hour” as I was pulled out. Righto. I removed my boots because they had no traction left, being caked in mud and prepared myself.
John started up and pulled. Nothing happened. I looked in my rearview to see what was going on and saw the snatch strap lying on the ground and thought, “Ah crap it’s snapped…” and all of a sudden WOOSH!, I was out of there and moving backwards fast. I steered to where I’d been told and tried to brake and kept moving until the Troopy stalled out. Later Stu let me know that I’d just locked the tyres and was sliding over mud at that point. I’d didn’t matter, I was in the intended position so I awaited John’s instructions as to where to drive and drove on out. Made sure he made it across okay as well and we were back at the Obs within 5 minutes.
I redeemed myself by making everyone tea or coffee, offering cake and washing John’s car and the Troopy. My God that mud sticks like glue – we need a high pressure hose. But we all laughed about it right away and it was no great drama. Stu’s good to have around as boss, things are so much more relaxed now.
No bloody Chats, and I know not to drive there anymore. Oops.
It all started on Tuesday when I gave a mangrove tour. Of course the goal was the Mangrove Golden Whistler. Every whistle I followed, and got awesome views of many White-breasted Whistlers. Mainly females, but a few males too, saw a pair exhibiting nesting behaviour. We also got good views of all the mangrove regulars, everyone was happy. A couple of the tour guests brought their kids along. A girl who I reckon was about 4 or 5 and an 8 month old. Now usually we think kids that young are too young, they will just get bored, get noisy, scare birds and be nothing but trouble. But these parents had done it right. These kids had been getting into the thick of nature since day one. The little girl was fascinated and quiet when she had to be, the little boy rode in one of those pack carriers and smiled and gurgled happily – not loud enough to bother birds however. If I ever have kids I will do that. No plonking them down in front of the T.V. or computer – “C’mon kids we’re gonna go mudbashing!”
Oh yeah, so we emerged from the mangroves and were about to head off, when I heard a soft whistle again. Bugger it I thought and ploughed back into the mud and mangroves, off the beaten track. About 15 metres in I saw him. His Royal Yellowness emerged from the leaves and sang for me. God he was a beautiful bird, so yellow! 3 of the tour guests also saw him, which was awesome.
I had to take 2 of the guests back into town. As I passed the school oval I thought to myself, “This is where the Banded Lapwing was seen last.” There has been a single Banded Lapwing puttering about town, I think he’s very lost, he’s way out of his range. As I drove past I had to do a double take. Among the usual Masked Lapwings there he was! My first Banded Lapwing!
So that was pretty damn awesome. Stuart decided I should do the Bush & Plains tour the next day and get the Varied Lorikeets that had been seen there. No problem. I picked up the two guests that I had to pick up/drop off yesterday and off we went.
Probably the best Bush & Plains tour I’ve given. Tagrana Bore was alive, especially one Bauhinia. I tracked down a familiar, magpie like call to an Olive-backed Oriole, pointed out the Great Bowerbird’s bower and whistled to a nearby Pied Butcherbird, beginning a chorus from him and an incoming partner. It’s so cute how they hold their wings and head when they call.
Ah yes, that one Bauhinia, that was near the start. We were watching the Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters flit around and saw another one. Put the bins on it. Hrm, that’s an awfully dark headed Yellow-tinted Honeyeater. Quick investigation of the field guide revealed it to be a Grey-headed Honeyeater! Pity he flew off so I couldn’t get another look.
We stopped in the flowering melaleuca to get the Banded Honeyeaters – which we did. This is also where the Varied Lorikeets had been seen and not far in we disturbed them and they proceeded to wheel about squawking shrilly. Unfortunately we were unable to get close to them while they were on the trees so I got bad views of about 30 of them. Enough for me to tick it off.
Then I thought, “Hell, we’re having a great day. Let’s get the Yellow Chats!” So I drove around to the fence corner (the 300 Oriental Plovers of a couple of days ago were absent yesterday). I’d been warned not to drive too far up the fence (in the salt marsh) in the past but I thought, “It’s been neap tides, and it looks hard as a rock.” Part way through I realised it was softer than anticipated. I put it in 4WD and continued just a little further before deciding to stop. When I got out I was like, “Woah, slippery mud.” We got great views of about 10 Brolgas and 5 Whistling Kites on the salt marsh but no chats in sight. A bunch of White-breasted Woodswallows sat on the fence line and looked cute. Seeing the ruts I’d left coming over I decided to turn around and drive back over the samphire until I reached dry earth again. My idea was going great until I reached a small break in the vegetation. Almost across when the tyres began to spin. Bugger. I backed up a bit and tried again. No bikkie. I looked out the windows at the tyres and just mumbled, “Shit.” I was a good 15cm into the mud. So I got out and one of my guests did and we collected some samphire and shoved it under the back tyres. I managed to move back a little and try to manoeuvre around but again, tyres started to spin eventually. I decided I better call base, lucky we got those CBs working or I would have been walking about 4km back to the Obs!
Now, if Ricki (and to a smaller extent Chris – who was out on a plane ride with his parents) had still been here it would have been a major drama. But ol’ unflappable Stu just radioed that he’d grab some equipment and get John and they’d come out to rescue me. John has many years of 4WD experience. I have next to none. I know a lot of theory, which helped, but yeah, in practice things are different.
A while ago the guys got bogged down in the dunes. Ricki refused to give them a hand because they’d been warned not to go down there. It turned out the only reason they couldn’t get out was because they’d forgotten to lock the wheels. Sand falls away and is dry. This mud was sticky and slippery at the same time. After walking in it a bit my shoes weighed a ton. I requested Stu bring my mud boots along, which were very useful. The wheels were caked in the stuff and there was zero traction anywhere. You can have all the 4WD you want but if none of the tyres have traction you’re screwed.
John sized up the situation and investigated the surface. He drove along the road that I’d deemed to hairy to go back along. Apparently it was perfectly fine if tackled properly. He parked on a clump of samphire and let me know he’d pull me out backwards. He also warned I’d move “a hundred miles an hour” as I was pulled out. Righto. I removed my boots because they had no traction left, being caked in mud and prepared myself.
John started up and pulled. Nothing happened. I looked in my rearview to see what was going on and saw the snatch strap lying on the ground and thought, “Ah crap it’s snapped…” and all of a sudden WOOSH!, I was out of there and moving backwards fast. I steered to where I’d been told and tried to brake and kept moving until the Troopy stalled out. Later Stu let me know that I’d just locked the tyres and was sliding over mud at that point. I’d didn’t matter, I was in the intended position so I awaited John’s instructions as to where to drive and drove on out. Made sure he made it across okay as well and we were back at the Obs within 5 minutes.
I redeemed myself by making everyone tea or coffee, offering cake and washing John’s car and the Troopy. My God that mud sticks like glue – we need a high pressure hose. But we all laughed about it right away and it was no great drama. Stu’s good to have around as boss, things are so much more relaxed now.
No bloody Chats, and I know not to drive there anymore. Oops.
