Weekends That Were - November 2019

CANADA & USA TRIP continued

Day 52 – 1.11.19 Friday

I was at the entry gate to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Loop Trail just after 8 to find several cars already ahead of me. I parked up at the first pull in and started checking the birds in the nearby lagoon. A local guy stopped to chat and explained, when I enquired, that the wetland was run by the local water board and there were workmen on site during the week, hence the closure from Monday to Thursday (inclusive). OK, I get that.

Cutting a long story short I spent the next two hours birding from the car mainly by driving along the slightly-in-need-of-repair unsealed road between huge areas of reed beds, shallow and deep water ponds absolutely dripping with birds. It was like a Sandy Camp Rd only HUGE. I drove at 10 mph or less and stopped fairly regularly and it took me a full two hours and I only scratched the surface bird-wise. I was really focused on the two Whistling Duck sp, Fulvous and Black-bellied, both of which were present, according to the local dude. I only managed to find one single distant Fulvous Whistling Duck, but I’m sure I missed heaps of stuff. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of Common Gallinule and Blue-winged Teal, dozens of Egrets and Herons of all species, some of the Great Blue Herons walked across the road in front of the car and gave off when you drove past. Anhingas everywhere, smaller number of American Coots, Glossy Ibis,  Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebes (~150). For the record I saw about 6 adult Alligators, 1 Snail Kite,  2 Green Herons well and 1 Black-capped Night Heron very well, but it was a rushed visit. Given more time I’m sure I’d have found other stuff, maybe not new, but probably new for this trip, however, I had 350 ks/4 hours to drive to my next destination and some planning to do for the coming days, so I headed off at 10.

Black-crowned Night Heron

I reached St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, on the gulf coast south of Tallahassee, at about 15.00, having stopped a couple of times for coffee and toilet breaks. 

I drove straight in and went to the visitor’s center for a map and enquired about a couple of things, then back out the 3 miles to the main road and straight into a campsite opposite. $11 per night for a ‘primitive’ site (i.e. no electrical or water hook-up) and when I asked the guy, Rick, about charging my equipment he ran an extension cord from the nearest supply to my picnic table for me, amazing! 

I set up camp, then headed straight off to the nearest Mackers for internet access. I spent some time planning the next few days, looking at species lists for various locations in Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma, weather conditions there and in Colorado and Utah and individual species records for birds I intended to try for. I still had a day in hand over the plan, but intended to keep that up my sleeve just in case.

I headed back to camp, found a male American Redstart nearby and had dinner early planning a big day the next day in St Marks. Looked like I might have driven out of the hot humid sweaty conditions – it was quite cold (11C), thank goodness, and expected to drop to 9C during the night. Mind you Colorado was presently -10C so its was going to get a lot colder….

American Redstart male

Trip List (USA)–209    Lifers (total)– 84 birds (+10 Mammals)     New NA–25 (+5 Mammals)

Day 53 – 2.11.19 Saturday

I was at the park before 8. The gates opened at 6, but dawn wasn’t until 7.50 so I thought I’d be on time as soon as the light was available. A number of people had thought the same and I was surprised at the number of cars in the visitor’s car park, but carried on down the road.

Ahead of me two obvious birders were standing in the middle of the road looking up into the trees so I thought ‘what the hell’ and stopped and approached them. It turned out that one of them was a bird guide of some sort and was checking out some warblers that were moving through – apparently the ‘warbler radar’ the previous night was ‘white’ with moving birds across the eastern seaboard.

Anyway, he was setting up for a tour, but very kindly asked me if there was anything I specifically wanted to see? I said Red-cockaded Woodpecker would be good?’ and he gave me very specific directions to a side track and walk here and look there and turn off here’ – excellent, thinks I.

As we spoke a raptor type bird flew across the road above the trees. In the grey light of dawn we really had only silhouette views and, as it was quite low, no time to bin it. Long tail, sharp wings, slow languid flight. The guy said it looked like a Kite. I agreed in that it wasn’t a falcon – too big – and it wasn’t a harrier – wrong flight pattern – could only be a Mississippi Kite. It was, possibly, a bi=t stringy, but the more I thought about it afterwards – and the guy said he couldn’t think what else it would be - the more convinced I became, so I’m going with that!

I thanked him and headed to the side track he’d described, a long open wide path with pines on the left, thin, tall and scattered. Not far in I had a Hairy Woodpecker. As I was checking IT out, I noticed another bird sitting on a stumpy branch – binned it – Eastern Bluebird at last. It flew but playback brought it and three mates back straight away. I got lousy shots, but good views.

Eastern Bluebird

I heard a bit of knocking and on impulse played Red-cockaded Woodpecker and in they came – at least 4 birds. Again, good views, but shit photos – these are the best I could do.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Brilliant!! Job DONE!! 3 lifers and the sun wasn’t even up properly. It was, incidentally, beautifully cold, I had gloves and beanie on and three layers.

I hung around the area for a while, but nothing much else showed so I went back to the car and drove further in to the reserve. The road more or less goes directly to the gulf coast where an ancient lighthouse is the big thing. Along the way it passed numerous shallow ponds surrounded by reed beds and patches of exposed mud. At the first pond I stopped at I saw at least 8 Wilson’s Snipe feeding on the open mud, 2 Roseate Spoonbills, a Sandhill Crane among flocks of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Tricolour Herons, a Green Heron, Anhingas, 5 Redhead, 1 Ring-necked Duck, ~400 American Coots, Blue-winged Teal, Red-winged Blackbirds, both Common & Boat-tailed Grackles – it just went on and on. Briiliant stuff. At the next pond Snowy Egrets and Little Blue and Tricolour Herons fed just meters from the road with 20 American Avocets in the background, more Snipe, Greater Yellowlegs and other bits and pieces. Brilliant birding, along with a flock of about 300 Tree Swallows. Oh, I also saw a Vermillion Flycatcher along the road – the woman in the visitor’s center had mentioned it yesterday. I hadn’t looked too hard for it having seen it very well last year in Arizona, but bumped into more by accident than design.

I carried on for a bit then stopped at a random patch of pines beside the road and got out to have a smoke and play for my second target of the day – and had success! At least 3 Brown-headed Nuthatches arrived in response. Well, arrived might be too big a word. They were much smaller than I had imagined  - only 4 and half inches, smaller even than Pygmy Nuthatches – and stayed at the top of the tall, skinny pines. I had reasonable views, but no photos. They just wouldn’t come down near ground level. They were smaller than some of the pine cones they were hangin’ off.

I ended up driving to the lighthouse and scoped the shore line for a Willet, a Least Sandpiper and a Western Sandpiper and further out on an island about 40 American Oystercatchers, some Brown Pelicans and the usual Double-crested Cormorants. A few Laughing Gulls and Forster’s Terns completed that picture. Being Saturday it was quite busy so I didn’t hang around there too long.

I was looking for some bush to explore. There wasn’t much passerine type habitat really – it was mostly open water or reed beds, but behind the restrooms at the Headquarter Pond there was a bit so I headed in there. I had Northern Parulas, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers in a large deciduous tree and was sorting through them looking for something different when I heard a call I thought I recognized (look at me! Recognizing calls! Will the world stop spinning?)

I whipped out my phone and played and a pair of Eastern Towhees jumped up and down for a few minutes before vanishing into the palmetto scrub again. Target three of the day acquired and destroyed!

 

Eastern Towhee

By this time I was feeling a bit wrecked. It was after 13.00 and I’d been on the go for a solid 5 hours plus. It had warmed up nicely and I was down to one layer so I decided to head home and have a break. I did that, lay down on the ground for a while to ease my aching back, then headed back in to the park just after 16.00.

I covered a few of the spots I’d been to in the morning, but added nothing really exciting to my daily list which ended at 71 species. I did find the pond behind the restrooms full of waders – probably a high tide roost? I think the bulk were Dunlin ~ 400, there were also Semi-palmated Plovers and a smaller number of Semi-palmated Sandpipers. Short-billed Dowitchers, a few Marbled Godwits, Grey Plover, Greater Yellowlegs and Least Sandpipers made up the rest of the numbers all watched by an 3.5 meter Alligator lurking in the deeper water.

At dusk I exited the park, stopped on the access road and played for a few night birds, but got no response. I think I’ve done my thing with Chuck Will’s Widow, Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-or-will. They’re probably all in South America or, possibly southern Florida where I didn’t put in enough effort. 

Back at camp I showered, ate and sorted through my shitty photos in the hope of rescuing something. It was a good day though, amazing what you can do when you have perfect weather and a good birding spot.

Note: I had forgotten that I had seen Common Mynas at a shopping center somewhere in Florida the other day. I’d been distracted on my way to Wal-Mart and as they are so common at home, dismissed them. I have now added them to the total and they were a new bird for my North American list – yeah, anal, I know.

Trip List (USA)–218    Lifers (total)– 89 birds (+10 Mammals)     New NA–26 (+5 Mammals)

Day 54 – 3.11.19 Sunday

Goodbye Florida, Hello Alabamie, via Georgia. Another day another day behind the wheel. Only 500 or so Ks, supposedly 6 hours. 

I was so confused.

I slept well, woke at 6 – as per my watch – got up and had a quiet breakfast in the pre dawn dark and chill.  Once again I had forgotten to take a photo in daylight so took this one before I broke camp in the light provided by the floodlights in the camp site.

 

Campsite St Marks, FL

At some stage I checked my phone and found it was only 5am?  WTF? Where did the hour go? Had I changed time zones coming here and not noticed? I didn’t think I had travelled far enough west and I was still in Florida. I pondered the question.

Then I remembered a guy I had met briefly in the park the previous evening and he had said something about ‘daylight saving’. I didn’t know America had daylight saving, but that must be it. The eastern seaboard must have gone back an hour last night at the beginning of the month. I re-set my watch and tidied up, broke camp and left just before the new time of 7. I had delayed until it was dawn as I wanted to stop at a State Park up the road a bit cause there’d been a recent report of Hooded Merganser on EBird and I thought I’d have a go.

I filled up with petrol up the road - $2.43, $32 in – and drove into the State Park. There was no one on the tollbooth so I continued on in, finding a parking space in the car park of a salubrious looking lodge joint. 

There were a few oldies wandering around and three older women practicing something resembling Tai Chi on the lawn, but I shouldered my scope and strode on in in my dirty pants, scruffy boots, fingerless gloves (it was chilly) and marched over towards a dock where I thought I’d scan the supposed lake. It wasn’t a lake, it was part of a river about 200 meters wide and my access was restricted due to fences and locked gates, presumably to stop the oldies falling in at night.

Anyway, I set up the scope and scanned what I could of the water and saw nothing. I was thinking about some other access when a blow occurred in the water in front of me that sounded like a dolphin? Again, I say, WTF? A dolphin up-river? Its not like it’s the Ganges or the Amazon…..is it?

No, it was in fact a pair of very big West Indian Manatees Trichechus manatus (to give them their full name)., just lazily turning and feeding in the river. 

So, I didn’t see my HM, but got a great mammal tick. I assume they were wild, as the river appeared to be free flowing, not like an artificial lake or anything so, something I had never expected.

I packed away the scope and marched back through the Tai Chi-ing women and headed out before anyone got to charge me the $6 daily fee for access. Once safely past the tollbooth I pulled over cause there was another part of the river just off the road. A flock of about 25 Wood Ducks swam cautiously away as I approached and lifted off into the mist rising off the water before I could see if there was anything else among them.

Other than that I did no birding all day, simply drove north and west, stopping once at a random forest track to brew a coffee and again for lunch at Mackers to post my blog, read emails and generally re-charge everything again.

I got to Talladega National Forest just east of Birmingham, Alabama, around 16.00 and found a campsite. Cost? – $10 per night thanks to my America is Beautiful card. (Well I think it gives me that $6 reduction, I just filled in the envelope like it did and didn’t ask any questions) One of the camp ‘hosts’ stopped by while walking his dog and we had an intimate discussion I probably could have done without, regarding the advantages of incontinence pads. 

Don’t ask. They’ll talk about anything.

There was no water available immediately as they have had a problem with the well apparently, but they turned it on for 2 hours at 17.00.

At least I THINK it was 17.00.

I wanted to make a phone call and had no service at the campsite so drove 10 ks back down the road at what I thought was 18.30 to meet a regular schedule at 19.00 (or 10am Brisbane time). However, when I did get signal I found it was, in fact, already 20.00. Somehow I had regained the hour. 

Once again – WTF?

I am so confused.

I assume, now, that only Florida may have had daylight saving? I’ll probably never know and it doesn’t really matter anyway Maybe they’re just playing with my head. I reckon Homeland Security could do anything they wanted these days, including remotely changing the time on my watch. Or am I just paranoid?

It was cold after dark – 5 or 6C - and predicted to drop to 3 by midnight so I went to bed as soon as I’d updated my notes.

Trip List (USA)–218    Lifers (total)– 89 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 55 – 4.11.19 Monday

A frustrating day.  A cold night when I wore my t-shirt, socks and beanie all night, but was warm enough in my bag.

I got up at 6 with the dawn and had breakfast, everything was very quiet around camp, apart from the strange yipping, almost dog-like calls of the American Crows.

I headed out on a walk around what turned out to be an empty lake seeing very little for a lot of spent energy. Pileated Woodpeckers dominated that scene, with a couple of Downy Woodpeckers thrown in. I found two moving flocks of birds including mainly Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a couple of Golden-crowned, which was nice, they being only my second sighting. Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadees, 1 Common Yellowthroat and, later, a group of distant Eastern Bluebirds. Near the latter there was a tree full of small birds but it was very high and against the sky and I don’t think there was much in it, apart from the species already noted. 

I met a couple of guys around my age carrying rifles and we chatted for about 30-40 minutes. They were squirrel hunters, but hadn’t ‘bagged’ any. They were really nice guys and we got on well – they invited me over to their camp fire later in the day.

I did have one sparrow that perched up 70 meters or so away and had a distinctly long tail. Head markings were hard to make out, but I’m going with Bachman’s Sparrow as an elimination issue, i.e. don’t think it could have been anything else. When it flew I lost it.

Back at camp I decided to head out to find an internet connection – again at, yes, Mackers – and researched Arkansas deciding to go to a place outside the original destination of Ouachita National Forest, as that didn’t seem to hold much promise – more on that tomorrow.

I also explored possibilities in the immediate area for my main target – Red-headed Bloody Woodpecker. I found a place 10 minutes away where one was seen a couple of weeks ago – Holt’s Farm Loop – and headed there around 2. 

I wandered the place for two hours playing the call but saw, literally, only 2 American Robins, 1 Brown Thrasher and 1 Song Sparrow. That was it – in an excellent habitat, but it was just dead at that time of the afternoon. Maybe if I’d gone there this morning…..I think I might have to abandon hope for this woodpecker. I also took photos of a set of turtles lying up alongside a pond – but will need to ID them later.

I drove the hour or so back to camp and wrote up my notes early. Once I had done that and had dinner I spent an hour or so with the squirrel hunters and friends around their campfire. It was great to have good company and chat about travelling and camping and Australia and Ireland and USA – although I think I did most of the talking.

Trip List (USA)–219    Lifers (total)– 90 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 56 – 5.11.19 Tuesday

I was up at 6, no, 5, maybe……..God I’m STILL confused.

Anyway, had a quick breakfast, broke camp and drove out into the dawn at the real time of 6.30. I had a 650 km/9 hour drive ahead according to MapsMe and wanted to get an early start.

As it turned out it was 17.00 when I arrived at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, having driven basically right across Alabama and Mississippi. I had stopped a couple of times – for a coffee, of course, a smoke or three and to claim my free double cheese burger from Ronald for participating in an on-line feedback survey., and to take a phone call. Most of the drive was easy as it was on interstates and we all sat at 80 mph or 135 k/hr in cruise control. The section from Memphis to Little Rock was very busy with trucks and slow cars but otherwise it was a relatively easy 10 hours or so in total. (I also stopped at a nearby Wal-Mart for necessary supplies so that added half an hour or so to my total.) I filled up with petrol at one point - $2.23/gal; $29 in.

However, I was pretty whacked when I set up camp mindful of the prediction of rain – again – overnight and, it appears most of tomorrow. We’ll see. Had a quick dinner, showered and shaved.

Trip List (USA)–219    Lifers (total)– 90 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 57 – 6.11.19 Wednesday

Rain had been predicted from 4am and it was to last most of the day. I woke at 5, but it wasn’t raining. I checked my phone and it showed now, that the rain would start at 7 and last all day at over 50% probability every hour.

I lay and debated the point of staying at this location for the day, in the rain, no birding, only to drive on tomorrow again. (I had only ever planned to stay 24 hours/2 nights and then move on) Seemed pointless so, at 6.30, I made a cup of coffee and while the water boiled took down my tent. Then I sat under the canopy smoking and drinking the coffee while the rain started 15 minutes early.

By 7.15 I had finished my coffee and packed up the wet canopy and was driving out of the park and down to the local town and Mackers for breakfast and research. 

I filled up with fuel @ $2.27, $28 in, and headed west and then north, bypassed Oklahoma City, and arrived at a small nothing sort of place in the middle of nowhere, a real Oklahoma expectation kind of place, a long road surrounded by nothing for millions of miles with a motel, a diner and a Chinese restaurant in a row with, surprise, surprise, a Wal-Mart directly across the road! 

The place was called Blackwell, 600 ks and 5 and half hours from where I started, and about 100 ks directly north of Oklahoma City. It was the closest place I could get to my chosen birding spot in Oklahoma – the Great Salt Plains NWR. The weather was predicted as rain overnight, but cloudy and rain-free tomorrow. I kept my fingers crossed.

On the drive I stopped a couple of times for necessary functions and cigarettes and thought it worthwhile to note that now - when I go into Mackers to have a coffee - when I’m finished I fill the cup with ice, take it out and put it in my esky and fill my water bottle with cold water to drink along the way. All good! Mackers is great! 

I also filled up with fuel again just before my day’s driving finished - @ $2.24/gal; $27 in.

Arkansas to Oklahoma - to the left of Blackwell, you can just see the Great Salt Plain NWR as a lake area

When I got to Blackwell I stopped in Mackers car park, logged onto their internet from the car and booked a motel room in the Super 8 Wyndham motel two miles further down the road for two nights for $105. (I had decided on a motel cause of the predicted weather again).

I got there, checked in with the very nice owner/manager/whatever and asked if she would do my laundry? A notice on the counter said it was $12 a load and I figured 2 long-sleeved t-shirts, 1 normal t-shirt, a pair of birding pants, undies, hankie, 2 long-sleeved birding shirts and 2 pair of socks worthwhile. She said she’d have them done in an hour – I said, no rush, tomorrow would be fine. 

I retired to my room and spent a few hours looking at choices involving species (like Rosy-finches and Sage Grouse) and places (like Gunnison, New Mexico, southern Colorado, Utah etc) until my eyes were more crossed than usual.

Then I went next door to the Dragon Palace and stuffed my face with Chinese food from their $7.99 all-you-can-eat buffet. It wasn’t the best Chinese I’ve ever had, but it certainly filled my stomach, which was smaller than my eyes, and I was stuffed to bursting in my greed to get my money’s worth.

Back in my room and my laundry was done – for nothing, she refused to take any money, said it was nothing and the load was so small. Wow!! Incidentally the room was spotless, smelt nice and the décor, although a little dated maybe, as a lot of these places in USA appear to be, was all in great nick and very comfortable.

The weather forecast says it’ll rain all night till 6am, then be a bit windy in the morning. It also said today’s forecast high here was 20. Tomorrow’s is a maximum of 7. SEVEN degrees after TWENTY today? WTF??? And the morning will start off at 1C, but the actual low tomorrow is minus 4? 

Jesus wept…….

Trip List (USA)–219    Lifers (total)- 90 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 58 – 7.11.19 Thursday

I got up at 6 and had the free breakfast, making myself a waffle in the waffle machine provided. It was still dark when I finished so I hung out in my room for a while.

When I headed out I found it was an hour’s drive to the birding location – I hadn’t realised it was that far, but set off anyway across the seemingly endless landscape of flat barren fields with a wind trying to blow the car off the road.

Before I got to the Great Salt Plains National Wildfowl Refuge I could see flocks of Sandhill Cranes against the morning sky – hundreds of them in small flocks of 20 or less. The morning was dominated by their honking as small groups flew around in and out of the refuge. I didn’t get close to any standing birds, but there were hundreds more on the opposite side of the lake I started at. I estimated about 3,500 in total for the day. Could have been more, maybe I was a little late arriving and some had already left as a previous lister on E Bird recently claimed 10,000.

Sandhill Crane (NOT the same three birds!)

Anyway, I drove to the visitor’s center – closed – then on to the first ‘walk’ and out to an open roofed hide overlooking a shallow lake.

First birds were a flock of ~100 Ring-billed Gulls, 7 Bonaparte’s Gulls and ~30 Forester’s Terns. There was a feeding flock of about 100 American Avocets showing just how shallow the lake was. 

There were flocks of duck which slowly approached my end of the lake as they fed – all numbers approximate – 400 Northern Mallard, 200Gadwall, 150 Green-winged Teal, 50 Northern Shoveler, 150 Northern Pintail, 5 Redhead, 100 American Coots. 

Bonaparte's Gull

In the distance I could see a flock of ~35 very white looking ducks – they were at the furthest limit of the X50 mag but I was pretty confident they were my target – Hooded Merganser. They never came very close, but I did see a few of the males sit up and flap their wings during the hour or so I waited – and froze. 

My phone told me it was 0 degrees and that it felt like minus 7. 

It actually felt like minus 77 and my fingers felt like they would snap off, despite two pairs of gloves. The rest of me was OK, but when I got back to the car I unpacked my thermals, went into a toilet, stripped down to my undies and got into them pretty quick. Needless to say half an hour later the sun was out and it ‘warmed up’ to about 5 degrees, but I was much more comfortable.

I walked a bit of the track seeing virtually no passerines. The wind was definitely affecting their presence.

So I drove the ‘auto-route’ and stopped when I saw some birds. Yellow-rumped Warblers dominated, with Dark-eyed Juncos coming in second. I found a group of 12 Eastern Bluebirds at one point and saw a couple of American Robins as well. A few Carolina Chickadees and one Spotted Towhee completed the scene. I stopped at a few of the ponds along the track and on one found a distant flock of Canada Geese with about 10 Greater White-fronted Geese among them. I looked but couldn’t find any Snow Geese.

I reached the end of the auto-route which put me back on the main road. I found a few Eastern Meadowlarks, one of which sort of perched up for me to get the camera on it – but most blew away in the breeze. I reckon I saw at least 30, conservatively, along the road.

Eastern Meadowlark

I decided to do the run again and drove back into the refuge and checked the hide to see if my HMs had come any closer. The glare was horrific by now and nothing new was in sight.

I drove the auto-route again and again stopped when I saw birds. I think it might have been the same group of Y-R Warblers, C Chickadees and DE Juncos, but among them my patience was rewarded with a single Field Sparrow. (I shouldn’t feel too proud, cause I should have seen this a long time ago, however, his bland, virtually unmarked face stood out immediately and I was happy to tick him). 

By now it was after 13.00, I was pretty tired, my back was aching and I’d basically had enough so headed home to do some research, make decisions and relax in anticipation of a big drive the next day.

Typical Oklahoma road - endlessly going to nowhere

I couldn’t face Chinese food again for dinner so went the other side of the motel to a diner and had fried chicken smothered in a thick white gravy/sauce, baked potato and fried okra. The chicken was nice when I scraped off the ‘sauce’ – too rich for my taste – the potato was good, the okra? Disappointingly deep fried bland really. That plus coffee and a cup of good vegetable soup was $12.50. I left $15 on the table – big spender me.

I had been tossing up on where exactly to go from here. Originally I had planned on Gunnison in Colorado – basically in a fantasy hope of Gunnison Sage Grouse, however, reviewing the weather there and the minimal chance of the GSG I had decided to head further south. It was a toss up between Heron Lake (1,200 ks, 10+ hrs) based on a 2015 report of Rosy Finches, or Albuquerque (1,100 Ks, 9 + hrs) as a slightly closer and easier option.  

In the end I decided that Pinyon Jay would be my target – the Rosy Finches would just be too difficult on a one day visit, especially with zero reports of any in recent months – so, based on recent reports and none near Albuquerque - Santa Fe would be it tomorrow night. 1020 ks/9 hrs via Interstate 40 West.

Trip List (USA)–225    Lifers (total)– 92 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 59 – 8.11.19 Friday

I was up again at 6. It was minus 4 outside, but no wind, so it “felt like -4” warmer than yesterday anyway. I had been a bit worried about ice on the road but as it turned out, the roads were dry and there was no threat, although the fields were white with frost and some roadside pools sheeted over.

I chose to forgo the free breakfast in the motel – it had been a bit average – and went, instead, back to The Stack, the diner next door. I had eggs (over medium), bacon and toast and a side order of ‘grits’. I had wanted to try grits – like the fried okra of the previous night. Once again I was disappointed – it was a white, bland gritty (admittedly) sort of rice thing. I asked the rather elderly waitress what was in it, but she said she didn’t know. ??? Lived here all her life and didn’t know how ‘grits’ were made? Strange that! Anyway, it was pretty shit, in my opinion, and I didn’t eat any apart from a minor tasting. Maybe it wasn’t good ‘grits’.

I was on the road by 7.15 and back down the highway to Oklahoma City. 

A sort of strange ‘it’s a small world’ type incident happened.

At 8 I pulled into a random service station as I was bursting from the three cups of coffee I had drunk before and with breakfast. I had a smoke outside afterwards and exchanged pleasantries with a fellow smoker before we both got into our cars and I headed on south.

After I got through the usual road issues around a city and cleared Oklahoma City itself, I needed fuel so picked a service station at random again and pulled in to fill up. ($2.17/gal, $26 in) It was the usual thing, pay $40 in the office, go back, fill up the car, return for the change. 

I got back to my car and a voice on the other side of the pump said ‘we meet again’! It was the guy from the previous servo, an hour and a half before!

It may not seem like a big deal, but for the two of us to turn up at the same PUMP (no 14 out of 20) at the same SERVO, at the same TIME, considering the hundreds of options open to us and the thousands of cars on the road – I thought it was pretty incredible, as did he.

Anyway, once again, I headed on down the road or rather, down the interstate, sitting comfortably on 81 mph in the 70 mph speed limit zone – completely normal in USA, everyone drives 10 mph over the limit, except at schools and in suburbia.

I stopped about 3 more times, another fuel stop ($2.49/gal, $33 in) and a couple of necessary functions following coffee intake. The scenery across Oklahoma and north Texas was pretty boring, then it was into desert and mesas and buttes and so on in New Mexico until I turned off  I40W and headed north to Santa Fe, arriving at 16.45. A total of 1,020 kms and 10 + hours of almost solid driving. (I had gained an hour at the New Mexico border as I switched to Central Plains time, hence the apparent mathematical error.)

I found a Mackers, went on-line outside and booked a room at a Day’s Inn just up the road for $117 for two nights. I was buggered if I was going to find a campsite after driving all day and the temperature predicted to be 1 degree overnight. The sun was shining and it was 17 degrees, but cold in the shadows and I was knackered.

I had a shower and a quick meal via the microwave and crashed early.

Trip List (USA)–225    Lifers (total)– 92 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 60 – 9.11.19 Saturday

I got up at 6, but stuffed around with emails before having the very average free breakfast and then heading out to the Overlook Park near White Rock, northwest of Santa Fe. I thought the cold morning would extend bird activity, but later kicked myself for not getting out there sooner than 8.30. The park was on the edge of a mesa (maybe?) – rough, sandy, rock-strewn ground with scattered juniper trees that maxed out at about 3 meters at most tall. Some taller trees in the background, but generally real mountain desert-type of terrain. Such a contrast to the kind of habitats I’ve been in for the last several weeks.

Overlook Park, Santa Fe, NM

The place was alive with birds – mostly American Robins, (~300) but I saw the following in order of appearance:

Woodhouse Scrub Jay (10)

Townsend’s Solitaire (20)

Canyon Towhee (3)

Western Bluebird (15)

Common Raven (2)

Juniper Titmouse (1)

Dark-eyed Junco (20)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)

Black-capped Chickadee (2)

House Finch (4)

Spotted Towhee (1)

White-winged Dove (10)

Sharp-shinned Hawk (1)

Red-tailed Hawk (1)

But no Pinyon Jay. At times there were birds going everywhere. The Robins were a pain as each one had to be checked and they kept diving into the small juniper trees and running around behind them. I’m sure I missed stuff as a result, but got great views of all of the above. Really any visiting birder would be happy with a list like this, I guess, but having seen them all last year and not even getting a hint of my target bird…..

 

Canyon Towhee

Juniper Titmouse

 Juniper Titmouse video (not very good):

https://youtu.be/g9M4Ym4TqWU

Townsend's Solitaire

Western Bluebird

Woodhouse's Scrub Jay

I left at 11, as it got quite warm - full sun, clear skies, no wind, only 17 degrees but really pleasant, but the bird life died. I left feeling a bit flat – possibly just tired and frustrated as I was sure I had missed stuff, but confident I hadn’t missed my target bird.

I got down to the main road and into traffic caused, I think, by roadworks. I crawled along in it for 15 minutes or so, then pulled off into a Mackers and had coffee, a pumpkin pie and did some research again until the traffic cleared.

By the time I left it had warmed further but I drove to a place near Santa Fe – the Audubon Center and started to walk up the canyon trail. I gave up after 15 minutes or so, it was dead as and I just felt knackered.

I headed home and spent the rest of the afternoon reading and snoozing.

Walked 100 meters to a Denny’s for dinner – had pot roast, pumpkin pie and coffee for $20, then home and crashed early again.

Trip List (USA)–232    Lifers (total)– 92 birds (+11 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 61 – 10.11.19 Sunday

I was on the road before 7 having not bothered with breakfast – apart from coffee, of course.

I headed southwest back towards Albuquerque. Being a Sunday the road wasn’t busy and I could sit on my usual 10 mph over whatever speed limit was posted.

I filled up with fuel in the Albuquerque area @ $2.33/gal; $27 in and headed west on the old I40 again. I drove as far as Flagstaff stopping once for a Mackers coffee, but didn’t sit, just grabbed and went.

I turned north at Flagstaff after filling up with fuel again - $2.67/gal; $28 in - on a one lane highway – the 89 – and on into spectacular scenery towards the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The road was pretty shit, but the scenery was awesome, difficult to get into perspective and very difficult to get ‘on film’ with any hope of impact. It’s just all so big.

Scenery video:

https://youtu.be/9_ic-Q1JBGk

I was heading for Marble Canyon beside the Colorado River and my target was California Condor. There was a place called Navajo Bridge that seemed to have consistent reports.

I reached the bridge – a one lane each way metal trestle – and decided, at the last moment, to have a quick look.

There was a guy with a huge lens on a tripod and I approached him with optimism rising. Sure enough, perched on the struts under the bridge 6, no less, California Condors.

Brilliant! Target acquired and nailed! 

California Condor

 Condor video:

https://youtu.be/DbYbx7FfmzM

I spent some time taking photos, looking at the wing-tagged birds and talking to the dude from Texas, then headed on the short distance to Marble Canyon itself in search of milk. I found it in the service station which was the only place in Marble Canyon, apart from a motel. As I walked back to the car several small ground squirrels scuttled around like clockwork toys – Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels Callospermophilus lateralis.

Arrived at the campground and picked a site – it was only 15.30, but I felt like sitting down and enjoying the view with coffee and cheese & biscuits after the 7 hours on the road. As I did a small bird hopped around my tent – Canyon Wren - who then performed brilliantly for the camera on a nearby rock.

Canyon Wren

Canyon Wren video:

https://youtu.be/cduR5oVIn3A

I sat for a while, then downloaded my photos, wrote my notes, had dinner and crashed.

Trip List (USA)–234    Lifers (total)– 93 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 62 – 11.11.19 Monday

I was up at 6 after a restless morning as I had woken at 4 and it seemed my mattress had gone flat overnight. I had a big breakfast and leisurely broke camp as I didn’t plan to drive too far.

I left camp at 8 and headed down again to the Navajo Bridge to see the, presumably same, 6 California Condors still perched up on the bridge struts.

Then I parked beside the motel and walked around the back, successfully getting photos of the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, three of which scurried around at high speed. Man, they can run. I’d love to get it on video, but they were just too fast.

Golden-mantled Grousd Squirrel

I set off at about 8.45 and eventually arrived in Hurricane, a town in Utah in which I found a Mackers and hurried in to get a well deserved coffee and wifi access. I spent some time there checking stuff and waiting to make a phone call.

While checking stuff I jus ran an EBird check on recent reports of Hooded Merganser ……….. and found that 6 had been seen a few days previously on a small lake about 10 minutes away.

Well, what is a guy to do? But go and check!

I found the lake – Grandad’s Pond – at the edge of a new housing estate surrounded by a bitumen path and patches of reeds. There were birds on the water and then scope quickly established hundreds of American Coots, approx 30 Redheads, 2 Canvasbacks, 40 or so Lesser Scaup and, yes! About 12 Hooded Mergansers. A walk around the lake (kinda like Minnippi in many ways – got me to within decent camera range of the amazing males. Far out!!

Hooded Merganser female

Hooded Merganser male

Hooded Merganser video: (new video, updated)

https://youtu.be/F5PF4fBC4F8

Redhead

Sated with HMs and happy as a pig in shit, I headed off up the road to Zion national Park. 

It was busy. I got a campsite ina ‘group area’ where several groups of campers share the fire pit and tables.  It was OK, very open really and you could get stuck with people if you weren’t careful. I talked to a guy around my age who had been camping for the last two years with his 2 Husky/Malmut/wolf cross dogs. He was from Idaho and reminded me a bit of Mr H. Pretty cool guy actually. 

One of the other camper groups (2 guys) in my area built a fire and started playing a guitar. I hate people who play guitars in public places when no one is interested.  However, the guy from Idaho had invited me over to his campfire so I headed over there.

Trip List (USA)–236    Lifers (total)– 93 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 63 – 12.11.19 Tuesday

In Zion NP you can’t drive yourself around very far, ypu have to take a shuttle bus up the canyon. I wasn’t real keen on the idea, preferring always to do my own thing. It was windy too and I was a bit disillusioned so I birded for an hour or so around the campsite seeing only House and a few White-crowned Sparrows and decided I would head out. I forgot, for the first time, to take a photo of the campsite, but I took a couple of the gorge around it....

Zion National Park

I broke camp, said goodbye to Rick and was on the road by 9. A late start which proved awkward as it turned out.

I sort of planned to get as far as I could towards Yosemite but was prepared to camp somewhere short of my target should the opportunity present itself.

I was passing through Virgin shortly afterwards and needed a toilet desperately. I stopped behind a post office (deserted) and watered the cactus and while I did so a Rock Wren put in a close appearance.

Rock Wren

Rock Wren video:

https://youtu.be/kXIVUDmiQ6M

The ride down from Zion to Nevada, through part of northern Arizona was spectacular, a great road through gorges and around fantastic outcrops.

I reached the outskirts of Las Vegas and found a Mackers for coffee and a relax. Filled up with fuel again – most expensive so far @ $2.25/gal, $40 in – and hit the road again. The highway took me around the east of Vegas and past Creech AFB. Mr H and I had passed it going the other way last year from Pahrump to a birding site in the Vegas area.

It was a long, boring, tedious drive really. The desert in these areas is pretty flat until it hits ranges of small mountains on either side, which are a long way off, and the road just goes on and on and on…

I turned off Highway 95N and onto 6W eventually, after passing a small town called Beatty and filling up with fuel at Tonopah station – more expensive again, but I needed it, not knowing how far the next fuel was. $3.53; $33 in.

I got to a smaller town called Benton expecting maybe a campground? The terrain had changed a bit by now, being a bit more hilly and less deserty. But there was no apparent campground there so I turned right and headed towards Mono Lake and the eastern gateway to Yosemite.

By now, 10 hours on the road even having gained an hour by crossing the California border, the sun was seriously setting and I wasn’t gonna make Yosemite before dark.

I got to the eastern entrance and stopped at a gift shop come petrol station and asked the chick if there was, any camping in the area. It was dark by now. She told me all the campsites on that side of Yosemite were closed for the season, the only ones were 2 and half hours away and also the local private ones had closed, but maybe 15 minutes down the road? 

I jumped on the iPad and found a free camping area that far away, drove down, drove in and found a rough site that would suit. There was no one else in the area, which I was pleased about, having seen some of the occupants of the free camping areas at previous locations.

I set up camp, got a coffee going and heated up a tin of spaghetti and meatballs before crawling into bed around 19.00. It was predicted to be minus 2C in the morning so I wore full thermals just in case.

As it turned out I was warm as toast and it was only 1C so not so bad.

Trip List (USA)–237   Lifers (total)– 93 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 64 – 13.11.19 Wednesday

I was up at 6 and had coffee and oats before breaking camp and heading out to have a look at Mono Lake. It was much bigger than I had imagined and the birds on the water were a fair way out. I did, however, see American Coots, Ruddy Ducks and Horned or Slavonian Grebes – all in good numbers.

Free camping at Mono Lake

I headed into Yosemite around 9, in the end and drove the road right through via Tioga Pass. There were patches of snow on the higher peaks and the scenery was spectacular. It took me over two hours to drive at an average speed of 35 mph/ 55 kph to reach the far end. I stopped a couple of times but saw nothing exceptional, in fact, saw very little apart from Common Ravens and a handful of Dark-eyed Juncos.

I reached the campground at Hodgdon Meadow, although I don’t know where the ‘meadow’ part comes in as it was all big pine trees, but nice. I found a site, paid my $18 for the night and set up camp.

I had some lunch (for a change) and, while I did, a pair of Douglas’s Squirrels Tamiasciurus douglasii chased around a nearby fallen tree and Steller’s Jays, a pair of Brown Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Downy Woodpecker and 2 Hermit Thrushes passed by.

Douglas's Squirrel

Hermit Thrush

Following a drive in search of phone signal, I birded around the campsite for a hour or two. There wasn’t much around, in fact, I was starting to think I would see more just sitting at my tent.

Then I hard a tapping and followed it up a slope off the road I was on. It was just a Hairy Woodpecker, but it seemed there were a few birds around so I lay down on the ground with my head pillowed by a log and watched for a while. I was rewarded with a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers which was just brilliant as I’d wanted to see this species particularly.

 

White-headed Woodpecker

I also had a Northern Flicker and some small birds so high up I couldn’t ID them for sure. Chickadees of some sort I think.

After dinner and dark I headed out up the road into the park and drove for a few ks hoping to find some mammals along the road. I stopped at a couple of places and played for owls too, but got no responses. The road was quite busy, traffic-wise, and I had no chance of seeing anything there either so went back and went to bed just after 7. While I had been away another group of about 6 campers had set up at a campsite next to mine and were burning marshmallows and so on over their fire. They also were setting up for a big night and one tosser had such a loud voice I heard his opinion on every subject under the sun.

I lay for a while trying to sleep, but in the end I got up, dressed, took all my food out of the ‘bear bin’ (a solid cupboard in every campsite where you were instructed to store your food), put it all in the car along with my bedding, took down the tent and moved about 100 meters away to another, empty site. I set it all up again, put all my food in the bear bin at that site and crawled back into bed for a solid night’s sleep.

Trip List (USA)–239   Lifers (total)– 94 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 65 – 14.11.19 Thursday

I was up at 6, an hour before dawn, had a coffee and a smoke and drove into the park again. The road was much less busy, but the only animals I saw were 3 Mule Deer. Again I played for owls, but no response.

Back at camp I had a small breakfast, broke camp and was on the road before 8.
I drove down the fantastic winding road towards San Francisco and stopped at a Mackers for a coffee and a bit of internet, but they had no public power outlets (some Mackers do, some don’t, but the wifi is always good) so I couldn’t charge anything. I also needed a new charge cord for my iPad as the one I had had failed, so I went into a Wal-Mart, got one along with some minor supplies and then to a bank to withdraw some more cash. Finally filled up with fuel again - $3.69/gal; $40 in (petrol is much more expensive in California as you will have noticed) and headed on into San Fran.

I had programmed Maps Me to guide me on non-toll roads and whether that was the reason or not, I don’t know, but I ended up driving through the middle of the city with multiple road works and traffic lights……but eventually ended up on the Golden Gate bridge – something I had wanted to do for a long time. It wasn’t as spectacular an experience as I had imagined – the lanes were really narrow and the road surface bumpy as shit, but I managed to film it all while driving, which was a challenge in itself.

Golden Gate Bridge video:

https://youtu.be/r8518TsbWPc

Then I ran into traffic – no reason, just normal afternoon chaos I think on the northern highway, eventually turning off a narrow road to arrive at Bodega Bay on the coast. I was still a long way from my destination, but the drive along the coast was brilliant. A narrow two lane winding, curving, road, somewhat similar to the Great Ocean Rd or the road south of Monterey Bay, but with less traffic and I hammered along loving every minute of the two hours or so it took me to reach Pt Arena. Like a race track - my type of driving!

It was dark when I found the KOA campsite, but I got a nice, secluded site and the proprietor was very pleasant, for $40 a night. I had my first hot shower and shave in 5 days and heated up the leftovers from the night before for dinner while I charged everything in a power point in the camper’s kitchen. There was no phone signal, but the wifi was excellent.

No birding, BUT, while stuck in traffic I did see a White-tailed Kite land in a roadside tree to add to the trip list.

Trip List (USA)–240   Lifers (total)– 94 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–27 (+5 Mammals)

Day 66 – 15.11.19 Friday

I’d been expecting rain, but it was only pretending when I woke at 5. I was up at 6 and had a slow breakfast, taking my time and being visited by a Hermit Thrush while I ate.

I set off for the lighthouse planning a seawatch and realised that there was a heavy mist hanging over the coast, no wind, an almost flat sea but a heavy swell hitting the rocks below. It was a sight to make an old seawatcher’s heart jump for joy!

The coast looking towards the lighthouse, Pt Arena, CA

I set up and scanned the ocean – there were HUDREDS of birds passing – divers, auks, cormorants, man, it was goin’ off! I had forgotten to bring my chair so I hopped back in the car and hammered back the 6 miles or so to camp, grabbed the chair, returned and set up for a lengthy watch – just brilliant!

On a side note – as I was returning down the lighthouse road, the driver of the car in front of me was crawling along at the speed limit, brushing her teeth as she drove! I might have been pushing her along a bit, but not badly, however, when we got to the carpark and both got out of our cars, she commented about my tailgating her. I told her she shouldn’t throw stones when she lived in a glass house and brushing your teeth as you drive was a definite distraction. She said she was Ok with that and I told her ‘Good for you’ and went on with my business.

Anyway, back to the important stuff…

There were hundreds of Red-throated Divers, Pacific Divers and a few Great Northern Divers (I don’t like the name Loons, so they’re divers, they’ve always been divers) and flocks of Common Guillemots and Brandt’s Cormorants continually passing over the next three hours. It was amazing. Interspersed with them were a few flocks of Surf Scoter, a few Black Scoter, Cassin’s Auklets and Rhinoceros Auklets. I had about 4 of the latter sitting on the water in the scope – all immatures at that range, possibly some adults in flight. I had a Merlin chase a Cassin’s Auklet – don’t know what it would have done if it had caught it – and a Peregrine fly past. There were a small number of gulls – Western, Californian and American Herring Gulls knocking around.

And several Harbour Seals lolling in the water below.

In the grounds of the lighthouse there was a flock of about 30 Kildeer and Song and White-crowned Sparrows.

When the passage slowed I took a walk to the other side of the headland to see if there was a more sheltered beach that might harbour waders – there wasn’t but along the way an American Kestrel, a Western Kingbird and a single American Pipit showed up. It was classic Pipit country but I only saw the one. They seem to be thin on the ground if it had been Ireland there would have been dozens in that habitat. The Kingbird threw me too, being so reddish brown in the underbelly – I remember them as being yellow - but this was a ‘worn adult fall bird’ apparently.

 

American Kestrel

American Pipit

Western Kingbird

So, two long awaited lifers under my belt and I started to head back to look for less exposed rocky areas. I stopped after about 300 meters and walked out to the cliff edge to check and see – and was rewarded with a small rocky beach protected from the waves and a flock of 21 Black Turnstone, (new for USA list), 12 Black Oystercatchers and 12 Surfbirds! Yaaaaa!

I spent some time filming them – it was a bit difficult to get a good angle looking down on top of the birds, but brilliant in the scope.

Surfbird

Black Turnstone & Surfbird video:

https://youtu.be/V7Mkw7Cv3To

I carried on and drove the 13 miles to Gualala a small seaside town that had looked interesting when I drove through last night. I found one café there and had soup and (2) excellent cappuccinos in celebration.

Then I drove around trying several areas without much more success, apart from a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks, another White-tailed Kite and good views of a Fox Sparrow.

I was back at camp at 16.30, downloaded my photos and wrote up my notes, while planning another seawatch at dawn the next day. The wet mist and lack of wind continued after dark, so hopefully it would be similar conditions in the morning.

Trip List (USA)–256   Lifers (total)– 97 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–28 (+5 Mammals)

Day 67 – 16.11.19 Saturday

I was really in two minds - so what's new I hear you say?

I hadn't appreciated just how far I was still from Seattle. Having crossed the entire continent I sort of assumed (!) that I was within easy reach.

Not so. I was still 1,200 kms away.

I wanted to be within 2 hours of Seatac on Thursday morning - just so there were no final stuff ups.

I was trying to find places to stop along the way that fulfilled that criteria - and gave me some birding opportunities. The wifi at the campsite had been so slow the previous night cause of everyone jumping on, I was sure, to download movies etc - that I had given up. However, I had decided to at least attempt another seawatch and take it from there.

I left for the Point at 7.00, nearly running over 4 California Quail scurrying down the road in the gloom. The fog, which was a better description than 'mist', was really heavy. I could barely see the second set of waves - and they were bigger and there was more white water than the previous day. I set up and gave it an hour but it didn't get any better - I didn't see one bird actually 'passing' - maybe they were there, further out but invisible in the murk. I did see Brandt's Cormorants and 1 Western Grebe, but, apart from 5 Harbour Seals asleep on the rocks below, that was it. I decided to leave on a high (from yesterday) and do some research for the next few days, while, I hoped, the wifi was quiet.

Heading back I stopped at a cafe at the end of the lighthouse access road intending to pick up a coffee. But when I went in I decided to have breakfast. I had, just that morning, discovered that somewhere along the way I had misplaced my oats. I had no idea where but they were gone, so I had had only a coffee, a smoke and a banana for  breakfast.

The cafe looked good and the meal and cappuccinos were too - the coffee was hot, the poached eggs perfect, the bacon a delight, and the service excellent, but I didn't like the giant hash brown thing that came with it. That was cool and I scoffed everything else, paid the $25 (inc tip) and headed back to camp.

I did some work on the laptop, the wifi was good and I made some decisions.

My first was I would head north now. To Eureka, which promised a lifer seen recently on the 'north spit jetty' - Rock Sandpiper. That was good enough for me, put me 3 hours further north, within reach of Eugene, where a couple of other birds look possible and that set me up for a final drive to a final location, still to be finalised, close to Seatak.

So I broke camp and hit the road just before 10.

I only put $20 fuel in because it was freaking expensive in this isolated part of the coast - $4.65/gal - then headed north along the Shoreline Highway which was a SUPERB drive. Just brilliant scenery. Every 10 minutes another '12 Apostle-type' scene unfolded, rocky islands, sandy (black volcanic) beaches, rivers, mountains, the pounding Pacific, small towns, lovely looking places to stay. I could go back there easily. Very impressed.

I filled up with fuel again at Fort Bravo - still expensive compared to everywhere else - #3.87; $40 in.

A bit further up the road and I stopped at a beach for a fag, then the next section of road took me through redwoods. Amazing road, just brilliant to drive fast. I grew up on roads like these in the Wicklow mountains and I loved every minute of it - Oh and the trees were pretty cool too.

I arrived at Leggett and, on an instant impulse, turned off to 'The World Famous Drive Through Tree' - paid my $10, drove through he very tight hole, took a photo and drove out and onto the 101 for a fast ride, again through redwood forests, but on a dual highway, to get to Eureka at 14.30.

The $10 photo

I stopped at a Mackers for internet and coffee and identified the 'north spit jetty'.

Headed out there into the soup-like fog which only blanketed the coast - a km inland and it was sunny and warm - here it was damp and cold.

Jettys, I have discovered in the USA, are not the typical jetty as I know it - i.e. a wooden structure sticking out into the sea. They are - and this one was - a cement or rock breakwater. This one lay across the end of the spit with the channel on the other side, a beach on this side. The rocks and cement were eroded and broken in places and the waves were breaking over and through it here and there, flooding the beach.

Almost immediately I saw Black Turnstones and Surfbirds. In number. Well, about 30 Black Turnstones and maybe 20 Surfbirds. And they were very confiding being used to people I assume. I walked up and down the beach watching the wall as every time a big wave broke along the wall, the birds would fly up and over or land on top so it made it easy to go through them and look for my target.

Surfbird

I worked the jetty for some time, but didn't see my RS. In the channel beyond the wall there were a couple of Great Northern Divers and one very close Rhinoceros Auklet. The conditions were terrible for photos - gloomy, foggy - but I did my best.

Rhinocerous Auklet

By now it was almost 17.00 and getting dark -  I decided to motel it, for the night and found a place - Travel Lodge by Wyndham - in Eureka for $60. I drove there, checked in and made some dinner the microwave. I planed to return to the 'jetty' first thing in the morning and try again.

Trip List (USA)–257   Lifers (total)– 97 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–28 (+5 Mammals)

Day 68 – 17.11.19 Sunday

I was up at 6 after a good night’s sleep and partook of the average breakfast provided. I checked out by 7 and headed back to the North Spit Jetty. It was, again, a very foggy, damp, cool morning, but the tide was at it’s lowest (@ 8.30) and hopes were at their highest.

I quickly found a flock of Black Turnstones and Surfbirds picking their way along the wall closest to the car. I went through them with a fine tooth binocular but couldn’t see anything different about any of them. I chased them up and down the wall for a half an hour or so, seeing again a Rhinoceros Auklet at close range, Great Northern and Pacific Divers, a Western Grebe and a handful of Pelagic Cormorants.

Black Turnstone - couldn't resist just one more

Rhinoceros Auklet - ditto, but I saw more of it as below.....

Western Grebe - a bit fuzzy due to the fog

Hmmmmmm.

So, these birds (Rock Sands) are like Purple Turnstones right? I knew from experience on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, that Purple Sands always seem to be right at the end of a wall, right down on the breaking wave part, so taking that into account, I resolved to work my way along the entire wall. 

Easier said than done as, in places, the wall was completely broken. Everywhere was wet, slippery, uneven and down right dangerous to someone like me who falls over regularly.

However, I made my way along that treacherous wall for it’s entire kilometre or more not finding anything until near the end when more f…..g Black Turnstones and Surf-bloody-birds had to be virtually kicked out of the way.

I got to the end, lit a cigarette, shrugged my shoulders and resigned myself to another dip on another species and started the hazardous journey back.

The end of the wall is there - 100 meters away, the wooden sleeper things were slippy as shit.

About 100 meters back from the end I thought I’d have one more look at where I had last seen those Black Turn-bloody-stones and Surf-bloody-birds and lo and behold – a Rock Sandpiper!

Yah-bloody-hoo!! Never was a bird more richly deserved, I reckoned. I’d looked for them with Mr W in Hokkaido, Japan, last year and searched every rock between Monterey Bay and LA  in southern California with Mr H also last year and now, finally, cracked it.

I spent a while taking 2 or 300 hundred photos and a couple of videos, just because I could, before heading back. 

Rock Sandpiper - not cropped, it really was this close.

Rock Sandpiper video:

https://youtu.be/GTLSCMp_B40

It wasn’t the trudge of despair now, but the Triumphant March Of The Happy Man!

I dropped in to a Mackers for a coffee to celebrate, then set off on the 5 hour drive to Eugene in Oregon, my next destination. 

It was, again, a fantastic scenic drive, firstly north along the coast, then inland from Crescent City through redwood forests on brilliant roads. Man, it was spectacular.

This coast had really impressed me. I wouldn’t rush back to Eureka – it struck me as a bit of a down and out place - but the natural environment around it and all up and down the coastline was just brilliant.

I reached Eugene around 15.30 on a grey, dull, bleak sort of day. I just didn’t feel like camping. I guess I’ve had enough and a comfortable bed in a room with a shower etc seemed like a much better option. I booked a place through Booking.com as I always have for $120 for two nights – the Super 6 North Eugene and headed there, checked in and found no microwave, no fridge, not even shampoo for God’s sake, in the room. No breakfast included – not that that’s a big deal, given the average motel breakfast - but it was also a long walk from the car and I was a bit pissed off. However, the next closest motel in my cheap price range was 20 odd kilometres further away from where I intended to bird the next day so I decided to suck it up and stay. It’s strange, the places I have stayed for one night only, have been, on the whole, quite good. The ones I have booked for more than one night have been generally, disappointing. It must be me.

Trip List (USA)–259   Lifers (total)– 98 birds (+12 Mammals)     New NA–28 (+5 Mammals)

Day 69 – 18.11.19 Monday

It was a bleak looking, damp, cold morning in Eugene when I headed out to Mackers for pancakes & coffee. It didn’t look hopeful, but I headed off for Maurie Jacob’s Park and the river walk along the Williamette River to Alton Baker Park. I had chosen this site because both my target species had been seen there in the last week or so – Red-breasted Sapsucker and Pacific Wren.

There wasn’t much visible in the Maurie Jacob’s end of things but as I crossed the river on the foot/bike bridge a Spotted Sandpiper landed on the rocky shore below so it wasn’t all bad.

In fact it got better as I walked the 3 kms to my turnaround point in Alton Baker.

Along the river I had California Scrub and Steller’s Jays, then ran into a feeding flock of Bushtits, a Brown Creeper, a Downy Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch. A Sharp-shinned Hawk glided across the noisy highway to my left and a single female Common Goldeneyewas added to my trip list. Surprisingly a pair of Hooded Mergansers showed up on the river. I say ‘surprisingly’ cause you know how it is – you spend ages looking for a bird, you finally find it and then it’s everywhere! Next up I’ll trip over a flock of Rock Sands……

California Scrub Jay

Steller's Jay

Anyway, I got to the park and wandered a bit before going down a dirt track into the scrappy bush along the river bank and playing Pacific Wren without a lot of confidence.

Within 30 seconds I had 2 Bewick’s Wrens bouncing around and immediately afterwards a Pacific Wren! Got some shaky, out of focus photos but he wasn’t sitting still for long.

Target 1 achieved.

I walked back up onto the grass and saw a movement in a nearby tree – Northern Flicker, then another one. What the hell, I thought, use playback, what can it hurt?

It didn’t hurt anything, but I had a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the tree within a minute! The most discreet woodpecker type bird ever. He showed well for about 20 seconds then moved into dead leaf cover and refused to come out. That lasted with partial views for about 5 minutes then he flew into another, thicker tree and basically disappeared.

Target 2 achieved.

I hung around for a while trying to find another sapsucker – I really wanted a photo – but couldn’t find anyone willing to pose, so set off on the 3 kilometer hike back to the car. Along the river walk I saw much the same birds as on the outward journey plus Pied-billed Grebe and the Goldeneyes had increased to 5 males and 2 females. (definitely only Common, I checked)

On a side note – why is it that the richest, most powerful country in the world has such a derelict population living under bridges and freeways in plastic bags? Have I said this before? Cause it feels like I have. But it’s just depressing really to see these people wandering around carrying plastic bags, most, with all due respect, look like they have mental problems or possibly drug abuse issues. How can they not be looked after properly? And I know this is not a new issue, its ‘always’ been there, through multiple administrations, so we can’t even blame Donald for it.

I got back to the car and decided to try another location – Delta Ponds – that sounded worthwhile.

I got there and immediately had a nice Fox Sparrow feeding in front of me. 

Fox Sparrow

On the small, grotty looking ponds there were at least 20 Wood Duck and, again (!) 8 Hooded Mergansers. Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Northern Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Canada Geese, American Wigeon, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorants, Pied-billed Grebes and 3 Lesser Scaup were also on the water. 

In the bush along the waterside I had a moving flock of about 20 Yellow-rumped Warblers, a few Black-capped Chickadees, another Downy Woodpecker, another pair of Bewick’s Wrens and a couple more Northern Flickers. Jeeeez, they’re a nice bird. Really smart. I’ve got a big soft spot for Northern Flickers, they are so cool.

By now it was late lunch time and I decided for once to go to Mackers and have a burger. What a change! I hadn’t been bothering about lunch but was just feeling the need today.

That satisfied and a bit of research on the iPad and I decided to head for Mt Pisgah Regional Park. Well I actually went to Mt Pisgah Arboretum first, but it was quite busy and you had to pay to park in a rough car park. Bugger that. I drove the 30 km extra to the regional park which turned out to be a rough road into dense coniferous forest up a mountain (well, obviously, iit was up a mountain, it was MOUNT P after all….uhhh duhhh). 

It looked brilliant for Northern Saw–whet Owl and I hung around for two hours occasionally playing calls until it started to rain quite heavily just on dusk and I gave it away without success. It was a perfect place, I reckon. 

If I was a NS-w Owl I would live there.

Back home and I cooked some rice and heated a mix of beef  & veg soup, black beans and a can of roast beef chunks - in the bathroom so the steam wouldn’t set off the fire alarm - for a tasty and nourishing meal.

Trip List (USA)–266   Lifers (total)– 100 birds (+12 Mammals)  New NA–29 (+5 Mammals)

Day 70 – 19.11.19 Tuesday

It was spitting rain on a dull, grey, miserable looking morning when I shook the dust of Eugene off my boots and headed north on the I5.

I reached Sauvie Island near Portland on the Oregon/Washington state line and turned off to look for the wildlife refuge I expected to find packed with geese.

The island was much bigger than I expected, but I could see flocks of geese flying around, and, when I stopped, heard shotgun blasts in the distance.

I don’t think there is a ‘refuge’ on the island – or at least I never saw one. Everywhere I stopped told me I needed parking permits and a permit to kill wildlife or I wasn’t allowed in anywhere. I was tempted to ignore the details given that there was hardly anyone around and who would ask anyway, but it seemed pointless when I didn’t know where any geese were.

Until, that is, I turned a corner and found a mixed flock of Canada and Snow Geese in a field right by the road. I simply stopped and started scanning them from the car at about 50 meters. It was pretty spectacular and I think I was lucky they were there as all other birds were some considerable distance from the road. I watched for a while and felt comfortable that I could identify several Cackling Geese among the horde.

( The Snow Goose was not quite a lifer - I saw one in Wexford, Ireland in the mid-70s, but this was infinitely better than the one distant, blurry bird back then)

Snow Goose

Snow Goose video:

https://youtu.be/ixfaBke4cY8

Then I moved on and found other flocks further away and a field half full of Sandhill Cranes.

Sandhill Crane

Target (Snow Goose) acquired, I headed back to the main road and on to Aberdeen, my destination for my last two nights in the USA. I’d picked Aberdeen cause it was only one and a half to two hours from the airport and there were a couple of birds recently reported  in the area that I wanted to try for.

I had booked a room before I left Eugene in a Guesthouse Inn and reached there around 14.15 – the office was closed until 15.00 so I went to Wal-Mart and bought some take home stuff for the grandkids.

Returning to the motel, I cleared the car of everything and started sorting and packing for the journey home.

Trip List (USA)–268   Lifers (total)– 101 birds (+12 Mammals)  New NA–29 (+5 Mammals)

Day 77 – 20.11.19 Wednesday

I was on the road before dawn in a foggy, dripping morning. I headed for Preacher’s Slough Road trailhead, about 20 minutes away. There had been a report of Ruffed Grouse on ‘the road’ and I had to assume it was on this trail.

I walked the trail – or most of it anyway – through mixed, overgrown, moss-draped, tangled bush which didn’t look to me like Grouse habitat, but what do I know? Maybe I had the wrong place.

I did, however, see 2 Varied Thrushes, 3 Pacific Wrens, Steller’s Jays, a Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrows and a small flock of Chestnut-backed Chickadees. I also had what I believe was a Townsend’s Chipmunk Tamias townsendii  so the walk was not a waste of time by any means.

 

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Townsend's Chipmunk Tamias townsendii 

Varied Thrush

Back home again for a cup of coffee and loaded the camping chair, esky, pillow and bucket into the boot and headed out to a nearby area called Hoquiam for another targeted, reported bird. 

I found a ‘wildlife’ viewing area beside the river – 2 ponds that seemed to be part of the waste treatment complex which I think was the ‘viewing area’ although there was a Keep Out sign in front of one of them, which I ignored, there being no fence to stop access.

There were a lot of very flighty duck on the small ponds – Gadwall, Northern Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, another 15 Hooded Mergansers (can’t get away from them now!), Pied-billed Grebes – and a pair of my target species seen really well in the scope, but too far away for photos – Barrow’s Goldeneye. On the banks were a number of Kildeer and loafing around the riverbank and ponds – Glaucous-winged Gulls.

Glaucous-winged Gull

Happy with that! A great way to finish the holiday.

I stopped at a Mackers for a coffee and got rid of my true rubbish in one of their bins, then drove back to Aberdeen looking for a homeless person to endow with my no-longer-required essentials. 

I looked and drove and drove and looked but sometimes you just can’t find a homeless person when you want one.

I ended up leaving the stuff under a bridge in a seedy looking part of town where I have no doubt someone will find them useful.

Then to the car wash. I had been willing to pay someone to wash it professionally, but only found a do-it-yourself joint, so I did-it-myself – for $6.50.

Then back home again to pack up my stuff.

I hung around for a while then decided to drive out to Westport, about 30 minutes, just to have a look. This was where I was supposed to go on the pelagic back on 22^nd September when I first entered the states.

It was quite a nice harbour with a good seawall, off which I saw a flock of Surf Scoter and about 10 Western Grebes. I had packed the scope so it was a bins-job only and there could have been more out there, but they were just too far away.

I drove back to Aberdeen again and went to Denny’s for dinner. Man, what a meal! I ordered berry pancakes (2 big blueberry pancakes, banana, strawberries and maple syrup) which came with two over-easy fired eggs, 2 pieces of bacon and a hash brown – on two separate plates, for God’s sake! I ate it all, but it nearly killed me. Cost? $20, including a $3 tip – look at me! Tipping! Again!

Then back home for an easy last evening.

Trip List (USA)–272   Lifers (total)– 102 birds (+13 Mammals)  New NA–30 (+5 Mammals)

Day 78 – 21.11.19 Thursday

So, the last day of My Big Adventure and it was going to be another ‘planes, trains and automobiles’ kinda day. I was on the road, again, just after 8. 

It was a two hour drive to SeaTac and I only stopped to fill up @ $3.09/gal; $38 in.

At one point the traffic slowed to a crawl in the early morning peak hour and I had a quick glance at a pond beside the road. American Coots and, of course almost predictably, a male Hooded Merganser. Man, first I couldn’t find any, now I’m seeing them in a traffic hold up.

I dropped the car off with minimal fuss, just the usual casual walk around by the check in chick, although, thankfully, there was nothing to find anyway, well, apart from the small ding in the driver’s door that happened somewhere and a couple of scratches that were probably on the car when I got it.

I got the rental car shuttle bus to the airport itself and, after some misguidance by a wanker in the airport, found the bus stop for the Quick Coach to Vancouver. I had an hour and a half wait in the 4-degrees-feels-like-1 temperature, but the bus arrived smack on time @ 13.00 and I climbed aboard grateful for the warmth.

Arrived at the Canadian/USA border at 16.00, processed no problem, all up about half an hour, then on to Rockport Casino. The bus for some unexplainable reason doesn’t go to the airport in Vancouver. Makes absolutely no sense to me and they used to go there, but there ya have it so it was time for the Skytrain again. $3 and the struggle with four bags up and down stairs, in and out of elevators to arrive, finally, at Vancouver airport at 17.45. I checked in straight away, getting rid of my two big bags and headed directly for Starbucks for my first coffee in almost 12 hours.

My flight wasn’t boarding until 22.50, to leave at 23.30 so I had nearly 5 hours to kill. I asked and found out that once I went through departures there was no smoking so I went back to Starbucks for another Grande Cappuccino. 

Some stats:

In the USA:

I drove 13,617 miles or (approx) 22,695 kms.

I visited or passed through 33 States, physically staying in 21, the others I just drove across or partially through. (see below)

Fuel cost me $1,262 US = $1,873 Aus.

Accommodation cost me: $2,474 US = $3,672 Aus. (Camping: $891, Motels: $1,583)

On the plus side the America is Beautiful card I purchased prior to my departure and cost me $80 US = $118 Aus, saved me $270 US or $398 Aus - mostly on entry fees to National Parks.

I camped on 39 nights and moteled it on 27 nights. 

I put the tent up 23 times - and took it down 23 times.

I recorded:

Canada: (10 days)

                  74 species of birds

      8 lifers

      7 new birds for my North American list.

                  13 species of mammal

                  7 lifers

                  3 new mammals for my North American list

                  2 insects

                  1 lifer (a bumblebee)

                  1 Reptile/Amphibian

      1 lifer (a turtle)

USA: (62 days)

272 species of birds, 

94 lifers

27 new birds for my North American list

6 new birds for my USA list

16 mammals

8 lifers

1 new mammal for my North American list

2 new mammals for my USA list

15 species of insect (14 butterflies, 1 spider)

11 lifers

1 new butterfly for my North American list

7 species of Reptile/amphibian

5 lifers

I new Reptile/Amphibian for my USA list

Total lifers for the trip:

                  102 Birds

                  15 Mammals

                  12 Insects

                  6 Reptiles/Amphibians.

(In comparison, in the month I spent in southern California, Arizona and Nevada last year with Mr H we recorded 294 species, of which 244 were lifers for me)

Yeah, I know, freaking anal, eh?

Well, with 5 hours to kill at the airport, what else am I gonna do

States visited: (S = stayed somewhere, D = Only drove)

Canada: (1)

              British Columbia S

USA:  (33)

            Washington State S

            Idaho S

            Montana S

Wyoming S

South Dakota S

Minnesota S

Illinois D

Ohio D

Nebraska D

Wisconsin D

Indiana D

Michigan S 

Pennsylvania D

New York S

New Jersey S

Delaware D

Maryland S

Virginia D

North Carolina S

South Carolina S

Georgia D

Florida S

Alabama S

Mississippi D

Arkansas S

Oklahoma S

Texas D

New Mexico S

Arizona S

Utah S

Nevada D

California S

Oregon S

+ Washington DC which is actually a 'Territory', not a 'State'.

Man, now we’re really getting anal…….

And out of all the thousands of photos I took, mostly shit and discarded, I am taking home 2,629 photos and videos. Not, that is to say, that they are all brilliant, far from it, but they all mean something to me.

I hung out in the main concourse till 21.00, so I could smoke, then went through security and passport checks. For a major airport the departure lounge facilities for travellers are limited - plenty of duty free, but only one small coffee stand and no charging facilities until you find an unattended power outlet and sit on the floor.....

Trip List (USA)–272   Lifers (total)– 102 birds (+13 Mammals)  New NA–30 (+5 Mammals)

24.11.19

Minnippi

I met Mr P in the carpark at 6 as arranged. A warm, calm morning, but at least not too hot….yet. We walked in to the usual spot overlooking the lake. Three White-throated Needletails flew overhead on the way. 

There were muddy margins perfect for waders and crakes as the lake had shrunk considerably due to the extended lack of rain. A Latham’s Snipe showed very well immediately in front of us.

 

Latham's Snipe (I think its bill is covered with mud)

There was enough water, however, to support good numbers of Pacific Black Duck, Hardhead, Eurasian Coots, Wandering Whistle Duck, Grey Teal, Comb-crested Jacanas, Little Black Cormorants, Intermediate and Great Egrets, Royal Spoonbill and 6 Whiskered Terns.

The edges showed several Black-fronted Dotterels and at least 3 Red-kneed Dotterels. At one point a Spotless Crake put in a brief appearance some distance away.

We checked the M1 track – nothing of any note at all, the bush was very dry.

Up the Avenue and, as we turned the corner back towards the lake Mr P cocked his head on one side and said ‘What was tha’?’

 My typical answer was, of course, ‘What was wha’?

‘I fought I ‘eard a Cicadabird’ he said.

We walked further up the avenue and I started playback. Almost immediately we had a pair of Cicadabirds in close proximity. It was a new bird for the site for both of us and possibly the first 100% certain site record.

We continued back to the lake and checked the muddy margins at slightly closer range. We had the Spotless Crake again and a Baillon’s Crake out on the mud.

We walked on around the lake and up to the raptor lookout without seeing anything more interesting. Neither of us was keen to do the Airfield Track so we headed back down and along the path to the cars without seeing much else – notably, no fairy-wrens.

Breakfast back at ex-Belesis, ex-The Lounge, now taken over again by members of the original Belesis family and renovated to within an inch of its life - breakfast was much the same as usual.

26.11.19    

                                                                                                                                                                                                         Oxley

At breakfast on Sunday Mr P had been regaling me with all the birds I had missed in the area when I was away. It’s always the same -  when I go overseas, look out, its all gonna happen in SEQ.

Anyway, some things were still around and Pallid Cuckoo at Oxley was one (in fact there had been as many as 6 claimed, but I only wanted one).

So I headed out at 5.30 and walked the track on another calm, warm, bright morning.

Once again it was very, very dry but quite birdy. I found the first Pallid Cuckoo in the field on the left where the track bends right – where Mr P had suggested I look. It was out on a small casuarina in the middle of the field and I climbed the fence and walked in for a better look. It flew to the fence line and this was the best I could do.

Pallid Cuckoo no 1

Moving along I saw some other stuff – both Whistler species which surprised me at this time of year, a number of Sacred Kingfishers, possibly as many as 6, which I thought was high, one pair of Superb Fairy-wrens and about 8 in total Red-backed which I had wanted to check on for the upcoming weekend birding with people from Arizona. A pair of White-winged Trillers showed in the grass really well and I was almost kicking the Brown Quail out of the way – they were scurrying everywhere, backwards and forwards across the track. Well, not actually BACK-wards, but ……..

I got to the turn off to the ponds without anything dramatic happening, then picked up my second Pallid Cuckoo along the fence-line – this one allowed much closer approach.

Pallid Cuckoo no 2 (not cropped)

On to the ponds and counted 24 Glossy Ibis in the shrinking water, along with 15 Purple Swamphens, a couple of dozen Australian White Ibis and 8 flirting White-headed Stilts. A Brown Falcon oversaw everything from the power lines and 2 Black Kites put in a low level, close approach, one actually landed on the dying waterlilies. I saw a possible Brown Songlark from the track but didn’t get enough of a view to confirm ID. So, I climbed the gate and walked in quietly to the edge of the pond and sat for a half hour or so to no avail. It didn’t re-appear so I am unsure as to what exactly it might have been. A Golden-headed Cisticola sat up well when I walked in and I couldn’t resist posting yet another photo of this little cutie.

Golden-headed Cisticola

Walking back to the car the northerly wind picked up and I saw nothing else of any note.

23 – 24.11.19                                                                                                                     Guiding Birding Pals around SEQ

I had been contacted by Jill and Tom from Arizona and we had emailed each other to make arrangements to meet. Unfortunately they were delayed in their travels and hence arrived a day later than planned in Brisbane. They spent Thursday to Saturday at O’Reilly’s and only reached their Air BnB accommodation in Greenslopes on Saturday afternoon. They did OK at Lamington seeing a range of the specialities available, but also missing some of the big ones.

I picked them up on Saturday evening and we headed into the Botanical Gardens in the CBD to get Bush Stone-curlew as a starter. Then I left them at home again with plans for the next morning.

5.30am and we were on our way to pick up Mr D who had kindly agreed to accompany us on our day out.

We went to Toohey and Mr D re-found two Powerful Owls he had lined up from the day before. Then it was on to Minnippi and a host of local, easy, common birds to get their Australian list well underway. We had good views of most of the stuff there including perched up Channel-billed Cuckoo, Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterels, Little and Long-billed Corellas and Oriental Dollarbird. Mr D spotted a Koala on the M1 track which performed well by being awake…..

Time for a late breakfast and we repaired to the ‘new’ Belesis where Tom kindly paid for both our meals.

Then it was down to Oyster Pt at Cleveland to try for waders. Unfortunately, a higher than average tide, backed by a strong easterly wind made that impossible as the water was already too high, despite there being still 90 minutes to high tide. We did pick up Mangrove Honeyeater and Mangrove Gerygone there though which was useful.

Along the coast to the Wynnum North Boardwalk where we found a family party of Mangrove Kingfishers which provided crippling views, more Mangrove Gerygones, White-breasted Wood Swallows, a male Leaden Flycatcher and back at the car a female Pacific Koel in a low tree above our heads.

We headed out to Fisherman’s Island with a gale now trying to blow the scope off the tripod. There was a large flock of Whiskered Terns at the Visitor Centre along with Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Chestnut Teal, a Whistling Kite and a Curlew Sandpiper. Out at the ‘roost’ we were unable to access the hide but at distance there were a few Australian White Pelicans, Bar-tailed Godwits and Australian Pied Oystercatchers, an Eastern Osprey also put in an overhead appearance. The wind was horrific and with a storm threatening from the west we stopped briefly at Sandy Camp, but didn’t leave the car as we debated our options in the pouring rain.

We agreed it was time to take a break and on the way home, Tom and Jill decided they had had enough for the day and as they were leaving early the next morning for Sydney, they would finish when we got them home.

We picked up nicely perched Galahs in Carina and a scruffy looking, wet, Blue-faced Honeyeater outside Mr D’s place.

All in all approx 72 species – not sure if all were lifers for them, but certainly most were. I felt we could have done better, there were some birds I had felt confident of that we just didn’t get onto. Partly it was the weather – it was stinking hot from 9.00 on and the wind on the coast was unbelievable – and some things just didn’t show – like the crakes at Minnippi we’d had the previous weekend. With a bit more time, of course, I believe we could have added another 15 or 20 species. However, Tom and Jill seemed pleased with the day and our efforts.