Global Big Day 2017

Global Big Day 2017

Global Big Day is an international eBird event where thousands of birders from across the world go birding, and submit as many eBird checklists as possible. So far, over 13,000 people have participated, submitting nearly 33,000 checklists, and these figures are going up rapidly. 

Global Big Day in Australia was on May 13 this year. Last year we went to Cape Conran and Marlo, but this year I wanted to keep it more local, to save on travel time. After having a look at Google Maps, I came up with a route. The list of places we went to this year, with the key bird species I was after are listed here:

Mossiface: Starting point for the day. Common backyard birds.

Tambo Upper: Cattle Egret, Chestnut Teal.

Swan Reach: Blue Billed Duck, Australasian Grebe.

Tambo Bay: Pied and Sooty Oystercatcher, Crested Tern.

Bullock Island: Pacific Gull, Black Faced and Little Pied Cormorant.

Lakes Entrance Treatment Plant: Any sort of duck, mainly Pink Eared.

Burnt Bridge: White Throated Treecreeper, Rose Robin, (dipped) Eastern Yellow Robin, Azure Kingfisher.

Colquhoun: Chestnut Rumped Heathwren,(dipped), Spotted Quail Thrush, Yellow Tufted Honeyeater.

Wards Rd: Emu.

Mossiface: Lunch.

The Cut: Red Capped Plover (dipped), Musk Duck, Kestrel, Whistling Kite, Red Necked Avocet.

Jones Bay: Black Winged Stilt.

Lees Rd: Grey Fantail, Collared Sparrowhawk.


Tambo Flats: Black Shouldered Kite.

Tambo Flats, from Mossiface

We got a total of 88 species, and 20 checklists, in 8 hours. The Lakes Entrance Treatment Plant had 5 specie of duck, making this our best stop. Burnt Bridge was also very good, with Azure Kingfisher, Bell Miner, and most of the bush birds.

Lonely Bay Walk

Lonely Bay Walk

Lonely Bay Walk is a 5km return walk at Lake Tyers. It follows the shoreline of Blackfellow Arm that extends out into Lake Tyers. The walk can be accessed from Blackfellow Arm tk, which runs off Burnt Bridge Rd. Lonely Bay Walk can also be accessed using a boat.  The walk has moderate terrain, and it has recently been "rake hoed" clear.

Gang Gang Cockatoo

Lonely Bay Walk travels through a wide range range of environments. Wet gullies, dry open forest, lakeside and thick scrub. This accommodates a good scope of bird species. Black Swan, Great Egret, Whistling Kite, Sea Eagle, Brown Goshawk, Wonga Pigeon, Shining Bronze Cuckoo, Sacred and Azure Kingfisher, Superb Lyrebird and Bassian Ground Thrush can all be readily seen here.

The walking track is in a wide "U" shape, starting on Blackfellow Arm Tk, and ending at the end of Blackfellow Arm Tk. There is a picnic area with a walking track and steps down to the water.

Even if you aren't a bird watcher, there is still plenty to see. There is a good range of flora, and plenty of wallabies and goannas too.

The Cut and Jones Bay

The Cut and Jones Bay

I have previously written a post on The Cut, but I think that it needs a new post.

 The Cut is a small "delta" that was created when the Mitchell River broke through the Silt Jetties into Jones Bay. This delta of small sand islands are a haven for shorebirds, terns and many other water birds. The sand islands are very much affected by wind and rainfall.

The Cut-Google Maps

Jones Bay is a bay formed by the Silt Jetties and the northern edge of the Gippsland Lakes. It is a favourite location for Eurasian Coot, Musk Duck, Swan and Great Crested Grebe.

Jones Bay-Google maps

Jones Bay and The Cut can be accessed by Riverbank East Rd. Riverbank East Rd can be accessed from McEacharn St, from the Princes Hwy.

Curlew Sandpipers

Caspian Tern with fish

Birds that can be seen at The Cut are:

Waders: Curlew and Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper, Red Necked Stint, Red Capped Plover, Pacific Golden Plover and  Common Greenshank.

Cormorants and Darter: Darter, Little Pied, Little Black and Great Cormorant.

Terns:  Caspian, Common, Little and Fairy Tern.

Raptors:  Peregrine Falcon, Swamp Harrier, Sea Eagle, and Whistling Kite.

Red Capped Plover and Red Necked Stints

Common Greenshank

Red Capped Plover

 Birds that can be seen at Jones Bay:

Duck: Musk Duck, Grey and Chestnut Teal.

Terns: Same as The Cut

Raptor: Same as The Cut.

Great Crested and  Hoary Headed Grebe.

Eurasian Coot.

Golden Headed Cisticola.

White Fronted Chat.

Terns

Red Necked Avocet

Whistling Kite

Golden Headed Cisticola

Jones Bay and The Cut are excellent birding places. The Cut is a hive of activity during the summer months, with migratory waders, and Jones Bay is always a great spot for raptors, duck and cisticola.