Woodcocks and Spotted Salamanders

Twenty seven people gathered on the old road bed near the Sewanee airport last night (28 Feb) to have thier ears and souls tickled by the sweet "peeent" of the love-struck American Woodcock. One male woodcock also treated us to a couple of aerial flight displays. The moon glowed down on it all through cirrus clouds, shining in a halo.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Biol 131 lab found a spotted salamander at the pond at the end of Brakefield Road and one egg mass. The amphibian mating frenzy is very late this year...

P-a-L R: Australia Birding: Species List

Australia is a birder's dream, with a range of volant and satite Dino-kin, diversity-saturated due to both island and contintental habitats and climates. Seriously, even the pigeons are cool. And the parrots, my God, the parrots! Approximately 85 species were seen in my limited time with binoculars, 75 of those are unique to Austalasia and Oceania.

O.Anseriformes
f.Anatidae
Anas gibberifrons Grey teal
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard duck
Anas quarquedula Garganey
Cereopsis novaehollandiae Cape Barren Goose
Chenonetta jubata Australian wood duck
Cygnus atratus Black swan

O.Apodiformes
f.Apodidae
Apus pacificus Fork-tailed swift

O.Charadriformes
f.Charadriidae
Thinornis rubricollis Hooded Plover
Vanellus novaehollandiae Spur-winged plover
f.Haematopodidae
Haematopus fuliginosis Sooty Oystercatcher
Haematopus longirostris Pied Oystercatcher
f.Laridae
Larus novaehollandiae Silver gull
Larus pacifica Pacific gull
Sterna bergil Crested tern
Sterna caspia Caspian tern
f.Scolopacidae
Burhinus grallarius Bush-stone Curlew
Calidris acuminata Sharp-tailed sandpiper

O.Ciconiiformes
f.Ardeidae
Ardea pacifica White-necked heron
Ardeola ibis Cattle egret
Egretta alba Large egret
Egretta novaehollandiae White-faced heron
f.Threskiornithidae
Threskiornis molucca White ibis
Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis

O.Columbiformes
f.Columbidae
Columba livia Rock dove
Ocyphaps lophotes Crested pigeon
Streptopelia chinensis Spotted turtledove

O.Coraciiformes
f.Alceninidae
Dacelo gigas Laughig kookaburra

O.Falconiformes
f.Accipitridae
Aquila audax Wedge-tailed eagle
Elanus axillaris Black-shoulderd kite
Haliaetus leucogaster White -breasted sea eagle

O.Galliformes
f.Megapodiidae
Alectura lathami Brush Turkey
Gallinulla ventralis Black-tailed native hen
f.Phasianidae
Pavo cristatus Indian peafowl

O.Gruiformes
f.Gallidae
Gallinula tenebrosa Dusky moorhen

O.Passeriformes
f.Corvidae
Corvus coronoides Australian raven
f.Cracticidae
Cracticus nigrogularis Pied butcherbird
Gymnorhina tibicen Australian magpie
Strepera graculina Pied currawong
f.Hirundinidae
Hirundo neoxena Welcome swallow
f.Maluridae
Malurus cyaneus Superb fairy wren
f.Meliphagidae
Acanthagengs rufogularis Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Eastern spinebill
Anthochaera carunculata Red wattlebird
Manorina melanocephala Noisy miner
Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera Crescent honeyeater
f.Menuridae
Menura novaehollandiae Superb Lyrebird
f.Motacillidae
Rhipidura leucophrys Willie wagtail
f.Muscicapidae
Rhipidium fuliginosa (alisiari) Grey fantail
f.Pachyephalidae
Pachycephela refiventris Rufous whistler
f.Passeridae
Passser domesticus House sparrow
f.Sturnidae
Sturnus vulgaris Common Starling
f.Sylviidae
Acrocephalus stentoreus Clamorous reed warbler
Cincloramphus cruralis Brown songlark
Colluricincla fuliginosus Striated fieldwren
Pycnoptilus floccosus Pilotbird
f.Turdidae
Petroica multicolor Scarlet robin
f.Tyrannidae
Microeca fascinans Jacky winter
f.Zosteropidae
Zosterops lateralis Silvereye

O.Pelecaniformes
f.Pelecanidae
Pelecanus conspicillatus Australian pelican
f.Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocorax carbo Great cormorant
Phalacrocorax fuscescens Black cormorant
Phalacrocorax melanoleucus Little Pied Cormorant
Phalacrocorax varius Pied cormorant

O.Psittaciformes
f.Psittacidae
Cacatua galerita Sulfur-crested cockatoo
Cacatua roseicapilla Galah
Calyptorhynchos magnificus Red-tailed black cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus funereus Yellow-tailed lack cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus lathami Glossy Black Cockatoo
Neophema petrophila Rock parrot
Pratycercus elegans Crimson rosella
Psephotus haematonatus Red-rumped parrot
Trichoglassus haematodus Rainbow lorikeet

O.Sphenisciformes
f.Spheniscidae
Eudyptula minor Little Penguin

O.Struthioniformes
f.Dromaiidae
Dromaius novaehollandiae Emu