In the last two or three days of 2023 I saw a few posts on twitter tagged #BirdsSeenIn2023, together with injunctions to get your last sightings in, together with some lighthearted competition between birders in various countries to get the highest number of species seen in a given country. Then of course on New Years Day the first of the #BirdsSeenIn2024 posts appear – and being at Lorne where there’s always lots of birdlife had me quickly jot down my own list, about ten by the time I’d finished breakfast without leaving the house and almost getting to twenty species by lunchtime
The first bird of the year that I saw was a Red Wattlebird, although I’d heard Kookaburras and Pied Currawongs earlier in the morning, and then later saw them
Annoyingly, during the year I’ve also heard Bell miner, Common Koel, Eastern Whipbird and an owl – probably a Southern Boobook but not seen them
I’ve decided to track all the species seen over the year, I suspect there’ll be some long, dead patches where nothing much new appears. If you don’t like the common names that I choose to use, go and make your own list, they’re the names I generally use
| Common name | Scientific name | date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emu | Dromaius novaehollandiae | {2024-04-04 Thu} | Canunda National Park, SA |
| Australasian Grebe | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Karkarook lake, Heatherton, Vic. |
| Australian Pelican | Pelecanus conspicillatus | {2024-01-05 Fri} | Dandenong creek, Dandenong South, Vic. |
| Australasian Gannet | Morus serrator | {2024-08-03 Sat} | Bells Beach, Vic. |
| Darter | Anhinga melanogaster | {2024-01-05 Fri} | Dandenong creek, Dandenong South, Vic. |
| Pied Cormorant | Phalacrocorax varius | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne Pier, Lorne, Vic. |
| Little Pied Cormorant | Phalacrocorax melanoleucos | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne Pier, Lorne, Vic. |
| Great cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Little Black Cormorant | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris | {2024-01-05 Fri} | Dandenong creek, Dandenong South, Vic. |
| White-necked Heron | Ardea pacifica | {2024-03-02 Sat} | Rail-side pond, Donnybrook, Vic. |
| White-faced Heron | Egretta novaehollandiae | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Aireys Inlet, Vic. |
| Cattle Egret | Ardea ibis | {2024-06-27 Thu} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| Nankeen Night Heron | Nycticorax caledonicus | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Australian White Ibis | Threskiornis molucca | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Karkarook lake, Heatherton, Vic. |
| Straw-necked ibis | Threskiornis spinicollis | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Karkarook lake, Heatherton, Vic. |
| Yellow-billed spoonbill | Platalea flavipes | {2024-03-16 Sat} | GVRT, Molesworth, Vic. |
| Black Swan | Cygnus atratus | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Karkarook lake, Heatherton, Vic. |
| Australian Shelduck | Tadorna tadornoides | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Werribee, Vic. |
| Pacific Black duck | Anas superciliosa | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic.1 |
| Chestnut Teal | Anas castanea | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Glen Iris, Vic. |
| Australian Wood Duck | Chenonetta jubata | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Blue-billed duck | Oxyura australis | {2024-04-03 Wed} | Lake McIntyre, Milicent, SA |
| Musk Duck | Biziura lobata | {2024-06-25 Tue} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Pink-eared duck | Malacorhynchus membranaceus | {2024-08-08 Thu} | Jells Park, Wheelers Hill, Vic. |
| Black-shouldered Kite | Elanus axillaris | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Freshwater Creek, Vic. |
| Brahminy Kite | Haliastur indus | {2024-06-24 Mon} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| Whistling Kite | Haliastur sphenurus | {2024-06-24 Mon} | K’gari, Qld. |
| White-bellied Sea Eagle | Haliaeetus leucogaster | {2024-06-24 Mon} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| Wedge-tailed Eagle | Aquila audax | {2024-01-24 Wed} | Hume Highway, Craigieburn, Vic. |
| Brown Falcon | Falco berigora | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Freshwater Creek, Vic. |
| Dusky Moorhen | Gallinula tenebrosa | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Pukeko | Porphyrio meanotus | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Glen Iris, Vic. |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Bush Stone-Curlew | Burhinus grallarius | {2024-06-25 Tue} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Beach Stone-Curlew | Esacus neglectus | {2024-06-24 Mon} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Pied Oystercatcher | Haematopus longirosris | {2024-06-25 Tue} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Sooty Oystercatcher | Haematopus fuliginosus | {2024-06-25 Tue} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Masked Lapwing | Vanellus miles | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Hooded Plover | Thinornis rubricollis | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Black-fronted dotterel | Elseyornis melanops | {2024-04-05 Fri} | Lake McIntyre, Milicent, SA |
| Pied Stilt | Cladorhynchus leucocephalus | {2024-04-03 Wed} | Lake McIntyre, Milicent, SA |
| Latham’s Snipe | Gallinago hardwickii | {2024-04-03 Wed} | Lake McIntyre, Milicent, SA |
| Silver Gull | Larus novaehollandiae | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Pacific Gull | Larus pacificus | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Point Grey, Lorne, Vic. |
| Crested Tern | Sterna bergii | {2024-06-24 Mon} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Lara, Vic. |
| Spotted Turtle-Dove | Streptopelia chinensis | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Hughesdale, Vic. |
| Peaceful Dove | Geopelia striata | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Bar-shouldered dove | Geopelia humeralis | {2024-06-24 Mon} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| Common Bronzewing | Phaps chalcoptera | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Karkarook lake, Heatherton, Vic. |
| Crested Pigeon | Ocyphaps lophotes | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Murrumbeena, Vic. |
| Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo | Calyptorhynchus funereus | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Gang-gang cockatoo | Callocephalon fimbriatum | {2024-01-24 Wed} | Bright, Vic. |
| Galah | Eolophus roseicapilla | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Long-billed Corella | Cacatua tenuirostris | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua galerita | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Rainbow Lorikeet | Trichoglossus haematodus | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Hughesdale, Vic. |
| Musk Lorikeet | Glossopsitta concinna | {2024-01-06 Sat} | Urban Forest, Malvern East, Vic. |
| Australian King Parrot | Alisterus scapularis | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Crimson Rosella | Platycercus elegans | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Eastern Rosella | Platycercus eximius | {2024-02-15 Thu} | Golf course, Oakleigh South, Vic. |
| Red-rump parrot | Psephotus haematonotus | {2024-04-18 Thu} | Clarinda, Vic. |
| Tawny Frogmouth | Podargus strigoides | {2024-01-06 Sat} | Urban Forest, Malvern East, Vic. |
| Laughing Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Welcome Swallow | Hirundo neoxena | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike | Coracina novaehollandiae | {2024-01-24 Wed} | Hume Highway, Euroa, Vic. |
| Bassian thrush | Zoothera lunulata | {2024-06-10 Mon} | Kennett River, Vic. |
| Common Blackbird | Turdus merula | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Grey Shrike-thrush | Colluricincla harmonica | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Grey fantail | Rhipidura fuliginosa | {2024-01-29 Mon} | Jamieson river, Jamieson, Vic. |
| Willie wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Heatherton, Vic. |
| Superb Fairy-wren | Malurus cyaneus | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Southern Emu-wren | Stipiturus malachurus | {2024-06-07 Fri} | Serendip Sanctuary, Lara, Vic. |
| White-browed scrubwren | Sericornis frontalis | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Brown Thornbill | Acanthiza pusilla | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| White-throated treecreeper | Cormobates leucophaea | {2024-06-08 Sat} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Red Wattlebird | Anthochaera carunculata | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Little wattlebid | Anthochaera paradoxa | {2024-08-01 Thu} | Hughesdale, Vic. |
| Blue-faced honeyeaer | Entomyzon cyanotis | {2024-01-27 Sat} | Bright railtrail, Eurobin, Vic. |
| Noisy Miner | Manorina melanocephala | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Galbally Reserve, Hughesdale, Vic. |
| Yellow-faced Honeyeater | Lichenostomus chrysops | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Sheoak falls, Vic. |
| Black-chinned Honeyeater | Melithreptus penicillatus | {2024-06-24 Mon} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Brown-headed Honeyeater | Melithreptus brevirostris | {2024-06-07 Fri} | Serrendip Sanctuary, Lara, Vic. |
| Brown Honeyeater | Lichmera indistincta | {2024-06-26 Wed} | K’gari, Qld. |
| New Holland Honeyeater | Phylidonyris novaehollandiae | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| White-cheeked Honeyeater | Phylidonyris nigra | {2024-06-24 Mon} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Eastern Spinebill | Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Scarlet honeyeater | Myzomela sanguinolenta | {2024-06-24 Mon} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| Silvereye | Zosterops lateralis | {2024-01-29 Mon} | Jamieson river, Jamieson, Vic. |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | {2024-01-04 Thu} | Heatherton, Vic. |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Red-browed finch | Neochmia temporalis | {2024-01-24 Wed} | Wandiligong, Vic. |
| Double-barred finch | Taeniopygia bichenovi | {2024-12-23 Mon} | Bungendore, NSW |
| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Werribee, Vic. |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Freshwater Creek, Vic. |
| Spangled Drongo | Dicrurus bracteatus | {2024-06-24 Mon} | K’gari, Qld. |
| Satin bowerbid | Ptilonorhynchus violaceus | {2024-01-24 Wed} | Wandiligong, Vic. |
| Dusky Wood-swallow | Artamus cyanopterus | {2024-09-20 Fri} | Skipton railtrail, Smythesdale, Vic. |
| White-winged Chough | Corcorax melanorhamphos | {2024-01-27 Sat} | Bright railtrail, Eurobin, Vic. |
| Peewee | Grallina cyanoleuca | {2024-01-03 Wed} | Werribee, Vic. |
| Grey Butcherbird | Cracticus torquatus | {2024-01-31 Wed} | Hughesdale, Vic. |
| Pied Butcherbird | Cracticus nigrogularis | {2024-06-22 Sat} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| Australian Magpie | Gymnorhina tibicen | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Pied Currawong | Strepera graculina | {2024-01-02 Tue} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Little Raven | Corvus mellori | {2024-01-01 Mon} | Lorne, Vic. |
| Torresian Crow | Corvus orru | {2024-06-22 Sat} | Hervey Bay, Qld. |
| 106 |
Footnotes
1 dead, roadkill, etc.
