The number to beat is 214! That’s what I got in 2024. In 2023 it was 195 and 2022, when I started to get serious, it was 156.
I wonder how much I’ll do this year and if I’ll be able to keep increasing the numbers. Only time will tell.
So, what have I seen in January? Here’s the start. As at 4th January the count is so far, 41, although I don’t yet have photos of them all.
Australasian Darter, Australasian Swamphen, Australian King-Parrot, Australian Magpie, Australian White Ibis, Australian Wood Duck, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Brown Thornbill, Chestnut Teal, Common Blackbird, Crimson Rosella, Dusky Moorhen, Eastern Rosella, Eastern Spinebill, Eurasian Coot, Great Cormorant, Grey Butcherbird, Grey Fantail, Hoary-headed Grebe, Laughing Kookaburra, Little Black Cormorant, Little Raven, Magpie-lark, Nankeen Night Heron, Noisy Miner, Pacific Black Duck, Pied Currawong, Rainbow Lorikeet, Red Wattlebird, Sacred Kingfisher, Satin Flycatcher, Silvereye, Spotted Dove, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Superb Fairywren, Tawny Frogmouth, Welcome Swallow, White-browed Scrubwren, White-faced Heron, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
More due to a visit to the Western Treatment Plant on 7th January, including 2 #lifers, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Pectoral Sandpiper – both visitors to our country, and a visit to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens on the 8th, the count is now at 95 for the month/year.
Australian Hobby, Australian Pelican, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Australian Reed Warbler, Australian Shelduck, Australian Spotted Crake, Black Kite, Black Swan, Black-tailed Godwit, Brolga, Common Myna, Common Starling, Crested Pigeon, Curlew Sandpiper, Eurasian Skylark, European Goldfinch, Fairy Martin, Fairy Tern, Galah, Golden-headed Cisticola, Great Crested Grebe, Great Egret, Grey Teal, Hoary-headed Grebe, House Sparrow, Little Black Cormorant, Little Egret, Little Grassbird, Little Pied Cormorant, Masked Lapwing, Musk Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Pied Cormorant, Pied Stilt, Pink-eared Duck, Red-capped Plover, Red-kneed Dotterel, Red-necked Avocet, Red-necked Stint, Royal Spoonbill, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Silver Gull, Straw-necked Ibis, Superb Fairywren, Swamp Harrier, Whiskered Tern, Whistling Kite, White-fronted Chat, White-winged Black Tern, Willie Wagtail, Yellow-billed Spoonbill
And to the end of January, the following were added: Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Yellow Robin, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Satin Bowerbird, Striated Pardalote, Australian Rufous Fantail (in my own garden!).
As at January 31st, the count is 111. A good start to the year. Wonder what February might bring?
March. The count continues.
Little Corella, Hardhead, Black-front Dottrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Tern, Nankeen Kestrel and Yellow Thornbill. 124 to date.