> >Dennis The Knowledgable sez:
> >
> >>Birds are common in Australia. We saw our first
> >>Sulphur-crested Cockatoos flying across the road just after we left the
> >>airport!
> >
> >I'll say Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are common! Driving around the farm
> >country surrounding Cairns and towards the Atherton Tablelands, they
> >can be seen in immense flocks. To the US birder, at first it appears
> >the fields are full of flocks of gulls - just to give you some idea
> >of scale and numbers. A stop and a look and a healthy "holy s**t!!!!"
> >
> >Actually, though, only common birds are common in Australia. The rare
> >ones are ... rare! :)
> >
> >-Don Baccus-

And goes on to say:

> Well, Don, you just disillusioned me. I had the distinct feeling that even
> *rare* birds were common in Australia! At least they sure looked rare (and
> wondrous) to me....;-) But, interestingly, we didn't see "immense flocks"
> of S-c Cockatoos around Cairns, only pairs and occasional small
> groups--possibly different season? We were there in October.

I was there in April. Huge flocks would also pass overhead in the
forests around Cairns, along with congregations of lorikeets etc. The
cockatoos were easy to determine long before they flew into sight through
the canopy: they're LOUD!

> We did see big flocks of cockatoos--Little Corellas--near Darwin, like
> white pigeons out in the fields. One memorable experience was a mixed flock
> of Little Corellas and Yellow-billed Egrets. Australian birding was one
> long series of holy unprintables.

That is for sure! We also saw a lot of Black Cockatoos (I think that's
the official name, no book in front of me and it was in 1986) in the
Red Center.

But, perhaps, the most amazing thing was seeing a huge cloud of itty
bitty birds decend on a tree next to the road as were blasting along
it at high speed. SCREEEECCCCHHHH!!!!!! A starling-sized flock of
ZEBRA FINCHES! If you've ever watched their hyperactive behaviour in
a pet store and have wondered what they're like in the wild, they're
every bit as hyper.

So, in Cairns, did you see the roost of Nankeen Night Herons just over
the door to the men's room in the Esplanade? We also saw a Royal Spoonbill
in great plumage in the mudflats bordering the Esplanade. Now, there
is a bird that needn't occur in flocks to impress! Likewise, Cassowary.
And, many many other things. We ended up with twelve species of raptor,
too.

-Don Baccus-