A good year. Highlights include the following self-found rarities: Lesser Paradise Kingfisher (Jan - First for Aust but alas dead), Black-headed Gull (Jan), Tiger Shrike (Apr), Arctic Warbler (Apr), Oriental Reed Warbler (Oct), Middendorff's Warbler (Apr), Asian Brown Flycatcher (Apr), Island Monarch (Apr), Uniform Swiftlet (Jan). Also Red-rumped Swallow, Princess Parrot, Red-billed Tropicbird, Stilt Sandpiper, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Edible-nest Swiftlet and a host of other goodies. Photos of Australian birds here

Nov 17: East Coast - Cotton Pygmy-goose, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Papuan Frogmouth, Great Frigatebird, Red-footed Booby, Black Noddy, Black-naped Tern, Ground Parrot, Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Noisy Pitta, Superb Lyrebird, Golden Bowerbird, Eastern Bristlebird, Rockwarbler, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Bower's Shrike-thrush, Paradise & Victoria's Riflebird, Bassian & Russet-tailed Thrush

Song Thrush, Grey Crowned Babbler, Satin Flycatcher, Turquoise Parrot, Yellow Tufted Honeyeater,Fuscous Honeyeater, Stilt Sandpiper, Powerful Owl, Speckled Warbler, Fork Tailed Swift, Superb Parrot, Painted Honeyeater, Plumed Whistling Duck, Plains Wanderer, Western Gerygone. 20 Nov Painted Finch - 13 Nov Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Bluefaced Parrot-finch, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Channel Billed cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Pacific Baza, Brahminy Kite, Cicadabird, Bower's Shrikethrush, Large-billed Gerygone, grey-headed robin, Chowchilla, Grey Whistler, Yellow-breasted Boatbill

List based on Christidis & Boles, but no introduced birds included. All seen on the Sunbird tour of Australia in October.

Red Goshawk, Blue-faced Parrot-finch, Grey Falcon, Malleefowl, Powerful Owl, Semipalmated Plover, Common Redshank, probable Night Parrot (not counted though!)

Did a "Big Year" in Victoria (389 species). Highlights include: Malleefowl, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Blue Petrel, Fairy, Antarctic and Slender-billed Prions, Eastern Reef-egret, Square-tailed Kite, Bush Stone-curlew, Little Curlew, Stilt Sandpiper, Ruff, Little Button-quail, Red-chested Button-quail, Plains-wanderer, Arctic Tern, Pomeraine Jaeger, White-headed and Topknot Pigeons, Glossy Black-cockatoo and Red-tailed Black-cockatoo, Sooty, Barking and Masked Owls, Painted and Regent Honeyeaters, Eastern Bristlebird, Grey-crowned, White-browed and Chestnut-browed Babblers, Spotted Quail-thrush, Red-lored Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Spangled Drongo, Australian Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, three Bitterns: Australasian, Little and Black, and Double-barred Finch - ALL seen in Victoria! Also included a trip to Central Australia.

Fun year of birding around the place- biggest gap was Cairns. Highlights included: Red-tailed Tropicbird, Large-tailed Nightjar, Square-tailed Kite, Black-breasted Buzzard, Pacific Baza, Black Falcon, Spotless Crake, Pectoral Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, White Tern, Grey Ternlet, Roseate Tern, Swift Parrot, Noisy Pitta, Albert's Lyrebird, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Shy Heathwren, Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Grey-fronted Honeyeater, Ground Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Arafura Fantail, White-eared Monarch, Red-eared Firetail, Painted Finch, Gouldian Finch.

trip to North Qld added 64 species incl Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Black Bittern, Little Kingfisher

Nov 8: Alice Springs: Burkes Parrot, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Little Button Quail, Flock Bronzewing, Dusky Grasswren, Spinifexbird, Grey-headed Honeyeater, Painted Finch, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Western Bowerbird, Grey Falcon. Melbourne: Song Thrush. Lake Gilles/Strzelecki Track: Western Yellow Robin, Eyrean Grasswren, Banded Whiteface. SEQ: Rose Robin. Darwin: Banded Honeyeater, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Mangrove Robin. Pt. MacDonnell Pelagic: Buller's Albatross, White-faced & Grey-backed Storm Petrel, Great-winged Petrel, White-chinned Petrel, Fairy Prion, Sooty Shearwater. Local: Red-lored Whistler, Lewin's Rail, Long-toed Stint.

Square-tailed Kite 16/12

Iron range, Carins, Darwin and down to Timber Creek and also Inskip Point, Red Cheeked, Hooded and Golden Shouldered Parrot, Chestnut backed and Black- breasted Button-Quail, White breasted Whistler,Spectacled and Frilled Monarch,Chestnut and White quilled Rock Pigeon,Banded and Rose crowned fruit Dove, and Red browed Pardalote to finish the Pardalotes finally!

5/7/10:Quick family (6 day) trip from Cairns to Brisbane in motorhome with limited time for birding.115 species including 9 lifers.

14/02: Bush Stone Curlew. 11/02: White-necked Heron, Restless Flycatcher, Varied Sittella. 09/02: Albert's Lyrebird, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo. 08/02: King Quail. 04/02: Rose Robin, Chestnut Teal, Wonga Pigeon. 30/01: White-headed Pigeon, Black-faced Monarch, Eastern Spinebill. 29/01: Cicadabird. 26/01: Collared Sparrowhawk, Little Shrike-Thrush, Topknot Pigeon. 24/01: Southern Boobook. 23/01: Tahiti Petrel, Lesser Frigatebird, White-tailed Tropicbird, Brown Noddy, Beach Stone Curlew. 20/01: Pacific Swift. 19/01: Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Logrunner. 18/01: White-throated Nightjar. 17/01: White-eared Monarch. 16/01: Blue-billed Duck, Striped Honeyeater Wandering Whistling-Duck. 15/01: Regent Bowerbird, Bassian Thrush, Yellow-throated Scrubwren. 14/01: Over the NSW border. Swamp Harrier, Pacific Baza, Baillon's Crake, Mangrove Gerygone, Grey-tailed Tattler, Far-Eastern Curlew.11/01: Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.