Christmas Island 2022: Part Two

Tuesday the 13th was a good day. I am not even slightly bothered by the number 13. Triskaidekaphobia is not amongst my fears. It was a lucky day for many of us. It was a day that included a bit of sight-seeing as well as some good birding.

Immature Chinese Pond-Heron

Blow Hole area

We stopped by a local chicken coop and found the Christmas Island resident Java Sparrows for the first timers. Then we had a look at a visiting immature Chinese Pond-Heron by the recreation centre where a Glossy Ibis was standing on the roof. Also at some point during the day we visited the Blow Holes (my date stamps on the photos are a bit out of wacky and I am not sure why. Mostly they are correct). I will be posting some more scenery photos from that day (and other days). But the most important moment of the thirteenth was on the dirt-road out by the end of the runway. 

Our cars were turning around at the end of the road when a small bird perched up on a stick by the fence. It was right beside one of the vehicles. Alan’s voice came though the radio and alerted the group. Richard was out of our car in seconds. I do not recall the sequence of what happened in that minute or so, but we all ended up out of the vehicles and looking at (and taking pictures of) a Shrike. Whatever shrike it was, being a shrike in Australia, it was a mega. It was initially thought to be a Tiger Shrike, after many of excellent photos were studied, the bird was determined to be an immature Brown Shrike. This was a Lifer for most of us. As I have mentioned before, Lifer High is wonderful, but shared Lifer High is the best. 

Below are three stunning photos of the bird taken by my talented birder and photographer friend (and the best dreads in birding) Tanya Hattingh. I will include one of my recording shots too. 

One of my recording shots of the immature Brown Shrike (see why I used Tanya's?)

In the following days, we did a lot of looking around the island. Birding as well as sight-seeing. Many of the places I had been before in 2019 a few were new to me. I do not recall actually going down to the Blow Holes and that was cool. The time on the island gets away. Should these blogs become the third book, I will flesh this tale out more of course. I have notes regarding the experiences, and I don’t want to write everything into the blogs. Then what would be the point of the books?

I will lean heavily on the photos for this blog entry. I will caption them. I liked the sign for Greta Beach. It’s serious about the various dangers there (reminded me a bit of Coober Pedy and its warning signs, but these warnings were mostly ocean related. And the lookout over Flying Fish Cove is always stunning. And there was a Red-tailed Tropicbird chick hanging out in its nest amongst the rocks and a cooperative Brown Booby posed for us. I also saw the nesting Abbott's Booby again. And Richard took one of my favourite photos of me.

Red-tailed Tropicbird chick

Brown Booby

Abbott's Booby on the nest

The Red-tailed Tropicbird chick in the rocks

Lots of warnings 

Richard's photo of me (very possibly the back cover photo if there's a 3rd book)

The view from the Flying Fish Cove overlook 

Golden Bosunbird (a subspecies of White-tailed Tropicbird)

I love old ruins and I enjoyed looking around the old South Port Township. I also enjoyed the old casino grounds and the beautiful beach there. I really need to keep in mind that my balance is not what it used to be. I fell down in beach rocks. I scuffed my knee but I was fine and so was my 13 year old Camera and lens that hit the rocks. I will also include a photo of me in South Point Temple. Namaste my friends. 

The beach below the old casino

My boo-boo

Namaste

On our last night we had an excellent meal at Lucky Ho which is the very good Chinese restaurant on Christmas. I love their food and had eaten there in 2019 as well. And on the way back to our rooms, I grabbed a photo of the Christmas Red Crab Christmas decoration by the roundabout. 

   

Yes I can eat with chopsticks

What a cool Christmas decoration

Our plane did not leave until late afternoon and so on the morning of our last day web had a few interesting things, bird-wise. Firstly the day before, at the ‘farm’, Richard had gotten a brief glimpse at what he thought was a Corn Crake. We really wanted that bird. We searched a lot but had no joy (it also poured rain on us part of the time). The next morning we were there first thing (leaving our accommodation at 5:30am) and we looked everywhere in that farm area that it could possibly be, but it was not around. Dang. 

We had permission to go in there and we searched and searched, but no Corn Crake

We did have a lot of time, so we did some birding around the quarry areas. I’d seen another Pin-tailed Snipe in there the day before. Then on our last look around in there we saw six and I managed a few flight shots of them. I had seen a few Pin-tailed Snipe around (a Lifer just over a week ago). I managed to sort-of get a few pics of them. You can judge for yourselves.

One of my 'recording' shots of a Pin-tailed Snipe

It's on the far right side of the photo and flying away from me (as they do)

And I have to tell you about one of the coolest things that happened. I am literally sitting here smiling as I remember it. To set this up: the other night we had been sitting around the little lounge area in our shared unit. It was Richard, Nick, Alan and me. We were just chatting about stuff in general. Stuff that we’d done or whatnot in our lives. I was talking some about touring and performing. Then Richard showed me how to take an AK-47 away from someone (something I truly hope never to have to do, BUT if I do, now I know how). We did not have an AK-47 so I now also know how to take a camera tripod away from someone should I be attacked by a person with a loaded tripod. Richard used to work in law enforcement. So I asked him, mostly joking around, if he could make that 180 degree turn-around using the handbrake to assist the regular brakes. I had only seen it done in the movies. I forget exactly what his answer was, probably something like, “Of course.” 

On that last morning when we were out in the quarry areas, I was riding with Richard. We had evidently reached the spot where he wanted to stop. Without saying anything, he snatched the handbrake, hit the brakes and spun the wheel. This caused the old Rav-4 make a beautiful 180 degree, sliding turn and come to stop pointed in the opposite direction. It was totally cool. I will always remember it. That's one of those little tales that I look forward to including in the next book. 

I will mention now, and not for the last time, that I have decided to do go on Richard's Torres Strait trip in 2024. The dates are not yet set, but I will keep y’all posted and I do hope that some of you can join us!

Sending love as I do ❤️