My Birder Ink

On 7 March, 2024 in the joyous company of 9 other ecstatic birder friends on Dauan Island, Queensland, I beheld the Papuan Hornbill, Rhyticeros plicatus. I knew that I would get a tattoo of that bird.

Back in Victoria, my buddy James traced and drew the hornbill’s head from a scope-phone pic taken about 700 metres from the perched bird. Then Zac at Shinto Studio traced one of my photos of it in flight and positioned it beside the head. On Wednesday 27 March the tattoo was inked onto the inside of my left forearm. I love it!   

Zac inking the Hornbill 

Ever since my 700th Australian bird, Amytornis barbatus (Grey Grasswren) tattoo in August 2018, getting a Lifer Tattoo had become an important part of seeing a particularly meaningful bird. It is like an ultimate version of Lifer Pie. It is Lifer Ink and it is reserved for very special birds. It became a significant part of my birding experience. I had not gotten any ink since Feb 2020 just before Covid and I did not realise how much I had missed it. 

This bird brought my birder ink back. It is the most meaningful and special bird of my birding-life. To quote Richard Baxter it is, “The mega of all megas, there will never be another bird to beat it.” That is my opinion as well. The mega of all megas, MOAM. At least for Australian birds and for me (and quite a few other birders).

Speaking of my ink, As I am writing this, I realise that I don’t know exactly how many birds names and or illustrations of some sort I have on my arms. I will now attempt to ‘inventory’ my birds (not counting the compass rose, ‘b;rd’, the Whale Shark, Troopi, or Kon-Tiki, just the birds). I am doing this at 5 something in the morning while I am having a vestibular migraine, but this is what my brain feels like doing at this point, so here we go. Now I finally have an answer when someone asks, “How many bird tattoos do you have?” Fifteen.

1. Amytornis barbatus 700 (Grey Grasswren) 

2. Polytelis alexandrea (Princess Parrot) 

3. Elanus scriptus (Letter-winged Kite) 

4. Pedionomus torquatus (Plains Wanderer) 

5. Atrichornis rufescens (Rufous Scrub-bird) 

6. Neophema chrysogaster (Orange-bellied Parrot) 

7. Ardeola bacchus (Chinese Pond-Heron)

8. Phylloscopus borealis (Arctic Warbler) 

9. Turdus obscurus (Eyebrowed Thrush) 

10. Ficedula Mugimaki (Mugimaki Flycatcher) 

11. Accipiter gularis (Japanese Sparrowhawk) 

12. Amytornis housei (Black Grasswren) 

13. Ardea purpurea (Purple Heron) 

14. Psophodes nigrogularis (Black-throated Whipbird) 

15. Rhyticeros plicatus (Papuan Hornbill)

A few are just the Latin name and some have an illustration as well. But they all have a story and they are all meaningful for me. Some of the tattoos that are only the name are not quite as ‘big a deal’ in my mind as the ones with illustrations. I liked the idea of adding some names of cool birds interwoven amongst the larger tattoos to help tie the whole thing together a bit. This was pre-Covid when I was getting ink somewhat regularly. I even created a Facebook group called, "Birder Ink".

Mirror selfie in Zac' studio last Wednesday

The next bird going somewhere on my left arm will be Northern Rockhopper Penguin. That was a special bird indeed. 

I will also get something for the Juan Fernandez Petrel as well as the Tufted Duck and a few others. I was just looking back at my list and I am inspired. Now I am going to choose photos to accompany my words as I do. Yes, this has made dealing with the migraine a little better. I hate to even mention them, but it is an integral part of what’s going on with me this morning.

Sending love as I do ❤️

Torres Strait March 2024- Part Two

After the infamous, 'night of mud', the next morning we walked back to the stakeout spot by the mangroves where we again watched the sky and trees for birds. This time we had another Lifer, Uniform Swiftlet. Everyone got good views of the swiftlet, but no photos that I know of (although someone in the group might have). I was just very happy to see it and know that is what it was. How do you identify a Uniform Swiftlet? Mostly because Richard said, “Uniform Swiftlet!” But also because it’s the only swiftlet seen on Boigu Island. In bird identification sometimes it is location, location, location. And then we went into the mangrove jungle.   

Boigu Island Richard's stakeout spot, I got 3 Lifers there and two a short walk from there.

There were a couple of spots down a ‘trail’ into the mangroves where Richard had previously found Red-capped Flowerpeckers. They are a tiny, flighty little bird that will come in, but then does not hang around. We slogged, waded and walked deeper into this mangrove jungle. We came to a clearing-like area where we left some of our stuff as we continued on following the sort-of trail into this jungle. Eventually we stopped and soon most of the group had seen the Flowerpecker. Joy. Sweaty, bug-spray smelling, joy. 

A few of the group had not seen the flitting Flowerpecker well enough and Richard took them deeper into the jungle to another spot. The rest of us followed (as best we could) the trail back. I was grateful when I saw our stuff in that clearing. I hung my bins over Richard’s scope and walked well away from the optics to apply more mozzie spray (it can destroy the coating on optic lenses). We made our way back to the our stools at our birding stakeout and then, I realised I had left my binoculars hanging on Richard’s scope in the mangrove-mozzie jungle.

I knew I had done it and I knew they were safe. But I bought those bins in 2010, reconditioned for 1600 US dollars. If I had to replace them they would cost over three-thousand Australia dollars. I am not, at this point in my life, able to absorb that sort of financial hit. I knew they were fine, but my anxiety, which is basically a brain-bush-fire waiting for even a small gust of wind, was firing up.

My bins at the corner of the table just above my scope later that day. We kept our optics and cameras on the top deck so that they would not fog-up after being in a/c in our cabins,

My new friend Mal, a few years my junior, just said, I’ll be right back and walked off quickly. I followed behind him in disbelief asking if he was really walking back for my bins. He knew I was anxious about them and off he went. It only took him a few minutes (he is also a much faster walker than I am, I have gotten pretty slow). And sooner than I expected, he was back with my bins. Mal a new real life friend, that was heroic and massively appreciated.

On a side note here, Mel was on the Torres Strait trip because he had read and enjoyed both of my books and was a member of my FB Group “An Australian Birding Year and More Australian Birding Tales- The Books”. 

When Richard had an opening on this trip, he asked me to post about it on my social media. Mel read the post in the group and booked-in for this trip. He is a great guy and birder and we all enjoyed his company. And what a very nice thing for him to do going back for my bins. 

Mal, James and me later at the Horn Island Airport

Back to Tropic Paradise and more food. In the arvo, some of the group took boat rides along the coast of the island and I took a nap. I do get up early, and too often, too early. They had a fine time and so did I (they did not see any new birds). The following morning, Thursday 7 March began with thunder and pouring rain. It had rained a lot at times but this was torrential. We were ready to go at 5:30am but Richard decided we would wait (we would have been drenched). Then it was time to go to ‘the’ island. We sometimes called it Randy Island. Dauan Island.

Our captain Tash, driving the Zodiac away from Dauan Island

I have written the tale of ‘Randy’ the mega of all megas, in the first blog entry of the trip, “The Tale of the Papuan (Blyth’s) Hornbill.” Click that link and have a read if you like. 

We left Dauan Island with the highest of Lifer High echoing through us all. The Papuan Hornbill was the Lifer of a lifetime for me (and others too I am sure). It was the biggest thrill of my birding life. I am writing these words in later March but I can honestly tap-into that Hornbill Lifer Hight right now here in my study thousands of kilometres from Dauan Island and days after I first saw ‘Randy’. The song “Blinded by the Light” will now always be special to me after Manfred Mann sang us down the road as we walked back on that phenomenal evening. Then we rode the boats back to the Tropic Paradise for another wondrous meal prepared by our lovely chef, KB. Lifer High is one of the birding gifts that keeps on giving. 

After spending some time with Randy again the following morning, we chugged over to Saibai Island which was just next door so-to-speak. Captain Tash tucked Tropic Paradise into the sheltered waters of a river where we anchored for the night.     

Dauan Island mountains behind Saibai Island

One more shot of 'Randy' the Papuan Hornbill in flight

That land across the horizon is PNG. 

Tropic Paradise in her spot on Gurney's Corner in Saibai

The following morning we birded Saibai. We took the zodiac to the town quay and walked in light rain to a soggy cemetery. There we spread out along a line at the edge and waited and watched (birding). No, it was not the most scenic area, but hopes were high for birds and Hornbill high still reverberated through us. We had lovely views of another perched Orange-fronted Fruit-dove. We also birded the tip which was as visually dismal as one might imagine a wet tip (I did not take any photos). But such places can be excellent birding spots, although we did not see any new birds, we of course had hope. 

Stakeout at the cemetery, James is down there with his umbrella. I was grateful that I had my Blunt umbrella and used it several times on this trip. Here are a few more photos on Saibai Island. 

                  

Carol Suter took a photo of Richard and me talking using the portrait setting on her phone.

We departed the soggy town on Saibai and went back aboard Tropic Paradise. That afternoon with the tide high, we were able to take our little boats up a small river and get a few more brief views of Red-capped Flowerpeckers. James even got a photo. 

Watching for Gurney's Eagle on what is called Gurney's corner. The eagle did not show.

This was on Saibai but not sure when (photo Carol Suter)

James' recording shot of the Red-capped Flowerpecker down the little river.

Leaving later that night, we steamed south through gratefully calm waters. I slept well and longish, with the low hum of the boat’s engines combining with my white noise app (I live with tinnitus and have used white-noise at night to sleep for years). The next day we packed our things and left to begin our travels home. We were all flying to Cairns on the Horn Island 5:20pm flight.

Photos are in reverse order, but you get the idea. Getting to Horn Island and flying to Cairns.

Horn Island airport. It is pretty small 

I want to include a quick and deeply heartfelt thank you and so much love to my dear, dear friend Janet Mead. Not only did she collect James and me at the airport, then give us lodging in their beautiful little home for the night, she had chicken and rice soup waiting for us when we got there. I love her and David (he was away guiding a tour). Then she took us to the airport first thing the following morning.    

Melbourne 

By that evening I was here in my study where I relive these memories by assembling words into tales of my life. Thank God for memories. I am so grateful for these experiences and the words with which to preserve them.

And I bought a new big, laminated, Hema Map of Queensland that goes all the way up to the edge of PNG. It's on the centre door of my closet. I am running out of wall space in the study.

Sending love as I do ❤️

Torres Strait March 2024- Part One

One of the beautiful sunsets in the Torres Strait

I have been to the Torres Strait. On 3 March my buddy James and I flew to Cairns and then continued on to Horn Island where we stayed at the Gateway Torres Strait Resort. The staff is very nice and the motel is convenient, comfortable and clean. It is a bit dear, but that is understandable. It is remote. The next morning they shuttled us down to our boats that took us to our catamaran motor yacht home for the next week. The boat is named Tropic Paradise. I absolutely loved it.   

Tash our captain in the wheelhouse (photo Carol Suter)

Tash in the salon giving us the welcome aboard talk 

James and me in the Cairns airport, the photos load backward as technology does.

The boat is owned by Joe, of Eclipse FNQ Charters. His old catamaran-yacht was the named the Eclipse, hence the name of his company. I was never on that boat. I’ve heard that it was very nice but that Tropic Paradise is a little bigger and a little better. The captain for our week was Natasha or Tash for short. The engineer was Scotty (yes just like Star Trek) and the Deck hand was Billy. All of whom were wonderful to us and to just be around.    

L to R Joe, Tash, Billie, Scotty and our chef, KB (photo Carol Suter)

Our incredible chef was named, KB. And she was both a fabulous chef and delightful person. She produced consistently excellent food from the galley. And we ate on a hobbit-schedule. After the continental breakfast at 5am, there was second breakfast about 9:30 when we got back from the morning birding. And then, schedule permitting... there were elevensies which was much like an early lunch. Then there was actual lunch in the early arvo followed by an afternoon tea then a full-on dinner (with dessert). I ate far more than usual but I only gained about a kilo and a half. I suppose I was pretty active. Sometimes there was a bit of walking birding those islands.

As I usually do on trips, I was up quite early, somewhere between 3am and 4am and coffeeing hard before most of the others were up. Each morning we climbed aboard the Zodiac and or, the aluminium boat at 5:30am to go birding. Lack of sleep is often an issue for me. Yes I do like an afternoon nap if at all possible.

  

My bunk and my stuff. I did get a nap there a couple of times

I am using the dates on my photos in an attempt to get my chronological order in these tales correct. At times I will still get things out of order.

First we made a stop on a small island without an official name that was not very far from Horn Island. It was a beautiful little uninhabited tropic island. It felt very ‘Survivor-like’ there A few times during the week the scenery looked Survivor-like. We called this island, Little Thursday Island because it was nearby Thursday Island. It was a spot where Richard had success with Ashy-bellied White-eyes in the past. These birds are similar to our mainland Silver-eyes but they are incredibly quick and very flighty. But we saw them several times. I did not get a photo but James managed a recording shot (younger faster, well done buddy). My first Lifer of the week! Tick! 

Fist Lifer of the trip Ashy-bellied White-eye (photo James)

Then we went back aboard the big boat for dinner and an overnight sail up the Torres Strait. We motored for about twelve hours. I slept well and awoke in the calm waters on the north side of Boigu Island. We were there. We left the big boat and went ashore to bird. 

We walked past ‘town’ in the dark and continued down a road to a the stakeout spot near the edge of the mangrove jungle. We sat there and watched for birds. The second Lifer of the week for me, flew in and perched in the tip top of a tree in full view for us. It was a Collared Imperial Pigeon. We were to see several more of them flying about, but this was the only one that I saw perched. We spent another couple of hours sitting there just watching for birds. By the way, I love my comfortable, well-made, Walkstool folding stool. They are dear but worth every penny. We were gathering ourselves to head back to town when Richard called, “Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove!” as one of these gorgeous pigeons landed in a tree top once again out in front of us (I was seeing why this was one of Richard’s stakeout spots). Lifer number three of the trip and not necessarily an easy bird. Unlike the Collared Imperial Pigeons or the White-eyes, Orange-fronted FD are not always seen on these tours. 

Yes, that is Lifer Pie (cake and ice cream)

James and me on Tropic Paradise

Boigu Island

Collard Imperial Pigeon 2nd Lifer of the trp

Orange-fronted Fruit-dove 3rd Lifer

We walked back to town to the council building where Richard brought out the sign-in book. We all were required to sign-in to the island and keep the little receipt with us (not that anyone ever asked to see it, but we did. I still have mine). 

While passing the book around, I had my best views of the week of Singing Starlings. We had seen one fly over at the stakeout but I hadn’t counted it yet. They were a few of them perched on the power wires. They are one of the species that are expected on these tours. They look a lot like Metallic Starlings but have shorter, blunt tails. Lifer number four of my Torres Strait trip.

    

Singing Starling on a wire. My fourth Lifer on the trip (I am having Lifer Pie for each bird over the coming weeks. As I write this, I will have it tonight for the Collared IP.

Multi-bird Lifer Selfie at the Boigu Island council building

 

We headed back aboard the Tropic Paradise for second breakfast (or elevensies I am not sure which) before taking a short trip in the zodiac into the jungle of Boigu. Then after lunch we motored back ashore and went birding from the dyke surrounding the airport. It was a walk and then a lot of sitting and looking. Just on dusk, Richard saw a very probable, Papuan Spinetail but it was only a very brief look and no one else got on it. 

    

The dyke by the airport

Dusk falls quickly in the tropics and we needed to get back to be picked up. That proved more difficult than we anticipated (to say the least.

It was the ‘Night of Mud’. 

The tide had fallen further than expected and neither the aluminium boat nor even the zodiac could get to shore. Our boats were only 8 or 9 metres from the boat ramp, but the mud was waist deep. However, there were two Papuan ladies in a long wooden boat nearby the ramp. Their boat was about 8 metres long and if it could be pulled around to the ramp and then pointed toward our zodiac, it could possibly be used as a bridge for us. We would still have to get through some mud and into their boat, climb through and across it, and then get onto the bow of the zodiac but we did it! Some of the group got muddier than others. I ended up only sinking about thigh deep in the mud (see photo). I was one of the first across the wooden boat and I literally slithered on my belly over the bow and into the zodiac. Then I did my best to help others into the boat. I did not take many photos as it was a precarious place to have my iPhone ‘out’. But you get the idea. 

Standing around the end of the boat ramp (photo Carol Suter)

Hosing off the mud on the aft deck (photo Carol Suter)

I also did not take any photos back at the big boat where many of the group stripped down to their underwear to get hosed-off on the aft deck. It was quite the experience. Everyone kept a wonderful attitude throughout this ordeal. I reckon we will all remember the night of mud getting off Boigu Island. Sadly, the tides made it impossible to go back to that airport stakeout to be there at dusk the next day again as planned. We never saw the Papuan Spinetail. The next morning Richard gave those helpful Papuan ladies a bit of cash by way of thanks. We would have had to wait about four hours for the tide to rise enough.

Carol Suter took this photo and it is now my FB profile pic. It is me how I want to be (and sometimes can be)

With that I will close Part One. Except that I need to mention the blisters on my big toes from walking kilometres in gum boots. One had rubbed raw and bloody. Things can get infected very easily in the tropics so I kept them clean and dry as best I could. They did not get septic. One unsuccessful thing that I tried for keeping them dry was using blue trash bags as tall ‘boots’. I will always wear two pairs of socks with gumboots. I am including photos by my new dear friend, Carol Suter. She and her husband Allan were two of my favourite people on the tour.

   

Not a great look and KB is getting a chuckle 😂 (photo Carol Suter)

Part two is written and coming soon. I will be rereading this as I do, and there will probably be edits and possible additions.

Sending love as I do ❤️