Big Zigzag bird species count: 604 (+1 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 157 (+0 this week) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 211 (+0 this week), AU list now 640. eBird AU year list: 478 eBird days of checklist streak: 502 Week’s special milestones: Big Zigzag Day #500!
Bird(s) of the Week
Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) was my first seen from Bristlebirds (Dasyornithidae) endemic bird family in 2018, and the last of the 3 members in Big Zigzag. Also, Big Zigzag bird #604, which is the number of our Explorer Motorhome!
Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami), seen only for the second time. This time by surprise at Blue Mountains National Park–Evans Lookout
Non-bird image(s)
View from Evans Lookout, Blue Mountains
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 67825 km (this week 525 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 603 (+3 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 157 (+2 this week: Regent Honeyeater, Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 211 (+2 this week), AU list now 640. eBird AU year list: 476 eBird days of checklist streak: 495 Week’s special milestones: Cleanup all Aussie’s Quail-thrushes; Cleanup genus Anthochaera (Wattlebirds) with Regent Honeyeaters.
Bird(s) of the Week
Critically endangered Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia) is actually a Wattlebird (sharing the genus Anthochaera with Little, Western, Red & Yellow Wattlebirds). Luckily I got permit to access a confidential protected area where one individual (the banded one) released back to nature on recovery program, and second individual joined him from the wild (the un-banded).
Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), member of Dicaeidae (Flowerpeckers), demonstrates a threesome symbiosis: The relationships with Mistletoe can be descried as mutualism, as both parties benefit: The bird easts the fruits, and spared the plant seeds. But the remains of these fruits are sticky, so the bird scratches its bot on a tree trunk, where the other part of symbiosis take place. Mistletoe bush grew on this tree as parasitic who consume the tree resources until they both die. (an example below).
Although dipped the Black-backed Bittern, Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant and Bird Hide got some nature cruelty footage of Great Egret hunting duckling
Non-bird image(s)
Capertee toilets on the rest area not only painted with Regent Honeyeater: speaker ongoing playbacking the bird calls.
Rounded mistletoe bush parasite other tree near Cobar.
Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant Bird Hide
Sand Goanna (Varanus gouldiiform) NSW outback near Cobar.
Week's Key location(s)
Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush site near Cobar
Although dipped the Black-backed Bittern, Dubbo Sewage Treatment Plant and Bird Hide is great birding spot!
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 67300 km (this week 1375 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 600 (+1 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 155 (+0 this week) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 209 (+0 this week), AU list now 638. eBird AU year list: 468 eBird days of checklist streak: 488 Week’s special milestones: Big Zigzag bird 600!
Bird(s) of the Week
Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua), Royal Botanic Gardens (Sydney) – Big Zigzag 600 bird! (photo from 2018, Centennial Park, Sydney)
Phone photo from the garden this week.
Non-bird image(s)
Sydney from South Head
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 65925 km (this week 900 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 599 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 155 (+0 this week) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 209 (+0 this week), AU list now 638. eBird AU year list: 466 eBird days of checklist streak: 481 Week’s special milestones: None
Bird(s) of the Week
As expected, Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) seen well around ACT (male & female).
Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula), member of Monarchidae (Monarch Flycatchers, Paradise Flycatchers, and Shrikebills).
White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) photographed for the first time (Big Zigzag lifer from 2024)
Sahul Cicadabird (Edolisoma tenuirostre) photographed for the first time. Member of Campephagidae (Cuckooshrikes).
Big Rock Road, Bodalla, New South Wales. Free campsite in the wood contributed 2 first time photographed birds: White-throated Needletail & Sahul Cicadabird.
Gang-gang and Leaden Flycatcher site.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 65025 km (this week 1000 km)
2 great spotlighting nights: 1st at Cape Liptrap Lighthouse, 2nd at Lake Tyers State Park (and some Alpine views).
In an Eggshell:
Big Zigzag bird species count: 599 (+2 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 155 (+2 this week: Tasmanian Boobook, Australasian Masked Owl) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 209 (+2 this week), AU list now 638. eBird AU year list: 460 eBird days of checklist streak: 474 Week’s special milestones: None
Bird(s) of the Week
Tasmanian Boobook(Ninox leucopsis), Cape Liptrap Lighthouse lifer. Just before they migrate back to Tassie.
Big Zigzag bird species count: 597 (+7 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 153 (+3 this week: Flesh-footed Shearwater, Gray-faced Petrel, Great-winged Petrel) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 207 (+5 this week), AU list now 637. eBird AU year list: 453 eBird days of checklist streak: 467 Week’s special milestones: None
Bird(s) of the Week
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes), one of the three lifers on Portland Pelagic (with few of the dozens White-capped Albatrosses) . Many thanks to Chanith Wijeratne for organizing great ocean birding!
Great-winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera) one of the three lifers on Portland Pelagic.
Grey-faced Petrel (Pterodroma gouldi) one of the three lifers on Portland Pelagic.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)
Southern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora) with “Fleshie” shadow
Indian Yellow-nosed (Albatross Thalassarche carteri)
Young Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) with White-capped (Shay) Albatross (Thalassarche cauta) behind.
Great Ocean Road star: Rufous Bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbenti). Seen in a few sites and probably got used to the tourism activity around so less secretive than expected.
Non-bird image(s)
The best non-bird photo from the plagic
A bit of Great Ocean Road (and Peregrine Falcon)
Kuala & son
Week's Key location(s)
Portland Pelagic–Offshore
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 63100 km (this week 900 km)
Kalangadoo - Mount Gambier - Piccaninnie Ponds (SA) - Casterton (VIC) - Point Danger
In an Eggshell:
Big Zigzag bird species count: 590 (+2 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 150 (+1 this week: Australasian Bittern) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 207 (+2 this week), AU list now 632. eBird AU year list: 446 eBird days of checklist streak: 460 Week’s special milestones: Big Zigzag Lifer #150!
Bird(s) of the Week
Finally got the boogey bird! Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park. Seen for 3 days in a raw, always for a short time after flashed from the reeds.
Long staying South African guest at Point Danger: Cape Gannet among hundreds of Australasian Gannets (the pale irised one, long dark gular striped, and paler head).
Big Zigzag bird species count: 588 (+1 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 149 (+0 this week) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 205 (+1 this week), AU list now 630. eBird AU year list: 444 eBird days of checklist streak: 453 Week’s special milestones: eBird days of checklist streak over 450.
Bird(s) of the Week
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata), the first monotype bird family (on taxonomy) at the south-west edge of it’s range. Bool Lagoon Game Reserve (and some Black Swans)
Gray Teals (with one Pacific Black Duck). Same lagoon.
A few Swamp Harriers are around all day long.
Non-bird image(s)
Bool Lagune Game Reserve (No Aussie Bittern)
Eastern Australian Snakeneck Turtle
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 61400 km (this week 800 km)
eBird Checklists this week
2051. 11 Oct 2025 7:58 AM Hacks Lagoon Conservation Reserve, Naracoorte and Lucindale
Lyndhurst (Ochre Pitts) - Port Augusta - Wallaroo - Innes NP
In an Eggshell:
Big Zigzag bird species count: 587 (+1 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 149 (+1 this week: Thick-billed Grasswren) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 205 (+1 this week), AU list now 629. eBird AU year list: 443 eBird days of checklist streak: 446 Week’s special milestones: Grasswren #11, Travelled over 60000 km.
Bird(s) of the Week
Not long ago, White-bellied Whipbird (photographed at Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula SA this week) was a different species from Black-throated Whipbird (photograped in July at WA). Now both lumped to Western Whipbird.
Western Whipbird (Black-throated) Cheynes Beach Caravan Park, WA.
Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula SA
Brown Falcon
Non-bird image(s)
Ochre Pits, Thick-billed Grasswren site (on the dune at the opposite side).
Western Whipbird (White-bellied) Habitat. Innes NP.
Yorke Peninsula amazing coastline.
Week's Key location(s)
Ochre Pits near Lyndhurst, Thick-billed Grasswren site.
Western Whipbird (White-bellied) site at Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 60600 km (this week 1100 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 586 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 90 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 148 (+0 this week) Campsite Lifers 30 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 204 (+0 this week), AU list now 628. eBird AU year list: 442 eBird days of checklist streak: 439 Week’s special milestones: None
Bird(s) of the Week
Brown Falcon
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Non-bird image(s)
We climbed 3 times to Mount Ive summit (and twice to Mount Scott). No Short-tailed Grasswren,
Echidna, Mt. Ive
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 59500 km (this week 1150 km)