Jack Moorhead’s Trip Reports

See more reports by Jack on his Wildiaries page

WURCEL [5.36MB] - A trip to see two Western Australian vagrants: Red-legged Crake and Black-tailed Gull. Eleven year old Jack describes the success and failure, along with a couple of disasters, in pursuit of rare birds.

MIZZLE [1.69MB] - Jack’s St. Helen’s and Werribee Treatment plant report.

SPUME [5.51MB] - This is the third Trip Report from Jack. Spume includes sub-antarctic Australian and New Zealand territory along with mainland South Island New Zealand. An extraordinary account seen through an 11 year old’s eyes.

WIDGET [4.26MB] - The forth in Jack’s collection of reports. This time to Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and the SW of WA. As Jack homes in on 600 Australian species, this trip added almost 40 new ones.

STABIRU [2.63MB] - The Slaty-backed Gull was long gone but Jack still saw 11 new birds to get him to 591 Oz species on his Cooktown twitch.

ZEPHYR [8.00MB] - Jack managed to get to over 600 Australian birds before his 12th Birthday. Between Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens, Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens and Carpentarian Grasswrens, it was tough top pick the best new birds. A trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria provided lots of highlights.

STEGGLES [3.44MB] - A chance to drive from Eastern Arnhem land to Darwin looking for new sites for the White-throated Grasswren could not be missed. Jack has been birding from 6 to 12 years old, his total will stand at 612 after this trip.

BIDEFORDE [2.27MB] - At the last minute Jack convinced his father that we better get to Werribee before the rains. As it turned out we were probably the last to see the Little Stint, and a what a magnificant little shorebird it is.

BITTEN [1.77MB] - Jack, Bill and Karen spent 3 days at Sundown National Park near the border ranges of Queensland. Their targets included Diamond Firetail and Turquoise Parrot. Jack finished the trip with his Oz list at 620.

TADPOLE [1.9MB] - The lure of a rare swallow in Far North Queensland was enough to tempt Karen, Jack and Bill to drive 3000km to the Red-rumped Swallows at Mossman as well as many other terrific birds, butterflies and lizards.

APODIDAE [2.6MB] - Late in the wet season, February 2009, was always going to be interesting on Cape York and the Torres Strait. Some fantastic company, birds, butterflies and reptiles ensured a remarkable expedition was had by us. At least 3 BARC submissions of members of the adodidae swifts resulted.

GROUND ROLLER [1.2MB] - Two years ago Jack, Bill and Karen dashed up to Darwin to dip on the Javan Pond-Heron. In March 2009 they saw 2 on a return trip to Christmas Island and the Cocos group. Jack’s Australian list is now 653 before he becomes a teenager.

BIG EARS [1.2MB] - A Eurasian Curlew had been hanging around Broome for a few weeks in May 09, so Karen, Bill and Jack managed to get away to see it. On the way home, their plane flew over a flooded Lake Eyre North.

Swine [2.3MB] - The Hudsonian Godwit at Altona in Melbourne was very twitchable, and Jack, Bill and Karen saw it well but better still were 5 Orange-bellied Parrots showing brilliantly at the Western Treatment Plant…. Jack is now on 660 Australian birds just before his 13th Birthday.

MELIPHAGIDAE [1.7MB] - Jack, Bill and Deane drove 3500 km in the middle of a NSW winter to go seabirding and also to try for some hard to get bush birds around Barren Ground. Jack finished a brilliant road trip on 669 Aussie species.

QUATTUORDECIMLINEATUS [3.3MB] - 8000 kms for a 5 second view of 4 Princess Parrots may seem a bit extreme but our trip in Sept 09 from Bundaberg to Jupiter Well in WA was a fantastic success. We saw 230 bird species, heaps of lizards and Jack finished the trip on 679 Australian species seen. The race is on to crack 700 before his 14th birthday.

See more reports by Jack on his Wildiaries page