The Rylstone Curlews

The "Champagne Race" of the NSW Twitchathon has some very strict rules.
Time off for lunch, morning and afternoon tea and no driving through the night.

It doesn't mention what to do with torrential hailstorms.
This one hit just as we left our home in the Blue Mountains
on our way to our first birding location.

(Click Photos for larger image)

The ground was quickly covered in huge hailstones
as cars swerved off the road for safety and hopeful cover.

A handful of hail gathered from outside the car door
as we waited for it to ease.

We passed a golf course moments later
where two golfers search  amongst the white hail stones the size of golf balls
for two white balls the size of hail stones.

We leave the hail behind us, as we take up position at McGraths Hill STW.
Unfortunately as the time closes in on the designated start time
so did a monster electrical storm on us. We are surrounded by
thunderclaps and lightning bolts.

Lightning may bolt
but we didn't.

A small glass of celebration champagne 24 hour later
as we hear that we are the co winners of the champagne race with a respectable 139 bird species..
Jill Dark, Timothy Hyde, Lynda Holmes (Team Leader)

Our Twitch route went approximately
Hawkesbury Region - Blue Mountains - Capertee Valley.


Highlights -

Banded Lapwing   ( a new bird for Timothy)
Latham's Snipes - amazing close up views of a pair on the ground. A species that usually fly at the slightest movement
Tawny Frogmouth - A pair with one nesting
Square Tail Kite - Nominated for our rarest bird, first spotted by Jill Dark at Min Min
Turquoise Parrot -  Nesting bird with 3 (?) babies in a fence post stump at Min Min - Nominated for birding moment of the year!

Lowlights -

The hailstorm and then violent electrical storm while birding McGraths Hill
(Our team leader is terrified of lightning)

As all teams experience, the large number of birds -
# Only seen by one member
# Seen just after the cutoff time
# Very common species not seen at all. (The Capertee Valley was unusually quiet, with our regular Honey Eater count the next day coming in at two thirds the normal numbers.)


Well, there's always next year. We plan to tweak the route a little and will organise better weather.