After a fairly good start to the birding year, here is an updated 2012 birding target list:

• Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa);
• Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea), I’m still checking all the Grey Teals I see (in reality I should have been checking my photo library);
• Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia), beginning to think these are fictitious;
• Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus);
• Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) – crippling views on a pelagic;
• Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii);
• Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius);
• Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus), not sure how I’ve managed to avoid this one;
• Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus);
• Redthroat (Pyrrholaemus brunneus);
• Gilbert’s Whistler (Pachycephala inornata);
• Little Grassbird (Megalurus gramineus), a somewhat embarrassing hole in my list;
• Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis), got to go check out that feral population in the hills..
• * Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata), a remote chance near the site I work at;
• * Inland Dotterel (Charadrius australis);
• * Painted Button-quail (Turnix varius);
• * Southern Scrub-robin (Drymodes brunneopygia).