My local birding patch is Lesmurdie Falls – below is my current list.  There are a few obvious holes (raptors in particular) so hopefully this will be added to in the near future.

1. Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
2. Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)
3. Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
4. Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus)
5. Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius)
6. Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius)
7. Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)
8. Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens)
9. White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
10. Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)
11. Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)
12. New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
13. White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger)
14. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
15. Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)
16. Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)
17. Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)
18. Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen)
19. Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
20. Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)
21. Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides)
22. White-breasted Robin (Eopsaltria georgiana)
23. Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis)
24. Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum)
25. Red-eared Firetail (Stagonopleura oculata)

I have recently replaced my Canon 350D DSLR after many years of reliable service.  I purchased the 350D in about 2006, just as the 400D was being released (which made the 350D with the twin lens kit affordable).  I have taken about 8,500 photographs with the 350D and the original battery still holds a very good charge.

Shutter speed was my primary reason for upgrading – the 350D was capable of 1/4000 second but I needed (wanted) more.  I primarily use my camera for bird photography so being able to freeze the action is an advantage.

Some research indicated that the 50D was the sweet spot: it still used CF (so I could keep my collection of memory cards), it was capable of a 1/8000 second shutter speed and it was cheap as there had been some recent upgrades (meaning there were a few available on the market).

I found a very affordable 50D second hand in Perth, complete with a 16GB memory card, two batteries and a car charger.  All for about 25% of what I paid for the 350D…

Here is a list of the birds I am looking for in 2013:

• Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus);
• Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii);
• Black-eared Cuckoo (Chalcites osculans);
• Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus), not sure how I’ve managed to avoid this one;
• Gilbert’s Whistler (Pachycephala inornata), should be around the site I work at;
• 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).