30 [page number] 
28.6.47. On the 28th June 1947 The Orion arrived 
(14) at Fremantle and we had our first sight of 
Australia and its birds. SILVER GULLS abounded in 
the harbour, their silver-grey backs and red bills 
being well remembered. I was astonished at the 
number of SKUAS there were in the harbour. They 
were feeding on the water or flying round the 
ship with the gulls but were never seen to 
harry the latter. Alexander (Birds of the Ocean 
p.p. 207, 208) gives two species - the Southern Skua 
and the dark Skua (Catharacta antarctica and C. 
lonnbergi) both with a distribution including 
Fremantle. They appear to be Inseparable at 
sea. Cayley (p 282) recognises only C. lonnbergi 
which he calls the Dark Southern Skua! 
Though we saw many TURTLE DOVES on 
the bus into Perth our first Australian land 
bird was in the company of Dr. DL Serventy 
outside the W.A. Museum - a WILLIE WAGTAIL. 
More came in the afternoon with a visit to 
Kings Park - YELLOW RED WATTLE-BIRD, WESTERN MAGPIE (whose 
call was delightful to hear again and which 
both Joan and Macdonald immediately rendered [guess] 
"ogley-ogley"), WESTERN SPINEBILL, SWALLOW, FAIRY MARTIN 
and a very large flock of SILVER-EYES. I had 
