Birds and Things

Went to JC Trotter this morning (south side of Brisbane, reserved Koala habitat along the shores of Tingalpa Resevoir) - haven’t been there for some time and the dam is very full still, despite the current water shortage in SE Qld. Walking through the bush we noted the apparent lack of birds - it was very quiet - very, very quiet. A few Yellow-faced Honeyeaters chased through the trees, a couple of Bar-shouldered Doves in the distance, a lone Brahminy Kite flapped lazily over the water while 10 Little Black Cormorants and 1 Pied Cormorant perched in the dead trees off shore. Further round and a Great Egret fished along the distant shore, a Pelican passed overhead and Grey Shrike Thrushes sang. We watched a Rainbow Lorikeet inspect  or visit a nest hole and searched (unsuccessfully) through a small flock (~15) of White-throated Needletails, high overhead, for Fork-tailed Swifts. A male Leaden Flycatcher caused excitement for a few minutes, but overall it was pretty dead.

Near the road we ‘discovered’ a new barbeque area that has been installed since our last visit. Four table and seat sets, a water tank and a double electric barbeque on a cement slab with a  bitumen track to an extensive car park. One wonders why, as it is located in the bush nowhere near any view on a road that is little known, or on the way to anywhere. I suspect a budget job - ie have to spend the money or we’ll lose it… 

Following L’s success with Button-quails after we met him a couple of weeks ago R and I decided to give the Araucaria Walk another go this weekend. We moved as quietly as we could along the track stopping frequently and watching and waiting. We were finally rewarded close to the same location L had had his bird. As we stood silently watching, a Button-quail dashed out of the long grass on the left of the track and scuttled along the track for about 3 meters before running into the lantana on the right and disappearing from view. No time for binoculars or camera. Longish yellow/orange legs, light brown colour overall, white streaks from nape to tail, about the same size, maybe slightly smaller than a Brown Quail. I am comfortable that it was a Painted Button-quail - although overall a lousy view and I’ll be looking for them again.

Seemed to be quieter this weekend - bird numbers, both in variety and total were lower. The only new species  - Hardhead, a group of 4, and a couple of Brown Quail heard calling higher up on the return loop as it crosses the ridge.

I waited till 7.00pm before heading west on Friday night - gave the traffic time to clear. Goomburra SF is located behind Main Range National Park at the back of the Great dividing Range 2 hours drive west of Brisbane. There are 2 basic camping areas (composting toilets and water only supplied) but at $4 per person per night one can’t complain! The first hour and a half is on major roads the last 30 minutes or so on quiet country roads eventually unsealed for the last 5 kms or so. The first bird for the weekend and the last for the day (!) was a very pleasant surprise - a Barn Owl perched on a fence post close to the road. I haven’t seen a lot of BOs in Australia so I was very happy with the sighting. I set up camp as far as I could go in the camping ground, Manna Gum, finding a Rocket Frog in the grass as I did - and listening to a distant Boobook Owl somewhere in the forest. By 11.00pm I was settling down for the night.

Awake at 5.00am and as I slowly woke I identified calls of Grey Shrike-thrushes, Satin Bowerbirds, Eastern Whipbirds, a Peaceful Dove, a Brush Cuckoo, Whipbirds, Lewin’s Honeyeaters and Pied Currawongs. I was camped at the furthest end of the camp site - right beside the Bell Miner colony so their continuous tinkling calls dominated. I had a quick breakfast and headed off on the Cascades trail. This is one of my favourite walks and starts off meandering along and, on several occasions, across Dalrymple Creek. firstly through open eucalypt forest then into sub-tropical rainforest. The track then winds up the side of the valley until you clear the rainforest and takes you back along the side of the slope until the turn off to the Ridge Trail presents itself - this is the way I normally choose to go.

King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas were common throughout the first stage of the walk while small Wallabies dived off the track and thumped off through the bush. Yellow Robins, Rufous and Grey Fantails, White-browed Scrubwrens, Black-faced Monarchs and Golden Whistlers were easily seen. A brief view of an Azure Kingfisher zipping low over the creek was rewarding - how could I get photos of such a striking bird? They are very difficult to spot perched and quite shy. I sat beside the creek and brewed a cup of coffee - a lovely spring morning. Not too hot yet, clear blue sky above the valley, warm sunshine spilling through the trees. High in the trees a Cicadabird called, Yellow-faced and White-naped Honeyeaters chased through the lower branches or splashed into the creek for their early morning bath. As I reached the rainforest an Eastern Spinebill called then flew past like an oversize mosquito. more Golden Whistlers, Red-browed Finches, Brown Gerygones, Large-billed Scrubwrens, while a White-headed Pigeon called somewhere unseen. A movement ahead and a pair of Logrunners peered from cover while an immature Bassian or Russet-tailed Thrush - probably the latter given the lower altitude - flew ahead up the track - as they do.  One Yellow-throated Scrubwren crossed the track ahead and Green Catbirds mewed from the canopy.

I turned off the Cascades Trail up the steep slope of the Ridge Trail. A Spotted Pardalote showed low down beside the trail - probably had a nest somewhere in the earthbank along the side of the trail. I tried for photos but it was too mobile! The Ridge Trail eventually opens out into a fern and grass clumped type of habitat under large eucalpyts - a very different environment that always holds promise. This time it was fairly quiet - a Fan-tailed Cuckoo called nearby and a Striated Thornbill showed briefly. A quick movement in the trees and a quartet of Varied Sitellas flicked their brown lined wings as they probed the bark. The last stretch of the Ridge Trail is described as ’steep in sections’ in the information booklet. Steep is an understatement! The surface is loose earth in places and almost vertical - it’s not the place to take your grandmother for a stroll! I survived the descent and arrived back at camp at noon. 

Relaxed and sat out the heat of the day - although it wasn’t actually too hot - and watched Superb Fairy-wrens insect hunt around my tent. I did get some nice photos of the male when he became particularly adventurous. These are stunning birds - beautifully marked and incredibly brave and cheeky! At 3.00pm I drove up through the state forest unsealed track to the start of the Araucaria Falls trail. The track up is very steep and, at present, very rough. It didn’t quite require me to put the Suzuki into 4WD, but I locked the hubs in just to be sure. The recent rains had caused deep rivulets and washed loose gravel/soil off areas exposing bare rock underneath - it would not be really suitable for a 2WD you cared about!

I spent an hour moving very slowly along the track hoping for Buttonquails (!) - did see a pair of Logrunners and an immature Thrush sp - again possibly Russet-tailed again but not confirmed. Very little else seen despite my caution.

Returning down the track I decided to head along the unsealed road through Gordon County. I’ve had some luck here before with Cockatoos and was not to be disappointed this time. Hearing a wailing sound from a patch of trees I pulled over just as 3 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos broke cover and flew. in their seemingly leisurely fashion, across the road on huge black wings - God, these are big birds! There were two adults and a begging juvenile - I watched one of the adults apparently reguritate and then feed the youngster. After 10 minutes I felt like strangling the winger! They were in an ackward position to photograph and I hoped they’d fly to a lower perch. They did, and one of the adults presented very well at about 2 meters off the ground. I stalked quickly up and took several photos from about 10 meters away - unfortunately none were worth keeping…due to poor light, low shutter speed and constant movement the moment was lost. Heading on back to camp a Common Bronzewing winged ahead of me down the road, a Grey Butcherbird sat high in a tree while a Forest Kingfisher also fed a juvenile.

Waited at camp until after dark - about 7.00 - then drove back out the road checking for Owls and Frogmouths - unsuccessfully, despite driving a 30 km round trip! At a small pond beside the road, however, several frog species were calling madly - I haven’t identified them yet - but did get some photos. Returned to camp and crashed.

Felt a bit knackered so didn’t actually get up till 6.00 and left camp at 7.00. Decided to walk up the same track as yesterday - Cascades Trail - but concentrate on the birds easily seen and try for some photos. Spent a happy 3 hours doing just that - and an especially happy 2 minutes seeing Musk Lorikeet, finally, a new tick, although very high in a tree and chased away by a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets.  I stopped for a cup of coffee and found a Rufous Fantail’s nest with 2 eggs - got some shots of her (?) standing beside and then sitting on the tiny structure. I also watched a pair of White-naped Honeyeaters building a nest at the end of a thin tree branch 7 meters above my head. The Azure Kingfisher showed briefly but despite my best efforts remained elusive - these guys are really secretive. As I returned through the wheel chair friendly circular walk a Yellow Robin flew close and then straight into and onto it’s nest! It was that kinda morning! Too high to see into and difficult to film I did get some shots of the bird getting on and off but nothing to write home about.

I returned to camp and, after a cup of coffee, packed up and headed home. An easy 2 hour drive, not much traffic and fewer birds than I expected. I have seen Harriers and Kites between Goomburra and the main road, however only 2 Kestrels, a few Indian Mynas and a handfulof Australian Pipits showed before I reached the trucking lanes and my attention needed to focus elsewhere!

6.00am and my turn to drive. Due to an early commitment for my daughter to be at work at 9.30 R and I decide to make it a local birding spot - so we headed for Minnippi Parklands about 10 mins away. Minnippi is a medium sized fresh water pond beside a tidal creek and with a patch of good bush nearby.

We walked in over Bulimba Creek via the bridge, on the way seeing a couple of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, Galahs, Rainbow Lorikeets and 2 very nice Chestnut-breasted Mannikins. There were 3 young guys fishing on the bridge - for what? anything they could catch…we suggested eels, maybe Flathead and occasional Bream…they didn’t seem to have any idea.

Dusky Moorhens, 3 Black Swans and an Intermediate Egret were immediately evident - and very relaxed. One Moorhen on it’s nest was attended to by another, presumably it’s mate which seemed to pass food (?) to it while it sat. Two other individuals were also very close and ’supportive’ . Also on the lake - Aust Grebes, Little Black Cormorants, 1 Darter, 1 Hardhead, a few Black Duck, a pair of Willy Wagtails and a singing Clamorous Reed Warbler.

We walked ‘left’ , beside the bike path, seeing Red-backed and Superb Fairy-wrens, Silvereyes, 3 Golden-headed Cisticolas, a couple of Tawny Grassbirds, Lewin and Brown Honeyeaters and a beautifully clean looking Forest Kingfisher. A little way along the path and a pair of Brown Goshawks hunted silently overhead. The weather was a bit ‘heavy’ - not really a pending storm, but a muted, overly quiet sort of feel to it. The activity reflected the atmosphere - quiet and more reserved than normal.

Scanned the lake edges from the boardwalk at the far end of the lake but no Snipe in sight. 4 Magpie Geese flew over but didn’t land. 1 Wood Duck and a couple of Welcome Swallows hung around the boardwalk itself while a Koel called in the distance and an Aust Magpie sang to itself.  We tried to avoid waking a sleeping Pelican and R talked to the feral ducks he loves so much! (I can’t stand the things really) 2 Pheasant Coucals called to each other, 1 visible half way up a small tree and more Hardheads, Black Duck, Moorhens and Aust Grebes appeared.

We headed on down the lakeside and spotted 2 Comb-crested Jacanas feeding on the lily pads. Nothing new showed itself close to the water, apart from a couple of Cattle Egrets and high overhead a single White-throated Needletail headed north-west. This was unusual as WTNTs usually move in large numbers. Maybe this guy was a scout, looking for a food source for the flock? We watched him head off into the distance where distant clouds suggested heavier weather brewing.

Into the trees and it was very quiet, no whistlers, robins or honeyeaters. Maybe a lack of food at present? A medium sized bird flew in and landed high in a tree - it looked ‘hawky’ and sure enough on closer inspection we agreed it was a Collared Sparrowhawk, lighter in build, slimmer wings and body that the birds we had seen earlier, when perched long, almost unfeathered, legs, yellow eyering, balanced, ’small’ head. It was promptly harassed by the resident pair of Dollarbirds and departed quickly for a quieter location.

A quieter than normal morning at Minnippi with no really notable discoveries, but a nice way to start a Sunday morning.

5.30am - R picked me up and we headed off for the 30 minute drive to Brisbane Forest Park and a relatively new walk - the Araucaria Walk - which skirts Enogerra Resevoir, an area previously off limits to the general public. We parked on the roadside, as the carpark was closed until 8.00, then found our way thru the headquarters complex and onto the beginning of the track near the Walkabout restaurant. A pair of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets popped in and out of a hole in a eucalypt overlooking the car park while a Koel called in the distance. A warm, sunny, morning, clear blue skies, no wind.

We reached the water’s edge having seen and/or heard Eastern Whipbirds, Grey Shrike Thrushes (GST), Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Olive-backed Oriole, Spangled Drongos and Rainbow Lorikeets.  Out on the water we quickly identified Australian Grebes, Little Black Cormorants, a couple of Coots and a Dusky Moorhen - nothing to get excited about. As we started to move off again we both spotted a shape moving overhead, above the canopy, and focusing, recognised a Pacific Baza or Crested Hawk, and then it’s partner, cruisning quietly. Not seen very regularly, it was a nice way to start the day.

Further along the track, stopping frequently to look and listen we found Red-backed Fairy-wrens, White-browed Scrub-wrens, Galahs, Lewin’s and Brown Honeyeaters, more Whipbirds, a Laughing Kookaburra and presently we entered a Bell Miner community. These birds dominate a given area of forest and actually ‘manage’ the trees for their own use. They also have a tendency to chase other smaller birds out of the area, or at least dissuade them from entering their territory, and so become the primary species. This colony extended along our shore of the resevoir and around and along the far side of the inlet we were following. We were particluarly looking for Button-quails which had been seen in this area and so scanned the track and surrounding vegetation for their distinctive platelets - scraped circles created by the birds feeding habits. The ground was very dry and hard despite recent rain and there was no evidence of any activity. Rounding the end of the inlet we sat for a while and watched a muddy shoreline backed by reed beds in the hope of shyer species coming out to feed such as Crakes or Rails. While we sat a pair of Variegated Fairy-wrens and a Brown Thornbill flitted thru the trees close by as Lewin’s Honeyeaters and a Yellow Robin drank and bathed.  

Moving on, the track opened up into a grassy peninsula giving more expansive views of the water and changing the habitat. R chased some butterflys for photos but nothing else of consequence showed itself. Rounding the tip of the peninsula and the main body of the resevoir was visible. A pair of Great-crested Grebes fished along with more Aust Grebes, Moorhens and Coots and a total of 30 Little Black Cormorants dried out in one tree overhanging the water. We heard a Brush Cuckoo and,, in the far distance, Bar-shoulderd and Peaceful Doves and a Wonga Pigeon. A Striated Thornbill showed quite well and a Forest Kingfisher chewed on a large dragonfly, while a Scared Kingfisher arrowed quietly thru the trees. The track curved back over the peninsula thru heavier bush and near the crest I found what I believed was a platelet created by a Button-quail sp. There were no birds in sight, but it gave hope that they did exist here! Along the inlet again and a Channel-billed Cuckoo called from high above the hills - very distinctive - while a Pheasant Coucal burbled nearby. Close to where we had sat a few Red-browed Finches appeared in an open patch along with the Variegated wrens we had seen earlier.

Returning back along the track we met L, another local birder out with his young son. He was trying to photograph a Little Shrike-Thrush. We chatted for a few minutes then headed on our way. In the last stretch R heard, but we could not spot, a White-throated Gerygone and briefly in the distance a Cicadabird called.  

So, no luck with Button-quail this time - our bogey species….!! To add frustration to the day, L saw 2 not long after we left him - along the track we had just walked….

Maybe next time…..

On the way home we spotted a Rainbow Lorikeet sitting in the middle of a busy road and I managed to grab it after it copped a second blow from a car. It’s neck appeared broken but as we headed for a local vet’s it roused itself and attacked my hand with determined bill while it’s claws sunk into my flesh. We raced to get it into a cage and left it there to recover - while I went home to do the same to my lacerated hand! Ungrateful wretch!