Tuesday | January 29, 2008

Australia Day 2008 - Murarrie & Metroplex

R was unavailable so out birding alone on a weekend in Brisbane for the first time in a long time. Decided to try for the swamps in Murarrie – the location has its challenges!
 To access it one has to cross a railway bridge over Bulimba Creek. The ‘bridge’ has no guard rail or walkway and so one scurries along beside the metal track watching for trains either way.
 The first time that R & I birded together I brought him here. It is the site of my one and only claim to fame in Australia – I found a Ruff here several years ago. On the occasion of R’s visit we had almost completed the bridge crossing when I glanced up to see a train bearing down on us – we jumped clear and I swear it missed us by less than a meter. The bastard driver was either asleep or hoped to get us, as he didn’t activate the whistle or horn and electric trains are deadly quiet. We saw our one and only (so far) Lewin’s Rail that day, but I don’t think R has any clear memory of it and has refused to go to this spot since! I think he still wakes up screaming and hasn’t ridden a train yet!
Timing the trains works well. They go outbound 5 mins after the hour and half hour and inbound about 10 minutes before each. This leaves a window of approx 15 minutes in which to cross the bridge – a 3 min walk - so it’s not particularly dangerous, just nerve jangling!  I had forgotten to check the time the day R met his nightmare…
Anyway, since that day, there has been some development at the site – a second and third electricity pylon were installed about 18 months ago to increase supply to Fisherman’s Island and when I arrived on Saturday a fenced compound had been erected and workmen were busy, according to some signage, working on the water pipeline. It looks like a temporary structure so the swamp shd be empty of intruders again in 12 months or so. From what I could see the swamp is still there although part has been filled in. I didn’t go too close as I work on the assumption that so long as no one tells me to leave a place, I can keep coming back…
I went under the railway line, via a culvert, into the ox-bow lake area between the railway line and Bulimba Creek. In the past there have been waders and duck here in good numbers, however, possibly the recent rain has dispersed the latter and the higher water level and increased mangrove growth have deterred the former? But there were only a couple of PELICANS, LITTLE BLACK CORMORANTS and I heard a MANGROVE GERYGONE. I did see 2 BUFF-BANDED RAILS which I don’t remember seeing here before, but all in all it was very quiet.
 I made my way back to my car via the railway bridge again - the inbound train went past at 7.50 and I was across by 7.56 – and drove the short distance to Metroplex.
Metroplex:
I used to come here regularly, often early in the morning before work. I haven’t done that for some time, I must start doing that again…but it looks the same really!
 Lots of breeding EGRETS (LITTLE, CATTLE and INTERMEDIATE), along with 1000s of WHITE IBIS, a few GRASS-NECKED IBIS and a small number of LITTLE BLACK and LITTLE PIED CORMORANTS. MOORHEN families were out in force with SWAMPHENS appearing here and there and a number of TAWNY GRASSBIRDS displaying and warning around the grassy fringes. An invasive weed has covered the surface of the normally open water – this has probably reduced the number of duck, geese and grebes that usually show here.
I met a couple of Asian ‘birders’ with cameras and huge lenses. One of them spoke English so we ‘chatted’ for a while. They appeared more interested in getting photos than ‘seeing’ birds. When I suggested Lamington and described Bowerbirds they didn’t seem to know what a Bowerbird was, but were interested in a description of it’s plumage and was it ‘brightly coloured’ – I assured them that Regent’s is…. I also referred them to the Birds Qld and EPA websites.
Walked around the lower lake, or as far around as one can as the ‘river end’ is now so overgrown one can’t circumnavigate the complete lake unless one feels like walking thru chest high grass and assorted vines. I did circle the upper lake, but there was very little around, it was sweaty hot and I didn’t tarry. A quick walk down to the base of the Gateway to see the beginning of the construction of the second toll bridge and then home to a cool drink and a change of clothes!
Posted by C at 02:06:16 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday | January 23, 2008

Yorke's Hollow 230108

Usual trip – usual birds, nothing of great significance at the Hollow this morning. Signs of high water flooding – I didn’t think we’d had that much rain, but obviously it’s been through here. No young birds in evidence, I wonder if they got away or were swept away. Reeds are damaged and lacking in form – they should recover before the Reed Warblers return to breed in Spring.
Posted by C at 23:56:48 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wader search - 190108

High tide at 6.45 so chose to do the Manly thing again. The new fence is impressive – but easier to get around. I wish they’d make up their minds and just allow access to walkers with warnings about the bird roost and restrictions on dogs.
Larger than usual numbers of birds in the upper pond – more water than normal and the strong sea breeze probably encouraged them to seek the shelter of the raised bank. Approx 90 EASTERN CURLEW, 5 CURLEW SANDS, 300 BAR-TAILED GODWITS,  a few CASPIAN TERNS, SILVER GULLS, STINTS, SHARPIES and in the grass the usual GOLDEN PLOVERS.
 Moved on to the main pond – 220 PIED OYSTERCATCHERS was a higher than usual number, 12 PELICANS, 5 COMMON GREENSHANKS, 60 WHIMBREL, more CURLEW SANDS on the island and a mixture of TEREK SANDS (~20), RUDDY TURNSTONES (~50) & GREY-TAILED TATTLERS (~400) hidden in the rock wall along the harbour. The wind persisted and was quite draining.
 Went on, along the coast, to the swampy area off Sandy Camp rd. Had a short wander around the tracks through the ponds – REED WARBLERS, TAWNY GRASSBIRDS, SILVEREYES, 5 MAGPIE GEESE in a tree, 1 WHISTLING KITE and 1 OSPREY were the best records. This is a great rail/crake/bittern spot – but too much water at present…
Went on to Fuller oval and looked in vain for the Wood Sands of yesteryear. Must have moved on. Lake quite flooded – few duck, no geese, no waders. Total of 8 ROYAL SPOONBILL tell the story! One did fly over with nest building material.
 Quite tiring this morning for some reason – both R and I drained and ready for breakfast -  which we enjoyed at the Roman Empire on Creek rd. Once again dawdling over coffee talking about birding and future trips….
Posted by C at 23:55:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday | January 17, 2008

Yorke's Hollow - 180108

Cloudy, gusting breeze, dull - if it was cold it would be miserable. A 30 meter bank of reeds at the lower end of the pond flattened, presumably by overflowing run off from the recent rain. 1 LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT perched on the statue’s head, 3 WOOD DUCK resting and 1 DUCKY MOORHEN poking around hopefully completed the tableaux. Further up the lake a few more Moorhens, SWAMPHENS, 2 BLACK DUCK and 1 single chick on its own paddling across the pond -he won’t last long, I suspect. A pair of MAGPIE LARKS, a pair of WILLIE WAGTAILS and a CRESTED PIGEON listed before flushing a ROYAL SPOONBILL from one side of the pond to the other where it immediately resumed feeding in the shallows. Finished my 15 minute circuit with a few more of the usual species, G FIGBIRDS, W SWALLOW, R LORIKEETS, and, strangely, no NOISY MINERS – probably for the first time ever!  As I left the bridge 4 MASKED LAPWINGS flew overhead calling – occasionally seen near the pond, these birds usually hang out on the Victoria Park golf course and 4 is the biggest number I have recorded at the pond. And so to work…
Posted by C at 23:18:58 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday | January 15, 2008

Oxley Common - 12.1.08

Cloudy humid morning – even at 6.00am. Headed out along the path above the creek, through the trees and shrubs that have shown amazing growth over the last couple of years. Pretty quiet morning, not a lot of bird activity. Plenty of water in the two swamps, Jabiru and Pelican I think they are called, but surprisingly few ducks. There were several species of duck here a few weeks ago, but now, only a few BLACK DUCKS, SWAMPHENS, MOORHENS, T GRASSBIRDS, CISTICOLAS, 1 REED WARBLER, LITTLE BLACK & LITTLE PIED CORMORANTS, 1 GREAT CORMORANT, 1 DARTER and a pair of AUST GREBES.  On the return walk a HARE nearly ran into us and that was the just about the most exciting incident of the morning. 1 DOUBLE-BARRED FINCH, SACRED KINGFISHER, and the usual common species one sees. Stopped for breakfast, and extended discussion, at Tarragindi again.
Posted by C at 00:02:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday | January 08, 2008

And an unsuccessful one

4.00am Robert gets in the passenger seat of the Jeep and sets it to recline.

4.10am We load Laurie’s gear into the boot and he settles himself into the back seat.

4.15 We hit the highway heading south, we are on the way to a twitch!
 The Lesser Yellowlegs has been hanging around some marsh and swamps near South-west Rocks, a small seaside town 500kms south of Brisbane . We intend to drive there today, see the bird with some local help, possibly do some other birding and drive back tomorrow. That’s the plan anyway….

6.20 We stop for some breakfast at a MacDonald’s in Ballina – really busy at 7.20am (NSW time) in the morning – isn’t there anywhere else to go at this hour here?

 8.30 (9.30) We stop for fuel in Coff’s Harbour ($1.42 a litre for the records), anticipation is high as we approach our destination. Robert is reading out bird descriptions for Laurie and I to identify. I blow the horn as my ‘buzzer’ when I think I have the answer.
 It’s raining.
 It’s been raining on and off at various levels of deluge since we left home. A low pressure system has been hanging off the central Qld coast for the last week causing huge seas to pound the coast, closing beaches along a 500km stretch of the mainland and Fraser Island . High winds and occasional rain, it is now degenerating into a rain depression and threatening to head south.
 We are hoping to beat it.

 10.20 (11.20) We turn off the main road onto Plummer’s Lane, about 10kms north of Kempsey and call our local contact, Kev. He advises he will meet us in half an hour and describes the last known location of the bird – we drive there, crossing the Macleay River and turning off onto Boyter’s Lane, an unsealed, muddy, pot holed, dead end road running between areas of swamp and marsh. A wet unsealed road…. because the rain is now pelting down, coming in sheets at times, easing off teasingly to a drizzle, then returning with full force. Cautiously protecting binoculars, cameras and scope we wander up and down the road searching the swamps on both sides, taking shelter when the rain becomes too heavy.

11.00 (12.00) Ken turns up and we venture off the road into council owned property searching the last known location of the bird – no luck. Off, then to Rainbow Reach, a second marsh area to the northwest and searching again. Turning up 6 GREENSHANKS and ~20 SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPERS feeding in the flooded fields where a few days ago there had been exposed mud. BLACK DUCK and CHESTNUT TEAL, WHITE-FACED HERONS, MASKED LAPWINGS and the occasional small passerine are the only other birds present. Right at the end of Rainbow Reach’s muddy track a BLACK-NECKED STORK hangs out on a small marsh, but no Lesser Yellowlegs.
 Back near the beginning of Rainbow Reach again and a single wader flies in and lands, alone, in the marshy field. I scope it – it appeares larger and longer necked than a Sharpie, definitely not a Greenshank or Marsh Sand….. possible Ruff? I call Ken to have a look as he has the only other scope. He, too, thinks it a possibility, as does Robert, through my scope. It lifts and drops into the grass with about 30 Sharpies… we don't see it again. 

 13.30 (14.30) We decide to get some lunch and drive into South-west Rocks itself to get chicken burgers, chips and the all important coffee. Checking out camping opportunities and onsite cabin prices. I think they are asking too much and convince the others that camping inside the corrugated iron shed on the council property is a viable option. This, of course, would be dubiously legal, but dry and free! It also put us right on the last known roosting spot for the bird we seek.

14.30 (15.30) Back on the search again, still no luck. Check out marshes and bogs high and low, all to no avail, although we do find the 8 Marsh Sands the Yellowlegs had been associating with.

17.30 (18.30) Into S-w Rocks again for burgers and chips for dinner. Rain easing and actually stops for a while. Then back to the shed, car fits in easily leaving half of the floor space for tents. At Robert’s suggestion we put them up while we still have some light, then settle down with food and Laurie’s thoughtfully provided bottle of wine.

20.30(21.30) Settling down to sleep, each in their own tent. Laurie shuffling his tent around, water approaching across the floor. He finally decides to sleep in the car. The rain now so deafening on the roof, I can hardly hear him shut the car door. Robert says something about a surge in the river if it’s raining this hard in the hills. Lying awake wondering if there is another option to consider….

21.15 (22.15) Feeling around the tent ‘just to check’ it’s not wet. Feeling the floor undulating like a wave. Realising there is water under the tent floor. Getting up quickly to find its extent. Coming to the conclusion that moving might be a good idea. Voicing that concern at the same time as Laurie and Robert – all of us obviously thinking the same thing…. Packing up and throwing everything into the boot and back seat. We decided to head out to the main highway to avoid the possibility of getting stranded in SW Rocks by rising floodwaters. It feels like driving under a waterfall, visibility reduced to a few meters, the road partially underwater at times, not knowing if we would drive into a deeper section, watching the white lines. We make it to Macksville about 30kms up the road and pull into a service station. Although the rain eases somewhat we don't know what lies ahead so decide to sleep the night in the car in the forecourt………..

23.00 (00.00) settle down, Robert in the passenger seat, Laurie stretched out in back, me in the driver’s seat…….

00.30 (01.30) dozing off and on, waking at one point to find my shirt and pillow wet from the drips from the slightly open window, fall asleep again…….

01.30 (02.30) Robert snoring, contemplate poking him in the ribs, doze off again…….

02.30 (03.30) Awake, L & R appear to be asleep still. Sit quietly so as not to wake them, damp, fuzzy headed, sweaty, tired…………..

03.30 (04.30) Awake again, R still snoring….

04.15 (05.15) Dawn breaking, mouth like the inside of a Turkish wrestler’s jock strap. Damp and stiff………

04.30 (05.30) L awakes, throws open the back door and clambers out. R wakes suddenly with a loud exclamation. We stand around scratching ourselves looking at a water logged landscape. No immediate flooding in sight and no rain, cloudy skies, watery sun.
We have coffee then decide that heading north would be the best option – the marshes undoubtedly too flooded now to find the Yellowlegs. 

05.30 (06.30) Through Grafton and on to Coff’s Harbour, no problems on the road, but unable to get any news for the road ahead. The sun shining and patches of blue showing, we take a walk out to Muttonbird Island, reportedly home to thousands of WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATERS, a few of which we see off the coast circling a fishing boat on a calm ocean. Two SOOTY OYSTERCATCHERS fly by, quarrelling.
We think a visit to a nearby patch of rainforest would be beneficial – especially to me as there is a possibility of Superb Lyrebird, a species I have not seen yet. Heading off the main road up to Bruxnow Reserve we end up at a lookout. R chases butterflies while L checkes his feet for leeches. On the way down a SUPERB  LYREBIRD shows itself beside the road for a few seconds – long enough to satisfy identification points for me and a new tick acquired.
It is to be the best bird of the weekend.
We move on north towards home, aware that the Clarence is rising against the predicted high tide later in the afternoon, keen to get past the danger point at Woodburn, just south of Ballina.
No problem, clear the danger and carry on into Queensland . Stop off at Carrara to check for the Blue-billed Duck at the wetlands, no joy there either.

15.00 Arrive home, damp, smelly, tired and Yellowleg-less. Oh well, maybe next time!
Posted by C at 05:57:33 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday | January 03, 2008

Yorke's Hollow 2

First ‘bird trip’ of the New Year. I don’t keep a year list unlike some of my cronies, but do record all the birds I see at each location......pretty anal really, I suppose.
Yorke’s Hollow again – very wet and cloudy. Quiet this morning at 7.00 on the way to work – but numbers good: 7 PURPLE SWAMPHENS, 10 CRESTED PIGEONS, 5 WILLY WAGTAILS (think it was 2 adults and 3 chicks as there appeared to be some begging going on, although all looked fully fledged). Otherwise it was quiet – only 3 DUSKY MOORHENS, 1 female GREEN FIGBIRD, 1 BLACK DUCK (!), 5 WOOD DUCK AND 3 NOISY MINERS and that was it…. Threatened cyclone approaching the coast - wonder if that has anything to do with it, or is it just the time of year?

Posted by C at 02:41:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |