Birds and Things

Didn't go anywhere this year. Well, not away for the weekend - did go birding on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Saturday was a Sabine's Gull search along Fisherman'sIsland, Wynnum foreshore and Manly wader roost. R had a commitment at 10.00 so time was a little limited, but with an early start at 5.45 we covered the area - although without success. There were MANGROVE HONEYEATERS galore at the visitor's centre at F Island along with the usual water birds and a flock of ROYAL SPOONBILLS that flew in at the last minute. The 'bird reserve' was, as usual, locked and the hides are too far away from the water anyway and facing into the sun. What a waste of time and money! Checked the Silver Gull groups along the esplanade looking for a black head - no luck! Manly wader roost had a good selection of waders - TEREK and CURLEW SANDS, , WHIMBRELS, CURLEWS, RED-NECKED STINTS, RED-CAPPED DOTTERELS, TURNSTONES, LESSER SAND PLOVERS and our first DOUBLE-BANDED PLOVERS from New Zealand for the season. We had what appeared to be an immature PELICAN which was a little unusual, considering they breed several hundred kilometres inland. Approx 230 PIED OYSTERCATCHERS roosted peaceably, while an OSPREY and 2 BRAHMINY KITES quarrelled overhead. We were early for the top of the tide and flocks of BAR-TAILED GODWITS flew in from their feeding grounds. 36 LITTLE TERNS fishing kept us occupied trying to capture that one brilliant photo that we all dream of.
Sunday and a big day at the Lockyer valley. Off at 5.00 in the pre dawn darkness, coffee on the way. Arriving at Atkinson Dam a little over an hour later to find water! And speedboats! And camping! Yes, it is Easter, but this is unexpected – we moved on, with campers on the shoreline, there weren’t many water birds. A HOBBY flew past as we drove out. Across the road to the dam and WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATERS posed for photos, a STRIPED HONEYEATER singing nearby, MISTLETOEBIRD overhead. On up the road a bit and left into Banff’s rd, an unsealed road leading to a creek bed – riparian vegetation offering cover to a variety of birds including a juvenile CHANNEL-BILLED CUCKOO waiting patiently in a dead tree, perfect for photos at, relatively, close range. We just missed it being fed by a pair of TORRESIAN CROWS. SCALY-BREASTED and RAINBOW LORIKEETS, BAR-SHOULDERED DOVES calling, LITTLE FRIARBIRDS, SPANGLED DRONGOS and a SACRED KINGFISHER hung out around the creek bed.
Down B   rd - a BROWN FALCON perched on the wires doesn’t wait for the camera, NANKEEN KESTRESL on each power pole do, GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLAS and RED-BACKED FAIRY-WRENS buzz along the fence line, in the distance 2 raptors perched in a dead tree look exciting – but turn out to be both BROWN FALCONS – one of each phase, while in the distance a WHISTLING KITE circles. Looking for Ground Cuckoo-shrike, but only PALE-HEADED ROSELLAS to be seen flying along the tree line.
On to 7 mile lagoon with water for the first time in years. No access to the water’s edge - although I remember walking right around the flooded field several years ago – now an electric cattle fence inside the road fence dissuades us. From the road we scan – GREY TEAL, AUSTRALIAN GREBES, BLACK DUCK, BLACK-WINGED STILT, 2 SILVER GULLS, BLACK SWANS. Over the far side a WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE perched on a stump, a WHISTLING KITE circles lazily low over the reed beds to be attacked by a GREY TEAL jumping up off the water surface! Just one of those things you see in a ‘scope! Robert has a SWAMP HARRIER dropping into the grass on the opposite side too.
Moving on we reach Lake Clarendon – has been a dry lake for absolutely ages, now a shimmer of water still well below the dam wall, vegetation still sticking through the surface maybe the start but still a long, long way to go before there is significant depth. However it appears to have attracted some birds, although we decide not to walk down. Not much to see here – another BROWN FALCON, a family party of squabbling GREY-CROWNED BABBLERS and 2 WEDGE-TAILED EAGLES in the distance. A poor cup of coffee and we’re moving on again, this time all the way to Gatton and the sewage farm on the hunt for White-backed Swallows – none unfortunately, however, a RESTLESS FLYCATCHER and small flock of YELLOW-RUMPED THORNBILLS is some compensation – especially as I get some good shots of the latter, at last.
We grab a chicken and gravy roll and drink each from the Gatton bakehouse and take it to Apex Park to eat while watching the CATTLE EGRETS, DARTERS and IBIS fly around the islands that form the basis for the breeding colonies. PURPLE SWAMPHENS and DUSKY MOORHENS, BLACK DUCK and 1 solitary HARDHEAD also noted.
On the way back to Brisbane and a stop off at Gatton University ’s Lake for PINK-EARED DUCK and chicks, GREY TEAL and chicks, approx 200 PLUMED WHISTLING DUCK and 4 vocal SUPERB FAIRY-WRENS, but no Magpie Geese, strangely enough.
A final stop at Lake Dyer to find a similar situation as at Atkinson – campers, boats, jet skis – we headed home without further investigation. All up 67 species for the day – about average for the Valley – nothing spectacular, but some good photos to add to the collection.
Monday saw Sue and I at Oxley Common – a nice easy walk to and from Pelican Lake as Sue recovers from recent surgery. Her favourites – GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLAS and DOUBLE-BARRED FINCHES performed on cue. A light phase BROWN FALCON provided stunning photos by sitting happily in a dead tree to be stalked by yours truly and then remaining calm while we both stood below it and I took about 50 photos… I also scored some nice shots of a male MISTLETOEBIRD and SILVEREYES – both feeding below eye level. In fact a number of smaller birds seemed to be very active this morning, possibly thanks to the rain during the early morning. I took some photos of rain drops on trees for Sue to print and frame. Again – nothing off the wall, but a nice morning’s birding, with about 40 species, in pleasant company.

Interesting activity this morning at Yorke’s Hollow. A DUSKY MOORHEN carrying something white initiated binocular investigation – and revealed to be an egg shell.  I assumed it was its own and it was removing it from the nest area, however, the bird proceeded to peck and ‘dunk’ the shell and eventually ate it. I am not sure if it was its own or shell from a boiled egg left by a picnic-er. It appeared quite white, no markings seen – and to have dried albumen still attached.
Also – two SACRED KINGFISHERS this morning! One chased by a NOISY MINER shot round in its arrow-straight way through the trees and around the lake until eventually the Miner gave up and backed off. 5 PURPLE SWAMPHENS with the two gawky chicks,  6 MOORHENS also with two noisy chicks, 5 WOOD DUCKS, 1 WHITE IBIS, 2 MAGPIE LARKS, 2 CRESTED PIGEONS, 1 WELCOME SWALLOW, 1 WILLIE WAGTAIL and 1 BLACK DUCK completed the list for the 15 minute survey.

Visted as usual around 7.00 this morning for my normal 15 minute saunter and surprise,surprise! A SACRED KINGFISHER at the western end. It flew around nervously from tree to tree as if unfamiliar and a little disturbed until finally heading into the cover of the larger trees along the bike path. Thisis the first Kingfisher I have seen here and would not have been in my top 10 possible species list! Although with the golf course right beside the pond,I guess it'snot a big stretch. PURPLE SWAMPIES with 2 well developed chicks today - I must have missed one last time. Usual other species - WELCOME SWALLOW,TREE MARTIN, BLACK and WOOD DUCKS, DUSKY MOORHENS, NOISY MINERS, RAINBOW LORIKEETS overhead, CRESTED PIGEONS, WILLIE WAGTAIL and MAGPIE LARKS.

On a Quail hunt. Red-backed or Red-chested, either, or, in the Samsonvale grasslands. Arrived at 6.30 after the 60 minute drive and a Wild Beans coffee pick up in Enogerra to be met by Mad Ernie the guinea fowl that has survived, against all odds, in the cemetery for the last couple of years. The last of his group – the others ‘disappeared’ very quickly - he (or she?) always greets everyone very enthusiastically as if they have come to rescue him. As soon as he realises there is 1. no food and 2. you’ve not come to take him home, he disappears again!
Lovely cool morning this first day of Autumn, warming rapidly though. The recent rain had caused a strong growth in the grass and it was thick and chest high below the cemetery. In the first 10 minutes, still in the car park, we had DOUBLE-BARRED FINCHES, MAGPIE LARKS, AUST MAGPIES, RUFOUS WHISTLERS, WILLIE WAGTAILS, GREEN FIGBIRDS, BAR-SHOULDERED DOVES, SILVEREYES, LEWIN’S & STRIPED HONEYEATER, WHITE-THROATED GERYGONE.
Walking down towards the dry lake we picked up a pair of BLACK-SHOULDERED KITES posing nicely for photos, TAWNY GRASSBIRDS and GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLAS and in the grass itself flocks of CHESTNUT-BREASTED MANNIKINS wherever we looked – they have obviously had a very good year. Walking out across the track to the middle of the dry lake bed, it was great to see the water cascading across the causeway slowly filling the lake. It will take a lot more rain to complete the fill, but at least there is something happening - a solitary DUSKY MOORHEN and a pair of BLACK DUCK hung out in the recently flooded channel.
We decided the grass was too thick to push through and chose instead to take the track up and over the hill ‘south’ of the car park. Along the track we had more DB FINCHES, RED-BACKED FAIRY-WREN, SPANGLED DRONGOS, HORSFIELD’S BRONZE-CUCKOO, LITTLE WATTLEBIRD, MISTLETOEBIRD, BROWN, WHITE-THROATED & YELLOW-FACEDHONEYEATERS, GREY FANTAIL, YELLOW ROBIN, BEE EATERS, WHITE-BREASTED WOOD-SWALLOWS, RED-BROWED FINCHES & WHITE-BELLIED CUCKOO-SHRIKE.
We heard KING QUAIL calling and, at one point, R thought he heard an ‘oooming’ call – but it wasn’t repeated and seemed to have been quite distant. We returned the way we had come, back to the car park.
Crossing the road we climbed the gate and walked along the track to the Hoop Pine plantation at the top of the hill. As we emerged from the trees into the open space around the plantation a large raptor soared overhead – a LITTLE EAGLE, carrying a stick. Building material? It disappeared behind the trees and although we waited with cameras ready, did not reappear within good photography range. We did see it a few times as it circled away and higher - and a WHISTLING KITE as well.
We circled the hoop pines, seeing VARIED TRILLER AND BLACK-FACED MONARCH, BROWN THORNBILL & SACRED KINGFISHER - checked the Owlet Nightjar’s old haunt, nothing, and returned to the car park again.
While we’re here decided we would have a look in the small public park beside the bridge a kilometre or so out of Dayboro – there have been Oriental Cuckoos seen there before….. but today nothing much except a LEADEN FLYCATCHER and a WHITE-FACED HERON.
Thought about Lacey’s creek but as it was now approaching 11.00 and the temperature had risen we decided to drop in on a good friend of mine and let R and Kerrod talk butterflies for a while. We had a late breakfast in Samford village before going to K’s and between Fritillaries and Darts K and I caught up on the last few months of our lives before R and I headed home around 1.30.