1.8.25
Oxley
A grey, cloudy, cold morning – disappointing generally. The light was shit, the birds fairly plentiful, but muted and challenging to ID in the canopy, being mainly silhouetted.
I met Joan (BP from South Africa) at 7.15 and we walked the track to the ponds as usual. We didn’t climb the gate to check the flooded field so some species definitely overlooked.
The track was quite active with Lewin’s Honeyeaters aplenty, a smaller number of Brown Honeyeaters, scattered small groups of Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets and one of Scarlet Honeyeaters. Not much else evident, but, as I mentioned, difficult to ID birds against the leaden sky.
Birds of the morning were probably a nice pair of Mistletoebirds showing well at the ponds and, in particular a perched up Brown Falcon on the dead tree on the island in Pelican Lagoon.
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| Brown Falcon |
Bumped into Mike B on the return walk who pointed us in the direction of a (regularly) perched up Tawny Frogmouth.
Breakfast at Arte & Gusto - as usual when birding Oxley.
5.8.25
Minnippi
On site at 7, a bright, sunny, clam, almost warm morning.
All in all it was quite birdy, although the M1 track was, as usual, not busy.
I walked the Airfield Track and, much to my surprise, turned up a single female Regent Bowerbird. I had assumed they had departed the area since it was a few weeks since I saw 3 together in, roughly, the same spot, with no records reported since.
Further surprise, as I walked back along the cement bike path towards the bridge - hoping for either Superb Fairy Wren and/or Australian Magpie, neither of which I had recorded on my morning’s list - yet another bloody female Regent Bowerbird flew across and perched up! I can’t get away from them!
I had hoped for a Fruit Dove sp, and had stood under the only fig tree with fruit that was infested with Australian Figbirds in that hope, but had failed to find any and fate dubiously rewarded me with yet another Regent Bowerbird…..
After a long 3 hour outing my morning’s list totalled an impressive (for me) 61 species - and I hadn't seen either the Superb FW or the Magpie!
(A rare occurrence – not getting Australian Magpie on my morning’s list - but checking my database it would appear that, according to my stats, there is only a 96% chance of this species in August! So it’s not unknown.)
7.8.25
Oxley
On site at 7, a bright sunny, crisp morning to start with, but warming through my 4 hour visit (!) to a very pleasant morning.
The track was very birdy – lots of activity and with almost no non-combatants. I ended up with 60 species even though, once again, a couple of usual, ‘expected’ birds didn’t eventuate. I climbed the gate but the flooded field had few birds and the main ponds were almost completely deserted. I did find a recently deceased Water Rat Hydromys chrysogaster along the track beyond the gate, surprisingly large size and white-tipped tail were diagnostic.
The highlight of the morning was a small flock of 5 or 6 Scaly-breasted or Nutmeg Mannikins/Munias I found halfway along the main track. I spent the best part of half an hour trying to get something resembling a photo but was still unsure of the exact number of birds.
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| Scaly-breasted or Nutmeg Mannikin |
Nearby a pair of White-browed Scrub Wrens were very busy collecting building material - so focused, in fact, they were oblivious to my presence - unusual for Scrub Wrens to be so 'easy'.
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| White-browed Scrub Wrens |
On the way back I met Mike B and we spent 20 minutes or so chatting at the second causeway, during which a Keelback Tropidonophis mairii swam away again – probably the same individual I saw a couple of weeks ago.
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| Keelback Tropidonophis mairii |
Further back along the track I bumped into 2 birders from Texas, USA and walked them back to show them the Tawny Frogmouth perched up on the side of the track.
All in all it was a big morning.
10.8.25
Sandy Camp Wetlands & Mangrove Boardwalk
Joan (BP, South Africa) and her granddaughter, Tess (10), arrived early at 6.45 and we drove to Sandy Camp. A cloudy-with-sunny-spells kinda morning.
Not a bad visit – nothing particularly outstanding, possibly a juvenile Nankeen Night Heron perched up and almost hidden was the bird of the morning. Good views of Comb-crested Jacana and Wandering Whistle Ducks were a bonus and a short view of a probable Baza over flight was a ‘most likely’ identification.
At around 10 we left and headed down to the Mangrove Boardwalk. We got Torresian Kingfisher and Mangrove Gerygone fairly easily – and called in a pair of very active Striped Honeyeaters for good views. Further on a Grey Goshawk put in a short, but good, close, sighting – this being a new bird for my North Wynnum site list. Could not get Mangrove Honeyeater despite having seen several a few weeks ago without any trouble. Ditto for Shining Flycatcher, but never have had that bird at this location before anyway. A passing birder advised that Noisy Pitta had been seen around the mangroves recently, but we didn’t see any sign of it.
Breakfasted at Stone’s Corner.
12.8.25
Minnippi
So, on the weekend there had been a report of Azure Kingfisher at Minnippi. A bit of investigation by Mr P elicited the information that the bird had been seen on the lake - at the boardwalk and then in a tree on the island. This would be the first record of the species at Minnippi.
Mr P tried on Sunday without success and then at 7.00 on Monday received advice from the original finder that the bird was ‘there again, diving repeatedly’. He called me and I dragged my rather reluctant ass out of my warm bed and met him, at around 7.30 at the water’s edge.
We couldn’t find the bird and discussed the possibility of needing to be on site at 6.30 as that was when it had been seen both times.
So….. 6.30am Tuesday I was on site. I marched out straight away to the lake’s edge and checked the boardwalk at distance – no bird. I scanned the island edge and noticed the Swan family were right under the tree the Kingfisher seemed to favour. As I scanned I saw the bird, face on, for about 3 seconds before it flew – and promptly disappeared. It didn’t seem to fly far, but despite scanning the island edge for another 20 minutes I could not re-locate the little bugger.
It is possible the bird has always been in that location. It would be easily overlooked and especially as this particular individual appears to be able to just vanish.
I carried on the usual walk. The M1 track was quiet apart from a few calling Lewin’s Honeyeaters, ditto a Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Eastern Yellow Robin and Olive-backed Oriole and a flock of 4 Little Friarbirds at canopy level.
I walked the Airfield Track and was rewarded with a perched up Wompoo Fruit Dove – only my second site record – but not much else.
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| Wompoo Fruit Dove |
The 52 species list for the morning was a little lower than last week’s but not a bad morning’s birding.
14.8.25
Mt Nebo & Mt Glorious
Mr D picked me up at 5.45; he had two bird guides with him – Andy W and Fraser, the former an old friend, the latter not having birded in Australia before. We stopped at Mackers at The Gap and grabbed coffee and assorted snacks. On site at the Bellbird Grove/Spotted Quail Thrush track at about 6.30.
It took us a while – we walked the entire track and down the Bellbird Grove access road for a couple of hundred meters and back again - before we finally found the target - Spotted Quail Thrush. We had a pair moving discreetly, as they do, through the scrubby grass but eventually we all got good views of this sometimes-difficult species.
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| Spotted Quail-thrush (female) |
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| Spotted Quail-thrush (male) |
Moving on we stopped next at Boombana, a ‘trailhead’ for a couple of tracks and a circuit. One track went south 4 kms to Jolly’s Lookout and the second went off north somewhere – we walked the Thylogale Circuit which for a couple of Ks circled around back to the carpark.
It was quite birdy and in the carpark and along the walk we saw both Satin and Regent Bowerbirds, Green Catbird, Wompoo Fruit Dove, 3 species of Scrubwren, both Striated and Brown Thornbills, Australian Logrunner, Brown Gerygone, Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Yellow Robin, and heard a Noisy Pitta. We also had several Red-legged and a couple of Red-necked Pademelons at very close range. It seemed a good alternative for the Rainforest Walk on Mt Glorious and suggested possibilities for future spotlighting.
We moved on, then, to Mt Glorious and decided to have a late breakfast/early lunch in the café. We sat out on the back deck and birded while we ate good quality food delivered to our table with amazing speed!
A surprise, at least to me, were 3 Little Wattlebirds feeding in a Banksia tree nearby – this was a new species for any of my site lists in D’Aguilar NP. We also had fleeting views of a male Paradise Riflebird and close ups of Laughing Kookaburra, Lewin’s Honeyeater and Pied Currawong who all wanted a share of our food.
We hung around the picnic area at the start of the Rainforest Walk for a while watching a half a dozen Green Catbirds and a couple of Satin Bowerbirds before walking in. I taped a male Satin Bowerbird perched up a tree - a call we didn't recognise, repeated for some time and loaded it on Xeno-canto.
XC1028864
We didn’t walk the complete track – only the upper length to Brown’s Rd. We had one of our two targets there – Pale Yellow Robin – and a Topknot Pigeon and a Wompoo Fruit Dove. We walked back to the road and carpark via Brown’s Road without further excitement.
There had been reports of Powerful Owl at Kumbartcho Reserve at Eaton’s Hill and the boys decided to try for it – mainly for Fraser’s benefit. We found our way there and walked the reserve but didn’t find the Owls, but we did have Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Shining Bronze Cuckoo as compensation.
Driving home from there at 15.15 was a nightmare and Mr D dropped me off at 16.35. It had been a big day.
15.8.25
Enoggera Reservoir - Araucaria Walk
I met Joan (BP, South Africa) at 6.45 and we walked the usual track beside and around the dam. It had been 5 years since I had birded this site and I knew why…. bloody runners on the track. I fail to understand the attraction of running on a rough, ankle-twisting track ignoring any scenery or wildlife when you could run in a playing field or public park without risk to life and limb and leave the track for walkers and people to enjoy the peace and wildlife.
Possibly, as a result, the bird life was pretty quiet. We did have a small colony of Bell Miners with several seen quite well and a pair of Brown Cuckoo Doves ditto, a juvenile Black-faced Monarch seen poorly and a few other basic species but overall it was a rather disappointing morning totaling 32 bird species and a Water Rat.
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| Yellow-faced Honeyeater |
We had breakfast in the café attached to the information center with a rather poor breakfast menu.
19.8.25
Minnippi
On site at 7, another dull, cloudy, still, muted kind of morning, threatening rain which didn’t develop. Despite the conditions it was quite birdy. I didn’t walk the Airfield Track, being a bit short of time dependent on a prearranged appointment, but did achieve a list of 50 species. Nothing outstanding – 26 Australian Magpies on the Airfield and 19 Little Black Cormorants perched on the island were probably unusual numbers and a hovering Black-shouldered Kite over the carpark when I was leaving was a nice finale.
24.8.25
Mt Nebo area
Mr P met me at my place before 6.15 and we picked up Joan (BP, South Africa) and her granddaughter Tess (10) at 6.45 at Enoggera. On site at Bellbird Grove road/Spotted Q-Thrush track a few minutes later.
We tried from the road in to Bellbird Grove and walked the usual track back towards the main road but failed to pick up our Spotted Quail Thrush target. A number (~20) of Noisy Friarbirds in the area and a single White-breasted Woodswallow over the canopy were notable.
We moved on to the Thylogale Circuit, parking at Bombana picnic area, and walked the track.
We had quite a successful morning in that we saw most of the birds I had targeted there – Brown and Striated Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Large-billed and Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, Eastern Yellow Robin and I had a fleeting glimpse of what I believed was a female Satin Bowerbird.
We had a couple of very confiding Red-necked Pademelons and found a dead Wompoo Fruit Dove on the track – reason for death unclear. We also had 2 (live!) Wompoo Fruit Doves either mating or squabbling overhead and a pair of Australian Logrunners that performed well with encouragement.
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| Australian Logrunner (poor quality, very dark, no flash) |
We heard a Noisy Pitta that refused to be enticed in and, back near the carpark, a very nice male Paradise Riflebird and a reactive White-throated Treecreeper.
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| Paradise Riflebird (male) (Very brightly backlit!) |
We drove up to the very busy Café at Mt Glorious and had breakfast on the back verandah accompanied by a pair of very friendly Lewin’s Honeyeaters who were keen to share our food.
26.8.25
Minnippi
On site at 6.30, but no sign of the Azure Kingfisher. Dawn was 6.09 so it was possible the bird had departed earlier than on previous days. Another birder on site had been present since 6.10 and had failed to see the bird.
I resumed the usual morning’s walk.
The M1 track was pretty quiet, but I walked it all the way to the end – for the first time ever. It didn’t provide any great insights or species but was worth exploring.
Nothing spectacular really in the rest of the morning – 29 Australian Magpies on the Airfield itself may be a record, a pair of White-headed Pigeons overflew me along The Avenue and I pulled another two Regent Bowerbirds out of my ass.
The first was quietly hanging out in the big fig tree at the top of the hill and the second was approximately halfway along the Airfield Track and more a lucky pick up than anything else, being some distance off the main track and sitting quietly high in a riverside tree. It made me think we may well have overlooked this species in previous winters – they don’t call, they feed quietly and are inclined to sit for periods of time as if contemplating their existence - again both females and my fifth sighting.
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| Regent Bowerbird (female) (just in case anyone thinks I'm making them up) |
I ended up with a 50 species bird list, plus a Swamp Wallaby crossing The Avenue, a Water Dragon in the lake and a single Black Jezebel made up the ‘other-rans’, a big 3 hour 45 minute morning.
29.8.25
Oxley
I met Joan (BP, South Africa) at 6.30 in the car park.
When we reached the gate we found a notice stating ‘Construction Site, do not enter’ and a small ‘steam’ roller blocking the pedestrian gate. The main gate, however, remained accessible and, as no worker or active work was in evidence, we headed in. As it happened the ‘construction’ was simply two workers filling the holes along the track with dirt and ‘grading’ those sections of the track. As we exited just before 9, they were in operation, having started around 8.30; we avoided them easily by walking around their ‘work area’ and did not cause them any inconvenience or endanger our lives in any way. It did mean the track was almost completely deserted – just one photographer dude on his first ever visit – and it made for a much more pleasant morning!
The track was quite birdy with the usual suspects, although interestingly we saw no Lorikeets at all. We did see at least 3 Leaden Flycatchers– 2 males and 1 female – and, on the return walk, 2 Varied Trillers showed well. We didn’t climb the gate and only viewed the flooded field area from close to the car park which probably reduced our morning’s list somewhat. Other than that it was a pretty much same, same type of morning with a total of 46 species.
We had a long breakfast at Arte & Gusto in Sherwood as usual.
30.8.25
Anstead and Moggill Pocket Swamp
Mr D picked me up at 5.45, on site at 6.15. A bright, sunny morning – calm initially but gusty wind increasing through the morning.
In the field at the edge of the forest a small, spotted deer showed briefly and when we approached the spot, a larger, very pale deer moved silently off into the trees. I can only assume the first one was a Fallow Deer Darna darna, but have no idea what the larger pale grey animal might have been.
The area was quite birdy with large numbers of Gray Fantail (40+) and at least two flocks of Silvereye (40+) – everywhere we looked there were the former - plus several Leaden Flycatchers. We had one Forest Kingfisher which perched up well and a pair of Double-barred Finches completing their very obvious nest.
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| Forest Kingfisher |
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| Double-barred Finch |
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| Double-barred Finch nest |
A lone Little Shrikethrush pecked away at bark, completely oblivious to us and sang softly to itself as if practicing – I taped it.
XC1033962
The bird of the morning was most likely a flock of about 9 Apostlebirds that moved through the site and we saw at several locations - had seen them here before but usually in smaller numbers.
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| Apostlebirds |
We saw only 2 butterflies - a Black Jezebel Delias nigrina and this slightly crumpled Brown Ringlet.
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| Brown Ringlet Hypocysta metirius |
I ended up with a 37 species list but Mr D heard a half dozen other birds that we didn’t see and I couldn’t hear.
We went for breakfast at West Vets, across the road, and after a long chat, drove out to Moggill Pocket Swamp.
It was very pretty crowded with Purple Swamphens, Eurasian Coots, Dusky Moorhens, Intermediate (Plumed), Eastern Cattle and Great Egrets, Australian Grebes, Comb-crested Jacanas, Pacific Black and Australian Wood Ducks, Grey Teal, Royal Spoonbills, Pied Stilts, Australian White and Straw-necked Ibis and a handful of passerines. I added Brown Goshawk (overhead) and (a fly-by flock of 6) Topknot Pigeon to my site list. Total species count – 31, an amazingly busy little wetland.
31.8.25
Oxley
I met Joan (BP South Africa) and Tess (her granddaughter, 10 y/o) at 6.30 in the car park.
It was a lovely morning, bright, sunny, relatively calm – and quite birdy. The only other person in the car park was the Prof (Hugh P) who was leading a walk – we started off before he hit the trail.
We had a good morning with some highlights:
A Shining Bronze Cuckoo showed well along with several Leaden Flycatchers, a couple of female Mistletoebirds and 3 Brown Quail along the track.
At the ponds we had a rather distant Brown Falcon being dive-bombed by a Black-shouldered Kite and a couple of Whistling Kites all at the same time, followed within a few minutes by an adult White-bellied Sea Eagle fly over. As we walked back from the ponds we had another (or one of the same) Whistling Kite directly overhead.
The ponds were very quiet and I didn’t venture to climb the gate, instead we viewed the ‘flooded field’ from the car park, but saw little to add.
A good mornings birding with a 58 species list.
Breakfast afterwards at Arte & Gusto once again.
