Weekends That Were - February 2015

28.2.15

Sandy Camp & Lindum

Headed over to the area for 6.00. I had decided to go to Sandy Camp first, even though that meant bypassing Lindum, as I figured the waders would stay on site later in the day, while the ponds and surrounds would quieten down as the heat rose.

The ponds were quiet even at this early stage, the water level very high. (The Painted Snipe site completely flooded) Several pairs of Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants and Australian White Ibis were attending nests over the water in the tee trees. Duck were almost completely absent – as we have noted over the past few weeks – possibly they have all headed west to take advantage of the extra water and food out there?

A few Australian Reed Warblers still singing, 2 Oriental Dollarbirds on the wires were probable migrants heading north, the usual invisible but vocal Striped Honeyeater, 1 Comb-crested Jacana and a single probable Brown Quail that landed quietly on the path behind me, caught the corner of my eye and walked into the long grass/reed bed.

I made my way through to the first back pond – (the Yellow Wagtail pond completely overgrown, water underneath the lush plant growth) - again more Cormorants nesting and several Australian Darters siting on nests in the dead trees.

A pair of Leaden Flycatchers, Spangled Drongo, Tawny Grassbirds an Eastern Yellow Robin and, just at the end of the track, a pair of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes flew overhead throwing me for a second until I isolated them and saw that one was an immature lacking the full black mask.

On around the Black Bittern pond and a pair of juvenile Darters made for an interesting juxtaposition for the camera. The usual Spotless Crake grumbled away in the back of the papyrus bed, but he wasn’t interested in coming out to play. 5 Pale-headed Rosellas chased each other through the trees and I found the remains of a largish fish on the track that appears to be a ……………………………….

Australian Darter - female 

Australian Darter - juveniles 

Australian Darter - male

Back on the main track 4 Rainbow Bee Eaters on the wires were also most likely migrants at this time of year. The heat building a little and the birds generally quieting down I jumped in the car and headed for Fuller.

The lake was full and there were a few birds knocking around – 5 Australian Grebes, more Darters, Intermediate and Eastern Cattle Egrets, 6 Wandering Whistle Ducks hiding out in the lilies, a couple of Chestnut Teal, a few Pacific Black Duck, 2 Hardheads, 1 Eurasian Coot and, on the passerine front, a single White-breasted Wood Swallow and another singing Striped Honeyeater.

On to Lindum and the waders still active as I’d hoped – 70 White-headed Stilt, 9 Black-fronted Dotterel and 9 Marsh Sandpipers were the only ‘interesting’ waders on site. There were no ‘brown’ ones to turn into vagrants! In the distance (from the Kianawah rd side) a Black-necked Stork stood with his back to me, apparently with his head and bill hidden. I left him and moved on ‘scope’ wise and when I went back to look again, he’d disappeared. I assumed I would see him from Burnby Rd, but there was no sign of him from there either – for such a large bird they can disappear so quietly and easily I started to doubt my own mind……..but I’m sure he was there……….honest! Nothing else showed so I headed home.

22.2.15

Oxley

All three of us rocked up at Oxley in Stu’s car at 6.15. Following the cyclone of the last few days we expected the situation to be very wet. In fact, it wasn’t too bad, the lakes were high and the track a bit muddy, but all areas were accessible.

A nice Striped Honeyeater perched up and sang his ‘merry song’ near the start of the track – this is becoming a habit……A female Mistletoebird was the first for a while and a single Double-barred Finch put in a brief appearance but there was nothing out of the ordinary along the track. 

Despite the high water levels there were few species around the lakes. I spotted a Buff-banded Rail running for cover and a single Black-fronted Dotterel flew ahead along the track. There were only a couple of Pacific Black Duck on the water and 6 Little Black Cormorants perched up on the wire alongside an Australian Darter on top of one of the power poles. An Australian Pied Cormorant was only the fifth example of the species at Oxley, the last two being, surprisingly, on 10^th February and 10^th March 2013 with all my records in summer.

We walked back as the humidity started to build – inevitable after the storms and rain of recent days – and decided to try Sherwood for breakfast. We found Café Europe just across the main road with basic breakfasts at very reasonable rates – a definite future breakfast venue.

21.2.15

North Stradbroke Island

Tropical cyclone Marcia touched down on land just north of Yeppoon, 700 kms north midmorning Friday 20^th.

Listed as a category 5 cyclone it hammered the coast and slowly moved south causing damage to Yeppoon and later that day, Rockhampton to finally peter out over the SE Qld coast as a rain depression.

With that kind of weather Straddie seemed the obvious choice. Even though the main weather system was 700 kms away, the effects appeared to be showing off shore, so I headed over on the usual 7.00 water taxi.

The bay was fairly calm and I was the only passenger on the boat. I told the female ‘deckie’ to “take the rest of the morning off and come back to pick me up later” and headed for the bus stop.

I was the lone bus traveller as well as we trundled up the partially flooded road to Pt Lookout to the blaring strains of Abba and ‘Give me, give me, give me a man after midnight’

Never mind the man, I thought – just give me some petrels after 8.00am……

On the way out to the point I spotted the usual pair of Bush Stone Curlews huddled under a bush outside the Bowling Club and when I reached the point I huddled in the cave looking east north east as thin rain came and went and started counting Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. About 600 an hour based on a 15 minute count, however, they may over exaggerate the actual number as before and after the 15 mins it seemed to be quieter. As last weekend a single Hutton’s Shearwater headed south followed by a single light phase Artic Skua.

View from the cave - before the rain.

All went well, if a little slow, until about 9.45 when the wind slowly backed round to the north and suddenly the ‘thin’ rain was heavier and coming into my shelter. I stuck it out for about 30 minutes, but decided it wasn’t going to get any better – the rain appeared set in, so I packed up and headed back for the bus/water taxi/car trip home.

It hadn’t been a complete waste. If I hadn’t gone I would have always imagined the streams of rare sea birds pouring past, and, of course, landing on, the Point – at least now I knew that this cyclone had had little effect on the situation at Stradbroke Island and I could rest easy…….

18.2.15

Surprise, surprise there's a hole in there!

http://youtu.be/SYEEiVV1y2k

15.2.15

Samsonvale Cemetery

It had also been a long time since we visited Samsonvale cemetery – over a year since I recorded any visits. We parked up at 6.00 and wandered down towards the lake. Access to the lake shore itself has been blocked by the planting of trees and allowing the grass to grow wild – easy enough to push through, but very wet at this time of the morning and we declined. Rob picked up a Pale-vented Bush Hen calling in the grass near the lake’s edge and we tried to call it into view, but it remained hidden. Heaps of Eastern Whipbirds, Bar-shouldered Doves, Lewin’s Honeyeaters calling and a Striped Honeyeater landed overhead and sang its merry song (!). We walked up the track towards the Hoop Pine plantation and scanned the fig tree on its borders. A male Cicadabird was the first Cuckoo-shrike to appear followed shortly by a pair of Barred Cuckoo-shrikes sitting quietly preening – both good birds – just down the track further a pair of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes put in an appearance and shortly afterwards a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike completed the set!

Barred Cuckoo-shrike

A flock of mainly juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikins swarmed the long grass, a pair of Sacred Kingfishers, Red-browed Finches, Spangled Drongo, Grey Shrikethrush, Grey Fantails and Leaden Flycatchers joined the list while Great-crested Grebes (approx. 20), Hardheads, White-headed Stilt, Little Black, Little Pied and a single Pied Cormorants were scoped on the lake; a trio of Black-fronted Dotterels and a well hidden Latham’s Snipe on a narrow exposed bit of mud, a couple of Caspian Terns overhead. A Whistling Kite flew off its perch and a Black-shouldered Kite was scoped on the opposite side of the lake along with Little Egret and White-breasted Woodswallows. Further up the lake a single Plumed Whistling Duck sat alone, nearby an Australian Pelican and a Great Egret.

We walked on up the Hoop Pines and found a Large-billed Scrubwren, a first for the site for both of us. Going in among the trees we checked for the Owlet Nightjar – not home – then Rob spotted a couple of handsome caterpillars and we spent some time taking photos. Identified later: one as Papilio fuscus capaneus, one of the Orchard Swallowtails, and the other that of the Fruit-piercing Moth.

Orchard Swallowtail

Fruit-piercing Moth

Not much else recorded on the return to the car, but stopping at a nursery outside Samsonvale Rob identified a Little Wattlebird by call – another good bird for the area. Breakfast in Samsonvale and pancakes & Di Bella coffees for both at Happy Berry café – very good!

14.2.15

Pt Lookout, North Stradbroke Island

Following a week of medium to strong south easterlies it seemed a good move to try Pt Lookout again. Been a long time between visits for both Stu and I, but we got the 7.00am water taxi with hope and optimism.

The glare at the point was horrendous – the low sun reflecting off the sea right across the viewing area - possibly the worst I have seen. The occasional cloud provided shadow on the water surface bringing to life the dark shearwater shapes moving across the waves.

We persevered – Stu pulled a Brown Booby up heading north, while I counted the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters heading south (103 in quarter of an hour between 8 and 9.00 = 412 per hour) In the second hour I spotted a dark phase Arctic Skua heading south-east and managed to get Stu onto it before it vanished out to sea. The only other birds of interest were a single Fluttering/Hutton’s Shearwater type and a handful of Common Noddys. The usual school of Inshore Bottle-nosed Dolphins, a few Green Turtles and the regular complement of questioning civilians completed the animal life at the point…..

We decided to get the 10.50 bus/11.30 water taxi back as the Wedgie numbers had dropped off to about 40/15 mins = 160/hr and the glare wasn’t going away. Nothing else of interest showed and although the results weren’t great it was good to get back into the seawatching ‘thing’ and have a general chat about birding.

11.2.15


Rufous Bristlebird, 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Rd, Victoria.

http://youtu.be/Kq0yMpsi8H8

1.2.15

Lindum & Sandy Camp

Rob picked me up and we arrived at Burnby Rd at 6.00. With recent rain and another storm last night we were hopeful for plenty of water and maybe a bird or two stranded by the weather……

Looking in from the road didn’t inspire us - we noted a few White-headed Stilt chicks who appeared to be sequestered in a small pond together away from the main pond – and then Rob spotted a Black-necked Stork on the far side of the clay pan. We would catch up with that, hopefully, when we moved around to the Kianawah Rd entrance.

We walked down to the end of the road and checked the bush – we counted about 8 Mangrove Gerygones and a single Grey Fantail feeding voraciously in the small scrubby trees in the paddock. There were plenty of tiny midges around so we assumed that was what they were interested in.

Driving around to Kianawah rd we climbed the fence and set up in the grassy area scanning the clay and water for anything unusual. A flock of about 30 White-throated Needletails flew low overhead. Little and Intermediate Egrets, Royal Spoonbills, White-headed Stilts, Little Black and Little Pied Cormorants, and even a handful of Australian Pelicans were feeding actively in the shallow water. We saw several small fish scooped up by individual birds. It would appear that some fish – possibly mullet – had got trapped by the very high tides of recent time and the birds had descended to make the most of it. It was mayhem for a while as everyone tried to get something before everyone else. The Black-necked Stork seen earlier appeared again and stalked around for a while before quarrelling with a Pelican over something and then going for a walk in the open providing a good opportunity for video….

http://youtu.be/QnMUmI2KtBs

A few groups of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a team of Marsh Sandpipers were examined in detail but remained just what they were, while a single Curlew Sandpiper and a single Red-necked Stint filled the ‘waders-with-potential’ category.

Little Egret

The birds started to depart as the fish bounty appeared to have reduced or disappeared and so we moved on too, to the Fuller oval. Here, too, of course, the water level had risen dramatically, but was very quiet compared to the claypan at Lindum. A few Australian Grebes were nice, a singing Striped Honeyeater and Olive-backed Oriole, a pair of Black-fronted Dotterels and the remnant flock of Needletails were really all that was of interest.

On to Sandy Camp and another surprise – it was dead! Dead as a doornail. The main pond virtually empty, apart from a few nesting Cormorants and Pelicans, no ducks, definitely no waders, few Moorhens and no Swamphens. I have never seen it so dead. We walked fairly quickly around the usual route cutting short the visit to the Black Bittern pond as it was so quiet and becoming so hot….

Discretion was the better part of valour and we left to have breakfast in Camp Hill at The Fig Tree – not too bad, good price, good coffee but a bit noisy as an uncontrolled 18 month old screamed in our ears cutting short our après-breakfast chat and we headed home…..