Weekends That Were - May 2017

30.5.17

Minnippi

On site at 7.15 – still almost a pre-dawn feeling as the sun was low and hidden behind cloud. However, I plowed on. Spent quite a bit of time in the M1 track waiting until the sun started to touch the treetops and picked up a few species, best of which was a Varied Triller and a Fan-tailed Cuckoo – probably the latter the same bird Mr P and I had there a week or so ago. Up the Alley and it was quiet all the way back to the lake.

An increase in Black Ducks to over 70 birds, 1 Hardhead, 1 Common Coot and a Great Cormorant were best birds. A pair of Wood Ducks protected 4 ducklings on the grassy slope above the pond as I trudged over towards the Airfield Track.

It was mostly dead but near the end I came across a pair of Double-barred Finches and a single Red-browed, my first on this track. I also had a Rufous Fantail and 3 Mistletoebirds.

A Water Dragon Intellagama lesueurii and 3 Macquarie Turtles Emydura macquarii showed along the low-tide creek bank on the way back to the car and the Tawny Frogmouths were in their usual tree.

Butterflies: 1 Monarch Danaus plexippus in a sheltered area on the Airfield Track.

29.5.17

Needed a walk after a quiet, not very well Sunday so off to Oxley. It was a bit better than recent visits but still not very exciting. The usual stuff along the track with no surprises, but it was a nice morning starting out at 16 degrees and warming up. An Australian Hobby put in a brief appearance above the ponds, half-heartedly threatened a Feral Pigeon that went home with wet pants, but other than that it was fairly average.

27.5.17

Lake Samsonvale  - cemetery side

The first bird we heard as we alighted from Mr D’s brand new Toyota chariot was a Striped Honeyeater. We made our way down to the lake’s edge through soaking wet, chest-high-at-times grass to scan the mist shrouded water. A small flock of Hardhead and Common Coots paddled anxiously away with a single Great Crested Grebe included. We watched the scenery unfold slowly in front of us, but not much else made an appearance beyond the numerous Welcome Swallows hawking low over the lake’s edge picking off any early morning insects foolish enough to raise their heads.

Back up towards the car and we picked up the expected Grey Fantails and Rufous Whistlers etc and a flicking Rose Robin along the bush line.

We went through the fence line and sauntered slowly up towards the Hoop Pine plantation encountering a mixed flock of Golden Whistlers, Varied Triller, Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Yellow Robin, Yellow-faced and White-throated Honeyeaters, a second Rose Robin and a silent Fan-tailed Cuckoo along the way.

As we approached the plantation a sudden burst of loud, raucous bird calls disturbed the otherwise quiet morning and Mr D hurriedly finished his ablutions and caught up to catch a quick view of a healthy looking Red Fox moving through the shadows just inside the edge of the Hoop Pines. The noise continued and when we investigated we discovered the source to be the resident FERAL flock of Guineafowl looking harassed and concerned at the mammal’s presence. Unfortunately it appeared to have declined to take one…..

Further on and a calling Long-billed Scrubwren was only our third observation on site of this species. After that it was pretty quiet. We had a perched up Whistling Kite – a 94% guarantee species here – and a single Rufous Fantail before taking on the challenge of Stu’s Gate on our return to the car after a two hour sortie - and a mission for breakfast in Samford village.

25.5.17

Spotlighting Minnippi

Mr P and I started out at 19.00. No moon, still, relatively warm night. Between the local soccer crowd, decelerating planes overhead and the nearby highway it was very noisy – more noticeable for being, still and ‘quiet’.

Overall not a lot – tried hard for Owlet Nightjar but no luck. We did have several Common Brush-tail Possums and a Koala, possibly my first spotlit Koala. There were a number of spiders – all of the ‘aerial’ webs being Garden Orb Weavers Eriophora transmarina of various sizes and designs and a few Dark Wolf Spiders Lycosa obscuroides running around in the leaf litter.

We did the the usual circuit – M1 track, Alley, pond and Airfield Track and found only two well-separated Tawny Frogmouths. Other than those it was a bird-free two hours!

25.5.17

Norman Creek, Holland Park West

A sunny, bright morning, the grass again heavily dew-laden and my pants soaked to the thigh. A bit of activity, but the variety low. Three Grey Fantails the first (on site) of the season, small numbers of Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, a single Noisy Friarbird, a couple of Superb Fairy Wrens. Forty-five minutes of easy birding with no surprises.

24.5.17

Trotter re-visited

Following a conversation with the EPA yesterday I decided to return to Trotter to confirm the GPS co-ordinates and check on their claim that the dead turtles were, in fact, gone.

I had planned to simply walk in and walk out, but in the end did the circuit without going down to the lake, apart from the immediate ‘dead turtle’ location. On the way I met a couple of BCC workers checking the track. In conversation it was revealed that they had seen fishermen on regular occasions catching and killing turtles on fishing lines, but SEQ Water had been unable to catch them on site.

The turtles were gone. I assume someone emptied the net, most likely on Sunday. I also assume the lake bed at that point is strewn with empty shells and rotting carcases.

Moving on I took photos of a tiny dragon/damsel fly, a small grasshopper and three species of fungi – only one of which I have identified so far. I also saw the first Eastern Spinebills of the season, but few other birds and only one butterfly, an Orange Ringlet. I was only on site an hour or so.

23.5.17

White Rock Conservation Park

It had been a number of years since I had visited Whiterock and I have only been there 3 times before. The developing suburbs had changed the landscape considerably and it took me a while to find my way through the new streets and under the Centennial Highway to the carpark I remembered, so I didn’t start out until 7.45.

To add to the late start, the local council were re-grading the car-wide track and the resulting noise and activity did nothing to improve the situation.

I heard Brown Quail calling despite the relatively heavy tree cover -  a new bird for site for me, but overall the birds were few and far between. I did see a well coloured up Rose Robin, which has always been a reliable bird at White Rock for me – but that was the extent of the excitement. I resorted to taking pictures of fungi, moths, grasshoppers a skink and even a tree and managed to get lost as always……

The tree appears to be Maiden’s Wattle Acacia maidenii, the fungi - Parasol Mushroom Macrolepiota procera, the grasshopper - Long-legged Bandwing Heteropternis obscurella, but, at this stage, the moth only as a Plusiinae sp (family Noctuidae and I sent the skink to the Museum for confirmation (I think it’s a Copper-tailed Skink Ctenotus taeniatus but I’m not sure.)

Possible Copper-tailed Skink Ctenotus taeniatus  

Parasol Mushroom Macrolepiota procera, 

Plusiinae sp   

Long-legged Bandwing Heteropternis obscurella 

Maiden’s Wattle Acacia maidenii,

Butterflies - Evening Brown Melanitis leda, Orange Ringlet Hypocysta adiante and Glasswing Acraea andromacha.

I found my way out, surviving the three hour walk, and headed home for a much needed cup of coffee.

PPS. Regarding the dead turtles I reported in Saturday’s post – I received a call from the EPA advising that SEQ Water had been alerted and investigated my story. They had been unable to find the net and turtles and he was calling re more info. Nice to see there was a response and it appears to be an incident of illegal netting.

20.5.17

J C Trotter

I woke up expecting it to be raining as forecast by the BOM, however, it was dry and sunny so I headed for Trotter. I’ve always found the place frustrating, because, as I have discussed endlessly before, there seems to be very little life for such a varied habitat. BUT, I have a good list of birds and insects and it does throw up interesting stuff at times.

This morning, however, wasn’t really one of those times and I walked down to the lake shore without much excitement. Birds were, as usual, few and far between and the most exciting thing was a pair of juvenile Gull-billed Terns patrolling backwards and forwards over the water.

A little further down the shore and a smell caught my attention. From the lakeshore about 10 meters out was, what appeared to be, a number of turtles caught in a net. All appeared dead and the smell suggested it wasn’t a recent event. I took photos and tried to establish a GPS location using my iPhone to report the incident to the EPA.

Moving on I found little else apart from a few Orange Ringlets Hypocysta adiante and a handful of Meadow Argus Junonia villida in the grass under the pylons. On the return track I was photographing a dragonfly when it swooped up, caught another insect and settled down to eat it – something I had not witnessed before. I got it on film at quite close range – it has been identified as a female Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum.

https://youtu.be/3UH-77rxSb8

https://youtu.be/UyppqGt_DPQ

PS I reported the dead turtles to the EPA and have received a response advising they will be looking into it. Hopefully, but not guaranteed, I’ll hear the outcome.

18.5.17

Minnippi

I picked up Mr P at 7 and we arrived in the car park to a drizzly, overcast morning. The lake was almost vacant – as it has been for the last few months – and birds were thin on the M1 track. We did have a flock of approx 20 Black-faced Cuckoo Shrikes which seemed unusual and a calling Fan-tailed Cuckoo – although it took me about 5 minutes before I heard it. Along the Alley and a mixed flock containing Grey and Rufous Fantails (1 each), Golden and Rufous Whistler (one each, both males), a single Brown Honeyeater, a female Mistletoebird and a number of Silvereyes held our attention. A small flock of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins as we worked through the grass strip, then back at the lake and the usual stuff.

Down the Airfield Track and we wondered why we bothered – a couple of Rainbow Bee Eaters and White-throated Honeyeaters near the end and a single Australian Grebe on the airfield pond. 

Back at the Raptor Lookout and no raptors. 

On the the final leg Mr P showed me a bush with Hibiscus Harlequin Bugs Tectocoris diophthalmus and Common Spotted Ladybird Harmonia conformis feeding on it. Interesting stuff.

Hibiscus Harlequin Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus - Female 

Hibiscus Harlequin Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus - Male 

Hibiscus Harlequin Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus - instars or juveniles

Common Spotted Ladybird Harmonia conformis 

17.5.17

Norman Creek, Holland Park West

Trying to ignore the non-existent, but visual flock of ‘midges’ floating in front of my right eye – the residual medicine from the injections of last week, now reduced to little black specks – I headed down the road at 7. It’s weird – if I move my head quickly it appears the ‘insects’ swarm. If I jerk my head it sometimes looks like a distant flock of birds high in the sky – they also look like small birds or insects darting out of the grass ahead of me which causes me to constantly think I’m seeing something interesting. I had managed to get a contact lens into my left eye which had settled in overnight so that eliminated the need for glasses which was a blessing.

So, walking down the road jerking and twitching like some sort of marionette I managed to safely negotiate Birdwood Tce and stopped to check some real life Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in the one flowering tree. On into the thigh high grass, watching my visible breath for the first time this year – lovely! It was dew-heavy and my legs were quickly soaked.

Overall it was fairly quiet although I ended up with 18 species and one dragonfly -  Common Bluetail, Ischnura heterosticta which I have had here before. An Intermediate Egret and a Royal Spoonbill in the creek were nice and a trio of Superb Fairy-wrens, including a newly moulted male, were also very welcome.

15.6.17

Oxley

Following the cataract surgery last Thursday I had taken it easy over the weekend, but decided an outing was in order. I popped a contact in my left, good, eye and headed off arriving on site at 8. I hadn’t had a contact lens in my eye for a week and unfortunately my eye wasn’t happy. I spent the first half of the walk alternately rubbing my eye and peering myopically into a distorted world – not the best for any sort of birding and really f….king annoying. In the end I took the lens out again and used my glasses, which was difficult because I needed to protect my right eye from the glare and so had two pairs of glasses perched on my nose which didn’t help either when it came to looking through my bins.

All in all it was a piss poor morning and I really wanted to just give up and go home. There was f all around anyway and it was only on the way back that I saw any butterflies. Two Monarchs Danaus plexippus– the first in a while – and half a dozen Large Grass-yellows Eurema hecabe which I hadn’t recorded before at Oxley. A tree in flower had attracted a large number of flies, which turned out to be Steelblue Bluebottles Chrysomya saffranea – a new one for me, but other than that there wasn’t anything of note.

Large Grass-yellow Eurema hecabe

Steelblue Bluebottles Chrysomya saffranea

8.5.17

Anstead & Moggill Swamp

I might not almost have bothered. A cloudy, still, slightly oppressive morning didn’t instil confidence – and the wildlife must have seen it the same way.

I ended up with 28 species,

Twenty-eight??

The most exciting? 4 Double-barred Finches that I thought might be new for site, but weren’t.

I did photograph a moth that I can’t identify but that was it. No butterflies, not even a Monarch, nothing else of interest at all.

On the plus side I felt pretty good after wandering around for two and a half hours – much better than I did 4 weeks ago when I was f….d at the end.

On to Moggill swamp and in 25 minutes, 29 species. Nothing unusual but a cross section of shallow water birds and a few other bits and pieces.

All in all a slooooooow morning, but at least I got some exercise.

6.5.17

Minnippi

Been a week or so since and I felt like an easy morning, having had a rather strenuous Friday, so off to the ol’ Minnippi at 8.00 – late start again for the made up reasons listed on previous posts…

Overall impression? Very quiet, no flowering trees, hence no honey eaters – I mean eaters of honey specifically. Along the M1 track a single female Australian Golden Whistler, several Striated Pardalotes, a quartet of White-throated Honeyeaters and a Varied Triller – note all insect eaters – and best bird of the day and only my fourth record for site and my first on the M1 track – a single White-bellied Cuckooshrike.

White-bellied Cuckooshrike

On the lake a Common Coot and two Hardheads (the latter the first for ages) among the usual occupants. Not much of note on the Airfield Track and no raptors at the lookout. The Tawny Frogmouths were perched up in their favourite tree again, but, all in all a slow morning.

Butterflies: 6 Common Crows (yes, I count each butterfly, therefore my life has purpose), an Evening Brown and a Lesser Wanderer.

Other stuff: A single Blue Skimmer (dragonfly) and a Crane Fly which I have identified as a Long-black-nosed Crane Fly Leptotarsus (Phymatopsis) nigrirostris

Long-black-nosed Crane Fly Leptotarsus (Phymatopsis) nigrirostris

3.5.17

Sandy Camp and Lindum

I again left it a bit later to arrive on site figuring the birds would be much the same and the rising heat would give the flowering trees a chance to open up and produce some nectar and the butterflies and dragonflies would also be up and about (sometimes I think I make this shit up as I go along….)

Anyway, I got to site at 8 and it was humming with loads of Brown Honeyeaters, and Noisy and Little Friarbirds feeding and squabbling around the flowering Flax-leaved Paperbark.

(I’m really hammering the one tree I’ve managed to identify, aren’t I? – but there ya are, it’s the only flowering tree in sight these days so…..that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it)

Other than that it was a pretty average, Sandy Camp-type of morning. Nothing exceptional, just more of the usual stuff and less of some stuff – for example, 21 Wandering Whistle Ducks and not one egret of any species. I wandered round the lakes, meeting Ken D and chatting for a while. Raptors consisted of a distant Whistling Kite and an individual Eastern Osprey sitting on the nest, only head showing, not sure if it was an adult or a young bird. Two very quiet Brown Quail along the side of the track and a pair of Striped Honeyeaters feeding were ‘highlights’ for what that’s worth.

I did see a few butterflies – Scarlet and Black Jezebels, Evening Brown and Cabbage White.

Amphibians – several groups of Striped Marsh Frogs clucked away, mainly around the Bittern Pond.

On then to Fuller and a walk in to find it almost empty – added a pair of Grey Teal and Intermediate, Cattle and Great Egret to the morning’s list.

Lindum and no brown waders. 120+ White-headed Stilts and a couple of Black-fronted Dotterel. Moving my angle a bit, I ‘found’ 3 Glossy Ibis roosting in the far corner of the wet area.

Drove down Burnby Rd to the rear of the swamp, and checked out the other water despite someone’s attempt to resurrect the barbed wire fence across the gazetted road……. As I did so a mosquito spraying helicopter arrived very low overhead and proceeded to dump its load across the mangroves. I really find it hard to believe that the spray doesn’t harm anything else. I guess when the local people start having two-headed children we’ll find out then……the only advantage to me was that 6 Glossy Ibis appeared in flight, flushed by the horrendous noise. I gave up and headed home.

2.5.17

Update on Oxley's spider (27.4.17)

The museum believe the spider I saw at Oxley - see photo below - is a member of the Clubionidae or Sac Spider family. Apparently there are numerous species across Australia and there is difficulty in identifying individual species and most likely, new ones to be discovered. I think mine is most likely a Small Garden Sac Spider Clubiona modesta but can't really be 100% sure, however, always nice to put a name to a face......

1.5.17

Norman Creek, Holland Park West

Bright, sunny, warmish morning, very lovely.

Headed down the road just after 7, hoping the slightly later start would generate some activity. Was certainly better than last time but nothing particularly startling. The usual victims plus a couple of Meadow Argus Junonia villida sunning on a bare patch of rocky soil and a pair of male Scarlet Perchers Diplacodes haematodes beside the creek. A single Noisy Friarbird was the only bird novelty out of a total list of 16 species.

Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes