Weekends That Were - December 2017

28.12.17

Minnippi @ night

For a last hurrah to try to get nightbirds on Mr P’s annual patch list we ventured, once again, into the wilds of Minnippi after dark.

And once again it was, basically, a dismal failure.

Cutting a long sweaty story short – in an hour and a half we had multiple encounters with Garden and Coastal Orb Weavers and their webs, a dozen or so Cane Toads, 2 Common Brushtail Possums and 1 Tawny Frogmouth. Interestingly we also heard a weird, harsh, barking call near the entrance to the Airfield Track and later identified it as a Koala – but we never saw him/her/it.

It was a perfect night – still, very warm and clear, after recent rain…….but still a bit of a wasted effort, emphasised even more when I came home and found a Tawny Frogmouth perched on my balcony railing……almost a fuck you, Idiot!

22.12.17

Anstead & Moggill Swamp

On site at 5.30 – a dull, damp, humid morning. The temperature still in the low twenties even at this early hour, I felt the sweat straight away. It had rained overnight and looked like it might again at any point – but held off for the most part for the two hours I spent wandering the tracks.

Birds were quite vocal – the hearing aids just brilliant – but numbers of small birds very low and range of species a bit limited.

Highlights included a two small flocks of White-throated Needletails heading sort of west, totalling approx 10 birds.

5 Channel-billed Cuckoos doing the pterodactyl thing flying around above the canopy calling raucously – man, they are just brilliant birds!

Several Cicadabirds calling (look at me!)

4 Australian King Parrots

One Common Bronzewing

2 Brown Cuckoo Doves

My fourth Brown Thornbill for site

And a new bird – very brief view of a Black Kite near the powerlines.

Another new species (for me for site) was a surprise, a female Red Deer crossed the track early on and stood briefly half hidden before disappearing silently.

A new spider as well – a Leaf Curling Spider Araneus sp, unidentifiable beyond that thanks to Robert Whyte author of Spiders of Australia.

Leaf Curling Spider Araneus sp

Butterflies: only a single Monarch and a Large Grass-yellow – most likely due to the ‘heavy’ conditions.

Moths: a Brown Looper.

I drove on to Moggill Swamp, but, once again, didn’t even get out of the car. The right hand side completely overgrown and not even a Swamphen in sight. The left hand side completely dry.

20.12.17

Minnippi

A hot bright morning, even at 5.45. Bird-wise not too bad, but not much to write home about.

A single low-flying White-throated Needletail just outside the M1 track again, but the track itself average. 1 Whiskered Tern lingered over the pond and a Comb-crested Jacana was my first on site since January 2015 - I let Mr P know for his annual patch list. Two Water Dragons and 2 Macquaire Turtles near the boardwalk and a single Hardhead.

It was 24 degrees at 6.30 and I ploughed on down the Airfield Track.

In an Orb Weaver’s net three cicadas struggled. I rescued them, took photos and, thanks to Lindsay Popple, whom I contacted via his excellent Australian Cicadas website, were identified as a female Yellowbelly Psaltoda harrisii and a male Clanger Psaltoda claripennis.

Clanger Psaltoda claripennis. 

Clanger Psaltoda claripennis. 

Clanger Psaltoda claripennis.

Yellowbelly Psaltoda harrisii  

Yellowbelly Psaltoda harrisii 

Other than that it was only butterflies – the usual Monarchs, a Blue Triangle, Common Crows, Large Grass-yellow, Common Grass-blue and a new one – flying high among the she-oaks on the Airfield Track I managed to get some crappy photos of what I believe was a Large Purple Line-blue Nacaduba berenice.

At the Raptor Lookout a high flying flock of approx 10 Needletails were the only birds of interest and two Green Tree Frogs called briefly from the big fig tree.

Dragonflies: a Blue Skimmer and a Graphic Flutterer.

17.12.17

The ATT
(The Aleutian Tern Twitch)

Tuesday 12^th and word came out that Aleutian Terns had been found at Old Bar in NSW.

WTF?? ALEUTIAN TERNS?

Well, I reckon that was most people’s reaction.

It transpired that in October 2016 a local birder had taken pictures of at least 2 terns – but had not identified them till sometime this year. He had gone back to the same location to check this year and found a flock of, initially, thirteen birds.

WTF?? 13??? Thirteen??

Anyway – over the following few days two things had happened:

1.      A number of people had visited the site and photos and discussion developed rapidly - as did the tern numbers, increasing to 15.

2.      And I contacted Andy J and we started planning at twitch.

Obviously both these occurrences were of equal importance…..

So at 3.30am on a warm Sunday morning after just a couple of hours of dubious sleep Mr J picked me up and we set off.

It was a 628km, 7 hour, drive, give or take, including a stop for a Macker’s breakfast an absolutely non-negotiable on a twitch, to reach Old Bar and locate the car park behind the beach. Then, loaded up with cameras, bins and scopes, we trudged north 1 km up the beach to where a creek reached, but had not breached, the beach.

We found a group of birders – about 8 – looking at a sand bar about 100 meters away across a too-deep-to-wade channel. On the sandbar: 2 Aleutian Terns. We set up, checked them out and I suggested we head home now?

Over the next hour and a half 3 more Terns appeared and settled down to preen and sunbathe. In my humble opinion they look most like Common Terns and, I would suggest, may well have been overlooked by observers elsewhere when scanning flocks. It seems a stretch that 15 birds have travelled all the way down the eastern seaboard to this unremarkable location passing what would seem to be dozens of similar sites? We reckoned it will only be a matter of time before others are located elsewhere.

To my mind the salient facts were:

very long primary projection when at rest,

sooty rather than dark black ‘non-breeding’ type cap, white gap between the eye and the cap and the latter set further back on the head than Common (of which there were a few nearby).

A strong, longer and deeper wingbar than the Common’s when at rest and

shorter legs – reminiscent of Artic tern.

A black bill that seemed slimmer and ‘finer’ than Common, but the distance made it difficult to be precise.

We did see them in flight briefly and noted the black edge to the rear of the wing – but most of the time they simply sat and…..well, sat. I would have liked to see their flight jizz but they just weren’t moving around much.

I took photos but they’re pretty shit.

 

Aleutian Tern

The Twitch - and Mr J getting as close as possible

That seemed to be it and we decided that, given the long return trip, we would head off about midday. Just before we did Mr J scanned the sandbanks to the south – about 200-250 meters distance - and found three more terns. I got onto them and between us we found the missing 10 terns scattered across the sand. Their white foreheads stood out like dogs’ balls even at that distance.

The interesting thing was, while we were there, a total of about 17 birders came to look at the terns - and this is the first weekend! A couple we talked to claimed they had 'just been passing' and it was convenient. What is it that some people avoid admitting they came to see the birds? 

If you go to see the birds you're twitching! 

Simply! 

It almost seems an embarrassment to admit you made an effort. I don't get it - is a twitcher really that evil? (the same people had a similar excuse for going for the Laughing Gull in SA - they were 'nearby') Jesus Christ on a bike......

If it had been the UK they'd have been selling tickets and funding a new school on the proceeds.

We headed home at 12.30, stopping at Port Macquaire for another Macker’s meal before finally reaching my place at 20.00.

13.12.17

Oxley

A good morning at Oxley. The track was pretty birdy and I topped out at 59 species plus a couple of butterflies.

I heard (!) a Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo half way along the track and a Mangrove Gerygone on the way back. Brown Quail were very vocal in the first 300 meters.

Best bird was a Comb-crested Jacana – my 164^th species on site after 155 visits over 13 years. It’s not often I get a new bird for my local patches.

I thought it might be a new bird for the site list but E-bird proved me wrong, 9 records, and someone else had seen this one yesterday so…….still a new bird for my list!

Butterflies: Monarch, Varied Eggfly, Common Crow and Lemon Migrant (also new for site for me)

11.12.17

North Stradbroke Island

I met Paz at the water taxi in Cleveland and we boarded the Gold Cat for the 30 minute run to the island. The sea was choppy and I was hopeful.

As we arrived at Pt Lookout the rain was bucketing down and we sheltered in the bus shelter for about 10 minutes until it eased off.

At the point it was 20-25 knot south easterly with a white-capped medium sea. We settled in and immediately had flocks of Short-tailed Shearwaters hammering south with scattered groups of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters accompanying them. The light varied from horrendous glare to beautiful dark cloud shadows as rainy fronts moved through overhead and north around us. We had to grab shelter a couple of times to avoid getting too wet – me in my poncho, Paz in the ‘cave’.

The passage eased off after 10.00, but we picked up 2 immature Brown Boobys and approx 10 Common Noddys which kept Paz’s Australian list total rising and a White-bellied Sea Eagle flew in off the sea with what appeared to be a Short-tailed Shearwater dangling from its claws. A single Gull-billed Tern and a couple of Common Terns completed the bird list, while a big Loggerhead Turtle and a few Dolphins kept it interesting. A large skink appeared on the rock behind me and turned out to be an Eastern Striped Skink – one I had previously recorded at this location.

We walked the gorge at 11.00 and retired to the café, that we used to inhabit, for a late breakfast/early lunch and chatted through a couple of heavy rain showers.

Finally, at 12.40, we walked back down to the bus stop and tried for Little Wattlebird before the bus came. Unfortunately we failed to connect, but Paz did dig out a White-cheeked Honeyeater as his final tick for the day as the bus pulled in.

10.12.17

Minnippi

Mr P and I hit the car park at 6.00 to hear, immediately a Brown Quail calling back towards the road, followed almost immediately by a Lewin’s Rail calling from the thick grass under the riverine eucalypts. The latter refused to budge, however, but continued to call loudly as we crossed the bridge and headed for the lake.

5 Whiskered Terns ‘still on’ or ‘returned to’ , but little else in evidence on the water. The M1 track was pretty dead, a few Evening Browns fluttered through the trees, a single Bar-shouldered Dove and Sacred Kingfishers called and then Mr P tilted his head and said he thought he heard a Horsfield’s Cuckoo?

Not a common bird here at all – I’ve only ever recorded two and the last was in October 2009 (with Mr D).

We headed out to the riverside again, stopping only to take some really crappy photos of a Purple-banded Concealer Moth Chrysonoma fascialis. (I include it here only for reference)

Purple-banded Concealer Moth Chrysonoma fascialis.

Once outside an almost instant response from, not one, but two Horsfield’s Cuckoos flying in, and around in circles high above us, fluttering in a display type flight neither of us had seen before – a good addition to Mr P’s Patch Challenge list.

We walked up the Alley discussing, as it happens, wallabies and their allies at Minnippi when, to our simultaneous surprise, we both binned a single Swamp Wallaby at the far end of the Alley. Mr P managed some photos, to conclusively identify it, before it hopped off. These too, are a rare sight in Minnippi – at least to us – and it was shaping up into a good morning.

Not much else happened back to and at the lake, apart from the dramatic absence of any Duck on the water. In total we saw about 10 Black Duck during the morning but there were none on the lake at all.

On then up and over the hill and Mr P spotted a White-necked Heron drifting in to eventually land at the far end of the Airfield field. Another good bird for Minnippi – especially, as I pointed out when I had one on my last visit – for this time of year.

A Common Dore Beetle Geotrupes stercorosus wandering across the Airfield track was a first for me for the site and later a Lemon Migrant Catopsillia pomona also achieved that status.

Lemon Migrant Catopsillia pomona

Back at the raptor lookout a Brown Goshawk soared past and on the walk back to the car – the pair of Tawny Frogmouths were back in Tree B.

We had a good range of butterflies in addition to those already mentioned: Common Crow (10) Varied Eggfly (4), Blue Tiger (1 & only my second on site), Common Grass-blue, Blue Triangle (5) and Monarch (1).

Dragonflies included Graphic Flutterer (1) and Common Bluetail (2)

9.12.17

Moreton Bay

Mr D picked me up at 6 and we met Paz at Wellington Pt station at 6.30 before heading north along the coast to try for waders, despite the low tide.

At Manly we had Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint, Bar-tailed Godwit and Pacific Golden Plover among the usual shore birds, but the light was harsh and the birds relatively distant.

On to Wynnum foreshore and much of the same.

Then the boardwalk where we managed good views of Mangrove Gerygone, Mangrove Kingfisher, Striped Honeyeater and Leaden Flycatcher – all almost predictable. Mr D spotted a skink which I am still waiting to ID and we saw a single specimen of Mangrove, or Illidge’s, Ant-blue Acrodipsas illidgei - a rather rare and restricted butterfly – and a new tick for us all.

As yet unidentified skink

We walked up to the metal hide where we saw nothing – also predictable – but on the walk there and back had ground views of Brown Quail, one Double-barred Finch, a couple of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo and a male Mistletoebird which Paz got quite 'enthusiastic' about.

Heading for the Port of Brisbane, due to road-not-working (why call it Road Works when it doesn’t?) we drove a long way round to the security of the non-accessible wader roost where there was bugger all anyway – a total waste of space in reality – distant Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a Curlew Sandpiper, a few sleepy Chestnut Teal and one Red-necked Avocet viewed through the fence the only real interest. The visitor’s centre did produce Mangrove Honeyeater which is always reliable there – well almost always.

Lindum appeared completely empty but between us we pulled Black-fronted and Red-kneed Dotterel, Marsh Sandpiper and two Black Kites to keep Paz on his toes.

Then it was Sandy Camp, by now after 10.00 it was bright, hot and humid and we didn’t spend a lot of time. Just enough to get Comb-crested Jacana, White-breasted Wood Swallow and Wandering Whistle Duck for our visitor.

Finally retired for breakfast at a ‘new for us’ café along the esplanade near Manly where the food was very good, the prices a little higher than our norm, but the service a bit shaky and disjointed, resulting in free cake and scones which also took a while – and a second reminder - to arrive…..

6.12.17

Slaughter Falls, Mt Cootha

We met Paz at Toowong Shopping Centre and, after a quick Mackers dinner, headed up for our appointment at dusk in the clearing above the car park.

A Great Barred Frog was calling loudly from the creek and bang on schedule, at dusk, 3, and potentially 4, White-throated Nightjars appeared against the darkening sky. Calling them in, briefly, we had good views as they swooped around the clearing and called from unseen perches before disappearing into the dark.

We tried for the other usual species but got only one response from an Owlet Nightjar which we couldn’t see despite extended searching.

A few spiders’ eyes attracted our attention – Brisbane Huntsman Heteropoda jugulans. We couldn’t find any possums in the park, which was unusual, but did have Red-necked Fruit Bats; however, a Brush-tailed Possum did show well on overhead wires just outside Paz’s accommodation in Strafford.

4.12.17

Minnippi

Mr P had been on site yesterday and reported several Imperial Hairstreaks on the M1 track. I wanted to see more of these attractive butterflies – and get them on my Minnippi list – so I headed out pretty late to give them time to take wing, arriving on site at 8.15.

They had taken wing all right – and pissed off somewhere else. Never mind it was a reasonable morning weather-wise, although very humid after the rain and I walked the usual circuit. Not much out of the box bird-wise – the Whiskered terns all seemed to be gone - but the butterflies were quite good: Dainty Swallowtail, Varied Eggfly (M & F), Common Grass-blue, Meadow Argus, Common Crows aplenty and a Chequered Swallowtail was new for me for the site.

On the Airfield track a Garden Orb Weaver had captured what appeared to be yet another Bottle Cicada – you never see one, then they’re everywhere – isn’t it always the way?

Garden Orb Weaver with a ?Bottle Cicada?

A calling Asian House Gecko in the Lookout shelter was also new and in a shallow, rain filled hollow along the Avenue I found the spawn of a pair of amorous Striped Marsh Frogs. I’m not sure how long the water will last as the pool really is only the result of recent rain and will dry out well before the tadpoles reach maturity.

Striped Marsh Frog spawn

An Australian Hobby perched up in the electricity pylons – it was a big bird and thoughts turned to Peregrine, but nope, just a Hobby. Back at the car park and surprisingly a White-necked Heron was poking around the edge of the long grass. Unusual in this area at this time of year I think?

2.12.17

Lake Samsonvale - cemetery

A friend of a friend from the UK had contacted Mr D and we picked Paz up at 5.45 from his AirBnB at Stafford and headed out to Samsonvale for his first mornings birding in Australia.

It wasn’t difficult to blow him away.

We stopped at the Glossy Black Cockatoo site but didn’t find any. We did however have a number of common birds, of course, including a flyby Channel-billed Cuckoo which had Paz almost in hysterics. A Channel-billed Cuckoo will do that to you.

A small ladybird-like insect on the bonnet of the car was a Eucalypt Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculate – a first for Mr D and I and not the first insect tick of the day….

Eucalypt Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculate 

Eucalypt Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculate 

On to the cemetery and the usual inhabitants. The lake was fairly quiet but there was plenty to keep Paz’s head a-buzz.

After taking brief shelter in the car as a rain shower moved through we headed in to the Hoop Pine plantation and spent the next couple of hours finding stuff for the visitor. Good views of Brown Cuckoo-dove and Cicadabirds, but best bird was a perched up Rose-crowned Fruit-dove in the big fig tree, that we managed to get in the scope – pretty spectacular bird really.

Mr D’s eyes were on the money today. He managed to find not one, but two, big green (what I think are) Bottle Cicadas. I’ve asked my favourite people at the museum for specific help, but that’s what I believe they are. We’d never seen them before so it was a bit exciting……

Butterflies were pretty good too – Clearwing Swallowtail, Orchard Swallowtail, Wide-brand Grass-dart, Large Grass-yellow, Blue Triangle, Lesser Wanderer, Common Crow and, of course, Monarch.

We retired to The Flying Nun in Samsonvale for a filling breakfast.