Weekends That Were - June 2018

7.6.18

North Stradbroke Island

Met Mr J and Elliot at the water taxi at 6. Arrived at point after usual trek at 8.

Raining heavily. Sat back from the point for a while then retreated to the café hoping the rain would pass. Around 9.30 returned to the point and seawatched till 11.30. Conditions pretty miserable, rain showers and rain between showers basically the whole time. Soaked through.

We had two Giant Petrels, one definitely Northern and the other most likely the same, about 30 Australian Gannets both imm and adult, 1 Wedge-tailed Shearwater (the first I have had there in June), 1 Common Noddy and about 50 Fairy Prions. 

The easterly wind was very strong and buffeting the scopes. 

We gave it away and got the 12.00 bus.

5.6.18

Minnippi

A pretty average winter morning for a slow two hour wander. Did both tracks, but nothing of any great significance.

2.6.18

Duraki, Mosquito Creek Rd and Cement Mills Rd

Mr P picked me up at 5.00 and, with Nikolas H, we headed west.

First stop 2 hours later was Mackers in Warwick for a coffee, then it was on to Duraki, another 45 minutes down the road. 

The waterhole was busy as usual with Yellow-plumed & White-naped Honeyeaters. A few other bits and pieces showed up while we were there – Fuscous & Yellow-faced, a single Brown and finally, among a flock of 30 or so Dusky Woodswallows, a single Black-chinned Honeyeater.

We drove up and down for a while trying other different access tracks into the woodland, but saw nothing much of significance.

Heading west we turned off onto the Toowoomba rd, then immediately left and along a quiet side road that ran parallel with the highway. We looked for Squatter Pigeons but were disappointed.

Back on the highway and a turn off again onto Mosquito Creek Rd, an unsealed road which has produced good birds in the past. Sadly a lot of the land on the left hand or western side had been ‘cleaned up’ – basically scarped clear of any bush or smaller trees, dead logs etc. For what purpose? This has completely destroyed the environment that encouraged some of the less common species to visit and so has reduced the potential almost to zero. We did find some White-winged Fairy-wrens further up the road, but nothing else of any interest.

Lunch at Coolmunda Dam followed – although I had brought nothing to eat. Mr P generously shared one of his gluten-free bagles which was very thoughtful. 

Back then and down Cement Mills Rd – stopped at a few spots for Restless Flycatchers, Red-necked & Whip-tailed Wallabys and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown Treecreeper and the recently split (from Variegated) Purple-backed Fairy-wrens.

Back at Duraki an hour or so later another Spiny-cheeked, a Brown-headed Honeyeater and a Brown Treecreeper were found among the crowds.

We got home after dark.