Weekends That Were - January 2020

1.1.20

Oxley

I was on site later than I had half-planned at 6.15. The track was fairly birdy and there were a number of non-birding walkers and runners already out there.

Fairly average walk out in the 24C warmth, but thanks to recent rain everything was very green and growing strongly.

The only birds of any special interest was a female White-winged Triller near the first culvert and a calling Buff-banded Rail in the second. Although I didn’t actually identify the rail until later.

At the junction I met another birder whose name I can never remember, but whom I see fairly often at Oxley. He is involved in shark and ray research in Qld Uni and is always interesting to talk to. We walked out to Pelican Lagoon together and had fairly distant Brown and Rufous Songlarks on the fence line, a Pallid Cuckoo perched up on the overhead powerlines above the lake and a Brown Falcon similar.

We walked back to the car together and I probably missed some stuff as a result, but it didn’t really matter – the conversation was, as expected, interesting and informative.

4.1.20

Minnippi

Due to the recent explosion of Buttonquail reports from around SEQ, Mr P suggested a Big Buttonquail Bash for Minnippi so at 5.30 Mr D and I met him at the carpark.

We bashed the grass areas under the powerlines to no avail. It really wasn’t completely appropriate habitat, being thick clumps of guinea grass with small bushes and trees through it, but we gave it a go. We flushed one Brown Quail but that was it.

Apart from that it was quite a birdy morning with White-throated Gerygones (picked up by Mr D’s ears), Common Cicadabird (ditto & Mr P’s and then seen well) and a Swamp Wallaby being the potential highlights. With a total list of 56 species it started Mr P off well for his Patch Bird List.

Common Cicadabird

We went for breakfast to the 9 Bar Kitchen (prev known as Belesis) but it was closed, so we headed down to Café 63 in Stones Corner for a lengthy breakfast and birding experiences both had and hoped for.

9.1.20

JC Trotter

I’d been meaning to go to Trotter for a couple of weeks. There had been some exciting reports from a couple of local birders, but, apart from that, I was still to see if the lake level was low again. When It dropped to almost bone dry in 2002 I had had some good birds on the mud around the remaining channel and I thought it might be similar now, given the extended drought conditions.

The walk through the woodland at 6am was the usual – almost deserted - apart from a small feeding flock consisting of a couple of Grey Fantails, a Rufous Whistler, Leaden Flycatcher and a few Yellow-faced Honeyeaters. There may have been one or two more species present, but they were all silhouetted against the bright sky and moving quite quickly.

The water level was low, but not as low as I’d expected. There was still a significant channel with loads of Eurasian Coots and Hardhead, a few Grey Teal, several Black Swans and a few Little Black & Great Cormorants knocking around. There were also a number of Comb-crested Jacanas on the lily pad patches and 4 Swamp Wallabys fed along the distant shoreline.

I met another (northside) birder, of Irish stock and we stood and chatted for a while. He mentioned a Brown Songlark he’d found further along and, as I was headed that way anyway, I looked for and found it. It was a new bird for my site list, bringing it to 145.

I also saw the reported Great Crested Grebe, although I’d had that here before, but no sign of any Quail, Button or otherwise, or the Wood Sandpiper seen recently. Scoping a very far distant mud bank I did see a few Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Red-capped Dotterels and a Latham’s Snipe. There were up to 8 Glossy ibis along the banks and all the egret species put in an appearance.

The walk back through the trees and along the tracks saw very little added to the morning’s list. I looked for the Powerful Owl I had also been told of but, almost predictably, failed to find it.

I did experiment with two straps to carry my tripod/scope and the system worked very well, slinging the scope on my back and not off one shoulder which was quite uncomfortable.

Fishing in the Coomera River, Gold Coast

I went fishing with Mr B and Master B on two nights during the week. We fished a deep hole in a canal along the Coomera River on the Gold Coast and had some success both nights - which for us is an exception....

Myself and school Jew

Master B and his school Jew

Master B and his Mangrove Jack

Master B's jew

Master B's Jack

Mr B and one of his Mangrove Jacks

Another of Mr B's Mangrove Jacks

All, bar one Jack, were released to fight again.

11.1.20

Minnippi again

I had been thinking about where I might go birding and, as Mr D wasn’t around to make the decision, was still ‘thinking about it’ when Mr P rang on the Friday evening and told me there was a flock of 27 Plumed Whistling Ducks at Minnippi – a bird I didn’t have on my site list.

I thought about it some more but then thought, poetically, – what the hell, might as well.

On site at 5.30 on a very comfortable 24C post dawn morning. Did the usual – bridge, lake from the pylons, M1 track, right up, alongside the M1 and back down to the avenue. Back to the lake – and no PWDs. Obviously just another fly-in, fly-out. Finished with a sit up at the raptor look out for no raptors then a walk back along the concrete path into the face of the Saturday morning F…..g Fun Run which sees hundreds of erstwhile joggers/walkers/staggerers/pram pushers pounding their sweaty way to an early heart attack and damaged joints, completely destroying the opportunity for everyone else of a quiet walk in the park – wankers.

Yep, I’m grumpy. Maxed out at 53 species for the morning – prior to the FFR.

Note to self: Recently I've started feeling pretty inadequate and depressed about birding. I have been trying to avoid chasing 'other people's birds' but it's hard when they show up in sites I'm interested in. Try as I might, I can't help but look for them sometimes and most times fail to find them. That depresses me and makes me feel useless.

It's probably just me and my lack of skills and, possibly, luck - as I believe the latter does play a large part in birding in general - but its been having a really negative effect lately.

I really don't want to know what's been seen. I am much happier just trolling along, looking for my own stuff, without any pressure or expectation. And, really, seeing 'other people's birds, has just never been my thing anyway. Birding is one of the few things I really enjoy in my life and I need to take steps to ensure I continue to enjoy it - my way.

Update

Back in 2016 I found a shed snake skin at Minnippi. I incorrectly identified it as a Carpet Python. Today I, finally, took the skin to the museum and had it identified by an expert - it was, in fact, a Red-bellied Black Pseudechis porphyriacus. A large female apparently.
Something to keep our eyes out for in future....

Here's a photo, again, of the skin when I found it....

Red-bellied Black Pseudechis porphyriacus

14.1.20

Trotter (again)

I thought I’d give it another go as I have seen good birds there in the past when the water levels have been low. 

On this visit, however, despite seeing 8 species NOT seen on Saturday, I still ended up with only 41 for the morning. Numbers were lower on the waterfront and the woods were really, really dead. There was nothing to write home about, all stuff I’ve seen there before – and could probably see almost any visit.

There were two other birders wandering around, one of whom I talked to for a few minutes, the other, I think was the same guy I saw on Saturday, but he remained at distance. It was a pleasant enough walk with the temperatures now much more comfortable, but the birding much the same as always.

16.1.20

Oxley

On site a bit later than normal – 6.30. Showers of rain overnight had freshened up the environment and it was a cloudy, close morning.

The track seemed a bit quiet at first but it turned into quite a good morning overall with a total of 63 species seen.

The commonest bird was Little Friarbird and even though there was only one flowering tree along the whole track the place was dripping with them – I reckon about 50 birds in all. An Australian Hobby perched up along one of the early fence lines, looking like it was hawking insects.

Also in evidence – scattered pairs or small groups of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins and, in smaller numbers, Double-barred Finches. Loads of Red-backed Fairy-wrens and a few Superb and a single Pallid Cuckoo kept me company along a 100 meter stretch of track repeatedly perching up within easy sight.

I met an unknown birder just before the turn off to the ponds and we chatted for a few minutes. I referred him to the Cuckoo as he was heading back and he claimed to have seen a flock of 12 Plum-headed Finches further along towards the Secret Forest. Twelve? TWELVE? In my usual cynical frame of mind, I was doubtful, I must admit, but carried on past the turn off to see for myself. I found a mixed flock of Mannikins and Double-bars along with one Red-browed Finch and wondered if, maybe, maybe, he had mistaken the Mannikins for Plum-heads?

I walked back and out to the ponds seeing mostly the usual stuff, although some in lesser numbers than usual, the only Cormorant being one Little Pied and a Darter. 3 Eurasian Coots were a recent addition and 1 Black-fronted Dotterel and 10 White-headed Stilts the only waders.

When I walked back to the junction I decided I should, really, check again re the PHFs and so turned left and walked out towards the Secret Forest.

Sure enough 100 meters along near a gate a flock of at least 10 Plum-headed Finches appeared along the fence line with Mannikins and Double-barred, Brown Honeyeaters and a Silvereye. Most of the Plum-heads appeared to be adults which I thought a little unusual, having expected to see a handful of juveniles from possible recent breeding. This is the biggest flock by far of PHFs I have seen at Oxley – all my previous records were of one or two birds.

Plum-headed Finch

There wasn’t much else on the return walk – an Oriental Dollarbird perched up with a flock of Australian Figbirds, and another distantly display flighting, and a Black-shouldered Kite perched up in the large dead tree in the middle of the field. There also seemed to be an explosion of Lesser Wanderers - I counted about 15 scattered throughout the walk.

19.1.20

Minnippi

Following 24 hours of sporadic but heavy rain I thought there might be more activity at Minnippi on a bright, if slightly damp, sunny morning. 

But it was pretty much same same as usual with, in fact, only 42 species recorded. Nothing really to write home about apart, maybe, from a meter long Freshwater Eel squirming around at the edge of the pond and, I think, upsetting a nearby Eurasian Coot shortly afterwards as it hopped up and down and squawked as, I assume, the eel chewed on its feet. 5 Oriental Dollarbirds was a higher than usual number, although I noticed Mr P had recorded 7 the previous day (via EBird) and overall had a much more impressive list.

I saw 2 Monarchs, 1 Common Crow and 1 Meadow Argus - the latter my first this season, but then again, I haven’t really been focused on butterflies much. There were also at least two groups of Striped Marsh Frogs going off – presumably taking advantage of the lightly flooded fields, oh, and I did have a brief glimpse of a Swamp Wallaby moving off the M1 track – I don’t believe I have seen them at that end of the woods before – maybe I was the first person along the track in the morning?

22.1.20

Oxley

I was on site at 5.30, 15 minutes after dawn on an overcast, humid morning at ‘27C feels like 33’.

The car park was a bit quiet and, in fact, it wasn’t till I got back to the start of the track at 7.45 that I noted Noisy Miner. There were Australian Figbirds a-plenty with a few Little Friarbirds along the first leg of the track and, generally, it was quite birdy. However, the middle part was very quiet.

The ponds produced a new site species for me – Plumed Whistling Ducks – a pair standing in the middle of the track looking a little lost. They flushed eventually as I moved forward and flew off fairly low, apparently reluctant to leave the area, but I didn’t see them land.

Plumed Whistling Duck

I looked for the Plum-heads I’d seen last week, but couldn’t find any – plenty of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, and smaller numbers of Double-barred and Red-browed.

Raptors were a pair of Brown Goshawks swooping low overhead, providing great views, and a Whistling Kite over the ponds. A dramatic increase in Rainbow Bee Eaters from 1 last week to at least 15, and probably more, this morning.

I ended up with a list of 57, most significant for the missing species rather than the seen. 

25.1.20

Trotter

I picked up Mr D at 5.45 as arranged and we were on site at 6. 27C felt like 31 and very, very humid. The morning proved to be very uncomfortable.

We walked the track to the lake as usual seeing little – Mr D pulled an Eastern Yellow Robin out of the trees, but apart from the usual calling stuff – Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Doves, Grey Shrike Thrush etc there was nothing else to see.

At the end of the track a White-throated Treecreeper showed briefly -  a good bird for the area and only my third site record.

Compared to my previous recent visits the water was empty. We did eventually see a couple of flocks of Eurasian Coots, totalling about 150, but only 3 Hardhead, compared to the 150+ of recent times. The small amount of rain had lifted the level of the lake slightly and it appeared everything had moved on somewhere else.

The increased water level had covered the distant mudbank that had held a selection of waders the previous week – so they were missing from our list too. I didn’t even take the scope off my back through the walk – there was no need. We had 1 Great Crested Grebe and a handful of Australian Pelicans, Little Black Cormorants, a couple of Great Cormorants and Australian Darter, but it was a sharp contrast to the birds of just 7 or 8 days ago.

Walking through the grass we flushed 1 Brown Quail and then it was back to the track under the powerlines and trudging through the sticky heat. We also had White-throated Honeyeaters, Rufous Whistlers, Striped Honeyeater and the like – some seen, some heard.

Halfway along the return track and Mr D almost screamed with excitement – well, screamed is a bit too strong, I can’t really imagine Mr D ‘screaming’ – at least not in my presence. However, he had spotted a Glossy Black Cockatoo feeding quietly in a She-oak about 30 meters from the track. There were in fact 3 birds and we got quite close, before they leisurely flew to another patch of seed-bearing trees a hundred meters or so away. It was a species he had always sworn would be on site one day – and I’m pretty sure I remember reports of GBC at Trotter many years ago, but have been unable to find them in the Birding Aus archives so…..

Glossy Black Cockatoo - male

Glossy Black Cockatoo - female

It did make the visit worthwhile. We trudged back to the car feeling a little better for the effort – but it was exhausting work.

We breakfasted at Hallowed Grounds in Mt Gravatt.

30.1.20

Minnippi

Onsite at 6.15 on a very humid, still, hot morning. The birds responded in kind and it was very quiet overall. The lake was same same but on the M1 track Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Galahs and Rainbow Lorikeets appeared to be squabbling over nest holes or perching positions or something, while a pair of Long-billed Corellas quietly investigated a hole lower down. 5 Oriental Dollarbirds also sat around mouthing off to each other – but it looked more like flirting, or a domestic, rather than serious argument.

There really wasn’t much else of interest, although a pair of White-throated Honeyeaters on the cross track from The Avenue was a little different.

I sat in the raptor lookout for a while but saw only a pair of Magpie Geese fly in. I had had a single Black-shouldered Kite on the powerlines earlier on.

I was very glad to get back in the car for the air-conditioned drive home.

You might wonder why I keep going to only Minnippi, Oxley and Trotter. Basically its because its so freaking uncomfortable in the humid heat at the moment I just don't have the energy or drive to go further!

Weekends That Were - December 2019

    1.12.19

Atkinson's Dam

Mr P had brought me up to date with the local birding when I had come back two weeks ago, and a small flock of Little Curlews at Lake Atkinson had been of special interest – but I had not made any effort in the interim. 

I don’t like the Lockyer Valley. 

I find it a bit depressing overall and very tiring. Hot, dry, flat and apart from the birds, boring. 

I’m probably being unfair as there have been some great birds out there and a number of species that are reliable nowhere else in SEQ.

However, it’s not my favourite place!

I decided, though, that I needed to make the effort and so was up at 4 and on the road by 4.30 to try to beat the heat. I got to Atkinson’s at 5.30 to find the gate to the picnic area closed, but it was possible to walk in, which I did, and scanned the virtually completely dry ‘dam’. There were two small patches of water near the dam wall, but scanning produced nothing of great interest. I walked back to the car and drove to the far end of the wall, along Boyce’s Rd and scanned from there. Nothing of special interest apart from several Whistling Kites and a White-bellied Sea Eagle standing around waiting for something to die and a single Pink-eared Duck trying to avoid being part of that scenario. 

No sign of any LCs, but then again, there had been no reports of them for about two weeks so I hadn’t been very optimistic.

I drove slowly along Boyce’s Rd checking the fields where a few Ibis and duck fed, but nothing else showed up until I reached the top of the hill and had a Ground Cuckoo-shrike in the field on the right. I’ve had them there before on several occasions and it was a good year tick. I saw it on the ground for a few seconds before it flew off into the distance and the building heat shimmer.

I thought about my options, but couldn’t face spending more time driving around the area so just turned the wheel and headed home, hoping to avoid the Ipswich rd early morning traffic, which I managed getting home by 8.00.

8.12.19

White's Hill, Lindum, Fuller .....and White's Hill again

Mr P picked me up, as arranged by txt, at 5.30 and we headed for White’s Hill first as Oriental Cuckoos (2) had been seen there the previous afternoon. It was a hot, but bearable morning, at about 20 degrees after a slightly cooler night following a 39 degree day……….However, a haze still hung over the city from the recent and current bushfires and generally it was not really a day I would choose to go birding, but I did want to get out and about.

We parked up near the pond and walked in seeing very little to start with. Everything was just sort of muted in the heat. However, near the back of the pond we flushed a Latham’s Snipe – a site-list tick apparently, then headed up the steep dirt track and into the dry, relatively dead, woodland at the top.

Mr P took me in to show me where the Powerful Owl roost was. It was vacant but at least I know where it is now.

Back through the woods to the pond again and no sign of any OCs. As we stood at the top of the slope Mr P called ‘What’s that? ‘, and in the same breath, ‘It’s a Square-tailed Kite!’ 

Fair dues to him to ID it so fast as it approached head-on and then flew overhead fairly low – another site tick for both of us.

Back down to the pond, and eventually the car, with nothing else of note.

We set off for Lindum. Halfway there and another birder, ‘Elliot’, called. He had gone to get the Snipe as a site tick for himself and had re-found at least 2 Oriental Cuckoos……..

We agreed to return there, but first checked Lindum from Burnby Rd. A handful of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and White-headed Stilts, but nothing unusual, so on to Fuller.

We parked up and walked in, stopping quietly to scan a large flock of waders on the severely reduced muddy pond. There were about 200 Sharp-tailed, 15-20 Marsh Sandpipers, 20-25 Red-kneed Dotterels, Grey and Chestnut Teal females, White-headed Stilts etc. It looked really good.

Mr P said ‘There’s a stint over here’ There were two and as we looked at them he said ‘One is definitely a Red-necked but the other one looks f…..g weird, what do you fink’?

It was clear the second bird was different and it became apparent it had yellow legs, although they were heavily mud-encrusted to the knees. Long-toed Stint!

Long-toed Stint - not the long toes!

Long-toed Stint video - to come

We spent a half an hour or so taking photos and video while Mr P called and txtd others and received replies.

Then it was back to White’s Hill again with Elliot now reporting 3 Oriental Cuckoos, 2 hepatic and one grey bird..

We got back and met him there and just missed one bird perched up on a dead tree. Apparently they were very flighty and so it proved to be. Mr P caught a glimpse of one, which I missed, as it dived into the tree line, but eventually we saw another hepatic bird flying through the canopy, although it wouldn’t perch up long enough to get the scope, camera or even the bins on it for more than a second or two.

We gave it away after another half hour or so as the heat was increasing and Mr P had commitments elsewhere.

We loads of records of strange inland species turning up in and around SEQ it may yet prove to be an interesting summer.

9.12.19

Oxley

A Black-eared Cuckoo had been reported the previous day so I thought I might as well give it a go. 

I’ve never been very successful on ‘twitches’, averaging about 1% success rate. Yes, ONE percent success. But somehow, like the pain of childbirth I think, you forget the agony of previous attempts and go back for more…….misery.

I walked out the path seeing a few of the usual stuff and meeting an enthusiastic, long-legged, twenty-something birder called Bryden striding out to Wagtail Way, the turn off to the ponds where the bird had been seen. I trailed along in his wake, running occasionally just to keep up…..

I abandoned my keeping-up attempt once we reached the corner and stared in amazement at, count ‘em, 9 other birders strung along the track. NINE!! It was a massive twitch for any location in SEQ, especially on a Tuesday morning in 23 degree heat.

A number of SEQ’s birding, uncrowned, royalty were present – Matt G, Nikolas H, Duane B and Chris B I recognised - and quietly filtered into their group.

Cutting a long dragged out story of failure (once again - make that 0.1%) we spent the next two hours checking everything that moved and found a Horsfield’s and a Shining Bronze and, most likely, a fly-by Brush Cuckoo. And with Channel-billed Cuckoos calling in the background, it was an all-but-Black-eared-cuckoo-morning really.

If I hadn’t gone, I’m sure it would have performed brilliantly.

I just hope the others don’t actually realise this.

It was seen again the next morning…….

10.12.19

White's Hill revisited

Having now sworn off any further twitches – refer back to childbirth comparison, no more of that sex-stuff, you can put THAT away – I was almost at a loss. 

Anywhere I went at the moment could be construed as a twitch - and I hazarded spoiling anyone’s else’s chances of seeing the target just by being there.

However, Mr P had seen three Oriental Cuckoos at White’s Hill the previous evening and as I hadn’t seen an hepatic OC well, nor do I have any photos of that form, I decided I’d go and have another look.

I was on site by 6.30 after a stormy overnight with a fair, surprising, dump of rain. 

With the rain and change, they’ve probably all moved on, I figured.

The Cane Toads were blasting their mating calls so loudly I couldn’t hear helicopters overhead and the path was littered with thousands of tiny Cane Toadlets. I walked along slowly watching the skyline and stopped at a railing to give me something to lean against while I watched the trees along the cliff.

Eventually a single bird showed. 

Directly in front of the sun, of course. 

I risked burning out my remaining good eye to establish that it was an OC and waited until it flew to a more light-friendly perch. It was still more or less a silhouette but I was pretty sure it was an hepatic form. 

I took some photos, none of which I kept as they were just shit, and when it moved off I walked up the hill and stood on the cliff edge for about half an hour but didn’t see any more sign.

I left before anyone else turned up to look for them so I wouldn’t spoil it.

14.12.19

Oxley - again

Mr D had expressed a desire to look for the Black-eared Cuckoo at Oxley so I picked him up at 5.30. I didn’t hold out much hope – refer previous posts…..- but we tried anyway.

From the parked car we could see 3 Pallid Cuckoos perched up on the distant fences which was a good start and it was a very birdy morning. On Thursday and Friday nights we had had brief, but very wet, storms pass through dumping a lot of rain (Thursday becoming the wettest day for 50+ years apparently) and this seemed to have stimulated the local birdlife after such a long dry period.

There were heaps of Red-backed and Superb Fairy Wrens and Double-barred Finches and I ended up with a list of 68 species for the morning – I think Mr D may have had a couple more – of species I failed to hear. We had a flock of approx 200 scattered White-throated Needletails including several identifiable Pacific Swifts, a Rufous Songlark (only my third site record), a probable total of at least 6 Pallid Cuckoos, a White-necked Heron (out of season a bit?), both White-winged (2) and Varied Trillers (1) and 3 Brown Falcons along with most of the usual birds.

4 Red Deer (2 females and 2 grown fawns) also showed up -  a new mammal for us at this site, flushed by the Professor walking the fields.

White-winged Triller (male)

All in all it was a good morning, but no sign of the BEC. Meanwhile from Minnippi Mr P rang to announce his success at finding an Oriental Cuckoo and 4 Brown Songlarks on site. (Luckily I wasn't there.....)

We retired to Café Europa in Sherwood for a much needed breakfast.

15.12.19

Minnippi

Working on the basis of Mr P’s report from yesterday and despite my stated lack of hope or interest in chasing ‘other people’s birds’ I decided to go to Minnippi and try to see them. After all Mr P’s birds are almost my own, so… 

(and I can’t let him get TOO far ahead in the site listings stakes, he’s already 2 ahead so…..)

I was in the carpark at 6, it was already too warm and humid. I walked around to the sports ground to the right of the bridge as he had described and found the 4 Brown Songlarks, also as he had described. Nice views on the open short grassed field, but I didn’t try to get too close.

Really crappy photo of Brown Songlark

Then back to the bridge and the usual circuit.

Highlights were:

A nice pair of Oriental Dollarbirds display flighting above the creek, along the edge of the wood backing onto the M1.

A Long-billed Corella sitting up quietly in a dead tree on the M1 track - looks like they could be nesting.

Two Channel-billed Pterodactyls Cuckoos flying around calling above the lake – always a great sight.

A Buff-banded Rail near the boardwalk.

Approx 100 White-throated Needletails accompanied by several Pacific Swifts circling high above the water.

But:

No sign of any Oriental Cuckoo.

I met a juvenile birder from Woolloongabba who went by the name of ‘Rob’ – another one, I thought - but he was pretty keen and seemed to know enough to be considered a genuine birder and not a fly-by-night photographer – he didn’t even have an obvious camera. He was on his way to see the Songlarks and, when I bumped into him again later, had also managed the Pale-vented Bush Hen under the bridge over the creek. I pointed him in the direction of the M1 track for the LB Corella and then tried for the Bush Hens myself, without success. I considered playback, but decided I didn’t need to see them and it was best to reserve playback for when I did.

By this time (8.00) it was ’27, feels like 30’ and the 74% humidity was running down my back so I headed home - enough is enough.

22.12.19

Minnippi

After a rather frustrating week chasing Cotton Pygmy Geese at Minnippi on Tuesday and Little Bloody Curlew again at Atkinson’s Dam on Thursday - both unsuccessful forays which left me considering throwing my scope, my bins and myself off the nearest birding tower - followed by a ‘waste-of-time’ morning out with Mr D to Kedron Brook and Sandgate, I was not very enthusiastic on Sunday morning.

But, I went out anyway and wandered around Minnippi again in the 24C heat and 74% humidity at 6.30am.

It wasn’t particularly exciting, but at least there were good numbers of birds. No Cotton Pygmy Geese again – they seem to either have disappeared altogether or just randomly visit the lake at odd times – did see the Brown Songlarks (3 left) in the playing fields, a Spotless Crake, a Whiskered Tern, 2 Latham’s Snipe and 14 Wandering Whistle Ducks among a total of 50 species.

And found a small dead Carpet Python on the road outside the park area which I brought home with the intention of skinning.

24.12.19

Minnippi - a brief twitch visit

At home just sitting down to two perfectly boiled eggs, toast and a top cup of tea and my phone rang - Mr P was looking at an Oriental Cuckoo at Minnippi.

Well, what do you do? 

The boiled eggs would keep, the tea could be replaced so 20 minutes later I joined him at the end of The Avenue to add Oriental Cuckoo to my Minnippi list. A juvenile or possibly hepatic bird feeding low down. I got pretty close, but average views as it didn't expose itself and flew deeper into the bush fairly soon after we re-found it. Good enough to become a new addition to my list and completely destroy Mr D's 10 year stranglehold on OC at this site.......

Nice Christmas present - thanks Mr P.

28.12.19

Sandy Camp

Picked up Mr D at 5.45 and arrived on site just after 6. It was pretty birdy with the first lake very busy with Duck, Egrets, Ibis, Spoonbills, Cormorants, Grebes, Moorhens, Coots, Jacanas, Reed Warblers, 3 Nankeen Night Herons, at least 3 Striated Herons and a single Whiskered Tern (just my second site record).

We walked the usual track along the middle berm with the same stuff and Mr D found a small Keelback Tropidonophis mairii at the end of the track.

 

Keelback Tropidonophis mairii 

On around to the ‘back’ pond in hopes of a recently seen Black-backed Bittern, but being a well-publicised bird, and the resultant ‘visitors’ looking for it - and it now being a couple of hours past dawn - we had little or no chance of seeing it. 

Back around the pond to the main track and a distant Horsfield’s Cuckoo was the only bird of real interest. Met up with Mike D and Terry A but they had had little of extra interest too.

Back at the car Mr D discovered he’d lost a rolled up poncho he had had attached to his belt in case of rain and we walked the track again in opposite directions but failed to find it. I did see a female White-winged Triller on this ‘second’ visit. 

The morning list was at least 57 species (I think Mr D had 2 others he heard that I didn’t)

We checked Fuller - but found it full.....surprisingly the small amount of recent rain had really affected the water level - and Lindum where there were no waders, apart from White-headed Stilts and 1 Glossy Ibis.

We had breakfast at the Thynne Rd café in Morningside.

31.12.19

Minnippi yet again

I wanted to do something, but was feeling a bit drained and not very well, however I got up and went to Minnippi anyway – getting there at 5.30.

It was a birdy morning with a couple of unusual unseasonal sightings.

The lake was busy with a total of 9 Latham’s Snipe poking around the muddy edges, along with 3 Glossy Ibis. A Spotless Crake put in a brief appearance and the Whiskered Tern was still hawking insects.

Along the M1 track a Fan-tailed Cuckoo was a bit out-of-season (?) – only my second Summer sighting.

On the walk back along the cement path a Rufous Fantail also appeared to be an unseasonal observation (once again only my second summer record) and a single Red-browed Finch was a nice pick up and yet again only my second summer record!

I ended up with a list of 58 species.

It wasn’t too hot, only 22/23C but I was feeling pretty knackered by the time I got back to the car.

End of year summary

So, having birded 167 days, in 9 countries and 3 continents - Ireland, England, Spain, Finland, Norway, Spain again, Bali, Canada, USA and, of course, Australia - one would think I would have had an impressive year list - even though I hadn't set out to achieve anything special.

However, as best I can calculate I saw a total of 741 species this year with 170 lifers (only 1 of which was an Australian species - Rufous Owl, of course).

Not as impressive as maybe I would have thought? But it's been a great year and I have had some amazing experiences - but I don't think I can do that much travelling in a year again........