31.10.20
Oxley
I picked Mr D up at 6 and we were on site 15 minutes later. The recent rain had greened things up a bit and the birds were more active, although I felt the numbers were still lower in general than I would have expected.
We saw mostly the usual stuff along the track, highlights were:
A small Keelback Tropidonophis mairii at the second culvert, discreetly positioned low down beside the water.
A very nice view of a Brown Falcon leaving the powerlines and flying directly over our heads to perch up again on a pylon.
A Black Kite (still nice to see in the Brisbane area, although resident here now) at the ponds.
A Buff-banded Rail crossing the track half way back to the car in their usual confident/not confident manner.
A large movement of Caper Whites – est 500? – continually crossing the fields.
Other butterflies – Monarchs, Common Eggfly, Common Crow and a single Yellow Migrant – a site tick for me.
We headed for our usual breakfast at Café Europa in Sherwood – to find it closed and the building up for lease! We wondered was it a coronavirus casualty or simply another business unable to make it? Sad, as we did enjoy the Austrian (not German!) hospitality and disciplined breakfast. Down the main road we found another café – Plentiful – and parked our sorry asses there. Breakfast and coffee were very acceptable and I think it will become our breakfast-spot-for-Oxley in future.
25.10.20
Minnippi
Picked up Mr P and we were on site at 6.
Not a bad morning overall, possibly stimulated by the long awaited downpour of the previous day, the place was a little more active.
A single brief flurry of calls in the reed bed beside the lake somewhere from a Pale-vented Bush Hen stopped us in our tracks momentarily – but it didn’t repeat. The M1 track was still pretty quiet and the lake was its usual self. A Latham’s Snipe on the distant part of the island the only bird worth noting. Over the lake approx 20 White-throated Needletails were my first for the season and an Oriental Dollarbird flew back and forth, potentially displaying en route. The Tawny Frogmouth nest in the carpark contained a big fluffy chick squeezed in alongside the adult.
Nothing showed at the Raptor Lookout, apart from a trio of Channel-billed Cuckoos going off overhead, and we moved on to the Airfield Track. It was pretty quiet, apart from an, invisible, calling, Eastern Yellow Robin, then, two thirds of the way along, a Peaceful Dove showed well perched up and then on the ground surrounded by 7 Double-barred Finches. This was Mr P’s first PD on site and only my second record - another ‘blocker’ removed!
A covey of 4 Brown Quail along the bicycle track on the way back to the car finished off a relatively worthwhile morning, before heading to BelesisNine Bar + Kitchen for breakfast.
18.10.20
Moggill State Forest
Mr D picked me up at 6 and we were on site at 6.30. Pretty average morning – nothing special or extraordinary. Spectacled Monarch was bird of the morning for me – not seen one for a while – other than that it was a slow, dry morning finished off with breakfast at Plum in Kenmore village.
11.10.20
Sandy Camp & Fuller
I left my car at Mr P’s and he drove – arrived on site at 6.15.
It wasn’t a bad morning, highlights -
3 Spotless Crakes
5 Leaden Flycatchers
3 White-winged Trillers
1 Nankeen Night Heron
We stopped off at Fuller, highlights –
16 Red-necked Avocets (new site tick for me, although I have seen them regularly at Lindum, 500 meters further down the road)
50 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers
1 Red-necked Stint
4 Marsh Sandpipers
1 Brown Goshawk
15 Great Egrets, 10 Intermediate Egrets, 10 Royal Spoonbills and 4 Little Egrets all tucked away together in the side channel – an unusual sight.
Fuller’s water level was very low, providing potential in the immediate future for waders before it dries up completely.
We looked at Lindum – but it was even drier and only a few White-headed Stilts were in evidence so we didn’t bother going in.
10.10.20
Oxley
Went for a walk more than anything else – nothing to write home about.
1.10.20
Minnippi
On site at 6.15, a cool, clear, bright morning. It wasn’t too bad bird-wise, although in general numbers were low.
Highlights:
One Oriental Dollarbird on the wires.
A Spotless Crake showing quite well, if distantly, on the main lake (near the red ball close to the Swan’s old nest)
A Brush Cuckoo calling on the Airfield Track.
A female Australian Golden Whistler, also on the Airfield Track – normally not a Big Record bird, of course, but this year Whistlers have been thin in the trees and with the male Mr P and I saw in the same locality last week….
A distant Pacific Koel and a closer, but invisible, Channel-billed Cuckoo calling.
I forgot to check the Tawny Frogmouth’s nest in the car park – my mind being elsewhere – but a total of 51 bird species for the morning. An (Eastern) Water Dragon on the boardwalk beside the lake and a few Evening Browns on the tracks completed the list.
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