29.9.20
Oxley
The whole area was still very dry – we need some serious rain to generate some activity – and the track respondingly quiet.
However, by dint of hard work, amazing skills, astounding sight and hearing, I managed to drag the list screaming and kicking up to 56 species for the morning.
Highlights were few, but a male Leaden Flycatcher, all 3 species of Fairy Wrens, a single Latham’s Snipe in the open, at least 20 Purple Swamphens (probably the highest number I have ever recorded at this site), 2 returned Sacred Kingfishers and a male King Parrot near the end were probably worth noting.
2 Pheasant Coucals were seen well on the way out and, on return, the male was sitting out in the open calling while the female snuck around in the grass beside the track.
Pheasant Coucal video:
25.9.20
Minnippi @ night
Mr D picked me up and we collected Mr P and headed to Minnippi for a spotlighting expedition.
Cutting a long story short – it was almost a complete waste of time.
The only night bird we saw was a Tawny Frogmouth sitting on the already known nest in the car park, apart from that a few roosting Noisy Miners and Grey Butcherbird. No mammals at all.
At the lake a lifer in the form of calling Eastern Sedge Frogs Litoria fallax with several calling males, out of sight, but loud enough to be taped.
That was it – disappointing, but enlightening, sort of…
23.9.20
Minnippi
A very slow morning altogether. I don’t know if it was the fact I wasn’t on site until 6.45 or whether it was the weather – heavy, dull, cloudy – but the birds were thin on the ground.
The lake was almost empty of birds. A few nodding Eurasian Coots, a quartet of Pacific Black Ducks and a couple of Little Pied Cormorants along with 2 Comb-crested Jacanas and that was it.
The M1 track was dead as. The only notable things – 2 Oriental Dollarbirds back from their winter holidays, a calling Sacred Kingfisher, a few Rainbow Lorikeets and 5 Evening Browns – and, again, that was IT.
I did have a Swamp Wallaby on the cross track back to the pond and a distant calling Channel-billed Cuckoo was my first on site of the season, but it could have been as far away as Carindale. I found the Tawny Frogmouth’s nest in the carpark with an adult sitting – thanks Mr P.
The Raptor Lookout was already occupied so I veered off and headed back to the car – didn’t do the Airfield Track or even check the airfield.
20.9.20
Oxley
Mr P picked me up at 6.15 and we were on site 10 minutes later. Average day, quite birdy – 50 species – but numbers generally low. It had rained or there was a heavy mist/dew which made it pleasant enough first thing, but once it started to warm up became a bit humid.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Breakfast afterwards at 9 Bar ( ex-Belesis) with Mr P joined by Mr D to bring us all up to date on our recent respective trips.
12.9.20
Minnippi
Alone again, at Minnippi at 6.15. A nice, clear, calm morning, cool without being cold, a typical Queensland spring morning.
At first it seemed pretty quiet, but turned into quite a birdy morning with 60 species recorded.
At the lake, from the pylons, the water was pretty empty, but right at the far end along the edge of the swamp grass a small movement and a pair of bright red legs attached to a small black body identified a pair of Spotless Crakes briefly. It was a shit view and they were gone as quickly as they appeared.
The M! track was very quiet, again, despite last weekend’s flurry of activity.
The Avenue was dead, but as I crossed the grassland towards the lake a covey of 5 Brown Quail put in an appearance in the middle of the track.
On the lake the usual stuff with a Latham’s Snipe right at the point of the island closest to the ‘mainland’. No sign of the Magpie Geese of last week, but the Black Swans still had 4 live cygnets – almost fully mature now.
A short stay at the lookout produced nothing and I decided to do the Airfield Track for want of anything better.
Overall it was quiet too, but I added a few species to my morning list when a Tawny Grassbird sang/called and attracted the attention of a pair of Red-browed Finches, a Rufous Fantail, a Rufous Whistler, a pair of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, a pair of White-browed Scrub-wrens and a pair of Silvereyes. It was strange – having a TGB do the playback for me. I’m not sure if it was actually singing or alarming – it wasn’t its usual call that even I am familiar with - but it certainly attracted all the birds in the area to whatever it was going on about.
That was about it. A good list, but nothing overly exciting.
8.9.20
Oxley
On site at 6.15 – a slight chill in the air, but not cold, a low mist hanging over the near fields burned off within 15 minutes.
The track was very dry and the birds consequently, low in number. There were a load of Lewin’s Honeyeaters – I estimate about 25 in total – strung along the first half of the track, chasing and being very obvious. Obviously something in the air for them. Other than them the usual dominant bird, unfortunately, Noisy Miners were constantly in view.
Overall it was a quiet morning with little of great interest. 9 Double-barred Finches on the pond track and a pair of Pale-headed Rosellas showed well on the return walk, but that was about it.
6.9.20
Minnippi
Mr P drove from his place and we were on site at 6.15. It turned out to be quite a birdy morning.
The lake was much as always, but the M1 track had more birds on it than we had seen for some time, including a Varied Triller and fly over Little Lorikeets.
The Avenue was quiet and the return to the lake largely uneventful.
After a sit at the Lookout, during which a pigeon flew past which only I saw and was tending to call a Common Bronzewing, however, it would be a site first and my view was very brief and not 100%, so I let it go – we did the Airfield Track.
Overall it wasn’t busy but we did have a second Varied Triller – unusual to get two on the same day at Minnippi – and a male Australian Golden Whistler. Golden Whistlers have been thin on the ground at Minnippi this winter and a male is much less common here, than the usual females.
The rest of the walk was quiet, but we ended up with a 60 species list for the morning and a Water Dragon on the creek and an Evening Brown in the M1 track completed the reptile and butterfly contingent.
No comments:
Post a Comment