29.11.20
Oxley
Mr D picked me up and we were on site by 6.
Not too bad a morning, but, again, nothing to write home about apart from a new moth species. Flying around looking like a thick bodied Jezebel, the Mistletoe Day Moth Comocrus behri didn’t really come close, but finished up perched on the underside of a Cedar tree branch. Hence the photo is not great.
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| Mistletoe Day Moth Comocrus behri |
Other than that there wasn’t much excitement. We had breakfast at Plentiful in Graceville again and sat until we were, politely, asked if we could vacate the table…
22.11.20
Minnippi
I picked up Mr P at 5.35 and we were on site by 5.45. A warm, calm, bright start that developed into a humid, hot morning by 8.00.
The water level in the lake was high again due to recent rain and the vegetation lush where before wader-friendly mudflats had been.
The M1 track was very quiet and although the lake was relatively busy small passerines were low in number. A good morning list of 51 species (inc a Varied Triller only Mr P heard) but, apart from a scattered flock of between 10 and 15 White-throated Needletails, all stuff we had seen commonly in the past. The original pair of Black Swans were nesting again, while their 4 mature offspring hung around some distance away.
Butterflies : Evening Brown, Blue Triangle, Caper White, Common Grass Blue, Common Crow and Monarch and a Water Dragon, Macquarie Turtle and Water Rat added to the excitement........
21.11.20
Anstead
I picked Mr D up at 5.45 and we were on site by 6.15. It was quite birdy with almost immediate close sightings of a pair of Cicadabirds low down in the trees on the first section of track.
Fan-tailed Cuckoos called and near the end of the walk – a pair of Brush Cuckoos, while Channel-billed Cuckoos flew around overhead and two calling Pheasant Coucals made it a good ‘cuckoo-morning’.
Red-browed and Double-barred Finches, a Varied Triller, all three species of local Fairy Wrens, a pair of Apostlebirds at the farm dam and a good selection of more common species made it a worthwhile morning. I added a new site species - much to my surprise it was the first White-breasted Wood Swallows I had seen there and a flock of 22 Topknot Pigeons on a fly-over were only my second record for the site.
Butterflies included Meadow Argus, Dainty and Clearwing Swallowtails, Blue Tiger and at least 1 Caper White.
We stopped at Plum in Chapel Hill for the usual extended breakfast.
19.11.20
Oxley
On site at 6, alone, on a bright, calm, warm, but not hot 21 degree spring morning.
The track was quite birdy and fairly quiet – a few joggers and walkers, but quieter than I’ve seen it lately. Nothing spectacular to report – a good list of 50 species including a Black Kite, a Black-shouldered Kite and a distant Brown Falcon. The Fairy Wren numbers appeared to have increased and both Double-barred and Red-browed Finches showed in the first couple of hundred meters. Most noticeable – the complete absence of any Cormorant species (apart from two Darters) despite the decent water levels. Otherwise the birds were as expected.
Butterflies totalled just a single Blue Tiger and a few Monarchs and that was about it. A fairly average, pleasant spring outing.
14.11.20
Rainbow Beach Swallow Hunt
There had been a Barn Swallow reported from Rainbow Beach, 240 kms north, a couple of weeks back.
For the unaware, Barn Swallows are common in just about every continent on earth – except Australia. One or two turn up more or less as annual visitors, usually way north or in the northwest, rarely within driving distance of SE Qld. I have listed one in North Queensland many years ago with Mr W and wasn’t particularly keen to see this most recent one, however, Mr P wanted it for his Australian list and I suggested I go with him for the company.
I guess cause I’m just a nice guy……. Or something……………
Anyway, we left his place at 6 and stopped in Gympie two hours later for a coffee and a burger (for me) then on to RB, arriving at 9.
We quickly located the street the swallow had been seen on, outside the backpacker’s place and set up, keen and ready to rock n roll. There were approximately 30 Welcome Swallows – the Australian equivalent – hanging around and we eagerly, at least for the first two hours, scrutinised each one as they perched up on the overhead wires between feeding flights.
At about 11, we decided to give it a break and headed down to Inskip Pt for a walk in the bush at the tip. We didn’t see much and apart from a trio of juvenile Bush Turkeys giving us palpitations (thought they were Button Quail, of course) saw little of real interest. Oh, a raptor flew over the low canopy and we were pretty sure it was a Little Eagle, but the very brief view didn’t really confirm ID.
Back to Swallow watching. Another hour and we broke for a late breakfast, 100 meters away, where Mr P kept half an eye on the wires across the park. Then back to more sweating in the shade on a very hot day, until, finally, at 14.00 we gave it away and headed home, Barn-Swallow-Challenged.
F….d Off Note: The bird showed up the next day……
7.11.20
Trotter
Mr D picked me up at 6 and we were on site at 6.15.
Trotter…..
……never fails to disappoint….
I’ve probably said that before, but it’s true of almost every visit. It’s such, apparently, good habitat, but it remains almost sterile in the main. The reservoir, too, always shows promise………but, once again, was relatively empty.
The highlight of the morning was a Grey Butcherbird scolding in a tree – and the object of its ire, a Carpet Python Morelia spilota. A medium 2 meters or so, not a big snake, but obviously disturbing the Butcherbird for a few minutes before it lost interest and flew off.
Apart from that there was little to write home about and we headed off for breakfast at 9 Bar & Kitchen as usual.
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