29.4.21
Oxley
With time on my hands and a feeling of needing to do something, I headed over to Oxley mid-day with butterflies in mind. On site at 13.30 - it was about 24c, bright and sunny between clouds, but a gusty southerly wind made butterflying difficult. Mind you, taking photos of butterflies is one of the most frustrating, agonizing activities I’ve ever undertaken. One needs the eye of a hawk and the patience of Job – especially in the middle of the day when they are so active – neither of which I am known for. Some of them never stop and waft off into the distance, leaving frustration and curses in their wake.
I ended up seeing 7 identified species, one of which was an SL – White banded Line-blue. I also had at least 3 fly-bys which looked like Purple Crows but remain a mystery.
Small Green-banded Blue were the commonest (~20), followed by Black Jezebel (~12), Common Crow (5), Long-tailed Pea Blue (2), Large Grass-yellow (8) and 2 Monarchs.
It was a slow walk, reaching the ponds at 15.00, then the sun hid behind the clouds and butterfly suburbia came to a complete close.
I did have at least 10 Elegant Snake-eyed Skinks on dead trees along the way – up to 4 in a single tree - and 2 Black Kites over the ponds.
27.4.21
Minnippi
On site at 7.30 – cool, clear morning. The lake was much as usual, including Royal Spoonbill and Little Egret. The M1 track was quiet, but I ran into a bird-wave along the Avenue – 20+ Silvereyes, Rufous Whistler, Brown Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Rufous Fantail and Willy Wagtail.
Between The Avenue and the lake, 2 Monarchs, a Chequered Swallowtail and an Evening Brown.
Back at the lake – 4 Magpie Geese.
I sat at the lookout through a smoke, then walked the Airfield Track. Quite birdy – another, smaller, bird-wave with much as before plus a couple of Double-barred Finches. Further along 3 Red-browed Finches and a running female Pheasant Coucal.
A couple of Common Crows, a few Glasswing and one male White-banded Plane in the butterfly stakes.
At the Lookout again – a fly-by White-faced Heron, then back to the car without any further excitement.
50 bird species and 8 butterflies wasn’t too bad, considering I didn’t see any Fairy-wrens, as usual at this time of year - in my experience - they go very quiet, possibly moulting?
26.4.21
Harding's Paddock & Flinder's Plum
Mr D picked me up at 5.45 and we headed west. He had a plan to bird and butterfly a couple of places neither of us had ever been to before. I hadn’t even heard of them.
We were on-site at Harding’s Paddock a few Ks outside Ipswich by 6.45. It was cool, very misty and a bit dull. We set off up a track after trying to decipher the posted maps and, basically took a wrong turn almost immediately. However, ‘our’ bird of the morning turned up immediately – a Jacky Winter, which neither of us had seen for some time. We also had a calling Buttonquail – either Painted or Red-backed – in the long grass 50 meters from the carpark.
The track we ‘chose’ took us up a couple of very steep inclines before finally arriving at a ‘lookout’. Bird-wise it was a bit average, although we did have 2 or 3 Rose Robins and a few Spotted Pardalotes and totalled 32 species typical of dry, eucalypt type habitat.
Butterfly-wise we had 8 species, the best of those being a single male Chequered Copper just shy of the lookout.
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| Chequered Copper Lucia limbaria |
The others were of the commoner species with many Glasswings and Common Grass-blues.
In the reptile line we had a large number of Elegant Snake-eyed Skinks and individuals of two other species I am awaiting ID on from Mr D.
UPDATE: one species identified - a female Open-litter Rainbow Skink Carlia pectoralis.
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| (Female) Open-litter Rainbow Skink Carlia pectoralis |
The track was incredibly busy – being a fairly tough slope and sort of out of the way - but parking was at a premium when we finally got back down.
(On our way back down the hill, close to the carpark we came across a trio of older guys, photographer/birder types who had just seen a Spotted Quailthrush)
Finally, back at the car – and water – at 10.30, we packed up and headed off for Flinder’s Plum, stopping for shit coffee at a service station.
Flinder’s Plum is basically the picnic area and access to the hiking tracks to Flinder’s Peak. There were loads of people, again, parked up and walking in or out of the hiking trails. We had zero intention of walking up to the Peak as we were both a bit knackered from the previous hilly hike but found a number of butterflies along the road and around the picnic grounds to keep us occupied for a while. Until, that is, the sun went behind a cloud around 13.30 and it was like the insects just got switched off – remarkable.
We had 11 species including another lifer for me – Tailed Emperor. A brief view, no photos, of what looked like a slightly ragged individual. Others included commoner species along with a Pale Triangle and a couple of Blue Tigers.
We also had a Martin’s Skink sticking its head out of a log.
We headed home, stopping for Mackers, as you do, in Yamanto and got home just after 14.00.
23.4.21
Oxley
More for a need to get out and do something I went for a walk at Oxley. On site at 7 I wandered along the track in the cool (12c) autumn morning. The track was medium active, several Grey Fantails and representatives of both Whistler species along with a bigger than usual number of Double-barred Finches associated with the usual birds.
The ponds were very quiet although just between, a close, fence-hopping Brown Goshawk crossed my path at eye level – nice!
There were no ducks on either of the ponds and only 5 Purple Swamphens. The pond on the right had only a very small area of open water – the rest completely covered by waterlilies. I heard a Striped Honeyeater singing in the tree over the left hand pond but other than that nothing more exciting.
One lone, cold, Monarch was the only butterfly rep.
19 - 21.4.21
Bunya Mountains
Day 1 Monday 19.4.21
I decided to go for a few days camping at Bunya Mtns. Located approx 230 kms northwest of Brisbane - about 3 hours drive. Getting there involved driving up the range to Toowoomba and on out towards Dalby before turning right.
I dislike the drive to Toowoomba and don’t particularly like Toowoomba – or for that matter the road beyond. I find all the west road drives from Brisbane to be flat and generally boring. Most times the fields and bush are brown and dry and dead looking. However, due to recent rain, mostly it was green and healthy looking so at least that was an improvement.
I left home at 11.30 and by the time I got fuel and really headed west it was midday with a planned arrival at my destination just before 15.00. I decided not to take the toll road round Toowoomba. As most of you will know I detest paying tolls, believing we pay enough taxes and car registration ect to forego the cost of tolls so……. Maybe I should have, because the ‘main’ road through Toowoomba was typically Queensland ‘Start, Stop’ with traffic light after traffic light and just a general pain in the ass.
Anyway, moving on….
I trusted Maps to guide me, believing it would be a pretty straight forward run. Well, trust is a f…..g great thing…..
It took me off the main road before Dalby and up a narrow, bumpy ‘country road’, with sometime dirt shoulders. That was all OK until I met a f…….g cowboy driving a double trailer cattle truck or some-such, booting towards me at 100k/hr (admittedly the posted speed limit), showered my car with f……..g stones - and chipped my windscreen.
Needless to say I wasn’t happy.
However, moving on……
The Maps thing took me to a dirt road, which surprised me ‘cause I figured it was bitumen all the way? My doubts proved correct by a hand-lettered sign on the side of the road stating there was no through road to Bunya Mtns, that one had to go back and continue on along the main road.
Once again, happy I am f……..g not.
I switched to Google Maps and followed the instructions which added 51 kms to my drive and so I approached the mountains from Kingaroy, instead of Dalby….
Once again, happy?
I eventually arrived at the Dandabah campsite at Bunya Mtns village at 15.30.
I set up camp and by 16.15 was drinking coffee and reading. I didn’t intend going anywhere anyway so was happy just to relax.
Nothing bird-wise apart from hearing Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Lewin’s Honeyeaters and Pied Currawongs. But as dusk fell, (18.00) there were at least 2 Boobooks calling. Had to almost kick the Red-necked Wallabies out of the way - they hung around all the time, not hassling, just quietly grazing and hanging out - nice, but once you've seen one.....
On the positive side, the ‘gutter lights’ I had bought at Aldi some time ago (solar charged) worked a treat hanging over the table and chair.
Day 2 Tuesday 20.4.21
I didn’t sleep particularly well – never do on the first night in a tent – and was up and around at dawn, at 6.00
After a coffee I headed off to one of the nearby ‘walks’. My main objective on this trip was butterflies as I believed the birds would be pretty much similar to Mt Glorious/Nebo or Lamington so I had chosen a relatively short walk of approx 4 kms – the ‘Scenic Circuit’, i.e. I didn’t see much point in traipsing through miles of vine/rain forest which is tough birding at the best of times and very often not very productive.
I wasn’t disappointed. I did see or hear most of the birds I would expect to see/hear in the aforementioned locations. Bird of the morning – for what its worth – was a Brown Cuckoo Dove that flew in and perched over a creek pool right in front of me.
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| Brown Cuckoo Dove |
I also had another individual land on the track which I videoed.
I did see a Common Emerald Dove which surprised me a little, given its usually a more coastal species, but I seem to be seeing these at every possible location recently.
I also heard a Noisy Pitta – it called once. I didn’t see it.
Returning to camp around 9.00 I had more coffee and sat reading until 11.30.
Then I set off looking for butterflies, starting around the campsite, edge of the rainforest and road. I stopped off for a coffee at Poppies On The Hill cafe - nothing special.
Butterflies were in desperate shortage. I did see a couple of Large Grass-yellows, 2 or 3 Yellow Admirals, one Brown Ringlet, and several ‘whites’ which just kept going and flew off out of sight without confirmed ID.
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| Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea |
Very frustrating – and disappointing.
I returned to camp, folded away the shade attached to the car and went for a drive.
I stopped off at each picnic/camping area and wandered around each as they were open areas with some open fields and, what appeared to me, to be perfect ‘butterfly spots’ in the heat of the day and calm conditions.
I saw bugger all, to be frank. A few more Yellow Admirals, one Common Crow, a couple of Meadow Argus and, again, the unidentifiable ‘whites’. The ‘whites’ were most likely Yellow Albatrosses and Southern Pearl Whites, but……no genuine idea.
I picked up a coffee at the General Store/Bistro - much better quality than the Place On The Hill.
Back at camp I reviewed my options. I had booked three nights but was very tempted to just pack up and f…k off right then and there. However, I stuck it out, spent the afternoon reading, went for a walk after dark trying to get close enough to the calling Southern Boobooks (~5) to tape them but failed at that also.
I gave up and went to bed.
Day 3 Wednesday 21.4.21
Simply put, got up at 6.30, had coffee, packed up and left by 8.30.
I followed the road to Dalby, then turned off at a signpost towards Toowoomba and Jondaryan. This road had at least two unsealed sections which didn’t worry me as such, but made me wary of further windscreen damage. I’m just paranoid I guess, but still pissed off at the unnecessary damage and potential cost with minimal reward.
I got home by midday.
16.4.21
Mt. Glorious
I was on-site at 11.30, hoping for butterflies.
I was a bit disappointed.
It was warm, verging on hot, calm and there were blossoms on a couple of trees attracting hordes of Scarlet Honeyeaters.
But there weren’t the hordes of butterflies I’d dreamt of…
I spent two hours walking the road verge from south of the picnic ground to way past the Elm Hause café, but there were no numbers of my targets anywhere – thousands of honey bees, you could hear them feeding on the flowers - but butterflies? Nope.
I did see 12 species, but all in small numbers and only one (common) species added to my site list – Meadow Argus (1).
Orange Palm-dart (1), Southern Pearl White (2 or 3), Brown Ringlet (less than 5), Leafwing (2), Yellow Albatross (5-10), Small Green-banded Blue (3), Black Jezebel (2), Pale Triangle (probably 4), Yellow-spotted Jezebel (def 2, possibly 5), Orchard Swallowtail (1 flyby), and Cabbage White (1, almost dead).
There were a number of ‘white’ types that flew up and over the canopy, but remained unidentified – probably Albatrosses for the most part. I THOUGHT I saw a Wonder Brown – naked eye only at 20 meters, for a second, before it lifted and buggered off. I might have been imagining it cause Mr P reported seeing it last weekend, so….
15.4.21
Dowse Lagoon, Sandgate & Nudgee Beach
With a planned coffee date on the northside I decided to go to Dowse Lagoon at Sandgate beforehand. I had first visited the Lagoon in 1981, but had last been there in 2015 on a short visit with Mr D.
On site at 7 and parked at the ‘southern’ end, near the metal platform. I scanned the lake from there, then walked around the perimeter. It was pretty average, nothing particularly exciting although I did add 7 SLs – too embarrassingly common to list, but Magpie Goose was the best of a poor bunch….
I was back at the car by 8, the coffee date now unexpectedly cancelled, so……
I headed down to Nudgee Beach. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a good boardwalk and circuit stroll of 1.5kms through the mangroves and in the sunny, calm, clear morning I was hoping for some butterflies.
In the end I saw none at all, which surprised me, but it was still only 22c so maybe….
I hadn’t been to THIS location since 2002, having first visited in 2001, but it was much the same, little change.
I did see Mangrove Gerygones – the place was dripping with them – and several Collared Kingfishers, one of which voluntarily perched up very close.
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| Collared Kingfisher |
I also managed to tape a Mangrove G singing…
Wasn’t a bad 1 hour and 15 minute slow stroll, I totalled only 20 species but added another 4 to my site list, Rufous Fantail, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Sacred Kingfisher and Grey Butcherbird…
14.4.21
Moggill
I left late, arriving on site at 10.00, with butterflies in mind. It was 23c when I arrived and warmed up only to 24 by the time I left at 12.45
Cutting a long story short. I saw a number of butterflies, but they weren’t as active or as plentiful as a few weeks ago – before the heavy rain. Maybe there had been a prime time for a hatching then, maybe there’ll be another one this season before it gets too cold – one can only try.
I did have 14 species in total, adding three SLs – Pale Triangle (3), Leafwing (1) (you can’t find them, then they’re everywhere, typical….) and White-banded Plane (1).
The predominate species was Yellow Albatross – maybe 20? Orchard Swallowtails were all a bit ragged looking, indicated the end of their season (5). Several Brown Ringlets and Small Green-banded Blues, 4 Purple Crows and, interestingly, NO Common Crows. A Scarlet Jezebel, an Evening Brown, a Large Purple Line-blue, a No Brand Grass-yellow and a couple of Wide-brand Grass Darts, 1 Blue Tiger (they’ve dropped off in number recently) and 2 Glasswings.
I had 15 species of birds – nothing notable - and 1 Dragonfly – Blue Skimmer (2)
I met 2 QPWS guys with a truck and spray packs. I asked them what they were spraying – Dutchman’s Pipevine, specifically to support Richmond Birdwing! Although the butterfly has not been seen at Moggill, they are working on a network of areas that would provide habitat, if the insects arrive. Sounds like a plan!
As I've featured all the butterflies noted above on my blog before, I'm not going to put up any photos, except this one.. of a Pale Triangle that actually sat and sunbaked - hadn't seen that before, they're usually all a twitter with their wings going off.
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| Pale Triangle Graphium eurypylus (male) |
Holland Park
Too lazy to go elsewhere, I got up late and walked down the road to my very local patch along Norman Creek.
It was pretty quiet – as always really – even at 7.45. I had been hoping maybe for some butterflies, but someone had cut the main area of grass and that left it a little more barren than usual.
However, I saw a few birds (16 species) including the Grey Shrikethrush of my last visit.
On the butterfly front I had one Evening Brown and one Common Grass-blue AND a new site species (SL) a male White-banded Line-blue, which I thought was good, having seen them only once before, just recently at Moggill.
12.4.21
White's Hill
Following a tip-off from Mr P (again!) I headed over to the Pine Mountain Rd access point for White’s Hill. With butterflies in mind, rather than birds, I was on-site at 14.15. Birds were almost non-existent but there were a few butterflies in the small patch of vine-scrub that runs along the almost-dried-up-again creek.
Nothing super special but 3 or 4 Yellow Albatross, ~5 Brown Ringlets, 1 Orchard Swallowtail, 2 Evening Browns, 2 or 3 Small Green-banded Blues and a Leafwing kept me amused for an hour or so.
I drove around to the other entrance at the playing fields and wandered around near the pond for the next 45 minutes. Once again birds were thin and, in fact, I took photos of dragonflies for ID purposes as I waited for butterflies to appear.
I did have Common Grass-blue (1), Large Grass-yellow (8), an Evening Brown, a Wide-brand Grass-dart and a Monarch. And started my dragonfly site-list with Wandering Percher (3), Blue Skimmer (2) and Graphic Flutterer (1) – all common.
11.4.21
Minnippi
I arranged to pick up Mr P at 6.15 and we were on-site 5 minutes later. A cool, overcast morning compared to yesterday.
The lake and M1 track were much the same as yesterday – pretty quiet and nothing out of the ordinary going on.
That situation more or less continued up to the Lookout. From there we did see 5 Magpie Goose goslings appear from the grass island in the middle of the lake along with 3 adults. A confirmation of recent breeding as the young were too young to fly, possibly the first record - in recent times at least.
Declining to walk the Airfield Track we headed back to the car, a little quiet due to the very average morning’s birding.
However, halfway along the walk a bird-wave erupted and we had Grey Fantail (2), Rufous Fantail (1), Brown Honeyeater (1), Rufous Whistler(2), Australian Golden Whistler (1), an immature Black-faced Monarch and a Shining-bronze Cuckoo all in one tree which kept us busy for 10 or 15 minutes as they appeared and disappeared.
That made it worthwhile after all.
Butterfly-wise – due to the damp and cooler conditions not much around. We did have a Small Green-banded Blue, 3 or 4 Evening Browns and a single Spotted Pea-blue (SL for me).
Dragonflies – only Chalkey Percher noted, again few around.
The Swamp Wallaby was in the Avenue, briefly, again, a Water Dragon splashed into the creek off the boat ramp and a hardcore of ~10 protesting Macquarie Turtles hung around the boardwalk in the lake hoping someone would throw them some bread in defiance of the notice requesting people didn't feed the wildlife. Maybe that's why the Pacific Black Ducks have been in such low numbers recently? Only about 15 overall.
10.4.21 (PM)
Yatala
Down at Yatala where my 7 and 3 year old grandsons had proudly collected caterpillars from their citrus trees.
Orchard Swallowtail larvae and, now, pupae.
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A young Orchard Swallowtail larvae -1st instar
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Minnippi
On site by 6.45, a bright, very damp underfoot, morning with an increasing breeze.
The lake was pretty quiet, as was the M1 track. A few Spotted Lichen Moths fluttered over the reed beds – SL – but I’ve seen them at other locations before (black and yellow spotted moth). 2 Rufous Fantails main bird of interest on the M1.
Back in the Avenue, a Swamp Wallaby near the lone tree was disturbed by a dog walker just as I was about to commit it to ‘film’.
At the lake again and a pair of Plumed Whistle Ducks sat up on a log with a Pacific Black Duck and a Hardhead – only my second record for the site.
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| Plumed Whistle Ducks, Pacific Black Duck and Hardhead |
Again, only 1 Black Swan in evidence and the nest appears to have drifted some distance.
I sat at the lookout for a while, but nothing of significance. I decided to walk the Airfield Track.
It was very wet – never seen it so flooded. Not much along there either – a quartet of White-throated Honeyeaters was about it. 4 Double-barred Finches along the fence line on the return walk. And another two along the cement track back to the car. No sign of the Tawny Frogmouths.
Butterflies were low in number and variety – Common Crow (4), Monarch (2), Glasswing (2), Evening Brown (1), Scarlet Jezebel (1) and a Yellow Albatross.
Dragonflies – Chalkey Percher (10), Graphic Flutterer (1), Blue Skimmer (10) and Wandering Percher (1).
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| Graphic Flutterer Rhyothemis graphiptera |
Two Moths – the previously mentioned Spotted Lichen Moth Asura cervicalis and a couple of Heliotrope Moths Utetheisa pulchelloides in the grass.
9.4.21
Mt Nebo & Mt Glorious
So, the plan was to walk the Thylogale Track from Jolly’s Lookout and then butterfly at Mt Glorious. The temp was predicted to reach 31c so I figured the butterflies would be out and about later in the morning.
I was on-site at 6.15 to find the Jolly’s Lookout car park closed for re-surfacing, but the workers assured me that I could park at the beginning of the walk and so I headed out on the track.
A very slow out and slightly quicker return over 3 hours produced some nice sights, but nothing new in the bird-line.
Highlights:
A pair of Wonga Pigeons on the track drinking at a wet seep hung around, nervously, so I could get them in the camera. (under poor lighting conditions)
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| Wonga Pigeon |
Competing for bird-of-the-morning were 2 female Paradise Riflebirds that flew in, landed beside me, but flashed off again before I could get the camera out.
A Common Emerald Dove on the track, a Varied Triller and a Shining Bronze Cuckoo were all just my second records for the site.
Apart from those it was pretty much as my last visit with a total of 28 species for the morning.
Butterflies were much lower in numbers than the last visit – 1 Glasswing, a couple of Brown Ringlets, one Orange-streaked Ringlet (SL), 3 Evening Browns, a Leafwing and several what could only be White Migrants (SL) flitting around higher up, never landing.
I had to wait a few minutes until the road was re-surfaced before heading uphill to Mt Glorious. I called into the Mt Glorious Cafe with all the bikers for a coffee, then parked up above the picnic ground and started butterflying along the road.
There were nowhere near the number of species or individuals as a month ago. In short I had:
1 Pale Triangle
2 or 3 Southern Pearl Whites
1 Orange-streaked Ringlet (SL)
2 or 3 Yellow-spotted Jezebels
2 Black Jezebels
1 Varied Eggfly (SL)
2 Small Green-banded Blues
and a nice Leafwing perched up.
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| Leafwing Doleschalia bisaltide |
All in all a little disappointing. As I looked for more I chatted to a couple of other birders, Leanne & Scott Abbey, as they tried to enjoy a quiet coffee.
By midday I decided to give it away, my phone was still showing 21c but I think it was higher, however, the insects just weren’t what I’d hoped and so I headed home.
8.4.21
Oxley
The rain finally eased and I went for a walk at Oxley. I went late, arriving at 8, with butterflies in mind. It was 22c when I got there and a slight breeze picked up while I was there making it difficult for my quarry.
The track was overall very quiet and I only totalled 29 bird species which is very low. Nothing spectacular on that front apart from a Pheasant Coucal that flew across the track and perched up ‘sneezing’ for a few second before flying off over the creek. I did tape a ‘new’ species – a Blue-faced Honeyeater juvenile calling as it was fed by both parents.
Butterfly-wise – mixed results. Mostly common species, but in small numbers. Monarch (5), Varied Eggfly (4, all males), Small Green-banded Blues (5), Common Grass-blue (1), Wide-brand Grass-dart (4 or 5 at the pond), Common Crow (1!), Black Jezebel (1), Large Grass-yellow (1), Chequered Swallowtail (2, just outside the gate on return walk) and a single Yellow Albatross that was an SL. As I walked away from the gate towards the car a butterfly landed briefly on the muddy track in front of me, its wings continually shimmering upright. I binned it and realised it was a Pale Triangle which was a nice SL – and a little unexpected. It disappeared before I could get the camera out.
I photographed a few dragonflies along the way and added two common species to my site list – Palemouth (1) and Chalkey Percher (1) and, a repeat offender, Blue Skimmer (1).
All in all a slow morning, but a few species added to my site list made it worthwhile.
(I did meet another birder, a guy I’ve met many times before, but can never remember his name. He’d had 3 Plum-headed Finches, Swamp Harrier and Brown Goshawk before I arrived, but obviously I didn’t see them.)
3.4.21
Anstead (& Moggill)
With the weather predicted to deteriorate dramatically on Easter Sunday and Monday and being at a bit of a loose end I decided to head out to Anstead for a drive and a walk.
I didn’t get on-site until 9, with the intention, hopefully, of getting some butterflies as the day ‘warmed’ up.
It didn’t ‘warm-up’.
It was a cool, cloudy, dull start at 22c and even after 2 hours had only reached 23c. There was a small breeze through the treetops and it was, overall, very, very quiet.
I saw, or heard, a total of 23 species and only limited numbers of those. However, I did add an SL to my site list – a Brown Goshawk, surprisingly, cruising past the quarry overlook, but bird of the morning was definitely a Square-tailed Kite soaring low over the powerline cutting in the middle of the area. My second record on-site.
Butterfly-wise – heaps of Glasswings, must have bene a recent hatching, Large Grass-yellow (3), Yellow Albatross (1) (SL), Meadow Argus (1), Chequered Swallowtail (2) Small Green-banded Blue (2) and Spotted Pea-blue (2) (SL).
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| Checkered Swallowtail Papilio demoleus |
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| Spotted Pea-blue Euchrysops cnejus (I know I featured it the other day, but I just liked the photo) |
There was one Fraser Banded Snail under the log where they usually reside, and a few Helitrope Moths again, but other than that, nada.
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| Heliotrope Moth Utetheisa pulchelloides (Again, I know I featured a photo the other day, but its such a pretty little moth, easily identifiable, and I don't often see them with their wings spread like this) |
I left at 11 and stopped off briefly intending to pick up a coffee at WestVets – beside the reserve - but they were closed?
Having time on my hands and being out that way, I decided to check in on Moggill.
Walking in it, too, was very quiet, especially after last week’s activity. The weather obviously deterring all species. I did see a few ‘whites’, probably Yellow Albatross, high in the trees but they didn’t hang around or land so….one Orchard Swallowtail and two Common Crows – no small butterflies at all.
Bird-wise, just the usual species – both Fantails, calling Wonga Pigeon and a few Lewin’s Honeyeaters, White-browed Scrub-wren ect.
As I approached the creek crossing, it started to rain so I turned and headed out – and home.
2.4.21
Minnippi
A damp, cool (19c) morning when I arrived on site at 7. The lake was pretty normal, nothing exciting and I was beaten to the M1 track by a guy with 2 dogs which blew any chance of seeing anything on the ground on the track. It was very quiet anyway,
Up the Avenue and, again, nothing much. A couple of Common Grass-blues and a Monarch the first butterflies of the morning along the junction track.
Back at the lake much was as normal. An Australian Darter perched on the Black Swan’s nest drying its wings and only 1 Black Swan in evidence confirming the lack of successful breeding. With a slow start to the butterflies I started taking photos of the Dragonflies along the lake’s edge.
Up to the Lookout and then down the Airfield Track.
For a change it was quite birdy. I ran into a bird-wave consisting of (F) Rufous Whistler, (F) Australian Golden Whistler, 3 Grey Fantails, 2 White-throated Honeyeaters and bird of the morning - an immature Black-faced Monarch. I also had a male Flycatcher high in the trees which at first looked very dark – possibly Satin? I played its call and a definite male Leaden Flycatcher responded so I assumed that was what I had seen briefly, higher in the tree.
Further along and a Crow (butterfly) attracted my attention – a Purple Crow (SL) and several Common Crows, Evening Browns, Glasswings, Orchard Swallowtail, Large Grass-yellows, Small Green-banded Blue and, on the lantana, approx 8 Lyell’s Swifts.
Back to the Lookout and then the return walk along the path where I saw 1 White-banded Plane and a Varied Eggfly to bring my morning butterfly list to 11 species.
I had one Hesperiidae of which I am awaiting identification - it may be White-margined Grass-dart – to be updated.
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| Poss White-margined Grass-dart? Update: Unable to confirm ID - remains Unid |
The dragonflies I filmed, and identified later (or at least, I THINK I've identified them correctly), were:
Common Bluetail Ischnura heterosticta
Palemouth Brachydiplax denticauda (SL)
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| Palemouth Brachydiplax denticauda |
Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctuata
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| Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata |
Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina
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| Slender Skimmer Orthetrum sabina |
Yellow-striped Flutterer Rhyothemis phyllis
Chalkey Percher Diplacodes trivialis
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| Chalky Percher Diplacodes trivialis Adult male and just when you think you've got a new species..... |
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| an immature female Chalky Percher Diplacodes trivialis |
And I had several Heliotope Moths along the way. A tiny, but pretty little moth, easily identifiable (for a change...)
(Here's one I prepared earlier.... taken at Trotter some years ago)
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| Heliotrope Moth Utetheisa pulchelloides |
Nothing new, but 2 Dragonflies and 1 butterfly species were new on-site for me. Not a bad morning.
Toohey Forest
I was busily working through the 300 odd photos I had taken in the morning when Mr D messaged me. He was going to walk part of Toohey forest and did I want to come? I decided I would and met him on-site off Monash Rd at 12.30.
We spent the next 2 and a half hours wandering the tracks. With the increasing wind and cooler conditions there wasn’t as much activity as the previous visit, but we did see a number of Small Dusky Blues (SL), Orange-streaked Ringlets, Small Green-banded Blues, Orchard Swallowtails, Common Crows, Black Jezebel, Glasswing, Yellow Albatross, and Southern Silver Ochre on the butterfly front.
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| Small Dusky-blue Candalides erinus |
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| Small Dusky-blue Candalides erinus |
The birds were pretty average, apart from a nice Brush Cuckoo. (SL)
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| Brush Cuckoo |
We also visited a site for Robust Velvet Gecko Nebulifera robusta and had a Granny’s Cloak Moth there too.
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| Robust Velvet Gecko Nebulifera robusta |
A couple of Martin’s Skinks on the logs but a much larger number of Elegant Snake-eyed Skinks throughout the walk. We had another single skink under some loose bark which I submitted to the museum for identification.
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| Tree-base Litter Skink Lygisaurus foliorum (ID x S Wilson, Qld Museum) |
After 5 and a half hours on my feet I was pretty knackered by the time I headed home.
1.4.21
Oxley
Defying the lockdown I set off for Oxley at 6.15. Well, I figured that driving 6kms on my own, to walk on my own, to get exercise on my own, wouldn’t exactly compromise the health of the State so off I went.
No dramas except the track was quite busy with joggers and walkers suddenly finding the need to exercise when they probably never exercised before…. almost state-mandated exercise…. I socially distanced from anyone else, regardless of the fact that they didn’t make that effort with me, however, having now polished my own self-righteous ego I’ll move on….
It was pretty quiet along the track, surprisingly so. The cooler temps of 21c may have had something to do with it, but even the Noisy Miners seemed to be in small numbers.
I did have two Grey Fantails halfway along which were my first on-site of the season, but other than that the complete walk out and back was mostly average – 3, in total, Rufous Whistlers, all female, obviously, and, like the GFTs, newly returned winter visitors.
At the turn off to the ponds, bird of the day was an immature Black-faced Monarch. Only my third record for the site, it, too, was most likely ‘on the move’ somewhere.
Butterfly-wise, not much going on, again most likely because it was cooler, but on the return walk a few started to show. I could have hung around longer, possibly, but was keen to get home by 9 to watch the premier declare her decision regarding the lockdown. So, 1 Common Crow, 3 Monarchs and about 8-10 Black Jezebels between two separate trees that were sort of in flower.
I did have an interesting Skink on the cement path before the toilet block which sat up quite well. I await the museum’s decision…..
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| Eastern/Robust Striped Ctentotus Ctentotus robustus (subadult) (ID x S Wilson, Qld Museum) |
Later update: The lockdown was lifted as of midday. So everyone is free to go where they like for Easter, apart from having to wear a mask indoors in any crowded public spaces.
