28.5.21
Tinchi Tamba
On the way to a ‘date’ with time to spare, I dropped in to Tinchi Tamba. On the south bank of the Pine River, kind of the northern end of Boondall Wetlands, similar mangrove fringed, she-oak type habitat. A circular walk from the car park followed the river and then the edge of the mangroves. Being late in the morning when I arrived (10.45) I was kind of hoping for interesting mangrove specialty butterflies rather than any outstanding bird-life, but in the event, neither materialised. It was warm and quite sheltered and a few butterflies showed, but all were recently seen species and nothing to write home about.
Large Grass Yellow (3), Black Jezebel (7), Glasswing (10), Common Crow (14), Monarch (3) and Large Purple Line-blue (once again on the usual Soap Tree, all pretty tatty specimens, 6)
I spent two hours on site - probably an hour more than I needed and there weren’t really any ‘highlights’ in the 29 species list, but did hear Mangrove Honeyeater sing briefly twice, although failed to see the birds hanging out in the mangrove belt. Several Mangrove Gerygones and 2 Sacred Kingfishers were also seen, the former once again an easy find.
27.5.21
Minnippi
On site at 7.45, a pleasant, bright, sunny morning with little wind.
It was quite a birdy morning, although the M1 track was quiet. In short I totalled 57 species - a bit frustrating considering I didn’t record ANY Fairy-wrens, Currawong, Golden Whistlers, Cockatoo or Grassbird – all birds one would normally expect as basic on a visit.
However, I, obviously, did OK.
Highlights included 4 Wandering Whistle Ducks on the main pond, Little Shrike Thrush, Varied Triller and at least 2 Fan-tailed Cuckoos on the Airfield Track. The Black Swan pair shepherded their single cygnet right over to the bank – so definitely only one, but where the nest was remains a mystery. The 3 adult Magpie Geese perched in the island tree while the 4 still surviving goslings picked through the weds below. 65 Wood Duck on the Airfield pond was an unusually high number.
Bird of the day was a Shining Bronze Cuckoo on The Avenue which I considered a little late in the season. But when I checked my records – out of 279 documented visits, 85 in the Autumn months, May is, in fact, the most likely time to see this bird at Minnippi with a 21% opportunity! I was surprised, but the bulk of my sightings at Minnippi have been in the Autumn. I caught it briefly in the bins, lost it, but a short burst of playback brought it out into the open to confirm ID and encourage a pair of male Scarlet Honeyeaters to harass it, while it called back sporadically. (Definitely not race lucidus, just common or garden plagosus - he said, trying to sound intelligent.......)
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| Shining Bronze Cuckoo |
Only 2 butterfly species – Black Jezebel (4) and Evening Brown (2 on the Airfield Track)
Back at the car at 10.30, and I noticed a Masked Lapwing still sitting in the same spot as it had been when I arrived – under a thin tree near the road. I drove out, parked up and walked in to find a nest with 4 eggs.
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| Masked Lapwing 'nest' & eggs |
23.5.21
Oxley
Mr P picked me up and we were on site at 6.45.
The track was pretty birdy – but very busy with bunches of sweaty joggers, chatty walkers, panting dogs, kids, bikes….
We didn’t see anything super-exciting, but totalled 45 species in all. Birds of the day were probably a distant flight view of an Australian Hobby, a brief low flight view of a large female Brown Goshawk and a perched up, but silent, Striped Honeyeater.
Butterflies were, predictably, quiet – only 1 Monarch and half a dozen Black Jezebels.
‘Arte & Gusto’ on Honour Ave was again our breakfast destination.
21.5.21
Wynnum Boardwalk
More for something to do than with any high hopes I headed down arriving on site at midday. Warm (23c), but with a south-easterly breeze blowing.
I walked the boardwalk seeing very little – at one point an immature White-breasted Sea Eagle flew over the top - as I looked at it a large, deep-bodied Falcon flew over as well. I didn’t get the bins on it, but believe it could only have been a Peregrine Falcon in the short mangrove-encrusted view I had.
That was about it for birds.
Butterfly-wise, nothing exciting. 7 species all of which I seem to see everywhere these days, mostly around the northern and western edges of the mangroves where it was more sheltered.
1 Large Grass-yellow (4)
2 Black Jezebel (4)
3 Meadow Argus (1)
4 Common Crow (4)
5 Blue Tiger (2)
6 Small Green-banded Blue (6)
7 Large Purple Line-blue (2)
At one spot there were a number of very small blues flitting around a ground cover beside the track, like 2 year olds on sugar. None ever landed that I saw, so ID remains another frustrating mystery. No sign of any mangrove types that were my hoped for target.
19.5.21
Minnippi
On site @ 7.45. A cloudy, still, cool morning.
On the lake – mostly the usual, plus 4 Wandering Whistle Ducks.
The M1 track was ‘quiet’ in terms of nothing calling – and that was the case all morning. Weird, ‘cause I did find 2 female Australian Golden Whistlers, 2 Grey Fantails, a Fan-tailed Cuckoo and a Grey Shrikethrush – all silent.
On the way back out the track a bird flew low across and landed on the right with a flash of white outer tail feathers – I got the bins on it very briefly and recorded only my third Spectacled Monarch (adult) for the site.
Along the Avenue, at least 6 Scarlet Honeyeaters were my first-of-the-season in the solitary tree which was partially in flower – and another Golden and 2 Rufous Whistlers.
Back at the lake and now 2 adult Black Swans plus what I think was at least 1 gosling, hustled into the waterside vegetation very quickly by one of the adults. That would suggest they have bred here again recently – somewhere – ‘cause they seemed to abandon the floating nest several weeks ago. It’s a mystery……
Two Magpie Geese near the platform and 4 goslings joined them as if to say ‘protect us, protect us’ – but the adults just ignored them.
The Airfield Track was quiet as well – added Rufous Fantail and Superb Fairy Wren to the morning’s list near the beginning – after that not much to write home about. 52 species overall.
Butterflies – 1 Monarch, 3 Black Jezebels and 1 Small Green-banded Blue. Low numbers mostly due to the cooler conditions, lack of direct sunlight and earlier time of visit.
18.5.21
Boodall Wetlands
Having been on a sleepover on the north-side I decided to stop off on the way home, mainly to avoid the horrendous early morning traffic.
I ended up at Boondall Wetlands Visitor Centre, although in my mind I had sort of intended to go to Tinchi Tamba – but there you are, that’s my direction finding, map reading skills right there….. (How I ever managed to find my way back from the States 2 years ago will forever remain a mystery to one and all.)
I first walked out along the bikeway heading south. It was a pain because the main highway was only 100 meters away and very noisy – putting my already hopeless hearing into the complete red zone.
However, I don’t think I missed a lot – and didn’t see anything particularly exciting either.
I did have a pair of Leaden Flycatchers and a Forest Kingfisher, the latter being possibly, possibly, the only one I’ve seen this year so far. I’m guessing an overwintering bird, as by now most should have moved north.
When I got back to the Visitor Centre I went looking for a toilet and bumped into a couple of female warden-types who were peering up a tree at a pair of Tawny Frogmouths who had been hanging around for a while, apparently. In conversation I asked about a butterfly list? And they produced one and a booklet for the 2 km circuit walk behind the centre – very helpful and informative paperwork it was too.
So, having visited the amenities I set off around the Billai dhagun Walking Track. I didn’t see a lot extra – by now it was 10.00 and warming up – but it was an OK walk and had some potential I think. The butterfly list was quite impressive – 56 species. I managed to find 8, but at this time of year and the cooler weather we are experiencing at the moment (it was 9c at 7.00 this morning!) I wasn’t surprised.
1 Black Jezebel (Conservatively 15, probably more)
2 Cabbage White (1)
3 Brown Ringlet (4)
4 Glasswing (predominantly the most common with at least 30…)
5 Common Crow (2)
6 Monarch (2)
7 Small Green-banded Blue (1)
8 Large Purple Line-blue (1 – on a Soap Tree I am now made aware, which is the plant I have seen them on at most locations)
OK, so it’s not a flat out, burn-rubber-to-get-there list, but it was an OK morning and worth another visit if circumstances and events provide the opportunity……
16.5.21
Oxley
As pre-arranged I collected Mr D at 6.15, as dawn broke, and we arrived on site by 6.30.
The walk out and about was pretty much as usual, but we did have 2 Brown Falcons distantly along the power lines being mobbed by Torresian Crows and shortly afterwards an Australian Hobby put in an appearance crossing our path and perching on another pylon.
Halfway back the bird of the day – and of the last few weeks for me – landed in a tree above us. We both binned it at the same time mid-conversation and Mr D was the first to correctly ID it as a Red Wattlebird.
This was pretty exciting as I was pretty sure it hadn’t been recorded at Oxley before.
It spent the next 10 or 15 minutes happily feeding in a medium sized tree beside the track ignoring us and multiple passers-by, providing reasonable opportunities for photographs except…… I had forgotten to replace the flash card in my camera and so had to download photos to the internal memory. This was incredibly slow and necessitated waiting for it to ”write to” the card between photos. As a result instead of the 40 or 50 shots I would normally take of such an exciting event, I ended up with only 10 or so, none of which did much justice. The bird was very helpful in that it stuck around while I fumed and fretted and Mr D spent quite a while trying to update the SEQ Birder’s FB page with the news…. In the end it flew voluntarily up the track away from our direction and we headed on, advising interested parties along the way.
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| Red Wattlebird |
(Update: 4 hours later and there have been no further postings regarding anyone else seeing the bird.)
We retired to Arte & Gusto in Graceville for our usual breakfast and social interaction.
15.5.21
South Tweed, NSW
Mr B and I had been discussing the possibility of a trip to a butterfly spot in the South Tweed area, just across the border in NSW. A last minute phone call and he picked me up at 9.
On site around 10, we walked in to a mangrove/vine forest/grassland mixed environment and commenced butterfly egg searching. If you think looking for a needle in a haystack is difficult – try looking for butterfly eggs. Most of the expected Mistletoe was, in fact, dead – which was disappointing, but he did manage to find a couple of tiny white dots that he assured me were eggs, and some caterpillars of Jezebel Nymph.
We didn’t see any adults of the latter, but did record 12 species and I got one Lifer.
1 Large Grass-yellow (20 – predominantly the commonest sp)
2 Black Jezebel (4)
3 Evening Brown (4)
4 Brown Ringlet (2)
5 Common Crow (2)
6 Purple Crow (3)
7 Swamp Tiger (2)
8 Blue Tiger (1)
9 Trident Pencil-blue (1 - only landed briefly, hence the rather average photo)
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| Trident Pencil-blue Candalides margarita |
10 Small Green-banded Blue (2)
11 Large Purple Line-blue (2)
12 Still to be ID’d Dart/Skipper type which is probably Wide-brand Grass-dart, my default Hesperidae. Update - it was.....
It was a bit disappointing from Mr B’s perspective, but none the less a spot no doubt worth visiting in the future.
Bird-wise: most exciting was a New Holland Honeyeater, not much else around or recorded.
13.5.21
Nudgee Wetlands
Following a coffee date on the north side I headed for this site, arriving at 11.00. Once again, mainly butterfly hunting – although I did record the birds I saw. Nothing exciting on that front, given the time of day and the warmth, best birds – probably Mangrove Gerygone, which I could actually hear singing and saw a handful, and added an SL – Brown Goshawk. 18 species in all.
There were some nice Dragonflies zipping around, but as none chose to land I didn’t get onto any.
On the 1500 meter or so walk I only saw a few targets – Varied Eggfly and Black Jezebel mainly – until I found a sheltered patch of samphire with at least 10 Swamp Tigers feeding. Not a rarity, but only my, personal, second record, the previous being on Moreton Island.
Back at the car park - it’s always back at the car park, sometimes I wonder why we bother leaving the car – I noticed a bit of activity around a couple of eucalypt type trees and over the next hour or so counted 10 separate species.
Here is the complete list:
1 Large Grass-yellow (10)
2 Black Jezebel (4)
3 Scarlet Jezebel (1)
4 Glasswing (2)
5 Varied Eggfly (4)
6 Meadow Argus (1)
7 Common Crow (6)
8 Swamp Tiger (10)
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| Swamp Tiger Danaus affinis |
9 Blue Tiger (1)
10 Small Green-banded Line-blue (2)
11 White-banded Line-blue (4)
12 Large Purple Line-blue (10 – these are doing my head in! I seem to see them everywhere at the moment and I’m sure that’s what they are – however, happy for feedback otherwise? Hence I’m including a couple of photos)
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| Large Purple Line-blue Nacaduba Berenice (I believe!!) |
The place seems to me to have great potential. I had been hoping for some mangrove specialities but nothing eventuated, however, 12 species of butterflies was quite satisfying.
12.5.21
Oxley
A dull, cloudy, still, damp morning following overnight rain, 19c.
A Striated Heron on the creek from the pontoon was probably bird of the morning, and it didn’t get a lot more exciting over the next two hours.
Quite a lot of activity at the entrance gate, approx 12 Double-barred Finches, Grey Fantail, Silvereyes, Willy Wagtail, Magpie Lark, Brown Quail, Red-backed Fairy Wrens all in one place, but other than that the track was pretty quiet.
Overall 42 species and 2 butterflies only – the faithful Monarch (1) and 3 Black Jezebels around the only flowering tree along the track.
10.5.21
Minnippi
Back for more. Commitments during the morning put me on-site at 12.30. It was predicted to be 28c with rain and cooler temperatures for the next few days so I thought I’d take advantage. I didn’t have any intentions of spending too long but as usual got a bit carried away and got back to the car three hours later….
Not nearly as many individuals or species as last Wednesday, but still an interesting visit with 15 species, 69 individuals.
I walked the usual track and at one point on the Airfield track had 8 butterfly species almost all at the same time – Common Crow, Purple Crow, Blue Tiger, Black Jezebel, Monarch, Large Grass-yellow, Glasswing and White-banded Line-blue. I know some of my readers would count themselves lucky to get 8 species in one season never mind in a 10 minute period at one spot, but what can I tell ya?
The List:
1 Orchard Swallowtail (2)
2 Large Grass-yellow (8 - again mostly assumed as they didn’t perch up much)
3 Black Jezebel (3)
4 Yellow Albatross (1)
5 Glasswing (5)
6 Meadow Argus (2)
7 Common Crow (15)
8 Purple Crow (2)
9 Monarch (5)
10 Blue Tiger (2)
11 Indigo Flash (2 – the only SL of the day, confirming what I thought I saw last week.)
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| Indigo Flash Rapala varuna (a female I think) |
12 Small Green-banded Line-blue (8 – many less than last week)
13 White-banded Line-blue (8 – ditto)
14 Large Purple Line-blue (5 – ditto)
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| Large Purple Line-blue Nacaduba berenice |
15 Hairy Line-blue (1)
The bushes on the right immediately after crossing the bridge had most or all of numbers 11,13,14 & 15.
7.5.21
Mt Glorious
I decided to give Mt Glorious another go for butterflies. The temperatures lately had been a bit on the cooler side, but it was predicted to be in the mid-twenties (C) so - on site at 11.
It was actually only 19c and didn’t get much warmer overall, due mainly to a westerly breeze, however in sheltered spots along the road it was warmer and I did hope….
My hopes were not realised, however. The Lantana was, for the most part, pretty sorry looking, to say the least. Few flowers and most of them looking ‘exhausted’. Nowhere were butterflies in any number, at all.
It was mostly ‘whites’ and I ended up with only 8 species and approx 20 individuals.
1 Macleay’s Swallowtail (2, distant bin-views over a scrappy field behind the main car park)
2 Large Grass-yellow (1 – but it was an SL)
3 Yellow-spotted Jezebel (5 – maybe a couple more that flew too high to confirm)
4 Yellow Albatross (6 - ditto)
5 Southern Pearl White (3 or 4)
6 Brown Ringlet (2)
7 Monarch (4)
8 Small Green-banded Blue (1)
Pretty poor. I covered the roadside from almost the café to beyond the Elm Hause.
I stepped off the road to rid myself of the coffee I had drunk earlier and found a ‘tree’ with heavily eaten leaves. In my dumb enthusiasm I pulled the large leaves towards me to check for grubs and, of course, it was a Stinging Nettle Tree…. Yep, yep, yep, I know, you’d think at my age….but no, I’m still stupid.
Jesus Christ….. with fingers, wrists and a couple of spots on my arms on fire I made my way back to the car hoping to find some Stingose in my First-aid kit. None – of course. At that point I decided to head home, giving it up as a lost cause - I had been there two hours and it wasn’t getting much warmer or active.
It took me an hour to get home and the Stingose sort of helped. Wouldn’t say it was a complete success but it did make me pity the guy rumoured to have wiped his arse with the leaves.
Now THAT would be a problem.
LATE UPDATE: I Googled the Nettle Tree and was rewarded with the information that it is ' the most painful tree in the world....' I don't believe everything I read on the internet, but anyway... I also gleaned the advice that toothpaste would stop the stinging. And I'm here to report - it does work! It's messy (obviously) and I smelled like a dentist's armpit, but, it did stop the burning, stinging pain.
I only hope for your sakes you never have to remember this snippet of information.....
6.5.21
Anstead
Following my (personal) success at Minnippi I decided to repeat the experiment at Anstead. I left it late – wanting the day to warm up – and so wasn’t on site until 10.15. It was 21c, but felt warmer out of the south-westerly breeze
The birds were overall fairly quiet – although I did list 24 species, which is about average – and bird of the day was most definitely a pair of Bazas or Crested Hawks moving quietly through the canopy near the start of the track.
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| Baza or Crested Hawk |
With the target being butterflies I set a slow pace and, in fact, took 2 and a half hours to complete the usual circuit. Nothing of great import, no lifers, nothing ‘unexpected’ but I did have 15 species totalling approx 100 individuals adding 5 SLs to my Anstead list. It was Glasswing Glory, they were everywhere, only outnumbered by the (presumably nearly all) Large Grass-yellows. I did identify at least one No-brand Grass-yellow afterwards from photos, but mostly they didn’t land so assumed…
1 Wide-brand Grass-dart (2, surprisingly an SL, seeing as how I only ever see this Dart…)
2 Orchard Swallowtail (2 – another surprising SL)
3 No-brand Grass-yellow (1)
4 Large Grass-yellow (35 – mostly assumed)
5 Black Jezebel (3 – sort of assumed as well, as they didn’t land, SL)
6 Yellow Albatross (1)
7 Evening Brown (3)
8 Glasswing (at least 30)
9 Meadow Argus (2)
10 Common Crow (1)
11 Monarch (3)
12 Small Green-banded Blue (8)
13 Large Purple Line-blue (5 – SL)
14 Long-tailed Pea-blue (2)
15 Common Grass-blue (1 – SL)
I also noted several Chalky Perchers, a couple of Heliotrope Moths and my favourite Fraser’s Banded Snail was in his usual position under the usual log.
4.5.21
Minnippi yet again
At a bit of a loose end with only a visit to the gym as an option I decided to go on a butterfly hunt at Minnippi.
On site just after 12, I spent 3 hours wandering the usual route, including the Airfield Track, with some success.
I only scored one lifer and added another species to my site list, but saw in total, 19 species (with a possible 20th) and counting as I went (with a couple of estimates due to numbers of small blues around a number of trees) I was confident with at least 115 individuals.
Here’s the list:
1 Wide-brand Grass-dart (2 – frustratingly the only dart I EVER seem to see)
2 Lyell’s Swift (1 female)
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| (Female) Lyell's Swift Pelopidas lyelli |
3 Orchard Swallowtail (2)
4 Large Grass-yellow (5 – I assume they were all this sp, none landed)
5 Black Jezebel (3 – again assumed as none landed)
6 Cabbage White (1)
7 Evening Brown (4)
8 Glasswing (4)
9 Varied Eggfly (1 beautiful female)
10 Meadow Argus (1)
11 Common Crow (13)
12 Purple Crow (3 – nice number!)
13 Monarch (4)
14 Blue Tiger (1 – flew past ‘on a mission’, MIGHT have been a Swamp Tiger….but)
15 Small Green-banded Blue (15 – conservative estimate)
16 White-banded Line-blue (30 – estimate and again conservative – SL)
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| White-banded Line-blue Nacaduba kurava Seemed to be a lot of males aggressively defending territory against all comers, incl Purple Crow |
17 Large Purple Line-blue (20 – very conservative, might have been double that no)
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| Large Purple Line-blue Nacaduba berenice Lots of females. |
18 Hairy Line-blue (4 – again number flexible, Lifer)
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| Hairy Line-blue Erysichton lineatus |
19 Common Grass-blue (2)
The possible 20th was a split-second view in the bins of a probable Indigo Flash that landed and took off almost immediately to disappear despite me hanging around another 15 minutes….but I’m not calling it.
Admittedly nothing super rare or even unexpected but for a warm afternoon in Autumn I was pretty happy.
This brings my site total to 41 butterfly species.
I also had 3, possibly 4, Dragonfly species – Blue Skimmer, Common Bluetail and Chalky Percher with a possible Red Arrow awaiting museum confirmation. The first three I have had at Minnippi before – the latter would be a lifer….
Update: it wasn't, it was a female Scarlet Percher.
A very worthwhile and interesting 3 hours. No birds recorded, although I did see the same 4 Magpie Goose goslings exactly where they were yesterday – still unguarded, still alive…..
3.5.21
Minnippi & Moggill
Picked up Mr P at dawn at 6.15, on-site at Minnippi at 6.30.
Quite birdy with the lake as normal, but the M1 track a bit more active than recently. Nothing to write home about, but more birds than usual of late.
Back at the lake much the same, although 4 Magpie Goose goslings appeared to be looking after themselves with 3 adults some distance away – good Goshawk fodder I was thinking….
A short stop at the Lookout, produced the probable bird of the morning with Mr P picking up a silent Channel-billed Cuckoo flying away from the fig trees. Very late observation, maybe they aren’t picked up because they are quiet after breeding? But still, a good record, season-wise.
Down the Airfield Track and it, too, was quite birdy in patches with Little Shrike Thrush the bird highlight – not rare by any means, but a good bird at Minnippi. A few butterflies started to show – and we picked up a Purple Crow for Mr P to add to his site list. An adult and juvenile White-throated Gerygone showed well near the end.
Back along the cement and a Varied Triller put in appearance – probably the second of the morning as Mr P had heard one earlier.
That was about it but with a list of 55 birds and 5 butterflies not a bad morning.
At 11.00 Mr P picked me up and we headed out to Moggill SF for a butterfly search. On site at 11.30 and we spent the next 2 and a half hours wandering along the track checking out the available butterflies. We also had some nice birds – a pair of White-eared Monarchs (fairly reliable at this site), Spectacled Monarch, Shining-bronze Cuckoo, Leaden Flycatcher and a Rose Robin among the more usual birds – interestingly quite active despite the time frame.
The butterflies were our target and we had numerous Yellow Albatross and Small Green-banded Line-blues, White-banded Line-blues, Large Grass-yellow (that we tried to turn into something else but….), Orchard Swallowtails, Brown Ringlets, a single Pale Triangle, many Large Purple Line-blues, 2 Purple Crows, Southern Pearl Whites, and a couple of Common Crows. Best of all a perched up Jezebel Nymph which, despite it being a little ragged, provided photos, and a lifer for me – at last – Caper Gull, a species I should have ticked ages ago, but had either overlooked or just not seen.
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| Purple Crow Euploea tulliolus |
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| Southern Pearl White Elodina angulipennis |
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| Jezebel Nymph Mynes geoffroyi |
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| Caper Gull Cepora perimale |
Birds – 26 species for the visit, butterflies – 16 species, bringing my butterfly site list to 34 species.
A good visit and very worthwhile.
