Weekends That Were - September 2021

29.9.21

Lamington with Linc

Took, Linc, my 8 year-old grandson to O’Reilly’s at Lamington NP. We got lucky with arms-length views of a male Regent’s Bowerbird in the forest. Added several new birds to his list, walked the Tree Top walk, had lunch and fed the Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots. Nothing exceptional, but a nice morning out for both of us.

27.9.21

Oxley

On site at 6, a cool, cloudy, spitting rain start, later a cool south-easterly sprang up, but the rain held off.

A 2 hour walk didn’t produce anything exceptional – noteworthy, perhaps, a Pheasant Coucal perched up – looked like a juvenile, but with good plumage – a Whistling Kite over the ponds and an Australian Reed Warbler at the end of the track. Only butterfly noted – a single Monarch. I didn’t bother walking out to the ‘hidden’ pond.

19.9.21

Minnippi

Met Mr P on site at 6. Bright, calm sunny morning – it did little to lift my spirits, I have to admit.

It was quite birdy and we ended up with a mornings list of 64 species. Best bird probably a poorly seen Australian Reed Warbler, our first in several years at this site, probably on passage. We also heard a couple of Channel-billed Cuckoos and, distantly, our first Pacific Koel of the coming season. 

5 species of butterfly – several Common Grass Blues, a couple of Evening Browns, 4 Monarchs, 3 Cabbage Whites and a single Glasswing, and few Macquarie Turtles hung out near the boardwalk.

A Black Swan appeared to be sitting on a nest in the grass beyond the island, an Australian White Ibis was sitting on the long term nest in the tree on the island and the Masked Lapwings had a second brood of 4 eggs in the field beside the car park.

We managed to get a seat in Nine Bar & Kitchen (ex-Belesis) for breakfast, while on the way there I was stopped by police lights and sirens for a random breathalyser and license check.

16.9.21

Oxley

Not a good day - flat, lost, sad. But, needing to do something, headed for Oxley at 6.45.

A pretty average walk, the only bird of any interest a female Australian King Parrot, my 4^th site record.

Monarch the only butterfly.

9.9.21

Minnippi

Another morning, another walk, nothing super special. Most notable – a pair of Australian King Parrots on the M1 track, although otherwise it was very quiet. (4^th site record)

I did walk the Airfield Track but it, too, was pretty dead. Total – 48 species wasn’t too bad, I guess.

4 Monarchs and 1 Glasswing the only butterflies.

7.9.21

Oxley

On site at 7.15. The track was really quiet – so quiet in fact I didn’t see or hear any Lewin’s Honeyeaters which was extraordinary. It was sunny and bright but during my two hour walk the south easterly wind picked up quite noticeably. 

Three raptor species – singles of Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite and a distant White-breasted Sea Eagle, my first site record since Oct 2016.

6 Monarchs the only butterfly braving the cooler morning.

4.9.21

Minnippi

Next day – again Minnippi with Mr D & Mr P. Much the same as yesterday with the addition of a Pacific Baza over the car park as we left. A few other extra species (58) – and probably more than I listed, heard by the other two. We also had a Sparrowhawk/Goshawk sp through the canopy on the M1 track, but not seen clearly enough for ID. Noteworthy were 9 Topknot Pigeons that landed in a dead tree. We have seen flocks overhead at random times, but this was the first time any of us had seen them land on-site, although only for a few minutes.

Mr D and I repaired, once again, to the ex-Café 63 at Stones Corner for breakfast as, again, 9 Bar & Kitchen was packed. 

3.9.21

Minnippi

Needed a walk and a change so on site at 7.45 in a rather dreary, dull, rain-spitting kind of day.

It was pretty birdy but mostly nothing to write home about, a list of 55 was, though, not bad. I had my 7^th site observation of an (adult) White-breasted Sea Eagle overhead, the last one being in January 2016.

Butterflies came out after a rain shower – 1 Evening Brown, 3 Monarchs and 4 Black Jezebels.