30.11.21
Wynnum mangrove boardwalk
Very heavy rain kept us indoors until 10.00. Then a break in the weather allowed Linc and I to walk the Wynnum boardwalk.
I wasn’t expecting a lot, but there was plenty to keep an 8 year old and a pensioner happy….
We did see the 2 classic boardwalk birds well - Collared Kingfisher and Mangrove Gerygone, but I think Linc was more excited by the Orange-clawed Fiddler Crabs Uca coarctata, Red Mangrove Crabs Neasarmatium meinerti, Mud Whelks Pyrazus ebeninus and (later identified) Lined Nerite Snails Nerita articulate.
He also spotted his first Fan-tailed Cuckoo and found a small weevil type beetle thing which I did photograph and submitted to the museum for ID.
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| Unidentified beetle |
All in all it was a very full hour and very worthwhile – it started to rain just as we got back to the car, so............ Mackers again.......
29.11.21
Toohey night visit
Being a warm, calm evening I decided to take Linc to see the geckos in the tunnel under the freeway in Toohey. We parked up just after dusk and walked in along the bike path. Loads of spiders along the sides of the track, eyes shining much bigger than the actual spiders, in the headlights.
At the tunnel we found 2 Robust Velvet Geckos Nebulifera robusta hanging on the walls at each end of the tunnel. Pretty cool!
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| Robust Velvet Gecko Nebulifera robusta |
29.11.21
Minnippi
My 8 year old grandson came to spend a couple of days with me. He enjoys exploring – as most boys do, I guess – and birding, butterflying, insect hunting, reptile-ing, ect ect.
So we went to Minnippi for the usual walk.
It’s interesting to listen to how he sees things and what he sees and hears that, possibly, we, as adults, would miss. It’s a completely different world at 8.
The birds were a bit on the poor side, despite it being a cooler morning, but very humid, and we were early enough, being on site at 7. We did hear a Pale-vented Bush Hen calling near the car park. I suspect it was in that narrow side creek that runs under the bike path, but we didn’t spend too much time on it.
We saw a Blue-eyed Mayfly and several butterfly species and Linc spent some time calling in the Macquarie Turtles at the boardwalk. They responded to hand waving – obviously expecting a feed of bread, but were smart enough to realise there was nothing on offer once they got within a couple of feet. He also spotted a large Water Dragon under the boardwalk.
I sat in the Lookout while he explored the playground, then we walked the Airfield Track. But, again, it was all a bit quiet. Butterflys included: Wide-brand Grass-dart (1), No Brand Grass-yellow (1 – Airfield Track), Large Grass-yellow (2), Cabbage White (2), Evening Brown (10 – quite numerous on both M1 & Airfield Tracks), Glasswing (1), Meadow Argus (1), Common Crow (10), Purple Crow (2 – Airfield Track) & Monarch(3). We found a pair of Native Stingless Bees fighting in a large creeper flower – I think they were Trigona carbonaria - and a couple of Graphic Flutterers were easily identified among the scattered dragonflys.
A call in at Mackers on the way home will, I can see it now, become a habit…….
28.11.21
Toohey
Mr D called me and suggested a walk in the forest. At first I thought I had too much to do, but then, on second thoughts, joined him at 10.30.
We walked the track seeing only a few butterflies – our main target – but did have some luck in finding a total of 8 Imperial Hairstreaks, a butterfly I had only seen previously at Girraween NP.
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| Imperial Hairstreak Jaimenus evagoras |
We also came across a Yellow-faced Whip Snake Demansia psammophis which unfortunately slid off the side of the track and became almost impossible to see in the dead leaves and assorted forest floor debris. We did manage to see its head and noted, in particular, its russet, almost red, brown back. In length a little over a meter probably. It was a lifer for me, at least.
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| Yellow-faced Whip Snake Demansia psammophis (not the most exciting of photos, but it was bloody hard to see) |
I also scored a new Damselfly – Wandering Ringtail Austrolestes leda, I believe.
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| Wandering Ringtail Austrolestes leda |
Apart from those we saw 7 other butterfly species, a few Elegant Snake-eyed Lizards, a Lace Monitor, an (Eastern) Water Dragon and 1 Major Skink. A few birds but nothing of note.
Not bad for 2 and a half hours walking.
25.11.21
Oxley
Its been a wet week - Tuesday, apparently, was the wettest November day in 40 years. I decided I needed to get out and, taking a chance, was on site at 5.45. A damp cloudy morning, very wet underfoot – and the birds, as expected, quiet and not super active.
Nothing unusual or unexpected, but achieved 48 species anyway, although numbers were low. As I approached the ponds it started to rain and over the next 20 minutes or so I got soaked to the skin. I hadn’t bothered to bring any wet gear and it wasn’t a problem – except everything had to be hung up at home. I was most concerned re the camera, phone and recorder, but all survived just fine, apart from being a bit damp. One benefit – I was almost completely alone on the track…..just a couple of other idiots getting wet.
19.11.21
Thylogale Track, Mt Nebo & Mt Glorious
On site at Jolly’s Lookout at 7.30. A little late, maybe, but, once again, hoping for some butterflys.
Walked in for an hour and a half and walked back – another hour. Birds (23 sp) were much as expected with some nice views of a couple of Rose-crowned Fruit Doves feeding high in a fig tree and, finally, getting average, but acceptable, photos of Green Catbird, a bird that has eluded me (photography-wise) to date.
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| Green Catbird - not the best, but they're hard to get close to |
I did tape another Australian Golden Whistler - of which there were many along the track. Its a bit different from the last taping I did....
There were also a few of these flying around, but I haven’t identified it yet – hopefully the Museum will……. Haven't heard yet (261121) but ID'd it myself thanks to Brisbane Insects website.
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| Red-shouldered Lycid Beetle Trichalus ampliatus |
Butterflys were thin on the ground despite it being quite warm, still and bright. Only 4 species – Orchard Swallowtail (1, new for site for me), Blue Triangle (1), Brown Ringlet (1), Monarch (1, again new for site for me) and about 20 Common Grass-blues feeding on the clover in the grass at the car park. Also a couple of ‘Whites’ that were unidentifiable - fast, high and gone.
I headed up to Mt Glorious, parked at the picnic ground and walked the road to the (closed again, how do they make any money?) Elm Hause café.
On the lantana opposite the picnic ground I had 1 Orchard Swallowtail, a couple of Common Grass-blues, one Yellow Albatross and, along the road, one Large Grass-yellow. Another ‘white’ might have been Yellow-spotted Jebel, but I didn’t get onto it in time before it, too, disappeared. Then it clouded over and everything shut down.
I was there from 10.30-11.30. It was warm, still and bright, until the clouds came in, but still very, very little activity. I don’t know if it’s because I’m going too early or it’s the clouds or what, but this is very frustrating.
15 - 17.11.21
Cooloola NP
Day 1 Monday 151121
I’d waited several weeks to do this trip, but the weather had been inconsistent – dull, cloudy, occasional showers – and in most areas I birded or butterflied, there was little around.
Cooloola has some great birds, but my main target for this trip was the butterflys. Not that I’d knock back the chance of Southern Emu-wren, Ground Parrot or Brush Bronzewing (all challenging birds to see in SEQ), but having seen them before at this site, it wasn’t the main objective.
I left home at 9.10 and headed north on the 3 hour drive, stopping only twice. Once for the usual ablutions and the second time to check a several-days-dead-stinky Echidna on the side of the road in from Gympie.
Taking a step back for a moment – on Sunday Mr P had messaged me re the return of a Barn Swallow at Rainbow Beach. I say the ‘return’ because a similar or same (?) bird was present at this time last year and he and I had spent 5 hours loitering in the street without success.
I arrived on site – the same site, outside the backpackers – at 12.15 and scanned through the 60 or so Hirundines (mainly Welcome Swallows with a few Tree Martins thrown in) perched up between feeding sorties on the power lines. Within 3 minutes I had the bird.
The single Barn Swallow perched up in easy view. I watched it for about 20 minutes, but having seen thousands elsewhere and once before in Australia, it wasn’t a major tick., just an addition to my SEQ list – but nice all the same. I messaged Mr P to tell him the ‘good’ news – he was planning to ‘go for it’ next weekend and was keen to know if it was still being seen.
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| Barn Swallow - with the sun behind & to the left, details needed to be photoshopped |
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| Welcome Swallow (L) and Barn Swallow for comparison... |
I headed back towards Gympie and turned off on the Freshwater road towards Bymien Picnic Ground to look for a track Mr B had described that might hold a species of Blue I hadn’t seen before. I spent some time stopping and looking, but failed to find either the track or the butterfly. In fact there were few butterflies around, just one Orchard Swallowtail.
I headed up to Bymien Picnic Ground itself and bumped into another birder – John O’Shea – whom I had last seen at the Semipal twitch. We exchanged info and chatted for a while then I headed back to my proposed campsite at the end of the track in Cooloola.
Unfortunately I found someone else at the campsite I had intended, down by the creek - a couple of other birders from Hervey Bay - but found a site beside the track about 30 meters away from the pump shed.
By the time I had set up camp in the 30c degree heat – the canopy kept pulling pegs in the soft damp ground and nearly drove me mad – I was knackered and had to sit and rest for a while.
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| Campsite |
Then I walked the track across the heath but saw f-all. I did have a skinny dip in the creek at the end of the track in the refreshingly cold, waist deep, heavily tannin-ed creek. That did revive me somewhat and I headed back towards camp a little more invigorated.
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| Swimming hole at the end of the track |
After another sit down in the shade watching for passing butterflys (almost none, but did have one male Satin Opal Nesolycaena albosericea land on a flowering bush nearby) until the temperature had dropped somewhat and I walked back up to the Heath Track. On the way I set up my Trail Camera, for the first time ever, on another side track. (In the event it recorded precisely nothing overnight).
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| Satin Opal Nesolycaena albosericea - not the best photo, but all I got |
I met John around 17.00, as he had planned, and we stood around chatting as the sun went down. The couple from Hervey Bay had been out walking as well, but had little to report. I had walked a short distance across the Heath Track and had had a Brush Bronzewing fly directly towards me but it had kept going into the distance.
As dusk fell John could hear Ground Parrots calling – I couldn’t, but tried taping them anyway. He also heard King Quail – nada for me too.
Ground Parrot singing - a bit faint, but......
Just after dusk we both heard a White-throated Nightjar and, with a little encouragement, soon had it flying around us low down. Later they could be heard calling semi-distantly all through the early night.
Happy with that, a new bird for this site for me, I left John and walked back out onto the main track. I thought I’d try for Eastern Grass Owl and within 30 seconds one appeared behind me and circled for some time overhead. I hadn’t brought a torch from the campsite, so it was hard to see any detail, but it was comfortably visible in the strong moonlight.
Back again at camp I had something to eat, then tried taping the many frog species calling around me. I had no idea what they were and for the life of me couldn’t see the little bastards, but believe I recorded at least 5 species within 20 meters of my tent. I’ll identify them when I get home.
Day 2 Tuesday
What with the frogs calling and the distant Nightjars hallooing I had a sleepless night, but was up at 4.30. As I coffe-ed up the couple who were camped in MY (!) space walked by and headed up the track. I followed shortly afterwards, but missed Ground Parrot and Painted Buttonquail on the track – both photographed… I spent some time hanging around with John trying to get him Emu-wren, while another two birders showed up. No one had any success with them, but, while trying, John and I did flush a Ground Parrot and saw it well in flight.
He was heading off so I returned to camp, picking up the Trail Camera on the way. All the other birders also left the area, leaving me alone. As they were all gone I had a skinny dip in the pool beside the campsite.
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| Swimming hole beside the campsite |
I debated whether to spend another night as I have now seen all the expected tough birds (except the Emu-wren) and there didn’t appear to be many butterflys. However, the lure of Ground Parrot photos and possibly Emu-wren decided me to stay.
I sat out most of the day in the shade. It wasn’t quite as hot as the previous day, more cloud in evidence, but as there was nothing active I didn’t do much.
I did walk the Heath Track again around 10-12.00 but saw only one butterfly – Blotched Dusky-blue. Despite it too being a lifer, (following discussion with Mr P), it was very disappointing.
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| Blotched Dusky-blue Candalides acasta |
I also drove up to the tree line about a kilometer back up the track around 14.30 and walked there – but again absolutely zero activity on any front. I refreshed myself once again in the campsite pool…..
As dusk approached I headed back up to the Heath Track and looked for GPs along the main track. I didn’t find any but a dog appeared back down the track between me and my campsite. Not a particular worry – it looked a little Dingo-like, but was most likely a wild dog, possibly interbred with Dingoes. It stood and looked at me as I stood and looked at it until I turned off the track and didn’t see it again.
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| 'Wild' dog |
I waited, listening for calls through my Tascam recorder via the earphones – a Mr H initiative which worked well. I did hear a very close probable King Quail– and taped it – but it refused to come out in the open. I'm not sure now what it was - and have asked for help via xeon-canto....
In the end the Ground Parrots didn’t seem as vocal as the previous night and around 19.00 I started to head back to camp. The White-throated Nightjars were calling some distance away and I wanted to tape them without calling them in (I don't see much point in using a recording to GET a recording.......) I did get a recording but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I didn’t try for the Grass Owl again – seeing as how I’d seen it the previous night, I didn’t want to disturb it, unnecessarily, again.
I crashed shortly afterwards.
Day 3 Wednesday
I was up at 4.30. Walked up the track very slowly hoping to get Ground Parrot on the ground, I did flush 3 birds along the Heath Track, but failed in my mission.
Again, it was very quiet – the Lewin’s Rails called again, briefly – and I decided enough was enough, broke camp and left the site at 7.00.
As I had time in hand I thought I’d check out the Barn Swallow situation for Mr P again and drove the 15kms into Rainbow Beach.
Two other birders were ‘on watch’ outside the backpackers, but there were very few Hirundines around and no sign of the BS. I left at 8 and headed home.
I ended up with 42 species of birds, including the Barn Swallow and a couple of rainforest species I picked up in Freshwater, but apart from those mentioned above, nothing unusual.
5 butterflys, ~11 individuals…..pretty pathetic.
Small Grass-yellow 1
Caper White ~5
Cabbage White 2
Satin Opal 1, maybe 2, although it may have been the same insect….
Spotted Grass-blue 2
I await ID of the frogs I taped via the FrogID app. If I can upload the calls here I will – once I know what they are.
14.11.21
Minnippi
Another morning’s ‘guiding’. The same group – mother & 2 boys and 2 young adults - along with Mr P and Detlef.
An average morning with 50 species in a veeeeery slow 2 hour walk around the lake and up the M1 track.
A few butterflies inc a lifer for me, which unfortunately I didn’t recognise at the time and so didn’t call Mr P over.
White-brand Grass-skipper Toxidia rietmanni – Lifer.
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| White-brand Grass-skipper Toxidia rietmanni |
Large Grass-yellow 1
Caper White ~12
Meadow Argus 4
Common Crow 4
Lesser Wanderer 1
Monarch ~8
Blue Tiger 2
Common Grass-Blue ~10
3 Dragonflies identified:
Blue Skimmer 2 (minimum)
Graphic Flutterer 2
Yellow-striped Flutterer 1
Approx 10 Macquarie Turtles in the lake and 1 Water Dragon on the creek.
9.11.21
Moggill SF
Made the one hour return trip to Moggill again. Hoping for an explosion of butterflies, again. A bit better than last time but nothing new or super-exciting.
It was hard work. Although I listed 14 species, they were all few in number and active – hence a lot of standing around waiting for the suckers to land. It was a cloudy morning with virtually no wind movement and only sporadic periods of direct sunlight. Humidity was high and nothing obviously flowering and no aggregation of insects anywhere. 15 species of bird, mostly heard, recorded.
I wasn’t going to even list the species, but then thought, WTF, I don’t have a lot else to do…
Pale Triangle 2
Clearwing Swallowtail 5
Large Grass-yellow 2
Caper Gull 5
Yellow Albatross 1 definitely ID’d, prob others as there were the usual whites that never stopped and headed off over the canopy.
Southern Pearl White 1
Striated Pearl White 2
Evening Brown 2
Brown Ringlet ~6
White-banded Plane 1
Common Crow 1
Monarch ~6
Blue Tiger 1
Common Grass-blue 2
Also approx 10 Blue Skimmers (Dragonflies) over and around the shallow creek crossing.
5.11.21
Holland Park
A few days ago a male Pacific Koel perched up in a tree visible from my balcony. He comes back every year, but isn't usually so obvious..
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| Pacific Koel, male |
7.11.21
Minnippi
I picked up Mr P and we were on site at 6. Another cloudy, still, ‘heavy’ morning, but it did brighten up and the sun shone in the latter half of the two and a half hours.
Nothing exceptional, 49 bird species was an above average list for this time of year (per my records), but all expected and/or usual birds.
I did record a Pacific Koel calling in the fig tree on the hill - the 'burbling' call as opposed to the single, usual 'storm' call.
Eight butterfly species – not too bad for the ‘earlier’ hour of the visit. Lantana starting to flower, at last, which may indicate more activity.
Wide-brand Grass-dart 1
Blue Triangle 1 – first of this season on this site for me.
Evening Brown 5
Meadow Argus 1
Common Crow 2
Monarch 3
Common Grass-blue 20
Dainty Grass-blue 10
Also noted – two Water Dragons, 5 or 6 Macquarie Turtles and another Blue-eyed or Common Cranefly.
6.11.21
Geoff Skinner Reserve, Wellington Pt
Another try for the Semipal. Mr P, Elliot & Gus were going so I drove myself down and we met up on the mudflats. Loads of the usual waders running around, but only one possible/probable sighting of the elusive rarity which no one else got onto (It hadn't been seen since Tuesday, 2.11.21, apparently).
The tide was very high and pushed us all off the mud and the birds onto the samphire ‘islands’ – making it almost impossible to see individual birds with minimal hope of picking the right one.
Butterflies – a couple of Samphire Blues, a Cabbage White and at least 3 Swamp Tigers.
The most exciting thing of the morning was an adult Red Fox running across the mudflats ahead of the incoming tide.
5.11.21
Anstead
Once again, time on hand, little to do, on site at 10.45 on the anticipation of maybe some butterflies? Another cloudy, almost windless morning, low humidity, but bright despite the cloud cover.
Achieved 35 species of birds, mostly ‘heard only’, and nothing spectacular. A distant single Apostlebird at the dam ‘outside’ the reserve probably bird of the morning – if you could call it that.
Butterflies, too, hardly worthwhile, nothing new in any category.
Orchard Swallowtail 5 (all males)
Large Grass-yellow 1
Glasswing ~40, basically everywhere along the track, assume a second generation as most were in good nick and last time I was here, in winter, there were similar numbers.
Meadow Argus 1
Common Crow 4
Monarch 10
Long-tailed Pea-blue 1 identified, but possibly a few more.
Common Grass-blue ~6
One dragonfly identified – Graphic Flutterer.
3.11.21
Oxley
Waking early, as I am prone to do at the moment, I decided to drag my miserable ass out of bed and go for a walk.
On site at 5.45, not hugely early, I guess, dawn being at 5, but whatever.
An average morning with nothing exciting. 50 species recorded, but being early, only two butterflies – 3 or 4 Monarchs and half a dozen Common Grass-blues.
1.11.21
Geoff Skinner Reserve, Wellington Pt
It was discovered on Sunday afternoon by Michael D and Mr P rang me before it was publicly announced. He was planning on going early Monday but I wasn’t in a great head space and decided to wait and see what developed.
Monday morning and Mr P rang and told me he’d seen it – along with a number of other birders.
I decided I’d go Tuesday morning.
Mr D messaged me later in the morning and we decided to go for it after he finished work on Monday afternoon.
My reticence and slow response? Apart from my head space – Sunday was a bad day – my historical record chasing ‘other people’s birds’ is poor. I’ve referred to this in previous posts, but I just seem to come up with a major ‘FAIL’ most times I go looking.
However, I figured I’d have to at least try this time.
We were on site at 16.00 and marched out onto the mudflats. We met several other birders returning, shaking their heads, looking glum. The bird hadn’t been seen since midday, or two o’clock – dependent on who we talked to. Here we go, I thought, typical of my luck.
We continued on, setting up with a group of birders who seemed to know where it had been seen, some of whom had been on site since midday, but hadn’t had a sighting.
Started scanning the Red-necked Stints and Red-capped Plovers that were the only birds within sight.
30 minutes in and another group of birders who’d wandered off were waving their arms and calling us over. We marched over, set up and within a few moments had the vagrant Semipalmated Plover in the scopes.
It’s not a lifer for me. I’ve seen it in California (2018), South Carolina and Florida (2019)
But it IS an extremely rare bird in Australia.
I’m not sure how many records there are, but I would hazard a rough guess at less than a dozen and on the east coast no more than 2 or 3? This may even be the first east coast Semipal, I’m not sure.
We watched it on and off for an hour or so, as evening came on and the light dropped. Photography was difficult. The bird, like the accompanying Red-capped Plovers, hunkered down behind lumps of mud to stay out of the cool breeze and preened and even appeared to sleep at times. Range was about 100 meters and the light was poor. I did point my camera in its general direction and took some shots. If you use your imagination and squint you can kind of make out the bird in the red circle – but its without any doubt or question - shit!
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| Semipalmated Plover |
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