31.12.21
Redland Bay
Mr B and I met at the south end of the golf course in Redland Bay for a mangrove expedition in the hopes of some mangrove specialities.
Unfortunately, it was dull, cloudy, windy and had been raining – the bright spells we’d been hoping for didn’t eventuate.
However, we trudged/fought our way through the, at times dense, growth and shin-deep water. Heaps of Swamp Tigers gave us hope and a couple of small Saltbush/Samphire type butterflys flew before we could get onto them properly. We also had one small blue that I managed to get some decent photos of but which turned out to be just another Large Purple Line-blue. They seem to get everywhere…
In the end it was a bit uneventful. I did film some beetles which I believe are a species of Seed Beetle (Oncopeltus sp, family Lygaeidae), an Eastern Golden Orb-weaver spider Nephila plumipes (which I’ve had before) and Mr B, as usual, found a Joseph’s Coat Moth Agarista agricola caterpillar which was very nice.
Definitely a spot to revisit.
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| Seed Beetle sp Oncopeltus sp |
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| Eastern Golden Orb Weaver Nephila plumipes |
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| Joseph's Coat Moth Agarista agricola |
29.12.21
Moggill
I met Mr B at Mackers at Chapel Hill and we were on site at 10.30. Unfortunately the cloud cover persisted for most of the two hours we explored the valley which seemed to quell the butterfly activity somewhat. Regardless we totalled 20 species – nothing new for life, but a really interesting morning, none the less.
With Mr B’s knowledge and experience of plants – of which I have absolutely no idea – we found, or rather he found, several different caterpillars which I attempted to photograph in macro.
We also found a Eucalyptus Leaf Beetle Paropsis maculate which I have seen before, Common or Blue-eyed Lacewing Nymphes mymeleonides, ditto, and a very small semi-slug - Iridescent semi-slug Ubiquitarion iridis. We also found 2 spectacular moth caterpillars..
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| The dangers of macro photography - when the subject prefers the camera lens! |
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| Iridescent semi-slug Ubiquitarion iridis |
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| Theretra celata (no common name) Hawkmoth |
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| Golden Notodontid Neola semiaurata |
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| When it felt threatened it exuded a strong smelling liquid and started to expose an eyespot at each end. |
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| Evening Brown Melanitis leda |
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| Hairy Line-blue Erysichton lineatus |
The final butterfly list:
Wide-brand Grass-dart 4. I did think I had something different, as you do with these little bastards, but….
Blue Triangle 2
Pale Triangle 1
Orchard Swallowtail 5
Clearwing Swallowtail 3
Large Grass-yellow ~10. Assumed as didn’t actually ID any individuals.
Caper Gull ~10
Yellow-spotted Jezebel 1 New for site for me.
Yellow Albatross ~30. Probably a lot more.
Caper White ~30. Ditto.
Southern Pearl-white 2.
Evening Brown 1
Brown Ringlet 5
Varied Eggfly 1
Common Crow 1. Surprisingly only 1.
Monarch 1 Ditto!
Blue Tiger 2
Large Purple Line-blue ~10. At least.
Speckled Line-blue ~10. Ditto.
Hairy Line-blue ~10. At least
28.12.21
Mt Gravatt
Mr D messaged me at 13.30 and I headed to Mt Gravatt. He’d found an Eastern Barn Owl outside his mother’s house. It was sitting on a roadside tree being mobbed by Pied Currawongs and Magpie Larks. Very cute and unusual to see in a Brisbane suburb at any time, never mind the middle of the day.
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| Eastern Barn Owl 27.12.21 Lacey's Creek Rd Heading north straight out of Woodford Mr B drove us up Lacey’s Creek Rd. A rough (very rough at times) unsealed track wound up the side of the ‘mountain’, along a ridge and eventually back down to the valley we left behind. All in all we were on the track from approx 11.00 until 15.00. The first part was the most profitable where butterfly activity was concerned. We stopped at likely looking spots but as the sun moved in and out between clouds the activity followed suit – quietening down in the shade. |
We did see 20 species in all. I got two lifers but no photos of either. The list was as follows…
Regent Skipper 2
Narrow-banded Awl 1
Pale Triangle 10
Orchard Swallowtail 5
Fuscous Swallowtail 2 (at last!!)
Clearwing Swallowtail 1
Lemon Migrant ~30, conservatively.
Large Grass-yellow ~10+
Yellow Albatross ~20 conservatively
Caper White ~20 at least
Striated Pearl-white 1 identified, probably more.
Evening Brown 1
Brown Ringlet 4
Glasswing 3
Varied Eggfly 4
Meadow Argus 4
Yellow Admiral 2
Monarch ~20 at least
Blue Tiger 1
Common Grass-blue 2 identified
I didn’t record any birds, but heard the usual vine-scrub/rainforest/dry eualypt species and we did see a Wompoo Pigeon break cover at one point.
With Mr B’s knowledge of food plants we looked for caterpillars and eggs, but only found one of each of the common Monarch.
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| Monarch Danaus plexippus |
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| Monarch Danaus plexippus (the tiny white dot is the egg) |
On a side note. On the way we stopped off at his brother’s house on Clear Mountain Road – and saw a Green Tree Snake cross the quiet road. It didn’t hang around long, sliding off the road with me in hot pursuit…. Third snake in two days. Starting to sound like I made up their scarcity.
26.12.21
Minnippi
Being Home Alone on Boxing Day I decided to get out for a walk and arrived on site at 7.15. Damp, cloudy, warm start to the morning but the sun did appear before I finished at 9.30 and the humidity increased accordingly.
It was pretty quiet bird-wise. There wasn’t even much calling, as if everything was exhausted after the Christmas excitement. I did have a brief Brown Goshawk over the Airfield Track and what I believe was a Black Kite being mobbed by Toressian Crows from the Raptor Lookout on my return stop. It was flying away from me and left me wondering, but I think that’s what it was.
Reptile-wise I had 2 Eastern Water Dragons and then spotted a Carpet Python curled up in the big tree on the island closest to the ‘mainland’. (Only my second encounter here, which is surprising given this was my 300th recorded visit to the site!)
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| Carpet or Diamond Python Morelia spilota |
Best reptile by far, though was on my return walk from the Airfield Track as I crossed the open, cut, grass towards the Lookout a 2 meter Red-bellied Black Snake out in the open! Brilliant! Great looking ‘animal’. My first RBB at Minnippi, although I did find a 2 meter shed skin several years ago on the M1 track.
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| Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus |
It lay for a few seconds pondering its options and before I could get the video activated it slithered away into the bush.
Being early and cloudy I hadn’t expected many butterflys but ended up with 13 species. Nothing new for site or life, but a surprising number were active given the time and weather.
Wide-brand Grass-dart 2. Did photograph another that I’m trying to turn into a Dark Grass-dart, but the jury is still considering its verdict…
Late note: We believe this to be a River-sand Grass-dart Taractrocera dolon - a lifer.
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| River-sand Grass-dart Taractrocera dolon |
Blue Triangle 1
Large Grass-yellow 4
Evening Brown ~30 ‘They were everywhere’ is a common phrase, but it applied this morning to this species
Glasswing 2
Varied Eggfly 2 Males.
Meadow Argus 3
Common Crow 5
Lesser Wanderer 1
Monarch 3
Purple Cerulean 1 identified, may have been more.
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| Purple Cerulean Jamides phaseli |
Common Grass-blue ~10 at least, probably more.
Dainty Grass-blue ~10 at least, probably more.
Along the Airfield Track I came across a very fresh, still alive, juvenile Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum caught in a Garden Orb Weaver's Eriophora transmarina web. I filmed it and include the video for your viewing 'pleasure'....
Definitely worth getting out and about this morning. Two snakes in one day? Very rare in reality, despite what non-Australians believe. We all wish it happened more often.
20.12.21
O'Reilly's, Lamington NP
On site with Linc at 9.15, later than I had hoped but it is what it is.
We walked the track towards the Tree Top Walk and Linc found a Land Mullet right beside the track basking in a shaft of sunlight. Bird life was pretty quiet overall, probably because of the later hour and building heat.
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| Land Mullet Bellatoris major |
After the Tree Top Walk and ladder-to-the-sky-climb we slowly walked back along the main Border Track towards the Lodge and carpark. Didn’t see much along the track but just before we reached the entrance an Albert’s Lyrebird was calling a few meters to our right. There were in fact two birds and we caught partial glimpses of them through the intervening scrub. Brilliant!
At one point, too, Linc found the first Richmond Birdwing of the day, a female that refused to land in typical Birdwing fashion. However, back near the carpark another female and a fly-by male were found and this female did perch up well, possibly because she was a little worn.
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| Richmond Birdwing Ornithoptera richmondia (F) |
We wandered the carpark after a coffee and walked down and through the camping area. Linc found a second Land Mullet and a number of Eastern Water Skinks that he tried, unsuccessfully, to catch.
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| Eastern Water Skink Eulamprus quoyii |
During that process, however, he did find a shed snake skin – slim and about a meter long.
We found a handful of butterflys: Monarch (5), Wide-brand Grass-dart (2), Splendid Ochre (1), Yellow Admiral (1), Lemon Migrant (1, probably more), Cabbage White (2) and 3 Orchard Swallowtails.
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| Lemon Migrant Catopsilia pomona (F) Pale form |
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| Splendid Ochre Trapezites symmomus |
We left for home at about 12.30 and he was asleep by 12.40.
17.12.21
Mt Glorious
Following Breakfast with The Boys in Newstead I headed up to Mt Glorious, arriving on site just before 10. Bright, sunny, warm. I started opposite the picnic ground but there were few butterflys, my main target, so chose to walk the Rainforest Walk to give them a chance to liven up.
Being later in the morning it was a bit less active, but there was plenty of stuff calling. I did have a brief close view of a Grey Goshawk in the rainforest itself which was nice and saw a total of 3 Russet-tailed Thrushes along the track. (I didn’t see or hear any Noisy Pittas).
I taped Brown Gerygone and Wompoo Fruit Dove – see below – before returning to the road in search of butterflys.
Brown Gerygone XC691815
Wompoo Fruit Dove XC691816
There weren’t as many as I had expected, but I did see a total of 14 species, mainly around the lantana opposite the picnic ground. I also walked the road to the (closed again) Elm Hause café, but there wasn’t a lot of activity anywhere.
Wide-brand Grass-dart 2. Currently under review to try to turn them into anything else….New for site for me.
Late note: We believe this is a Narrow-brand Grass-dart Ocybadistes flavovittatus - a lifer.
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| Narrow-brand Grass-dart Ocybadistes flavovittatus |
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| Narrow-brand Grass-dart Ocybadistes flavovittatus |
Macleay’s Swallowtail 3 Spectacular butterfly really, really difficult to get decent photos as they never stop fluttering even when perched.
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| Macleay's Swallowtail Graphium macleayanus |
Blue Triangle 1
Pale Triangle ~8 at least, probably several more high along the road.
Orchard Swallowtail 2
Lemon Migrant 2. New for site for me.
Yellow-spotted Jezebel 1 tatty specimen missing most of the yellow dots on its damaged rear wing.
Yellow Albatross 2 a pair together.
Caper White 2
Cabbage White 1
Brown Ringlet 6
Grey Ringlet 1 Pretty sure that’s what it is anyway, different behaviour than Brown, appeared freshly emerged.
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| Grey Ringlet Hypocysta pseudirius |
Monarch 1
Blue Tiger 1 New for site for me.
One Red-necked Pademelon, however without Linc and his young eyes I probably overlooked several others. No obvious fungi showing, it’s been dry since we were up here last week and most had dried up. A very dark Brush-tailed Possum dead on the road at Mt Nebo looked like a probable Mountain Brushtail.
14.12.21
Minnippi
Butterflys only, on site at 9.45. Hot, clear, sunny, the temp reached 29c before midday and very humid.
I didn’t record any birds – and there was little bird activity. Butterflys were around, but not quite in the numbers I’d hoped for (I know, complaining again…) I did end up with 19 species, none new for either me or my site list, but a bit different from yesterday.
Wide-brand Grass-dart 4, pretty sure they were all this species……
Blue Triangle 1
Orchard Swallowtail ~5, all male.
Lemon Migrant ~ 20. One did actually land and posed for photos – the ‘pale form – which I hadn’t filmed/seen before.
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| Lemon Migrant Catopsillia pomona |
Large Grass-yellow ~6, again kind of assume they were all this species as they didn’t land.
Caper White at least 5, possibly more.
Cabbage White ~5
Evening Brown ~5
Glasswing 2
Varied Eggfly ~15, all male except 2.
Meadow Argus 2
White-banded Plane 1
Common Crow ~20
Monarch 2
Blue Tiger ~6
Small Green-banded Blue 4 M1 track
Large Purple Line-blue 4 on bushes beside bridge
Speckled Line-blue 2, on a bush along the cement path
Dainty Grass-blue 20
I didn’t actually identify any Common Grass-blues but there were probably a few too.
A couple of Graphic Flutterers Rhyothemis graphiptera and ditto Yellow-striped Flutterers Rhyothemis phyllis were the only dragonflys I tried to ID.
I found an Orange Spider Wasp Cryptocheilus bicolor dragging its prey over leaves and twigs. The Orb Weaver spider was twice the size of the wasp – amazing feat of strength.
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| Orange Spider Wasp Cryptocheilus bicolor & spider |
13.12.21
Moggill SF
I, once again, left it later (9.45) to arrive on site with butterflys specifically in mind. Hence the birds were only average, nothing unusual and most ‘heard only’ – didn’t record a list.
The butterflys were not as prolific as I’d hoped or sort of expected after seeing an increase in numbers over the last few days. Very few Blues, Skipper-types or Ringlets, mostly larger type species – which at least made identification easier. I did end up with 21 identified species which is probably a personal record for number of species seen in one location. There was one Skipper-type I didn’t get onto very well, it was quite flighty and I only saw it in the bins briefly – I didn’t recognise it so it would probably have been a new species.
I also found heaps of Planthoppers along the track. I didn’t know what they were initially but identified one as Green and Black Planthoppers – pretty cool looking. The other species was orange-spotted and the closest I can come to at this time is Yellow-spotted Planthopper. I intend to ask for Museum help, but It’ll probably be next year before I get confirmation.
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| Green and Black Planthopper Desudaba psittacus |
And a video cause I had nothing else to do and thought it was a pretty cool looking insect...
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| Yellow-spotted Planthopper Desudaba danae ??? |
Dutchman’s Pipe Aristolochia elegans was also in evidence and I destroyed a couple of plants that were obviously flowering. (They are attractive to Swallowtails and are, in fact, poisonous to the caterpillars)
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| Dutchman’s Pipe Aristolochia elegans |
The butterfly list:
Wide-brand Grass-dart 3 I’m pretty sure this is what they were – they’re freaking hard at times…
Blue Triangle 1
Pale Triangle ~30 at least, they were everywhere.
Orchard Swallowtail 6 All males I think.
Clearwing Swallowtail 4
Lemon Migrant 6 (site tick for me)
Large Grass-yellow 3
Caper Gull ~10 Probably more, usual whites not landing.
Yellow Albatross 4 Ditto.
Caper White 2 Not many in evidence, surprising given the latest explosion
Striated Pearl-white ~20 at least
Evening Brown 2
Orange-streaked Ringlet 1 (site tick for me)
Brown Ringlet 4 Very few around
Varied Eggfly 1 female (site tick for me)
Leafwing 3
Common Crow 4
Purple Crow 1
Monarch ~10 minimum
Blue Tiger ~8
Spotted Pea-blue 1 tatty one, missing ‘eyes’ (site tick for me)
I suppose I shouldn’t complain - 21 species, 3 site ticks and approx 120-140 individual butterflys - when some of you are so butterfly-challenged.
11.12.21
Oxley
Back to Oxley with Mr D and Mr P - a bit earlier this time, at 5.45.
Good bird list of 59 species including 2 Varied Trillers and, towards the end, a Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo. But bird of the morning may have been the 3 Common Starlings – the first I’ve seen since 14th December 2019, almost exactly two years. We also had a bird that looked like a possible escape parakeet. It appeared to be hanging with a family of Pale-headed Rosellas which led us to believe it may be a juvenile, however, it’s identity was not successfully resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.
Butterflys started to appear on our return walk as the sun warmed up. Numerous Caper Whites, Common Grass-blues and Monarchs, several Blue Tigers, a couple of White-banded Line-blues, one each Common Crow and Varied Eggfly and, surprisingly 4 Purple Crows, within a 100 meter stretch, close to where Linc and I had had 1 the previous day. We also had 1 Two-spot Line-blue, another new site tick for me, having only seen it before over the range. And a White-banded Noctuid Moth Donica orbigera which I had seen before, but not noted at Oxley.
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| Two-spotted Line Blue Nacaduba biocellata (Female) |
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| White-banded Noctuid Moth Donica orbigera |
We breakfasted at Arte & Gusto in Graceville.
10.12.21
Oxley
Linc’s last day with me, at this stage anyway, and we headed for Oxley, on site at 7.
Good walk, but usual birds. He did get good views of some stuff he’d seen already. Butterflies were out in better numbers than recently and we also saw a small Water Dragon. The track was very muddy and wet after previous night’s storms and he enjoyed getting muddy while ‘trying’ to avoid it….
Best bird was probably the pair of Black-shouldered Kites that put in a bit of a display overhead and the Brown Quail scurrying across and along the track were a good experience for him.
I got one new for site butterfly – Purple Crow, which Linc identified before I did – and we had a couple of really nice fresh Varied Eggflys landing on plants and showing well.
Mackers on the way home was a done deal.
9.12.21
Anstead
On site at 7.45, a little late for a good bird list, but better for butterflys.
We walked the usual track seeing mostly expected birds, nothing exceptional. Butterflys were, however, in evidence and I ended up with two new site species – Pale Triangle and Plumbago Blue. I got a bit excited over the latter, a single male, thinking it might be something different – but it wasn’t, as such. but a nice little blue.
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| Plumbago Blue Leptotes pilinius |
We also saw a few Skinks, including, at least 1, but probably more, Elegant Snake-eyed Skinks and one Copper-tailed Skink. Linc found a freshly dead Bottle Cicada which was pretty cool.
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| Bottle Cicada Glaucopsaltria viridis (Dead) |
It was stinking hot and very humid by the time we got back to the car.
Butterflys:
Pale Triangle 2
Lemon Migrant 6 (seems to be an influx of these at the moment)
Small Grass-yellow 2
Yellow Albatross 4
Caper White 20
Glasswing 40
Meadow Argus 1
Common Crow 5
Monarch 15
Blue Tiger 4
Plumbago Blue 1 New for site for me.
Common Grass-blue 20
8.12.21
Mt Glorious
On site at 7.30. We walked the Rainforest Walk firstly, hearing Rose-crowned Fruit Doves, Green Catbirds everywhere, Brown Cuckoo-doves and saw a Wompoo Fruit Dove. Lots of fungi, mostly unidentified at this stage. Linc kept seeing, and patiently pointing out to me, Red-necked Pademelons.
At least 6 Noisy Pittas calling but despite some ‘encouragement’ none would come out onto the track.
We then walked down to Greene’s Falls and back. This track quieter, but we did see huge tadpoles in the pools above the falls and assume they were Great Barred Frog tadpoles and had a Russet-tailed Thrush on the way back.
Almost out of the rainforest and we bumped into Brian Russell, a fellow birder, taking photos of a Multicoloured Stinkhorn Phallus multicolor. Back out in the car park, while having some badly needed peaches and apple rounds, a small flock of 6 Topknot Pigeons flew overhead.
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Green Catbird |
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| (Prob) Stump Puffball Lycoperdon pyriform |
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| Austro Dripping Bonnet Mycena austrororida |
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| Multicoloured Stinkhorn Phallus multicolor |
7.12.21
North Stradbroke Island
We got the 8.00 water taxi from Cleveland and then the bus at Dunwich, arriving at Pt Lookout just before 9. We walked the Gorge not seeing anything special. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any dolphins or turtles and, of course at this time of year, whales would have been unexpected. However, Linc enjoyed the walk, climbing on the rocks and finding bits and pieces along the way. - and the ice cream at the shops afterwards.
We got the 11.00 bus back to Dunwich, the 11.30 ferry and were home by 12.30.
He did add Sooty Oystercatcher (4 @ Pt Lookout) and Little Wattlebird to his tick list and we saw a Whistling Kite harass the Pied Oystercatchers on the beach near the ferry terminal.
Rested up for a couple of hours, then at 16.00 went for a walk at Whiteshill in the hopes of Koala. And……..Linc found his own first wild Koala! We saw 2 in total and a Pied Currawong nest with 2 advanced juveniles.
Came home very happy.
Later, after dark, a Grey-headed Flying Fox landed in a palm tree near my balcony and while looking for it, we saw 2 Rats in the tree. Not 100% sure what species – maybe Bush Rat? But seems a stretch in the suburbs. Large size, inclined to grey upperparts with white unders. Also a Ring-tailed Possum with a juvenile on her back.
Very exciting.
6.12.21
Sandy Camp
Linc and I were on site at 7.30. Mostly the usual expected birds, but we did have several views of Spotless Crake running back and forth across the track between the two ponds.
Australian White Ibis, Australasian Darters, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants all at various stages of nesting in three ponds.
Linc nearly stood on a Green Tree Snake and we had brief, but close views of it sliding up a tree. We also found reptile eggs of some sort having being dug up and eaten by a predator of some sort.
Butterflys were few – just Common Crow (8) and a couple of, what I assume were, Lemon Migrants moving through.
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