16.6.22
Sandy Camp & Minnippi
I had had contact from a birder from Arizona, Moez Ali, through the Birding Pal scheme. He had been in Brisbane for a couple of weeks already and had spent time with Mr P, while I had provided some basic info via email from overseas. He drove to my place and we set off or a morning’s birding.
Headed to Sandy Camp and spent almost three hours wandering the tracks. It was very birdy, but we didn’t find anything new for MA. I rang up a list of 55 species for the morning, which wasn’t bad and above average for the site for the season according to my records. We did have a nicely perched up view of a Striated Pardalote.
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| Striated Pardalote |
We headed back to Minnippi to try for Bush Hen at the bridge, but unfortunately the tide was high and the birds uncooperative. I showed him the usual tracks and spots and we added a few more species to the day’s list – White-bellied Sea Eagle and Brown Goshawk being the most notable – but the site was very quiet in general. Although it wasn’t hot it had developed into a warm winter’s day and everything had more or less shut down.
We parted at my place and he headed off to White’s Hill where he found himself a Koala.
17.6.22
Lockyer Valley
Moez picked me up at 7 and we headed west on a cold, clear, sunny morning. The weather was pretty much perfect – not too hot, cool enough to start with, but no wind and clear skies.
We started looking at fields once we left the main Tooowoomba rd but failed to find any Banded Lapwings – one of our targets for the day.
We found Atkinson Dam completely full following the recent rain – and very little on it. A huge number of Australasian Grebes and a few Great Crested, but that was about it. This was to be the pattern for Clarendon, Jahnke’s and Seven Mile – all flooded and not much in the way of ducks or ‘wading’ type birds.
Near Seven Mile Moez spotted a pair of Ground Cuckooshrikes striding around a field right beside the road – another target species. They were quite confiding, allowing us close approach.
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| Ground Cuckooshrike Video of same: |
At Seven Mile we did find the second successful target species of the day – Australasian Shoveler along the edge of the lake, but they were almost the only ducks present.
Lake Clarendon and Jahnke’s Lagoon didn’t offer much scope and we headed on to Gatton and a coffee at Lake Apex. Again, nothing to add much excitement so we headed back towards Brisbane, turning off to Lake Galletly in the Uni grounds. He scored another two targets there with Blue-billed and Pink-eared Ducks showing really well in the bright sunshine.
Then it was just the usual drive back home.
20-21.6.22
Inskip Pt & Cooloola NP
I picked Moez up at 7 and we headed north. Filled up with fuel at Gympie at $2.19/litre, an outrageous total of $104, all of which we used over the ensuing 24 hours.
Our first stop off was at Cooloola Way, our targets - Eastern Ground Parrot, Southern Emu Wren and Brush Bronzewing. Unfortunately, none of which eventuated. The Reid curse prevailed! The local council or Main Roads were working on the actual track down to the site, dumping loads of rocks to ‘stabilise’ the track, while a small digger type thing spread the stones and generally created an unholy noise. They hadn’t quite reached the side track across the heath, but were only 100 meters or so from it. We parked up at the creek end and walked back. A flock of Dusky Woodswallowswere around and about and a few of the always present White-cheeked Honeyeaters, but no sign of any targets. We walked the usual track and tried some walking out on the heath, but it was very tough going and we achieved nothing.
Back to the car and the slow grind back to the main road over the loose stones – all a little unnerving and I was praying I wouldn’t get a puncture, just let the car walk slowly over the shifting stones.
On to Inskip and I was surprised to find it not too busy. I had expected the usual hordes and there were a few caravan type set ups near the end of the peninsula, but other parts appeared quite unpopulated so, after the usual walk to the point with no sign of Buttonquail or platelets, we returned to Rainbow Beach and got a camping permit ($13.70) for the Natone camping area. This was a 4WD access only, although the sand was pretty hard packed and required little skill.
I set up camp while Moez explored – easier that way – and then we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
When dusk approached we headed out and up to Bymien Picnic ground where a bit of ‘encouragement’ brought us a very close Marbled Frogmouth.
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| Marbled Frogmouth |
No response from the hoped for Sooty Owl or Owlet Nightjar – both of which I have had previously at this site.
We tried around the back of Carlo Pt caravan park for Large-tailed and/or White-throated Nightjars, again without any success. Time of year? Movement of birds? Obviously non-breeding season and more or less mid-winter. Don’t know.
Back to camp and bed soon after.
Up at dawn and time to try for Black-breasted Buttonquail. And try we did, stopping at several locations along the road and down the side road to Bullock Pt where the last sighting had been recorded two months previous. No luck and we only found one area of platelets in more than 2 hours of searching. Does this mean the population has been reduced? Do they move in winter? Didn’t think so, but certainly we didn’t see any anywhere and little sign of a presence.
A bit dejected now we packed up camp and headed homeward bound, but, of course, stopped off at Cooloola Way to try for the previously listed targets again.
This time we parked up on the inbound track and walked the rest of the way. The workers had now reached well down the track, beyond the side turning so we chose to walk in onto the heath before reaching the corner.
15 minutes or so after walking in we finally flushed one Eastern Ground Parrot. It flushed from in front of me and so Moez had a decent side on view as it flew 50 or so meters before dropping down out of sight.
He was happy.
I was relieved.
As we walked back to the track we flushed a probable King Quail – most likely a female, judging by its size and colouration.
Nothing else eventuated and we trudged up the hill to the car and headed home.
