Go North -- 10 -- Lakefield National Park ... still

After spending the night at Hahn's Crossing, we went for an early morning walk along the area next to the river then on to Kalpowar Campsite wherein lives a Papuan Frogmouth in the three trees between campsites 5 and 6. It is a rufous colour which indicates a female. There are three species of frogmouths in Australia. The Tawny lives all over Australia [34-52cm], the Marbled in the tip of Cape York, specifically Iron Range [37-46cm] and the Papuan which lives from about Cairns north to the tip of Cape York. Our location ruled out Marbled and ruled in Papuan on size and eye colour. This was a big bird.

Papuan Frogmouth Podargus papuaensis

 

We discussed the ways of telling the species apart and decided it would be good to see the eye colour. When quite a few minutes of observation and photo-taking at close quarters produced narry a blink or open eye, Ethan fetched a stick and scratched the bottom of the tree, pretending to be a goanna. Immediately she opened her eyes and looked down to see what was up.

This meant I was able to photograph the eyes and although the images are all out of focus, you can see the orange-red colour. Indeed, a Papuan Frogmouth. 

Here are images of some of the other birds we saw that day.

Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus

White-Throated Honeyeater Melithreptus albogularis

Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis

Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii

This was another good day for raptors with ten seen taking the total for the three days in Lakefield to 12. Square-tailed Kite, Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Brown Goshawk, Nankeen Kestrel, Wedge-tailed Eagle, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Brown Falcon, Australian Hobby and, best of all, Pacific Baza.

Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata

Bird Nerd visits Queensland 09

Dawn on New Year's Day was quiet especially at the Maroochy Wetlands. Solo me saw a good crop of birds.

I wonder what this bird with a rufous fantail is called?

Ah yes. Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons

Plumed Whistling-duck Dendrocygna eytoni

Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis

A family of Forest Kingfishers Todiramphus macleayii were eying off the real estate bargains.

The bird above is a Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster. The bird below is an immature.

It looks like a Grey Shrike-thrush but is a tad smaller and sounds different. The Australian Bird Identification Facebook page pointed me in the direction of a Little Shrike-thrush Collurcincla megarhyncha. Below are other images of the same bird.

Berd Nerd visits Queensland 04

On a par with the Maroochy Wetland Sanctuary was the Fearnley Bird-hide at Lake Macdonald between Cooroy and Noosa. This lake is old farmland flooded to provide more water supply for urban expansion. The bird-hide is at the end of a short walk along the wooded edge of the lake just along from a boat launching area at the end of Grange Road where there is a picnic table, seats and shelter. It is a very nice spot. It is about 40 minutes drive from Buderim so an even earlier start ensured we were there by 6.

The first visit by Ethan and me yielded 47 species plus breakfast and a chat to a boatee. Ethan is still a learner birder so quite a few of the species were life ticks for him. Hardhead, Wandering Whistling-duck, Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterels, Lathams Snipe, Sacred and Forest Kingfishers, White-breasted Woodswallow and a species of fairy-wren. We had about 20 ticks within 20 metres of the car. Always a good start!

Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Nesting - can you see it?

Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
Nesting - can you see it?

Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata

Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna eytoni

Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae

Caspian Tern Sterna caspia

Darter Anhinga melanogaster

Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis

Figbird Sphecotheres viridis

Guess what #1

Guess what #2

Guess what #3

Guess what #4

More later.