Queensland Visits: Ethan 01

Ethan and I did some shorebirdwatching in the Gladstone area for a few days last week. We had a great time. Here are some of Ethan's images using a Canon 5D and a Tamron 150-600 G1 lens. Rule number one is: get closer.

First off are some endemic Aussie birds.

Double-barred Finch

Leaden Flycatcher (female)

Leaden Flycatcher (male)

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (almost fledged)(saw the adults)

Caspian Tern

Crested Tern (adult above; juvenile below)

Gull-billed Tern

Little Terns

Eastern Reef Egret (dark morph)

White-bellied Sea-eagle

Dutchman reaches Queensland

Once we had cleared the Capertee Valley, it was heading north with a short stop in Yuragir NP near Maclean where the eagle-eyes of 12yo Ethan spotted Brown Quail in dense bush.

Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora

From there we went to Lamington NP. O'Reilly's, specifically, for two nights. The full day was spent bushwalking onto the ridge line collecting leeches and some nice birds but dipping on male Regent's Bowerbird, male Paradise Riflebird and Albert's Lyrebird. So close but yet so far. We did, however, see a Noisy Pitta [no images I'm afraid] on the very last walk on a busy 4WD track in a pretty unlikely place. It came onto the track twice for excellent views.

Before Robert and Heath headed further north to Cairns, we spent the last few days together birding Wynnum, Lake Macdonald and Maleny. Here are some images of birds we saw. Some are quite grainy due to being taken in rainforests -- not a lot of light available.

Green Catbird
Ailuroedus crassirostris

Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus

Regent Bowerbird female
Sericulus chrysocephalus

Bassian Thrush Zoothera lunulata

Australasian Darter with kids Anhinga novaehollandiae

Magpie Geese Anseranas semipalmata

Leaden Flycatcher female
Myiagra rubecula

Spangled Drongo Dricrurus bracteatus

Bird Nerds in Queensland 13

Well, we are just about done with the first Queensland trip. After Maroochy Wetlands there was the trip back to Victoria but I was keen to visit the Wynnum Wetlands at Sandy Camp Road in the docklands area of Brisbane itself. After saying my goodbyes to Erica and the boys in the evening, I was up at 4am and on the road soon after to arrive about 5.30 to take advantage of the cool morning. Birding is not much fun after 9am. The intensity of the sun is uncomfortable at best. Here is a map of the area.

The area to the top of the image is now a large container terminal with lots of traffic movement. But the birds don't seem to mind at all. The orange hatching reputedly harboured a Black Bittern, the black circle is an Oprey nest, the pink hatching had a Rajah Shelduck and there were crakes in the dark-blue area. It is an excellent place to spend a few hours. In the four hours I was there I managed to tick 57 species. Here are some images.

Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora

Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax

Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae

female Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti

female Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula

Mr Leaden Flycatcher taking his turn

Magpie Geese Anseranas semipalmata

Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus [pr male]

Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus

Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae

Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata. I never got to see it upright!!

Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis

White-breasted Woodswallows Artamus leucorynchus