Go South 03

After the RTBCs, a last night spent in Cairns before an early morning to once again go to Centenary Lakes and attempt to catch a glimpse of the resident Black Bittern, allegedly seen first thing in the morning.

First bird seen was a Black Bittern look-a-like, a juvenile Nankeen Night Heron. Then I spied some Magpie Geese goslings [??? sp ???] and finally, I saw a bird fly up high into a euc which I thought was a Striated Heron but subsequent examination of the images reveals a Black Bittern. Lifer. My search was overlooked by a Torresian Imperial-Pigeon

Pied [Torresian] Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula bicolor

Magpie Geese Anseranus semipalmata
and three goslings

The first likely bittern-bird I spotted was sulky and sneaked away quick sharp. It "hid" behind a large tree and checked me out surreptitiously. Well, that is what it thought it was doing. No match for the bird hunter though. This is a juvenile bird. I initially thought Striated Heron but have decided it is a Nankeen Night Heron.

Peek-a-boo
Nankeen Night Heron, juvenile
Nycticorax caledonicus

" I need a better look"

But not a Black Bittern. Then suddenly, that NNH flushed again and flew up into the top of a eucalyptus. Certainly NNH do that. They are often found roosting way up in trees. So took a load of pictures and later examination has showed it to be a Black Bittern.

Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis

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

Bird Nerd visits Queensland 08

A return visit, solo, to Fearnley Bird Hide at Lake Macdonald yielded a great crop of birds.

There were plenty of Darters around, all drying themselves in the newly-risen sun. Here is one example.

Darter Anhinga melanogaster

This Little Pied Cormorant is one of the dirtier examples to be seen. Not sure why as the water was nice and clear.

Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

Magpie Geese Anseranas semipalmata a-landing

This is a Wandering Whistling-Duck. At first I thought it was a Plumed Whistling-Duck looking a bit strange [perhaps a juvenile] but a check of the apps showed it was to be a WW-D.  Life tick with this single bird although looking through pictures I had taken at our previous visit showed a pair in the air -- called PW-D at the time. The dappled back and the dark line down the back of the neck are diagnostic.

Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata

Hardheads are always nice clean, snappy ducks. They were quite unconcerned at my presence about 10 metres away.

male Hardhead Aythya australis

female Hardhead Aythya australis

There were plenty of Cromb-crested Jacanas Irediparra gallinacea about, thirteen or fourteen. Their feet are HUGE. Two image crops to show just how BIG. No wonder they can walk on water.

Then suddenly, I spotted a chick with one of the CCJs. In this first image you can see the chick, can't you. No? Check out the next image - a crop and magnification.

How many chicks do you think?

Here is another image of the parent walking away. How many now?

Well, there were four. Pretty exciting.

The highlight of the visit was a White-bellied Sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster which flew in and landed in a tree opposite the bird hide. After a bit of jiggling, it seemed to settle in with an occasional preen. After a few minutes I "lost interest" in it [ I recall the Jacana chicks came along] and after about twenty minutes I heard a splash and looking over aw that the eagle had dropped straight down into the water about two feet from the edge. It had something in its talons. It was a large, at-least-25cm-across, freshwater tortoise. The age pulled its breakfast out of the water, had a good look around to see if anyone had noticed [they hadn't] then set about hoeing in to a back leg with the tortoise on its back. Of course, it was only a few minutes since caught so the tortoise was still well alive and as the eagle feasted, I could see legs and head waving about! Nature at its rawest. Anything for a feed and get stuck in.