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 Nerds in Queensland 12

It was a toss up between Lake Macdonald and Maroochy Wetlands as to my favourite site until our last visit to the wetlands. Another early start and it was going to be a good day when Ethan spotted an Azure Kingfisher as we were driving along and then we had 24 species in the carpark without moving more than 5 metres! We could have just gone home at 5.15am but decided to stay on.

Just some of the birds included ...

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina. It was about 5.15am shot against a bright sky and about 2 stops over exposed and played with in Photoshop. I think a male of the eastern form.

Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris which I believe is now called the Torresian Kingfisher. It is a large bird. There were a pair.

Third bird of the day was the Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster again. I think this is a delightful little bird. 

There were plenty of wattlebirds about, mostly Brush Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera. This one allowed a considered photographic approach in a timely fashion thus razor sharp focus. 

However, the star of the show this particular morning was the next bird. We were almost back at the carpark and deviated just a few metres down a short side path in the rain forest section. We had heard a Monarch again and I was keen to a) see it again and b) see if I could get better photos. Well, there was one flitting about near and on a small tree maybe 3-4 cm wide and suddenly we noticed the reason for the interest. Two Spectacled Monarchs Symposiarchus trivirgatus were in the last stages of completing the building of their nest. Wow. Magic. With a bit of luck I shall be back there in mid-Feb and there should be some young'uns to see. Magic.

Bird Nerds in Queensland 11

Once Ethan was back, we hit the birding with a vengeance. Ethan suggested that we needed to be at Lake Macdonald at dawn i.e. 5am non-daylight-saving-Queensland time. "That is fine by me", I replied, "But that means getting up at 4.20am". Was that alright by him? "Fine", was the reply. So at 4.20am I was quietly knocking on his door to awaken him but not the other two. He duly appeared just a few minutes later raring for the off. We took breakfast with us and away we went. As we turned off the Bruce Highway, we spotted a bird on top of a lighting pole. It was a Peregrine Falcon!! What a great start to the day. Next was Lake Macdonald and, as we were pulling up, the first birds we saw were a Willie Wagtail having a stoush with a Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta.

The next birds we saw were Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis and, yes, one Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus. Life tick for both of us. It was a fair way away so just a confirmatory ID image.

We weren't in the bird hide more than a few minutes when a Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii wandered past right in front of the hide. Doesn't get much better Avithera. Aren't they just a great bird.

Then the usual parade of Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea with both an adult in breeding plumage [first image] and a pair of immatures [second image]. The non-breeding CCJ has no comb, a rufous cap and a black stripe running down the back of each side of the neck joining as a band on the chest. Quite similar to the immatures in the second image.

After breakfast we tootled off to Wappa Dam. Here Ethan ticked a Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirudinaceum, we both ticked a Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris, and a totally unexpected Barred Cuckoo-shrike Coracina lineata. The Barred Cuckoo-shrike was pretty special indeed. Ethan has learnt very quickly that when he sees a bird he doesn't know, he takes quick note of its salient features. Recourse to the guides in the car plus the backup of the camera soon gave us the ID.

female Cicadabird

What a great day. Magic. f5.6, t1250 and be there!