Exploring What’s on my Doorstep: WhistlingKite24 does South-east Queensland

Location 66: Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park, Moreton Bay – 22nd July 2023:

Target Species: Little Lorikeet, Fuscous Honeyeater

Located near the Moreton Bay town of Caboolture, the Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park is a well-signed and large reserve renowned for being a bit of a hidden gem. There are several entrance points that allow access to this large and diverse habitat but the easiest navigation is provided via Phelps Road connecting to the four-kilometre Grey Gum Circuit that travels through dry and wet forest. Among birders, it’s known as the place where the Swift Parrots were seen back in 2018 but it remains home to two species that have been high on my list to see – the glorious festive-looking Little Lorikeet (Parvipsitta pusilla) and the underrated Fuscous Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fuscus); both species are drawn here in healthy numbers due to wintering blooms of eucalypts throughout the reserve and this habitat is a stronghold for them. It’s the number one spot for Fuscous Honeyeaters in south-east Queensland notably and they seem to be a very localized species so I was keen to tick them off.

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Entering the reserve, I was greeted with the sight of eight Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos travelling across the adjacent farmland. There were actually a lot of black cockatoos close to and around the reserve. There were also several Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Australian Wood-Ducks roosting in trees and I flushed my second ever wild Common Bronzewing as it took off in a rich chestnut flash. The trails were easy to follow but I could quickly see this visit would be involving a lot of careful attention in the tree tops. I immediately heard the insect-like screech zit-zit calls of Little Lorikeets throughout the reserve. The challenge was on to actually find them though. There were some small birds moving in the canopy; a pair of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Grey Fantails were ticked off quickly as I walked deeper into the bush. The classic Golden Whistlers were seen as well closer to the ground. I continued onwards and came across a flock of five of what I thought were brown honeyeaters but realized they sounded completely differently, were more compact and had a diagnostic yellow neck patch – they were Fuscous Honeyeaters. They weren’t the shiest birds which worked in my favor and were drawn closer to the ground due to the flowering grass trees. Neither are they the most colourful species but I thought they that these olivey wonders were great to see in such high numbers. I get the impression they were once commoner in this part of the world.

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Fuscous Honeyeater

This was definitely the right time of year to visit – the wintering blooms allowed the Fuscous Honeyeaters to dominate the mid-storey while my ear followed the lorikeets. Eventually I found a tree that definitely had these tiny little parrots; it was jam-packed with them but I couldn’t see any initially. After a long search, a pair of Little Lorikeets materialized along a branch in front of the blooming eucalypts. Finally. From then onwards, I counted over 50 different red-and-green lorikeets throughout; some hopped down to hollows and I could really soak in what a fantastic little parrot these guys are. For overseas readers who haven’t seen them, they are around the size (if not smaller) than a budgie and blend incredibly well into the landscape with a bright green colouration with a black bill and red face. They are significantly smaller and much more compact in flight compared to all the Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets hanging around the blossoms. After years of hearing them distantly, finally laying eyes on wild ones was truly excellent.

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Little Lorikeet

The biggest surprise that Sheep Station Creek yielded was yet to come however. I suddenly heard some crunching noises high in the canopy and saw a pop of yellow perk up and swiftly fly to another tree. I thought it was another Eastern Yellow Robin of which there were many here but it was larger. Golden Whistler perhaps? No, wrong shape. It was a parrot-billed Eastern Shrike-tit; a medium-sized golden passerine with black and white facial markings coupled with a small crest and a heavy bill used to tear bark for insects. The strike-tit followed the honeyeaters and was busy feeding, allowing great views. It’s also unique taxonomically. Uncommonly recorded here, it was last sighted here in 2018 according to eBird and it is my second ever sighting of this magnificent species. One of my all-time favourites and it was one of the species that started it all for me. As the forest dried, single figures of Pale-headed Rosella, Spangled Drongo and Laughing Kookaburra were noted as I finished a very satisfying circuit. Sheep Station was truly excellent and the sight of heaving trees filled with honeyeaters and lorikeets was worth the journey alone.

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Eastern Shrike-tit
Birds
Australian Wood-Duck Chenonetta jubata
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Zanda funerea
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
Little Lorikeet Parvipsitta pusilla
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Yellow-faced Honeyeater Caligavis chrysops
Fuscous Honeyeater Ptilotula fusca
Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta
Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus
Eastern Shrike-tit Falcunculus frontatus [first for this thread]
Grey Shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
 
Location 67: Sandstone Lakes, Moreton Bay – 22nd July 2023:

Target Species: White-cheeked Honeyeater

I always get quietly a bit envious when I see how easy it seems to be to see Phylidonyris honeyeaters, especially the New Holland Honeyeater, in the southern states. This will be something that will soon be remediated by the end of the year but before that, the White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger) is my best chance locally; a black-and-white bird with bright yellow tail and wing panels with large white cheek patches. These are a species that have largely been pushed out of Brisbane and are found in coastal wallum and heath habitat to the north and south of the city. Sunshine Coast coastal habitat seems to be their stronghold but I opted for a closer location that promised to provide reliable sightings. Sandstone Lakes is a large suburban wetland that is planted thickly with flowering natives attracting a wealth of wildlife just before the bridge to Bribie Island in the town of Ningi. I have had good luck and experience at these community suburban wetlands similar to location #61 and #62 as they can often harbour a great deal of biodiversity despite being close to people’s backyards.

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The site was large and expansive. There were several trails that encircled the large lake with melaleuca tracks and sections of uncommon yet valuable heath habitat, about five minutes from the Bribie Island bridge. The dominant species were Little Wattlebirds that travelled quickly from flower to flower. There were lots of Brown Honeyeaters as well but no White-cheeked Honeyeaters yet as I continued searching. I passed the first stretch of water and notably there was a group of five Magpie Geese among all the commoner waterfowl; they were really great to see up close. I kept a close eye out towards the water as Pink-eared Ducks and Musk Dusks have been seen here within the past month but all I saw were heaps of Hardheads. A pair of Whistling Kites patrolled the water as well.

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Magpie Goose

There was a melaleuca track across the road and I immediately spotted an Eastern Whipbird bounding across the path along with a few Eastern Yellow Robins and Golden Whistlers nearby as well as they fed quickly right along people’s backyards. I believe I also saw a male Rose Robin but it was too quick to confirm for certain and it was perched in a dark corner behind pink bottlebrush in a yard. There were lots of Grey Fantails as expected, both Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Doves, and more honeyeaters; now the wattlebirds were intermingling with the Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Lewin’s Honeyeaters. There were other small birds – Silvereyes, Variegated Fairywrens, Red-backed Fairywrens and Double-barred Finches. Still no White-cheeks but a Scarlet Jezebel was exciting to see.

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Scarlet Jezebel

I was starting to lose hope but then I heard an unusual call that came deep from some grevilleas near a fenceline. A black and white flash zoomed past and disappeared. I waited a few minutes and was pleased to see that a trio of White-cheeked Honeyeaters cautiously returned, darting in and out of the local backyards and dodging barking dogs. They finally settled down in a patch of grevilleas very close to the ground and I was reminded about how small they are in person compared to all the large honeyeaters flocking around the nearby trees. The honeyeaters later perched on a fence out in the open after their feed and were simply fantastic to watch. Overall, it’s a great site in general with a total of 40+ species seen and well worth stopping by on the way to Bribie Island.

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White-cheeked Honeyeater
Birds
Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
Black Swan Cygnus atratus
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Hardhead Aythya australis
Australian Brushturkey Alectura lathami
Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis
Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis
Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae
Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Great Egret Ardea alba
Australian Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti
Red-backed Fairywren Malurus melanocephalus
Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta
White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger [first for thread]
Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis
Black-faced Cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Willie-wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis
Double-barred Finch Stizoptera bichenovii

Invertebrates
Speckled Line-Blue Catopyrops florinda
Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona
 
Location 68: Mount Tambourine, Scenic Rim – 29th July 2023:

Target Species: Land Mullet, Crimson Rosella, Bassian Thrush

The Mount Tambourine township is on a small plateau 550 metres above sea level with views out towards coastal Gold Coast near the Pacific Ocean. On the western edge the Scenic Rim and Cunningham’s Gap can be seen. Popular with day trippers, the narrow country lanes lead to several wildlife-watching sites that form part of the greater albeit fragmented Tambourine National Park which has several sites spread out within the town with fourteen separate parcels of land. Being the most northern remanent of the ancient lava flows from Mount Warning, rich volcanic soil supports a varieties of habitats including rainforest with distinctive Piccabeen Palm groves, wet eucalypt forest dominated by flooded gums and open forest with bracken fern understoreys. From glossy half-a-metre-long skinks to monstrous earthworms, the wildlife is rich and often a strong point of difference to the nearby coastal lowlands. It’s also the first time we enter Albert’s Lyrebird territory as well…about time that I start looking for them as well.

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(1) Mount Tambourine Botanic Gardens:

The township of Mount Tambourine gets very busy over the weekend. Be aware that it’s a bit of a tourist trap. The botanic gardens however were a quiet getaway tucked along a leafy road of houses in a sleepy neighbourhood. It’s always worth figuring out if there are any botanic gardens in new places I haven’t visited much as I get a feel for the local wildlife before delving into the nearby reserves and larger spaces. The botanic gardens had a good mix of ornamental plants and stretches of rainforest with well-marked walking tracks and open spaces as well to carefully observe. The first species I spotted in a dark garden bed caused initial confusion. Russet-tailed Thrushes are usually the dominant thrush around the lowlands of south-east Queensland and even more montane regions like Mount Glorious exclusively have the russets. Things however get a bit murky as you go west towards Lamington National Park and the Bassian Thrush starts becoming a possibility around the Scenic Rim region. Eventually the bird in question was determined to be a Russet-tailed Thrush, despite quiet hopes for a Bassian. Continuing further into the wet forest, an Eastern Whipbird appeared momentarily and there were lots of small brown birds, probably gerygones high in the canopy. There wasn’t really much seen but plenty heard; the second highlight was seeing my first Square-tailed Kite soar open the picnic area. Its characteristic pale head and tail shape quickly confirmed it; my number one raptor to see locally. Not much else of note was seen but I saw (and heard) some quality species.

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Russet-tailed Thrush

(2) Curtis Falls/Joalah Section – Tambourine National Park:

This popular circuit towards the impressive Curtis Falls is a small fragment of lush national park. Initially an unsettling amount of aggressive Noisy Miners were seen around the rainforest clearings which actively drive out small bird populations but they were outnumbered by Satin Bowerbirds and Australasian Figbirds everywhere that were living around the café near the national park entrance and the local backyards. I saw lots of mature males around but I didn’t manage to photograph a single bowerbird as they were very quick. The absolute highlight however was seeing an Australian Logrunner chick being fed by the adults. There was an incredible density of logrunners – about eight or nine individuals seen all up which for such an elusive and localised species is incredible. This little one could have made the coldest heart melt in the morning chill. Endearing little creature. There were Yellow-throated Scrubwrens and Pale-Yellow Robins around among with the cries of catbirds and booms of fruit-doves to accompany a quick walk.

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Young Australian Logrunner

(3)MacDonald Section – Tambourine National Park:

This was more what I was hoping for with Mount Tambourine. A quiet and untouched richness that seemed to be a hidden gem as I was the only visitor throughout the approximately two-kilometre circuit. A total of three Noisy Pittas were seen through the trail; the first one was in a brief flight with its electric blue wing flashes with more prolonged views of the next two birds that remained much warier than the Brisbane pittas that are still recorded daily with excellent views around the city. There was lots of dappled light and open leaf litter rich clearings that would no doubt be great spots for the Land Mullets that I unfortunately didn’t see. I heard Crimson Rosellas again but as a bit of tradition of mine with this species, dipped on those as well. The tracks were filled with sound but most of the small birds were hanging around the top of trees – a humble assortment of Brown Gerygone, Grey Fantail, Pale-yellow Robin and a calling Green Catbird in full view with another Russet-tailed Thrush and flocks of White-browed Scrubwrens on the forest floor. Overall, Mount Tambourine is not considered to be a very ‘birdy hotspot’ these days due to widespread urban development and habitat fragmentation but I was pleasantly surprised with the small rainforest pockets peppered throughout the area. It was a nice litter taster of the region and what it has to offer.

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Noisy Pitta
Birds
Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata
Australian Brushturkey Alectura lathami
Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor
Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris
Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
Yellow-throated Scrubwren Neosericornis citreogularis
White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
Brown Gerygone Gerygone mouki
Australian Logrunner Orthonyx temminckii
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
Pale-yellow Robin Tregellasia capito
Russet-tailed Thrush Zoothera heinei
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
Location 68: Mount Tambourine, Scenic Rim – 29th July 2023:
(1) Mount Tambourine Botanic Gardens:
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Botanic Gardens are often excellent for birding, especially if in an urban area. The variety of plants give multiple food options and there is usually plenty of cover as well as large mature trees.
 
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WalkingAgnatha said:
Just asking, have you ever tried for rufous scrub-bird? (I believe there may be some around Lamington/Border Ranges NP?)
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No, never but it's on the list with the lyrebird for Lamington National Park as very specific future targets. They are present on the Border Track mainly but have been recorded across the site. Olive Whistler is another one that just nudges into Queensland across the border in the same area.
 
A Warm Winter – 7th Brigade Park, Brisbane – June to August 2023:

In Brisbane, our traditional winters have seen quite dramatic fluctuations in temperatures recently. There have been some quite hot weekend bursts of warm weather, permitting a lot of very visible wildlife activity during the traditionally quieter months of dormancy. One of my local haunts, 7th Brigade Park has had lots of seasonal movements with several residents and visitors travelling throughout the full breadth of the site. The most obvious changes noted in the cooler months is the drop in butterfly numbers as they complete their cycle back to eggs and caterpillars. Along with the ever-present winter staples like Common Crows and Black Jezebels, there have however been healthy numbers of the little lycaenid butterflies that really boomed in numbers noticeably likely due to a constant supply of their host plants throughout the year; lots of suburban tuckeroos and macadamias especially. I try to make an effort to record every one I come across daily and that is able to be photographed. So far, this past month has revealed sightings of Short-tailed Line-Blue, Dainty Grass-Blue, Hairy Line-Blue, Common Grass-Blue, Bright Cornelian, Large Purple-Line Blue, Glistening Line-Blue, Speckled Line-Blue and a lifer in the form of Two-spotted Line-Blues which absolutely covered the wattle trees across the park for several weeks. A pretty little species but their numbers quickly dropped following their boom and bust and have since been replaced by other species. I am still a few months away from seeing my local favourite butterfly species; the Small Green-banded Blue which are usually common near the grove of red ash in the park.

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Two-spotted Line-Blue

The second seasonal indicator of warmth is the colouring up of young male fairywrens as they transition into their eye-catching plumage. The park is home to small populations of all three of the city’s fairywrens – Superb, Red-backed and Variegated Fairywrens - which is impressive for a small and urban site. They are largely found only in the densest and most secluded parts of the park; all along the weediest creek lines away from patrolling mobs of Noisy Miners. The coming months will see me search for another fairywren species out west but more on that later. The Variegated and Red-backed Fairywrens tend to stick together closely with whistlers but the Superbs are usually slightly more visible and can be found in more open spaces. The White-browed Scrubwrens which are residents here are seen less and less but their calls remain present. The calls of Sacred Kingfishers are ringing across the park once again meaning these visitors will soon be appearing and breeding along the creek.

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Variegated Fairywren – colouring up

The heady blooms of eucalypts and wattles have sent the lorikeets – Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets to occupy the nest hollows and vacant nest hollows while Little and Noisy Friarbirds are present with them in large nectar-driven feeding flocks. They aren’t the only occupants however and I have noticed an increase in sightings of Elegant Snake-eyed Skinks which often share these nesting mounds with the lorikeets and also wedge themselves underneath the bark of the tree, only emerging to feed on crickets and soak in the strong midday rays of light.

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Rainbow Lorikeet

Finally, the quiet waterhole near one of the entrances is worth careful inspection. Brown Quails feed closely in the morning light while Buff-banded Rails are common here all year around with records of Lewin’s Rails as well which I have been unsuccessful in finding so far due to their incredibly elusive nature. A Nankeen Night-Heron is a notable visitor that has popped up on one of the leafy islands in the centre of the waterhole along with all the ibis colonies and flocks of figbirds. The cooler months herald the return of Pacific Bazas once again which stay to breed during the spring. Today there was a single baza that was soaring along the balconies of a set of apartments that are positioned along the park. It continued soaring and then plunged into the nearby bushes, hunting for Lychee Stink Bugs. Unlike most raptors, bazas tend to stick around when seen and have adapted to densely-populated areas allowing them to persist in urban areas. It was probably my most memorable sighting of a wild baza as it continued to hunt and eat these stink bugs in close proximity, often flying overhead from tree to tree, lunging forcefully into the next one. All this wildlife reminds me of the value of these urban corridors that breathe life into the monotony of suburbia.

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Pacific Baza eating a Lychee Stink Bug
 
The Suburban Snake – 7th Brigade Park, Brisbane – 13th August 2023:

Target Species: Chelodina turtles, Green Tree Snake

It's just a short post for today in preparation for some new sites hopefully towards the end of the week. With the help of iNaturalist, I was recently looking at what are the really big gaps I still have for the commoner south-east Queensland reptiles. While I have seen them before, Green Tree Snakes, Dendrelaphis punctulatus are a harmless little species I would like to see more of in my travels but have some very limited luck with them. Also, I have never managed to see a wild long-necked turtle – either Broad-shelled Turtle Chelodina expansa or Eastern Long-necked Turtle Chelodina longicollis are my options - as the Brisbane waterways seem to be dominated by Macquarie and Saw-shelled Turtles instead. Both long-necked species have been recorded at the park so I decided to focus my attention more along the creek beds and rock piles and spend less time scanning the canopy. As the final month of winter is engulfed by warmth, there was a lot more activity; damselflies and skipper butterflies are quickly building in numbers and I saw a single Pale-headed Rosella and a single male Scarlet Honeyeater testing fate by calling loudly and showing brilliantly in the heart of a family of Noisy Miners. Both species were site firsts for me and exactly 40 bird species were quickly ticked off. But they weren’t the main focus for today. After much searching and several pitstops around the waterhole especially, I left with only Macquarie Turtles. However, all was not lost when a single Green Tree Snake – a first for this thread – was spotted sunning in a pile of rocks that lined the creek. These piles are home to large colonies of water skinks and I have seen a Keelback here before but never a tree snake. It was a vibrant olivey-yellow and I noted its dark tongue as it slowly retreated into the mound. Tree snakes are an extremely variable species that come in a wide range of colours often associated with locations; most colours ranging from greys and golds all the way to a bright blue phase that is sought after in private hands.

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Green Tree Snake
 
Location 69 +70: Devon Park Boundary Rd+ Irongate Conservation Park, Toowoomba – 19th August 2023:

Target Species: White-winged Fairywren, Purple-backed Fairywren, Zebra Finch, Apostlebird

Time for some roadside birding. A humble farmland road quietly sits near the township of Oakey; an area that has already been acknowledged in the thread as the gateway to the outback. With high expectations (something that can be a bit risky with birding) after the Cockatiels a few months ago, I am back for several extra targets across four new sites. This little slice of the big bad west provides a tantalising opportunity as the eastern range limit of quite a few wide-ranging, predominantly western-central species. The road is gravel but there are grassy verges on either side allowing for a pathway to search for species along the weeds and farm fences. One of the resident species here, the White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus) is a jaw-dropping species with the breeding males being a brilliant deep sapphire blue with a white wing patch. I suspect I was visiting a tad early in the season for bright males hopping about but would be pleased to see any fairywrens as this was as east as they get geographically.

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It had to be a very slow process across the quiet landscape. It was a very bright day but unfortunately, I felt the intense wind sent most of the smaller bird species into shelter. The density of birdlife was still high throughout and while I dipped on some targets like Zebra Finch and Apostlebird, I was pleased to start my morning with several raptors. The most common species throughout was the Nankeen Kestrel that hovered and actively hunted mice throughout the fields. This species is commonly seen along the highway as you travel west of Brisbane but it’s uncommon to get a good prolonged look at them. They were easily spotted throughout the powerlines surveying their surroundings for prey. A Black Kite is another common species found across farmland here and was quickly seen being harassed by Torresian Crows. I carefully inspected all corvids as ravens are found here but I didn’t manage to pinpoint any.

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Nankeen Kestrel

The sight of a quartet of Cockatiels lifted spirits in the harsh conditions and I admired the density of Galahs around as well. They were feeding across all the fields I saw basically and it was hard to miss them all. Hundreds of them. Oddly not a single corella was seen. The first fairywrens excitingly started appearing after the first bend in the desiccated grasses that fill the pathway. Initially I saw a trio of Superb Fairywrens that were feeding along the roadside providing an anticlimactic rush of excitement but suddenly I confidently locked eyes on my lifer White-winged Fairywren. A pale little bird that blended into the dry landscape and looked like a non-breeding Red-backed Fairywren with its white throat but instead had a long deep blue tail. The head shape is different as well I noticed and overall they seemed to be a much more compact bird. This species remained common along this stretch and used the fence line extensively, hopping from each weed patch on either side of the road. A great site for them so it seems.

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Galah

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White-winged Fairywren

Butterflies kept me entertained during the sections that had limited birds. There were several species that haven’t appeared in Brisbane yet – Caper White and Lesser Wanderer were two species that were common throughout the grassland. There were also lots of Common Grass-Blues everywhere along with the more notable Long-tailed Pea-Blue and there were several sitting with wings open in the emerging sun. Overall, this hotspot seems to be a worthwhile venture and I hope to return in more favourable conditions to continue the search for several targets.

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Long-tailed Pea-Blue

Half an hour from Oakey, is a small reserve called the Irongate Conservation Park and it is home to some very special remnant brigalow habitat that is rare regionally. My target for this site which sits even further west of Oakey was the Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis). Now split from Variegated Fairywrens, any wrens from the variegated fairywren complex west of the Great Dividing Range are considered purple-backs and there has been found to be very little hybridisation along the geographical barrier. The two species can be distinguished visually, you need to look for a violet-blue mantle on the males as opposed to the royal blue of the coastal Variegated. Fortunately, the reserve is additionally a well-known site for them with several confident eBird sightings and trip reports. The Purple-backed Fairywrens were common throughout and I managed to find at least two separate groups with some bright males. I only managed to photographed females as there was lots of deep scrubby coverage.

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Purple-backed Fairywren

The birds were difficult to spot (wind again) but the second highlight was a male Rose Robin at eye level with Golden Whistler and Grey Fantail. It felt very odd to see one all the way out here so inland past the dividing range; probably the last bird I imagined seeing out here but there was plenty of coverage for this retreating species. The male’s pink breast was incredibly eye-catching up close. Nearby, a big old male Swamp Wallaby was another interesting find. Contrasting the fleeting glimpses of flighty macropods I am used to in Brisbane reserves, he was fearless and even approached the track towards me, leading to my hasty exit. Not much else was seen here but it certainly had a feel of a place rich in life and is a unique little park amongst the cattle country. The next part of my day saw me focus on two additional sites closer to Toowoomba where a big surprise (or rather four!) awaited.

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Swamp Wallaby
OAKEY:

Birds:
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus
Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus
White-winged Fairywren Malurus leucopterus
Black-faced Cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae
Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Willie-wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Invertebrates
Caper White Belenois java
Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia
Meadow Argus Junonia villida
Long-tailed Pea-Blue Lampides boeticus
Common Grass-Blue Zizina labradus

IRONGATE:

Mammals:
Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor

Birds:
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus assimilis
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Gray Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Rose Robin Petroica rosea
 
Location 71 + 72: Peacehaven Botanic Park, Toowoomba – 19th August 2023:

Target Species: Common Bronzewing, Powerful Owl

The Highfields region just sits north of Toowoomba and is home to a wide range of notable sites with two having already been covered – Davidson Arboretum (location #54) and Highfields Falls (location #55). This area attracts a wide range of species especially temperate species like Red Wattlebird, Eastern Spinebill and Common Bronzewing. The Peacehaven Botanic Garden (location #71) is a large, open site with sweeping views of the farmland and small patches of native plantings across the location with a small pond towards the pagoda. Location 72 will remain unnamed for now due to a very big reason you will read about later on. I will add it into the final summary at the conclusion of the thread when I finish all the locations depending on the status of the creatures in question.

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The botanic garden was home to a range of species that are common throughout Highfields. Like last time, I was impressed by the volume of parrots in the area. Pale-headed Rosellas were found throughout the remnant eucalypts and chattered quietly as they travelled from tree to tree. There were Galahs throughout along with more Scaly-breasted Lorikeets than Rainbow Lorikeets. I could hear Musk Lorikeets somewhere as well but didn’t manage to locate where they were with the other lorikeets. There were flocks of Red-rumped Parrots as well that travelled through the scrub near the water and were very quiet. I then discovered a flock of five Australian King-Parrots that were silently sitting in the rainforest portion of the gardens. The search for Crimson-winged Parrots continues then! All these species were very present throughout and reappeared several times.

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Pale-headed Rosella

The bushier areas had lots of Crested Pigeons courting but eventually I did manage to find a single larger Common Bronzewing collecting nesting material out in the open and it didn’t take off immediately allowing me to finally get a really good view of this species with unobstructed views. I really do love that metallic wing patch and how your eye catches the colours in the bright sun. The nearby water body had a single Australasian Grebe and lots of Macquarie Turtles. Overall, a pleasant little place that could be combined with the Davidson Arboretum that is five minutes down the road from this place.

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Common Bronzewing

At the second undisclosed location, there was a creek trail that was a very scenic stroll through remnant riverine habitat, contrasting the dry farmland that surrounds it. The tree ferns provided thick coverage for White-browed Scrubwrens that were the most common species here followed by at least six Eastern Whipbirds that fed se to the ground, scratching around for bugs and mainly harsh chatters instead of their iconic calls. A single Spotted Pardalote caught my eye while pairs of Lewin’s Honeyeaters and Golden Whistlers were common throughout and seen easily. A single Bar-shouldered Dove was spotted as well in the thick canopy along with Brown Thornbills throughout calling. A Laughing Kookaburra was actively fishing in the creek, reverting back to its origins as the largest kingfisher. Further down the trail a single Azure Kingfisher was also hunting for fish and remained in full view, completing a few short flights across its territory. There was also a single Eastern Yellow Robin nearby as well.

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Golden Whistler

As I was retracing my steps, I suddenly caught sight of a very large white creature sitting across the river bank. I looked up and there it was – a Powerful Owl chick with penetrating yellow eyes. My first ever wild owl species surprisingly after all this time and what an introduction to them. Southern Queensland has several owl species; Southern Boobook and Eastern Barn Owl remain the most common types with Sooty Owls found in rainforest pockets, Eastern Grass Owls in diminishing grasslands, Barking/Masked Owls with a few records and Powerful Owls are found at a few reliable sites having shown remarkable adaptability at times to urban sites due to the abundance of city possums and flying foxes as their main source of prey. The large chick was not alone and a second downy one was nearby with a huge barred-plumaged adult perched above both chicks. The second adult was literally above my head as I quickly found out. There was a pile of feathers at my feet so I looked up and there it was with its prey. Having remember reading about stories of adults attacking humans that approach nesting sites, I quietly observed them but moved on to finish the trail. An incredible experience with these mega owls and undoubtedly the 2023 wildlife highlight so far.

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Powerful Owl chick
Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Feral Pigeon Columba livia
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes
Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis
Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena

Australian Wood-Duck Chenonetta jubata
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis
Powerful Owl Ninox strenua
Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus
White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
 
Though I hardly reply, this is one of my favourite threads. It is often a perfect companion to my weekend breakfast and it is always fascinating to read a well-written story with good pictures of an area I would like to visit at some point. Keep them coming and take us with you on your quest!
 
The Crimson Wonder – Maiala [D’Aguilar National Park], Moreton Bay – 2nd September 2023:

Target Species: Crimson Rosella

Twenty minutes from Brisbane, today I had the morning free to explore the well-loved Maiala and decided to also visit the nearby Mount Glorious Community Hall which is an eBird hotspot as well with patches of remnant rainforest that surround the building. My main goal was to find the striking New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) which are very uncommon in south-east Queensland and are restricted to a few sparse recordings around montane rainforest. For many years they have been recorded in the town of Mount Glorious at both the café and community hall. Yesterday a birder reported them hanging around the front of the hall on the powerlines and feeding in the nearby bushes. I was expecting them to be quite visible but not even a peep this morning unfortunately. Another species that is common down south but limited in range here is the Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) as a mountain bird locally, found exclusively at higher altitudes in Queensland.

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I started my morning at the community hall where there are a few large rainforest trees that sit in front of the building with a pathway that travels around the back to a garden that is fringed by some very impressive rainforest. I relished the chance to quietly observe several species without the crowds at Maiala. There were Welcome Swallows and Grey Fantails resting in the grass out in the open along with Eastern Yellow Robins everywhere, bold as ever. Large noisy flocks of Silvereyes with sweet song regularly flew over travelling from bushy patch to patch. Things quickly got more interesting with a single Eastern Spinebill calling in a deciduous tree, making it very easy to spot. The town of Mount Glorious is filled with Satin Bowerbirds and the community hall was no different. They are very quick in flight but their harsh raspy call confirmed how common they are. While Bar-shouldered Doves fed quietly and a pair of Laughing Kookaburras were noted, I was thrilled to watch six bright eye-popping Crimson Rosellas noisily chatter past. The rosellas headed towards Maiala but there was one straggler among the rosellas; a single female Australian King-Parrot was close by and decided to perch in one of the large trees. No New Holland Honeyeaters but a delightful spot with some species I don’t see every day.

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Australian King-Parrot

The first birds at Maiala seen were a group of four Variegated Fairywrens – an adult male, two females and a young subadult male. I have seen fairywrens only a handful of times so close to rainforest but they did mainly stay out in the open in the bramble and lantana bushes. With very few people around surprisingly for a Saturday morning, the fairywrens were hopping around freely around the picnic tables and eventually even fed in the fig tree picking off the insects off the fruit with the yellow robins in close proximity. The main fig tree was bursting with fruit but no fruit-pigeons were seen and a careful inspection of the tree only revealed more fantails.

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Variegated Fairywren

I was carefully searching for Wonga Pigeons and butterflies (mainly Yellow-banded Jezebels I was hoping for) as I did hear a wonga in the bushes. There was a single Golden Whistler that was in the lantana sheltering with a few Brown Gerygones as well. While there were none of the usual Red-necked Pademelons seen, there were several Red-legged Pademelons with growing pouches among the females, feeding on fallen leaves out in the open especially behind the toilet blocks where I also spotted more bowerbirds and a single Grey Shrike-thrush keeping a low profile near all the small birds.

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Golden Whistler

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Red-legged Pademelon

The picnic area is really worth a very slow and careful inspection as often its more productive that the rainforest loop. Continuing into the actual rainforest, there were the Pale-Yellow Robins perched on tree trunks throughout. I was also happy to see four Australian Logrunners here as well, feeding in a tight unit through the deep leaf litter. There were more whistlers, the cries of catbirds, a single Brown Cuckoo-Dove in the palms and finally Yellow-throated and Large-billed Scrubwrens in the thickest, darkest corners. However, the highlight of today’s trip was a single Crimson Rosella that remained in full view. There is no way such a vivid creature could blend into all the green; its deep rich red caught my eye immediately and its blue accents. One of my all-time favourites.

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Crimson Rosella in deep rainforest
 
A Riot of Colour – Kumbartcho Sanctuary, Moreton Bay – 3rd September 2023:

Spring is officially here and it’s going to be a warm one! Today I returned to my absolute favourite site I’ve visited so far – Kumbartcho. The reason this place is my favourite is due to the dramatic variety of habitat here within a very manageable size with an extensive casuarina-filled river walk for wetland species, a secluded riverine rainforest bordered by wet eucalypt and sparser open spaces for parkland birds. There is the bird hide where there are also grassy patches and shelter for the kingfishers and rarer rails and crakes. The Red-capped Robins which stayed for months have disappeared recently but there is still plenty to see as the spring boom arrives. It was the first time trying Kumbartcho with public transport and it’s fortunately very straightforward. The #338 bus is one of several routes that go through the suburb of Eaton Hills which is followed by a short walk down Bunya Pine Crescent to reach the well-marked entrance. The Moreton Bay region is not generally well-connected by public transport but fortunately this section is reliable enough.

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I began with the perimeter of the entry pond and quickly found the breeding flock of Australasian Grebes among the common ducks and both Little Black and Little Pied Cormorant feeding close by. I kept my eyes peeled for crakes and did hear some interesting calls coming from the grasses (not too confident on their calls yet) but Baillon’s and Spotless Crakes have been appearing in good numbers locally. There were lots of Brisbane River Turtles sunbathing as well with all the waterfowl. There is a bridge that intersects the entry pond and there is usually a single Azure Kingfisher present in a bushy area and sure enough it was easy to find among the shady coverage. I continued onwards into the wet forest towards the river walk and pleasingly spotted no less than five Eastern Yellow Robins all in close proximity. I didn’t realise till the second time I walked past but there was a single scruffy chick that had recently popped out of the nest and was being fed by several adults. Nice to see good numbers of robins as always. The chick was still clearly getting used to its legs and was ungainly, trying to find a low perch seemingly.

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Eastern Yellow Robin with chick – spring is here.

The robins were very alert as they were seeing off a larger Lewin’s Honeyeater that was very close to the chick. The honeyeaters are territorial birds and will often chase smaller birds but the robins were persistent and worked together, taking turns. It was fascinating to watch up close. I was also pleased to see a pair of Rufous Fantails after many months of a continual string of Grey Fantails. Rufous Fantails generally prefer moist and dense habitats but they can disperse into drier habitats occasionally but not on the scale of the Grey Fantails.

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Lewin’s Honeyeater

I was further keeping an eye out for several of the larger-bodied pigeons (the ever-elusive Wonga Pigeon especially…) but was greeted with the vivid sight of a single male Australian King-Parrot at eye level inspecting a nest hollow with no other parrots in sight. It was quietly whistling. Onto the river walk, I was inundated with dozens and dozens of Rainbow Bee-eaters. Well over 40 at least and it was wonderful to watch them buzz around and perch on the grass even. There were several flocks of Welcome Swallows that closely followed, joining in on feeding on the wing. The weedy grasses provided close views of all three fairywrens with breeding males in full plumage among the Superb, Variegated and Red-backed Fairywrens along with populations of Red-browed Finches and White-browed Scrubwrens. The ‘zebra finch’ calls of the Double-barred Finches were also heard while I further watched an Eastern Whipbird in full momentary view. The search was effortless as I further spied a flock of eight Little Lorikeets whizz around the banks of the river. I also missed them but even the bee-eaters dwarfed these little red-green parrots.

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Australian King-Parrot

Retracing my steps back to the rainforest walk I continued with great views of Golden Whistlers and a single adult Spectacled Monarch in full sight. You can never really predict seeing a monarch and it’s always a delightful moment when one pops up when you are looking at something else. The calls of Scarlet Honeyeaters and pardalotes were heard in the upper canopy with no sightings after a careful search. Fortunately, Kumbartcho’s Noisy Pittas continue to be ridiculously easy to spot with three different individuals seen. I am sure they will soon travel back up into the nearby Mount Glorious or surrounding mountain habitat so I am relishing their relative abundance locally while it lasts. The pittas got into a bit of rough and tumble and one of the pittas pinned another one down momentarily before one of them zoomed past near the weedy river bank. One of the photogenic pittas is usually found out in the open on a log and seems to be rather habituated to all the people around.

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Obligatory Noisy Pitta photo

I enjoyed watching a single Rufous Fantail follow an Australian Brush-Turkey turning up the leaf litter frantically. The fantail would carefully pick up any small bugs the brush-turkey would reveal while it was constructing its mound and shifting all the leaves in place. I finally enjoyed another wet forest species – a single Rufous Shrike-thrush – perched out in the open which is unusual for such a retreating species. It had a caterpillar and it was using the wooden fence to bash the bug prior to consumption. What fun to watch. Overall Kumbartcho is always worth a trip and it shaping up to be a productive season with just under 40 species.

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The ‘rufous’ birds – Rufous Shrike-thrush and Rufous Fantail
 
Location 73: Kalinga Park + Kedron Brook Bikeway, Brisbane – 16th September 2023:

Target Species: Azure Kingfisher, Rakali

The Kedron Brook bikeway and its respective locations have been covered in bits and pieces throughout the thread. Today I decided to complete a large part of the length of the bikeway by starting at the Keith Boden Wetlands (location # 12) continuing on to the new site Kalinga Park (location #73) out towards the Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve (location #2) near the international airport providing easy access for all keen wildlife watchers. The whole area is connected through a bike path with plenty of green space on either side to get away from all the cyclists the swamp the area. The total walk is straightforward to navigate and is recommended if you wanted a full morning of birding that is close by and accessible. The map aims to show the location and extent of the bikeway with the orange circles representing the ‘anchor points’ to really carefully explore. My aim was to find Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus) and if I was really lucky the Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) that live in the Kedron Brook system with one being sited at Kalinga Park a couple of days ago in full light.

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The Keith Boden Wetlands is a man-made water body that presents a humble slice of aquatic life to enjoy among suburbia. The recent highlights here have been flocks of Grey Teals found throughout the drainage area and the greater wetlands that group in several dozens, outnumbering the black ducks even. As it dries, the water level has been dropping quickly revealing mud and even forcing the hardy Mozambique Tilapia to congregate in smaller pools of water. The local Laughing Kookaburras are currently attending to a hollow with several chicks while the latest Australasian Swamphen chick was carefully being fed by the adults. Only in the thickest parts of the weedy creeklines are the calls of orioles and fairywrens heard.

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Australasian Swamphen chick

Crossing Shaw Road, past a flock of eight Galahs feeding on grasses and roots, I continued into the leafier Kalinga Park. While Chinese Elms dominate the canopy there has been a lot of work by regeneration groups to have more native plantings to replace the weeds as they go through the area. There are several bridges throughout the park that allow you to walk along the water and then can check on the bridge to see what you missed on either side past the tall shrubbery. After some patient searching, I spotted a single Striated Heron hunting in the rocky stream as it quietly moved across into shelter. While mainly found along coastal mangroves and mudflats, I have been seeing a few of these herons pop up in freshwater creeks and streams. As the Kedron Brook flows out to the ocean, it makes sense to see the occasional Striated Heron here. There was also a ‘fishing party’ nearby comprised of two Little Egrets with six Little Black Cormorants and a single Little Pied Cormorant moving in a tight group, perching on rocks and branches before all launching themselves at small fish.

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Striated Heron

I continued along the busy creek past a camp of roosting Black Flying Foxes and notably a handful of Grey-headed Flying Foxes among them as well. Equally as noisy as the bats were several Sulphur-crested Cockatoos across the river out near the open parkland. I continued to the final bridge of Kalinga Park that has thick trees that reach the top of the water within a few centimetres; a perfect site for a shade-loving kingfisher surely. Several Eastern Water Dragons deep in the lower branches with their long tails were checked just in case one was actually a rakali. With not much else to be seen, I then left the bridge to continue towards Toombul but was quickly drawn back by a piercing piping call heard from one of the trees. Back at the bridge with a rush of excitement, a single Azure Kingfisher materialized in the full sun as its bright plumage shone brilliantly. Everything time I see one it feels like the first time. This species is not a common sight within the city of Brisbane and I have always had to travel on the outskirts of the city to an Azure to more pristine habitat. Resilient creatures are birds for the kingfisher was living among a shopping trolley and a traffic cone in the river.

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Azure Kingfisher in the suburbs

Continuing along the bike path, the grassy fringes were home to Buff-banded Rails and there were a few feeding out in the open, turning the gravel for bugs. It seemed like a great spot for bush-hens as well which I heard nearby as well but of course didn’t see. One doesn’t simply just see a bush-hen. Close to the rail, there was also a single harmless Green Tree Snake that swiftly crossed my path and then froze. It rose its head above the ground and inflated its neck to appear larger. Once it realized that wouldn’t work to see me off it quickly zoomed across the path and into a leafy backyard that sat along the creek. A spectacular looking snake up close. A fun fact about these guys is that they tend to live around public toilets as one of their main food sources – tree frogs – as they are attracted to the moisture in drier conditions. Delightful.

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Green Tree Snake

I continued on the bike path until I reached the overgrown pathways that sit opposite the now defunct Toombul Shopping Centre that closed down after the floods a few years ago. Neglected and barren of human life, the closed shopping centre is filled with Feral Pigeons nesting in every nook and cranny. It wouldn’t surprise me if there is the odd falcon or two hanging around here, picking off the occasional flying rat. But all the tall grass is also attracting an incredible density of Superb Fairywrens not often seen in suburban Brisbane. Several female fairywrens were busily collecting nesting material while Brown Honeyeaters and unseen grassbirds were noted throughout the walk. A flock of twenty Great Cormorants (bird #200 for the year – which is the first time I’ve ever reached this number for a year list) and two smaller Little Black Cormorants soared towards the coast.

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Superb Fairywren

Butterflies are gaining numbers. Still the very common ones at the moment – Common Eggfly, Meadow Argus, Common Grass-Blue, Dainty Grass-Blue and Wide-branded Grass-Dart – were the main species seen in the thick grass. No swallowtails yet. Egrets abound with large numbers of Great and Intermediate Egrets seen as I approached the parkland that connects to the main wetland reserve. The Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve is currently not the bountiful place I talked so highly about earlier in the thread; it is very dry at the moment and the main water source that sheltered everything from storks to sandpipers is dust and cracked earth. With the beating heart of the reserve strained the birdlife has seen a reduction. This has pushed a lot of the birds further into the wetter parkland especially the shadier Albert Bishop Park which harbours small stretches of mudflats and mangroves. Black-fronted Dotterels were seen among the comparatively gargantuan abundant egrets. Three Brown Goshawks soared overhead – two juveniles and an adult – which was a spectacular sight even as one of Brisbane’s most common raptor. Cockatoos continued to feed on any open grass field in sight as well.

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Galah

There was also the holy trinity of medium-sized parkland birds – the Blue-faced Honeyeater, Australasian Figbird and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike along with the shier Olive-backed Oriole that was spotted fleetingly throughout as the final birds of note. The Kedron Brook walk is one of several riverine trails that paint a broader and more far-reaching picture for the wildlife in the area across a deeper scale, regardless of how close you get to the hum of suburbia. I enjoyed seeing the landscape evolve over the morning and how the animals changed as I got closer to the coast. I underestimated the surprising richness along the Kedron Brook and hope to complete a few other river walks soon.

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Eastern Water Dragon
Species seen in Kalinga Park specifically (as the new location):

Mammals:
Grey-headed Flying Fox Pteropus poliocephalus
Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto

Birds
Australian Wood-Duck Chenonetta jubata
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Great Egret Ardea alba
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Striated Heron Butorides striata
Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta
Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis
Black-faced Cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
Willie-wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans

Reptiles:
Eastern Water Dragon Intellagama lesueurii
Green Tree Snake Dendrelaphis punctulata
 

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Location 74: Redcliffe, Moreton Bay – 17th September 2023:

Target Species: hermit crabs (any species)

Rockpools are windows into a greater marine ecosystem. There are a few very high-quality large rock pools around Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast which I aim to visit but for now the rocky shores of the seaside town of Redcliffe would suffice to explore some of the foreshore species that live throughout the Moreton Bay region. Of course, some of the deadliest creatures tend to live along these rocky shores; most famously the Blue-lined Octopus Hapalochlaena fasciata occurs in southern Queensland and has been recorded at Redcliffe. Stonefish and cone shells are also known to inhabit these intertidal zones so caution is required about where you step especially. My aim was to find something less dangerous – humble little hermit crabs. While the land hermit crabs are found in north Queensland, the local region has several types of intertidal and subtidal hermits especially Clibanarius species with two main species being relatively common and easily recognized. The Yellow-striped Hermit Crab, C. taeniatus has longitudinal yellow stripes on dark green legs, claws, and body. The Yellow-footed Hermit Crab, C. virescens is dark green and has yellow on the ends of its walking legs and white spines and fingers on its claws.

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The most common creatures here at the red rockpools are Zebra Top Snails. These small 30mm molluscs are distinctively patterned with black and white transverse bands of varying width. They are one of the most common species found feeding on rock shelves when the tide is receding as they feed on algae. While carefully inspecting each pool, I saw a single shell moving across the rockpool and was delighted to see it was occupied by a tiny hermit crab – a Yellow-striped Hermit Crab specifically. It had the green-yellow stripes on its legs, claws and upper body and reaches a maximum size of four centimetres. The Yellow-striped Hermit Crab eats only the soft material of detritus whilst other species are opportunistic and omnivorous, having a more varied diet. They can be somewhat social, and it is not unusual to find many animals together feeding on a rich food source like I later found.

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Yellow-striped Hermit Crab

Birds were few and far between as I walked along the gravelly beach. The highlight was a single White-bellied Sea-Eagle that soared across the horizon as it was chased by a pair of Silver Gulls. There were lots of cormorants – Little Pied, Pied and Little Black Cormorants – fishing in the open ocean along with a single Australasian Darter that popped up surprisingly as well. The beach hibiscus trees were scanned carefully for hibiscus harlequin bugs but I left with a single invert – a lone Common Assassin Bug in its fourth instar. There were also lots of jellyfish – Blue Blubbers – out on the beach which are the most commonly-encountered jellyfish locally. It was a quick morning out on the beach before I prepare for a very exciting location tomorrow all going well.

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Blue Blubber
Birds
Australian Brushturkey Alectura lathami
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris
Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
Australian Ibis Threskiornis molucca
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans

Notable Invertebrates:
Zebra Top Snail Austrocochlea porcata
Yellow-striped Hermit Crab Clibanarius taeniatus
Common Assassin Bug Pristhesancus plagipennis
 
Location 75: Lamington National Park, Scenic Rim – 18th September 2023 [PART 1]:

Target Species: Whiptail Wallaby, Albert’s Lyrebird, Wonga Pigeon, Bassian Thrush

The magnificent and well-renowned Lamington National Park is one of the undoubtable jewels of the crown of south-east Queensland locations. To mark the countdown of the final carefully-chosen 50 locations for this thread (still a while away), what a better way to start exploring this extensive area of habitat that sits south-west of Brisbane just along the border of New South Wales. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the national park has received protection since 1915 and long been a hub for biodiversity and tourism. Forming part of a huge shield volcano that was based at Mount Warning, the expansive national park is wedged between two sections – Binna Burra and Green Mountains (more commonly known as O’Reillys). The grounds and tracks that begin from the O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat was where I was aiming to spend most of my time here as a clear way to get a good feel of the place before I start planning a return visit across several days in the future. Fortunately, a day visit to the area was feasible for me and I spent most of my morning and early afternoon exploring; (1) the general grounds near the reception and national park headquarters, (2) the Booyong/Treetop Trail, (3) the botanic gardens, (4) Python Rock Trail and (5) the bird feeding station. These sub-locations within Lamington will be loosely divided into two posts for clarity. It should be noted that tourism and bird-feeding has occurred for over a century at O’Reillys, leading to the birdlife around the retreat becoming incredibly tame and easy to locate generally. A place where the normal rules don’t apply. I had four target species but I can say now the search for the lyrebird wasn’t successful but at least I have a rough idea of some good spots to look for next time.

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To talk about Lamington National Park something needs to be said about the road leading up to the area. It’s a 40-minute winding and narrow road that travels up elevation quickly through bushland before suddenly and dramatically transforming into dark rainforest that seems endless – a stunning part of the world. As a friend was driving, I was able to appreciate the scenery and wildlife along the way with careful but quick observations. There was a lot of construction along the road as the rocky cliff faces are currently being redeveloped to avoid rockslides. Grass is starting to establish all through the new mesh attracting my roadside target for today. About halfway up the road, the steep meshed sides started enticing Whiptail Wallabies as they fed out in the open in their preferred hilly terrain. A total of five were seen very reliably including a young joey among them. This species is my absolute favourite wallaby and seeing them in the wild was sensational especially considering their now complete (?) absence from zoos. Other highlights included a single male Scarlet Honeyeater as a species that can easily be identified from the road, a Wedge-tailed Eagle and a pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagles near Canungra Creek. The only reason I managed to spot the sea-eagles was because they were attempting a talon-grappling display and started spinning rapidly as they descended briefly over farmland. I got a few very poor and distant reference shots to capture this incredible behaviour. As the forest got wetter and the road got narrower as it hugged the trees, the birds started appearing foreshadowing what was to come. Among them was an Eastern Whipbird, lots of Red-browed Finches and two Grey Shrike-thrushes right before reaching O’Reillys.

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Whiptail Wallabies

The entry area from the carpark was far more open and manicured than I was expecting but there were still some significantly large rainforest trees that framed every vista and native bushes which is apparently a good spot for bowerbirds up towards the main reception. On one side of the main road is the privately-owned land with the rainforest retreat with certain sections allowed to be accessed by day visitors and across the road is the national park headquarters that largely provides most of the access points for the main tracks. Behind the carpark, there are the campgrounds that has adjacent trails like Python Rock to be covered in part two. The first couple of species were small staples in the car park – Welcome Swallows were doing laps close to the ground everywhere there was an open space and Superb Fairywrens were very common in the grassy areas but not in the rainforest. The first of many Eastern Yellow Robin appeared near the reception as it was perched on the main sign with Oreilly’s symbol – the Regent Bowerbird – shining brightly as a reminder of what was to come. The Red-browed Finches were also out in force, cleaning up seed around the bird feeding station

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Red-browed Finch

The bird feeding station next to the reception quickly quieten down so I decided to return later and cross the road to the national park headquarters. There were lots of Australian Brush-turkeys that surrounded the understorey of most of the adjacent rainforest and I was surprised to hear lots of interesting vocalisations coming from the flocks of brush-turkeys. It’s always nice to see these birds in their original habitat as wet forest birds as well. Nearby, I was delighted to spot two large-bodied pigeons wandering across the road back towards the resort. Finally, after many years of searching and hearing their calls in innumerable places, Wonga Pigeon had finally been ticked off the list. The plump pair were fearless and stayed in view for a good five minutes as they fed close together. This was the only time I saw Wongas all day but I was told they are virtually guaranteed most days in the early hours of the morning.

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Wonga Pigeon

After watching a flock of Brown Thornbills in the gardens of the entry building and having what I think was a Land Mullet (cannot confirm for certain) dash for cover under an old telephone box, I entered the Booyong Walk which sits very neatly opposite the reception and I was immediately struck by all the habituated birds. Most species were very easy to see and would come very close. I had to change camera lenses a few times as all of the robins, White-browed Scrubwrens, Yellow-throated Scrubwrens and later Eastern Whipbirds would hop straight onto the pathway. I soon discovered the local whipbirds were particularly bold and used to people. I was visiting after the morning bird walk where they usually feed most of the local birds in the rainforest but a visitor I was passing by had picked up a fruit off the forest floor and was seeing if one of the whipbirds would hop onto her hand. The whipbird quickly assessed the situation, darting from branch to branch and then did quick flights down to perch on the hand and returned several times. It did so eventually and the whipbird even perched on my arm briefly while I was taking photos. Those claws are sharp but a very memorable experience and uniquely O’Reillys.

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Eastern Whipbird

The White-browed Scrubwrens were equally as confiding and would regularly come down for quick inspections. The Lewin’s Honeyeaters were common in and around their walk as well and I spotted a pair nesting as well. The cries of Green Catbirds quickly revealed their presence in the upper canopy as they travelled through the moss-filled branches of the tallest trees. On the contrary, the forest floor came alive with the frantic digging abilities of Australian Logrunners. I have never seen so many logrunners. Across the entire trip I must have seen something like a dozen of them throughout every trail I completed. A pair were also seen on the way out on the main road. The Large-billed Scrubwrens were the main little brown job in the mid-storey as they noisily fed, completed the trio of scrubwren species A single male Golden Whistler bathing in a small stream finished this first part before I made my way to the treetop walk after a strong start to the morning.

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White-browed Scrubwren
 
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Location 75: Lamington National Park, Scenic Rim – 18th September 2023 [PART 2]:

Target Species: Whiptail Wallaby, Albert’s Lyrebird, Wonga Pigeon, Bassian Thrush

The botanic gardens sit along the boardwalk trail near the front and is a small overgrown area with lots of exotic cold climate plantings. The pathways are very winding and the bushes are thick and unkempt, overspilling onto the main walkway, preventing clear and unobstructed views. It’s a good place to search for the region’s only bird-of-paradise – the Paradise Riflebird and I certainly heard several of them but didn’t manage to see them clearly; all but a few blurry glossy black flashes. The Brown Cuckoo-Doves however were another story and one individual in particular remained in full view as it fed closely. I was able to appreciate this species subtle colouration up close and their eye colour especially – a pale-blue with a red eye ring. Such elegant birds. There was also a single Lewin’s Honeyeater hunting for small insects and habituated White-browed Scrubwrens continued to emerge and approach visitors.

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Brown Cuckoo-Dove

Along a boardwalk there was the treetop walk which consists of nine suspension bridges up to 16 metres off the ground all accessed through a series of ramps that rise into the canopy. There are several observation decks throughout the aerial walk that are up to 30 metres high. The walk is open for both the public and in-house guests at all times and provides a unique experience to observe the forest very carefully. The scrubwrens and whipbirds continued everywhere and were easy to see from the observation decks as they noisily fed. The Australian King-Parrots finally started appearing in large numbers – a flock of ten were all perched along the deck which certainly beats the traditional distant flyovers I am accustomed to with these parrots.

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Australian King-Parrot

Past the treetop walk, the habituated birds continued in large numbers on my way back to the O’Reilly’s guesthouse area. The Eastern Whipbirds were back out on the boardwalk, fearless as ever as they fed out in the open and started finishing each other’s calls across the pathways. At one stage there were three different whipbirds at my feet. Then, the White-browed Scrubwrens reappeared as well and were feeding on the moss-covered boulders that sit near the entrance of the place. More cautious were the ‘yellowy ones’; a pair of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens hopped across the edge of the boardwalk but there was a clear pecking order with the other scrubwrens as they made way for all the White-brows. A pair of Eastern Yellow Robins were also very close and proceeded to land nearby as well. I tried the native berry trick and had a robin land on my hand to start pecking at the large berry which was then followed by two scrubwrens that were lighter than air. More logrunners were also seen on the way out to the open area.

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Yellow-throated Scrubwren

The bird feeding station had now come alive with Crimson Rosellas and the king-parrots with Red-browed Finches and Australian Brush-Turkeys on the ground as well, making for a lively sight. The red rosellas within centimetres were a refreshing change to the hike around Mount Glorious a few weeks prior to find one. The rosellas were one of the main personal highlights as a species that is limited in range along the coast but widespread in these mountainous hinterlands. There was one group of birds that I was surprised to see were lacking generally – the bowerbirds. I eventually did see several Satin Bowerbirds around the quieter corners of the resort side and a few more on the national park side. I even saw a bower with a displaying male at the beginning of the Python Rock Track. The bower has two parallel walls of sticks, is built on the ground, and is used as a courtship arena during the breeding season. The male decorates it with bright blue coloured objects that it collects; I saw blue clothes pegs and bottle tops as their favourite stolen items, while blue rosella feathers, flowers and brown snail shells I believe were also spotted. More common in the summer months so I am told, the Regent Bowerbirds took a far greater search but eventually I saw two in total; an adult male with its gold-black plumage behind the toilets on the national park side and a single female right in front of the door at the reception.

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Satin Bowerbird

Near the carpark, the Python Rock track connects through the newish Centenary Track near the campgrounds, connecting to the trail that sits along the main road coming up towards the resort. At times there is a shared zone, meaning you have to cross some short road shared by cars, providing small clearings in the thick rainforest as well. The sun in these patches brought out a few common butterflies opposite the campgrounds – mainly Black Jezebels in large numbers and a few Meadow Argus in the grassy parts. In the same area, I started seeing skinks scamper across rocky walls in the full sun. They were some very large and impressive Eastern Water Skinks that covered this area – dozens and dozens of these intricately-patterned skinks. The Python Rock Track produced all of the birds basically that have been mentioned with the addition of Brown Gerygone and White-throated Treecreeper and a pair of Noisy Pittas were heard clearly. A very scenic and accessible walk in its own right with some very impressive habitat with fig-entangled rainforest and ferned gullies.

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Eastern Water Skink

Finally, I went through the café and gift shop area and spotted lots of Satin Bowerbirds and Crimson Rosellas perched on plates and feasting on the leftovers along with Pied Currawongs and fairywrens in the bushes along the perimeter. A single Lewin’s Honeyeater was also inside the restaurant cleaning up and no one batted an eyelid. Overall, O’Reillys is a special and unique experience for rainforest wildlife and it surpassed expectations. I will definitely return to tick off more target species like the lyrebird, a few more rainforest reptiles and try some of the longer tracks and would have access to some of the guesthouse areas that are sure to provide more wildlife. A must to experience.

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Crimson Rosella
Mammals
Whiptail Wallaby Notamacropus parryi
*hear pademelons bounding along walks but never seen*

Birds
Australian Brushturkey Alectura lathami
Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella
Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca
Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis
Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans
Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax [seen on the drive]
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster [seen on the drive]
Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor [heard only]
Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris
Regent Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus
Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea
Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus
Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
Scarlet Honeyater Myzomela sanguinolenta [seen on the drive]
Yellow-throated Scrubwren Neosericornis citreogularis
White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostra
Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
Brown Gerygone Gerygone mouki
Australian Logrunner Orthonyx temminckii
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
Grey Shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Paradise Riflebird Ptiloris paradiseus
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis

Reptiles:
Eastern Water Skink Eulamprus quoyii

Inverts:
Meadow Argus Junonia villida
Monarch Danaus plexippus
Black Jezebel Delias nigrina
 
Location 76 + 77: Maroochy Botanic Gardens + Buderim Forest Park, Sunshine Coast – 20th September 2023:

Target Species: Regent Skipper

Today I embarked on a trip around the Sunshine Coast to start exploring a few of the northern locations around the Buderim/Maroochydore area. There was a total of five different locations I visited and generally each site provided something different and unique as the weather warms and there is an early flush in activity. Already it’s shaping up to be a good season for butterflies so the monotypic Regent Skipper (Euschemon rafflesia) is my top-tier butterfly to see and is my current number one invert to tick off my list. It’s a strikingly dramatic creature; a mostly black skipper with conspicuous yellow and red dots and bands. Unfortunately, this species is relatively uncommon in south-east Queensland and are very rare in Brisbane with only one or two known populations in the western suburbs towards Burbank. Not known to travel far from rainforest, habitat destruction and wildfire are the main threats to both Regent Skippers and their food plants. Basically, if I wanted to see this skipper I would have to head an hour north at least.

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I started my morning at the Maroochy Botanic Gardens; a large sprawling place with sections of bushland, rainforest and parkland. It’s a very well-managed site with lots of signage, clear and well-marked pathways and large enough to pick up something interesting. My walk led straight into the bushland area with promises of koalas (none seen) but there were lots of birds above with most of them sitting high in the tall canopy – a single White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike was a highlight as it was calling very loudly. There were Scarlet Honeyeaters, Lewin’s Honeyeaters and a single Rufous Shrike-thrush throughout this first stretch as well. As the understorey filled with vines and ferns, Brown Thornbills, White-browed Scrubwrens and Eastern Yellow Robins appeared but it took some time before I spotted my first fairywrens of the day – a group of about six Variegated Fairywrens with multiple adult males in full plumage. An adult male Golden Whistler was also spied briefly. The Sunshine Coast is generally a good region for Spectacled Monarch and this place didn’t disappoint with a total of four seen; a lovely species that often spend time in the lower storey of forest allowing you to catch sight of its rich rufous-orange body with solid black mask. A Fan-tailed Cuckoo completed the initial loop of the bushland.

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Spectacled Monarch

The rainforest portion of the gardens was small but packed with song – more of the monarchs and robins throughout including fledglings. There were several butterflies around the fringes of the forest with Splendid Ochre and Brown Ringlet being the main finds in the bright sun. The walk among the ferns revealed a pleasant find; a single Russet-tailed Thrush feeding on worms. It's always a good day when you see a thrush around but I was further curious whether a pitta was around feeding on the same food source. Sure enough, I turned a corner and wild Noisy Pitta #13 was hopping into dense cover and not seen again. What a year for pittas. A pair of Brown Cuckoo-Doves were surprisingly feeding on the ground nearby and quickly took off in sweeping flight to a higher perch. Generally, the botanic gardens had a very good breadth of species and has lots of potential. Well worth the visit.

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Brown Cuckoo-Dove

Ten minutes away, the Buderim Forest Park is a tiny pocket of rare lowland rainforest wedged among the growing hinterland population and the town’s centre is a stone’s throw away around the corner. Its survival has been guaranteed by a popular waterfall that is located along the rocky trail that really only takes an hour maximum to traverse slowly. Birds were limited this morning but eBird provides regular records of catbirds and whipbirds for example. The first species I saw were the Little Wattlebirds which are staple town birds. The walk began quietly with a few humble finds – a Fan-tailed Cuckoo calling loudly, a single Eastern Yellow Robin, a flock of White-browed Scrubwrens and the omnipresent Lewin’s Honeyeaters of course. The avian highlight however was watching six nomadic Topknot Pigeons circle over the park heading north which can easily be mistaken for feral pigeons at first glance. After a rocky walk descending down towards the falls with these occasional bird sightings, the bridge overlooking the waterfall was teaming with large black-and-yellow butterflies that were frantically flying and it wasn’t until one landed was I certain – my first Regent Skipper. This species looks similar to several Australian day-flying moths but they are unmistakable in the field. Wonderful to see so many of them so early in the season. My excitement grew further as I found a female Richmond Birdwing among the Regent Skippers and a single Orchard Swallowtail. The birdwings rarely land but I was simply happy to enjoy it catch the wind and take off over the waterfalls. Just magic and I didn’t even have to climb up a big mountain or hike up something to see these rainforest butterflies.

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Regent Skipper

Another surprise was around the corner. The walk dries out and there were logs of rocks and logs that filled the ground of the park. I suddenly spotted a long, elongated snake making its way to lomandra grasses for shelter. I missed it but saw it was very quick and had this weird red patch on the first third of its body. I waited and waited; it did eventually emerge and I was able to confirm it was a Yellow-faced Whipsnake. A few rubbish photos were taken and the snake again fled the scene. There were more reptiles around with at least five different Major Skinks spotted throughout lumbering through the leaf litter. It took some patience (again) to wait for one to emerge out of its log when I could really appreciate one of my all-time favourites. Buderim Forest Park punched above its weight today and the rocky outcrops that sit around the water throughout the entire park are a hub for more retreating species. The next part of my day was consumed with finding the Great White Duck of the North to be covered in my subsequent post.

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Major Skink
Birds:
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Australian Brushturkey Alectura lathami
Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus
Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor
White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea
Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
Scarlet Myzomela Myzomela sanguinolenta
Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis
Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus
White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
White-bellied Cuckooshrike Coracina papuensis
Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
Rufous Shrikethrush Colluricincla rufogaster
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Spectacled Monarch Symposiachrus trivirgatus
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
Russet-tailed Thrush Zoothera heinei

Invertebrates:
Splendid Ochre Trapezites symmomus
Brown Ringlet Hypocysta metirius
Birds:
Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
Rufous Shrikethrush Colluricincla rufogaster
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis

Reptiles:
Major Skink Bellatorias frerei
Yellow-faced Whipsnake Demansia psammophis

Invertebrates:
Regent Skipper Euschemon rafflesia
Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus
Richmond Birdwing Ornithoptera richmondia
 
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