Thursday, December 31, 2015

KUREELA KAPERS




After living at our abode at Kureelpa (see previous post) for just over a year now, we have built up a nice list of 100 species of birds seen or heard, from the property.

One of the highlights was a pair of Black-shouldered Kites that nested in the top of a tall hoop pine out front, raising two chicks to fledging stage before dispersing.  



Black-shouldered Kite - adult



Black-shouldered  Kite - juveniles


We occasionally hear their contact calls or see them hunting in the distance over the surrounding paddocks.










A pair of frogmouths spent a morning trying to roost un-obtrusively before, I suspect, being moved along by a Magpie-lark that had alerted me to their presence with his noisy alarm calls.



Tawny Frogmouths



This particular pigeon is a regular, recognizable by the distinct, patchy plumage around the head and neck. 


White-headed Pigeon


One of the seven species of cuckoo on our list, posed nicely on the back fence. We only hear it's mournful call for a short while at certain times of the year, before it moves on.


Fan-tailed Cuckoo



This triller, a rare visitor to the area turned up one day, searching for invertebrates among the wilting flowers of a silky oak in the backyard. A bird I've only seen on a couple of occasions in over 15 years of living on the Sunshine Coast, it was a thrill to see one at home and so close, albeit for only a short time.



White-winged Triller







Raucous flocks of these large cockatoos fly by, sometimes landing in the flowering grevilleas for a poke around before heading off down to the coast or up to the ranges. You can fully appreciate the size and character of these wonderful birds from close range.


Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo



The Restless Flycatcher is a resident bird that usually lives up to it's name, but in this instant bucked the trend and sat still for more then five seconds.


Restless Flycatcher - at rest




And restless!



This lorikeet, a casual visitor to the garden was searching for sustenance in the form of nectar from a grevillea flower.


Scaly-breasted Lorikeet



As was a Dusky Honeyeater, a regular here that competes for food resources with it's more prolific cousin the Brown Honeyeater.



Dusky Honeyeater



Another highlight was couple of  visiting Little Lorikeets. An uncommon species I have only seen a couple times up this way, that flew in with a small flock of Scalies amongst which they can easily be overlooked.
 





Another of our seasonal visitors are the Silvereyes, which I always delight in hearing and seeing as they pass through in busy little groups. Sometimes I am privileged to hear a solitary bird quietly mimicking other bird species, a trait not commonly known of this diminutive migrant.



Silvereye



A lone White-necked Heron that flys in regularly to a small dam on the neighbours property, is one of the few members of this family we see from here.



White-necked Heron



Our raptor count is quite impressive with ten species, but no decent images of any seen from here except the temporarily resident B.S.Kites. I had the pleasure of observing a Spotted Harrier flying past quite closely one day, but with no camera handy. I have included a photo of one taken this year from another location here on the coast.    


Spotted Harrier - Bli Bli 





Cheers & A Happy (Birding) New Year!






Bird list, Kureelpa: 17/12/14 - 31/12/15
Seq. Species Scientific Name Date Location Comments
1 Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami
2 Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora heard
3 Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata heard
4 Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
5 Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
6 White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela
7 Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia amboinensis
8 Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica heard
9 Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes heard
10 Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis
11 Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina deceased (14-09-15)
12 Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides
13 White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
14 Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
15 White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica
16 Eastern Great Egret Ardea modesta
17 Cattle Egret Ardea ibis
18 White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
19 Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
20 Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
21 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris
22 Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata
23 White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
24 Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
25 Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus
26 Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus
27 Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis
28 Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax
29 Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
30 Brown Falcon Falco berigora
31 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
32 Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa heard
33 Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
34 Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus
35 Galah Eolophus roseicapillus
36 Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea
37 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
38 Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus
39 Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
40 Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla 22/02/15 - 2 birds in silky oak
41 Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis
42 Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
43 Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus
44 Eastern Koel Eudynamys orientalis
45 Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae
46 Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites basalis heard
47 Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites lucidus heard
48 Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
49 Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus heard
50 Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae heard
51 Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
52 Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii
53 Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus heard
54 Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
55 Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
56 Red-backed Fairy-wren Malurus melanocephalus
57 Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla heard
58 Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus
59 Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
60 Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
61 Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
62 Dusky Honeyeater Myzomela obscura
63 Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta
64 Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta
65 White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger
66 Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis
67 Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus
68 Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis
69 Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
70 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
71 Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris
72 White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii 9/11/15 - single bird in silky oak
73 Varied Triller Lalage leucomela
74 Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
75 Little Shrike-thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha heard
76 Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
77 Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
78 White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorhynchus
79 Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
80 Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis
81 Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen
82 Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
83 Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
84 Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
85 Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
86 Torresian Crow Corvus orru
87 Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta
88 White-eared Monarch Carterornis leucotis heard
89 Spectacled Monarch Symposiarchus trivirgatus heard
90 Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
91 Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis heard
92 Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis heard
93 Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis heard
94 Silvereye Zosterops lateralis
95 Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
96 Common Myna Sturnus tristis
97 Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum
98 Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii
99 Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis
100 Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax


Saturday, June 27, 2015

POWER LINE PERCHERS







We moved back to Kureelpa, a rural location in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, late last year, just down the road from the house where I first started my blog nearly five years ago. http://qldbirder.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/backyard-pics.html

The views are similar and the birds are familiar, like old friends we just haven't seen for a while.



View from patio


There are some power lines that run along a road easement opposite our back patio, a favourite hangout for the locals. Pale-headed Rosellas often land with a chatter and flash of colours, but they are flighty and don't hang around for long. 



Pale-headed Rosella




P.H. Rosellas - immature on right




P.H. Rosella - immature



The biggest honeyeater in the neighbourhood the Blue-faced, uses its perch to check for rival species encroaching on favourite feeding trees.   



Blue-faced Honeyeater




Our biggest kingfisher is intent on finding prey in the paddock below and doesn't concern itself with chasing off competitors.




Laughing Kookaburra




And one of our largest pigeons drops in occasionally, often during showery weather for some reason.



White-headed Pigeon



A pigeon pair




A convenient place to munch on a mantis for this young cuckoo-shrike.



Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike - immature




A butcherbird gamely balances on one leg, with the other out of action through injury. 



Pied Butcherbird




This male Magpie-lark was taking a breather, after earlier being involved in an antiphonal duet with his partner. She was on the verandah rail doing the same.
  


Magpie-lark - male




Magpie-lark - female





A couple of immature Australian Magpies preferred the fence posts, another favourite perch for many, while engaging in some warble and natter.



Australian Magpie




Another patio view




Pacific dawn 








Cheers & Happy Birding





Saturday, May 9, 2015

THE NUT, A GIANT PENGUIN & A SWIFT SURPRISE: Last days in Tassie.




After departing Green Point we made our way back along the northern Tasmanian coastline. At Stanley we visited the Nut, an ancient volcanic plug that juts out into the surrounding azure waters of Bass Strait.







At 143 metres high, it is quite a steep but worthwhile walk to the summit, where the views are lovely and a circuit can be followed around the top. Alternatively a chairlift operates for ease of access, weather permitting.



Godfreys Beach



The Nut from Peggs Beach


The town of Penguin was our next destination, although we actually free camped at nearby Sulphur Creek, a 48 hour rest stop. This spot was a great place to see Little Penguins returning to their burrows at dusk and we could hear their calls in the scrub behind our van. 



The"big" Little Penguin at Penguin



Before we departed the island, we spent our last couple of days at Forth, again free camping, this time at the sports ground from where we explored the surrounding area. A stroll around the Kelsey Tier nature walk yielded some nice birds including two Swift Parrots, a pleasant surprise, but a couple of mediocre snaps was all I could manage. We spent a couple of days on Bruny Island earlier on our trip searching for them and tracked a small flock down eventually. They just turned up here when I least expected it!  



Swift Parrot


This nomadic and colourful blossom feeder is in danger of extinction in the wild. Breeding only in Tasmania, it's habitat is still being logged and the eggs and young are predated upon by the Sugar Glider. An excellent article on the problems they face here:  http://theconversation.com/sugar-gliders-are-eating-swift-parrots-but-whats-to-blame-19555








Strong-billed Honeyeaters, Satin Flycatchers and a single Brush Bronzewing were some of the other dozen or so species observed along the 3.6 km circuit.  



Brush Bronzewing


We farewelled Tasmania from Devonport on the 27th of January 2013 after ten weeks of very enjoyable travels, an experience that will live long in our memories. A year later we would be exploring the south west of Western Australia:  http://qldbirder.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/on-road-again.html    More on our adventures in between to come.



Devonport



Some Short-tailed Shearwaters and a distant albatross I couldn't identify, accompanied us on our otherwise uneventful journey back to the mainland aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.  



Short-tailed Shearwater







Albatross sp.










Scrolling through my blog archive will show nine previous posts depicting the highlights of our terrific Tassie trip. 





Cheers & Happy Birding!





Monday, April 13, 2015

GREEN POINT & EDGE OF THE WORLD




After leaving Waratah a change of scenery was called for so we headed to Green Point camp ground situated near the top of the west coast of Tasmania. The camping area was small and quite uneven but we were able to squeeze in to a spot that was reasonably level. 


Green Point campground - our van is at far right.


The bird life was far from prolific, but some Ruddy Turnstones were a welcome find along the rocky shoreline nearby.


Ruddy Turnstones







The wind turbines of Woolnorth windfarm, Tassies' largest, could be seen in the distance past the rugged coastline that broods to the north of the popular surf beach, a short walk from the campground.







Even though it was the middle of summer, wet suits were the order of the day for these surfers enjoying the swells that travel from as far as Argentina, the longest uninterrupted expanse of ocean in the world.








One of the birding highlights was this pert little creature with a spirited song that caught my attention not far from the van one morning. I was able to capture it on "film" before it whirred off into the nearby heath. 



Striated Fieldwren



Sunrise over nearby farming land




Ann Bay



Summer evening shadows


A short drive south to Gardiner Point near the town of Arthur River brought us to this plaque with a poem that refers to the wild and timeless nature of the coastline in the north west. We duly cast our pebbles!  

























Cheers & Happy Birding