CAPERTEE REDUX

The last time I published a post about the Capertee Valley, I concentrated on our sighting of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater:  http://qldbirder.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/capertee-revisited.html
This time I've included a varied selection of other images from our visit.

The cliffs of Wollemi National Park

Being Spring there was a fair bit of activity around the place, which made for some nice birding and great photo opportunities. The Bellbirds were in full "tinking" mode, and though usually fairly high up in the gums this one came down for a better look at the intruder.

Bell Miner

This male fairy-wren was in fully breeding regalia, and although the photo doesn't do it justice, the bright blue head shone out like a flourescent beacon in the dull evening light.

Variegated Fairy-wren

Beside the Capertee River, in Wollemi National Park, from the concealment of my car I was able to film a Superb Lyrebird foraging along the bank, casual as you please. Later he took some time out to do a spot of bathing, and I felt privileged to get a glimpse into his daily routine. 

Superb Lyre-bird - male 

This raptor was eyeing off  potential prey from a convenient fence post beside the road.

Brown Falcon

A couple of masurpials were out and about too.

Swamp Wallaby or Stinker

Eastern Grey Kangaroo - male

And a monotreme that became camera shy. It's very difficult to sneak up on these unique little creatures. 

Echidna

While exploring the rocky escarpment behind the camping area at Glen Davis I was able to observe a pair of Rock Warblers going about their daily routine. 

Rock Warbler

The ubiquitous Eastern Yellow Robins were as usual photogenic. One of my favourite bush birds.

Eastern Yellow Robin

I couldn't quite capture the rufous coloured rump on the Songlark.

Rufous Songlark

The Babblers were active at their communal nest near our campsite, just on dusk. 

White-browed Babbler

Capertee River

Cheers & Happy Birding

COOLAH TOPS

We were well into spring by the time we departed from Tahlee, and the weather gods were still smiling upon us as we traveled south to Coolah Tops National park. The road up was rough and steep with many grids and dips, but well worth the drive when we pulled up at the tranquil bush campground.  

Laughing Kookaburra

Red-browed Treecreeper

The park abounded with wildlife, especially of the macropod variety which were observed daily, notably in the vicinity of the camping area.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, with large joey  

Eastern Grey - juvenile 

One of the walking tracks featured a two kilometre loop through a grove of magnificent grasstrees, some of which are thought to be over three hundred years old. We had never seen them this large in our travels and we were gob-smacked with our first view of these giants, one of 28 species found only in Australia.

Giant Grasstrees

Lunchtime

Swamp Wallaby

Red-necked Wallaby

This was my first decent shot of a Shrike-tit which I usually see feeding high up in a tall eucalypt or such. It was observed at Pucca Bucca wetlands at Mudgee, our next stop after our Coolah Tops side trip, and well worth a visit if you're in the area.

Crested Shrike-tit

Cheers & Happy Birding

WADER WEEKENDS

I had a chance to do some wader watching while having a picnic lunch with family at Scarborough on the Redcliffe peninsula just north of Brisbane. I wandered over to some exposed rocks on the shoreline not expecting much, when I saw these birds, mainly roosting. 

Eastern Curlew

They blended in very well and without my binoculars would have been difficult to pick up.

Top to bottom - Eastern Curlew, Pacific Golden Plover, Whimbrel.

Some people exploring the rocks put the birds to flight, causing the lone curlew to join some local gulls in the deeper water nearby. 

Eastern Curlew and Silver Gull

Silver Gull preening.

A couple of weekends ago I went out specifically to do some wader watching with a friend. Our favourite place is at Toorbul about halfway between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Southern roost at Toorbul

It has a large area for the waders to rest on the high tides and is well sign posted to minimise the disturbance of this important habitat. With the on going reclamation of many of their resting and feeding sites in Asia

these birds need all the help they can get.

Assorted waders

A couple of kangaroos decided to have a sun bake on the sand between the mudflats.The birds didn't seem to mind.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Whimbrels.

Bar-tailed Godwits

Australian Pied Oystercatchers.

Australian Pelicans.

This little critter made itself welcome on our back verandah recently and I've been trawling the net trying to identify it. I think it is one of the Litoria species, maybe a Rocketfrog type.

Litoria sp.?