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

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

A MORNING AT EWAN MADDOCK

Back in June I joined my local birding-watching group for their monthly outing, this time to Ewen Maddock dam at Landsborough. It was a crisp start but warmed up by mid morning, a lovely day.

At bird call after the walk we had totted up over 60 species, in a couple of hours.

Having lived nearby for quite a few years this is one of my favourite places and with a bird list of over 160 species it's great place to visit and one that comes up with the occasional rarity, such as Oriental Cuckoo, Baillon's Crake, Musk Duck and Australasian Shoveler.  

Sunshine Coast Bird Observers Group

I only managed to get a few average shots of some of the more co-operative birds such as this pair loafing on one of the ponds near the causeway.

Pacific Black Ducks

The moorhen was one of a small group pottering around on the Salvinia weed that infests some parts of the lake.

Dusky Moorhen

 A pair of Forest Kingfishers were busy hunting around the edges of the water and one sat still long enough for a picture, albeit at the furthest reach of my cameras focal range.

Forest Kingfisher

This bigger hunter was also watching for prey over the water, acting like a real kingfisher!

Laughing Kookaburra

I was also able recently to visit Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary and did the shorter wheelchair access walk. There were at least three male Golden Whistlers trying to outdo each other with their vocal prowess.

Golden Whistler

 And Scarlet Honeyeaters abounded, chasing each other through the tangled undergrowth.

Scarlet Honeyeater

Meanwhile back at home I have been hearing the call of a Noisy Pitta frequently over the last few weeks.

This is the first time in my three years here in Kureelpa I have heard this bird and getting to see it has proved impossible so far. It only calls a couple of times on dawn or dusk and it only responded once to my use of playback. I am assuming it may be roosting overnight in our backyard and heading to more suitable habitat to feed during the day. Seeing as I'll probably never get a photo of this elusive dweller of the rainforest I have posted a picture from Ian Montgomery's fantastic site http://www.birdway.com.au

Noisy Pitta

OUT AND ABOUT

It was back to work for Clare and myself after our recent holiday so I haven't had much of a chance to do any birding. I had a few pictures from before our trip that I had meant to post but never got around to it

.

While picnicking at Noosaville with some rellies recently I snapped some photos of the local denizens of the park. The heron had been hanging around our table hoping for scraps.

White-faced Heron

 The  ever present lorikeets although unusually quiet, brightened up an otherwise dull and overcast day.

Rainbow Lorikeets

Meanwhile closer to home and while walking the dog, camera in hand, I got close enough for a shot of a pardalote that was doing its best to be as inconspicuious as possible.

Striated Pardalote.

The immature cuckoo-shrike a little further down the road was much more obliging!

Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike

As I walked back and reached our front yard I saw an unusual flower that I hadn't noticed before. I'm not much of  a gardener but I'm guessing it is an orchid of some description.

Relaxing on the back verandah with a cuppa afterwards I watched this lone lorikeet tucking into some fresh seed in the feeder.

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

Followed by a visit to the birdbath by a Rufous Fantail that comes in most days for a dip. Getting a decent shot of it is another matter as it only has a quick splash then disappears. It is quite shy compared to it's less colourful counterpart, the Grey Fantail.

Rufous Fantail.

I was just about to head inside with the daylight fading when a pair of black cockatoos flew in nearby for a bit of a stickybeak. One posed nicely for me before they both took off for parts unknown.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo.