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

BAZAS & BACKYARD BIRDING

Our travelling has come to an end, at least for the short term, as we intend to settle down back on the Sunshine Coast if things go according to plan. Meanwhile, based in the hinterland at North Arm, we are enjoying our stay in the backyard of my sister and partners seventy acre bush property.   

View to Mount Ninderry

The bird list has grown rapidly to 78 species in the few weeks that we have been here, including some corkers such as Powerful Owl (heard), Peregrine Falcon, Spotted Harrier, Pacific Baza, Rose Robin, Crested Shrike-tit and Satin and Regent Bowerbirds.  

Our humble abode among the gum trees.

At least three of these Fan-tailed Cuckoos are making their presence known with their mournful calls. Others of the family here include the Brush and Shining-Bronze Cuckoos and Pheasant Coucal. 

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Along with a couple of Laughing Kookaburras, a pair of Forest Kingfishers don't seem to mind sharing the same hunting grounds.   

Forest Kingfisher

Laughing Kookaburra

Half a dozen Brown Cuckoo-Doves are present most days. These large and conspicuous pigeons are attracted to the fruit of the wild tobacco plants that grow in the more open areas of the property. Big flocks of Topknot Pigeons have been observed flying low over the trees, accompanied by the susurration of their wings as they pass by. The monotonous call of the Wonga Pigeon has been heard on occasions, with Peaceful, Bar-shouldered and Emerald Doves also seen.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove

While walking the fence line I disturbed a roosting Tawny Frogmouth, that flew a short distance away. It had quite a rufous wash to the plumage, which one of my field guides suggests is sometimes characteristic of the female.

Tawny Frogmouth

A pair of Pacific Bazas have been active around the property since we arrived and I assume would be resident. These stunning raptors hunt together in close proximity, leap frogging through the foliage of the mid to upper canopy of the trees, pouncing on unsuspecting stick insects and frogs. Their flight is almost silent as they weave their way through the branches and leaves.   

Pacific Baza

The name baza apparently comes from the Indian word for goshawk. Originally known as the Crested Hawk, the moniker I prefer, it was officially changed in the late 1970's.

A misty morning at North Arm.

Cheers & Happy Birding

BAY OF FIRES (LARAPUNA), TASMANIA

In early December 2012 we spent some time in the beautiful Bay of Fires Conservation Area, camping at Cosy Corner and enjoying the start of the southern summer. 

Taylors Beach

The bay came by its name when an English ships' captain, Tobias Furneaux, saw the fires of the original indigenous inhabitants along the beaches when exploring the east coast in 1773. Larapuna is the alternative name for this area.

The oystercatchers weren't particularly shy and it was nice to see them regularly on many of the beaches  we visited around Tasmania.

Pied Oystercatcher

Sooty Oystercatcher

It was unusual to see these gulls clambering about on some shrubbery near the campground. It seemed they were picking tiny berries from among the foliage, a bit of a change from their usual fishy fare.  

Silver Gull

One of the more common Tassie endemics was present but by no means allowing close proximity, the image below taken from some distance off.

Yellow-throated Honeyeater

A small flock of Black-Cockatoos did a flyby then settled in some nearby gums where one sat out in the open for a half decent shot.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

I was pleased to spot a Frogmouth when walking one of the tracks a bit further inland one morning. Not a common occurrence because they are usually so cryptic when settled into their day time roost.

Tawny Frogmouth

Meanwhile back at our campsite a Shrike-thrush was being very conspicuous when pecking at it's reflection, even though the car mirror had been turned in earlier to prevent this from re-occurring. 

Grey Shrike-thrush

The granite boulders along the shoreline are splashed with orange lichen making for a colourful contrast against the blue summer sky. 

Cheers & Happy Birding