Charlie Moreland Campground, Little Yabba Creek and Around Home

Over the last month I have been too busy to get out and take many photos. The few times I have been out was quickly at night time to attempt to obtain a photo of the Southern Boobooks. I have heard a few most nights for the last month or more, but they only call for about 5 to 10 minutes before moving on. I have managed to get a couple of photos of them on one occasion but my flash was nearly flat and my torch also went flat so the quality is terrible. The fact that it was 40 metres from me didn't help either. I have also obtained a few decent photos of a few mammals that I have also included.

This Tawny Frogmouth has been seen several times over the last few months. This is a different one from the pair that normally reside here.

Tawny Frogmouth

The same Tawny Frogmouth

Common Brushtail Possum are very common on the property. There are half a dozen or so that live in the trees close to the house. Dozens can be seen throughout the whole property. Ringtail Possums are nearly seen as often.

Common Brushtail Possum

This was the best photo I could obtain of the Southern Boobook with the bird being about 40 metres from me and having little light given by the flash as it was nearly flat. By the time I got back with new batteries it had gone. They are common throughout the property during the summer months. During the winter they are not heard at all. This is a species that I am determined to capture a good photo of in the coming weeks.

Southern Boobook

This Dollarbird was an unlikely find as I walked past with the torch. I was quite unsure of the bird by eye, but with the zoom lens I was able to capture this image to identify the bird easily. I was surprised as to where it was roosting for the night. I assumed that they would perch high up, probably in a dead tree as they are always seen high up in dead trees during the day. It was only about two metres off the ground in a wild tobacco bush.

Dollarbird roosting at night

While I was out looking for some of my geese near the dam I heard an unusual sound and rustling in the sedges. Next thing two mammals, that I thought were possums run along the ground chasing each other. They ran up a tree and then one jumped out and glided to another tree. The other one followed it. Once it glided I knew it was a Sugar Glider or Squirrel Glider. This game of chase along the ground and in the trees lasted for five minutes. After that I got the camera to take a photo of one that was sitting in the fork of a tree about 15 metres up. It was a Squirrel Glider. It can be distinguished from the Sugar Glider by the rounder ears and its face is rounder. The Squirrel Glider generally has a lighter coloured face and a shorter snout too. Also the Sugar Gliders usually have a white tip on the tail. The Squirrel Glider never has a white tip on the tail.

Squirrel Glider

Just as I was about to go back inside I noticed something very small scurrying around the fork of the tree just below where the Squirrel Glider was. I thought it was a small antechinus. Once I zoomed in with my camera I thought it was a baby Squirrel Glider. It was only about twelve centimetres including the tail!! After doing some research I have realised that it isn't a baby Squirrel Glider as it would have the black marking on its face already by this size. The black marking in the middle of the face develops as the fur first grows. That means it was a coincidence that it was near the Squirrel Glider as this is not a baby at all, it is in fact a Feathertail Glider.

Feathertail Glider

Today I went with two friends out to Charlie Moreland Campground and Little Yabba Creek. We left my house at about 4:30 am. As we were passing through the Belli Park area we spotted several Channel-billed Cuckoos flying into a dead tree at the crest of a hill, which was the highest point in the area. We had driven past and as I walked back to get photos they all flew off. I reversed back and we waited in the car. Within a few minutes they returned. I see and hear these birds regularly from late spring to early autumn but they are often very conspicuous and are difficult to photograph as they perch high in trees. Luckily for us we were close to in line with the top of this tree.

Channel-billed Cuckoo calling

While we were photographing the Channel-billed Cuckoos a pair of Brown Quails were spotted walking along the edge of the grass. Due to the low light and the speed at which the quails were moving I wasn't able to get my settings right to obtain a good photo quick enough. They were so close and in the open too but all the other photos were very blurry. A missed opportunity! This was the only photo I obtained that wasn't very blurred.

Brown Quail

Channel-billed Cuckoo
 

The same Channel-billed Cuckoo sunning itself

Another Channel-billed Cuckoo flying in

Channel-billed Cuckoo coming in to land

Channel-billed Cuckoos often crouch while calling

Channel-billed Cuckoo

At the Little Yabba Creek walk behind the Charlie Moreland Campground many birds were seen and heard. The most common of the birds today were the White-eared Monarchs. These birds easily numbered over a hundred today. Several dozen were sighted throughout the walk and they were heard constantly around the walk and at Fig Tree Walk not far from here. Other birds sighted and heard in large numbers included Spectacled  Monarchs, Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Large-billed Scrubwrens, Paradise Riflebirds, White-browed Scrubwrens and Bellbirds.

Only two Noisy Pittas were heard calling today which is a low number for this area. A few dozen Wompoo Fruit-Doves were heard but none were spotted. A few Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves and Green Catbirds were also heard calling. Other birds sighted included some Variegated Fairy-wrens, King Parrots, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Bar-shouldered Doves,  Grey and Rufous Fantails plus a few other common bush birds.

One of the many Spectacled  Monarchs

Spectacled  Monarch

Another Spectacled  Monarch

White-eared Monarch

One of the many White-eared Monarchs

White-browed Scrubwren

Brown Cuckoo-Dove

Many Paradise Riflebirds were heard throughout the whole area and they were sighted several times darting past. This one was the only specimen we captured a photograph of though. It was 20 metres up in a tree. Unfortunately it was covered in branches. I am happy with the quality considering how dark it was in the forest and how high it was in the tree.

Paradise Riflebird feeding

Paradise Riflebird

Male Paradise Riflebird

This Rufous Fantail had a good working relationship with a Logrunner. The male Logrunner was scratching around in the leaf litter, the only one seen or heard in the whole area I might add and this fantail would catch the insects that were flying off. They followed each other around the forest floor for more than five minutes while we watched them. Definitely an odd couple but they seemed to enjoy each others company and the Rufous Fantail was getting a lot of food with little work.

Rufous Fantail

The Rufous Fantail with a small insect that the Logrunner flushed out

The Logrunner's bodyguard

The male Logrunner that had befriended the Rufous Fantail

This Grey Butcherbird was mimicking the other birds from the forest. He was in the Charlie Moreland campground.

Grey Butcherbird

This bird nest was seen close to the bridge on the walkway on the Fig Tree Walk. I am not certain of what type of bird made this nest. It was made mainly from Old Man's Beard a type of lichen.

A well constructed bird's nest

A terrible photo but the Large-billed Scrubwrens were in large numbers. They were very active this time and I had difficulty obtaining a good photo of them in a short time. We were running out of time as we had to get home for an appointment. So rushing didn't help either.

Large-billed Scrubwren

Juvenile Spectacled Monarch

We had a great morning out, even though it was a very cool start to summer. I was pleased with the quality of most of the photos I obtained today. I have got a new species now for the blog too. It was great to finally get out and do some bird watching again. I have definitely missed it over the last month.

More updates and pics coming soon.

 

 

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Australian Birds Photography: KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY 

Back to the Lockyer Valley (Part 2) and Around Coles Creek

A few days after my last trip to the Lockyer Valley I went out just before dark on the property to practise some very low light photography. I saw many birds around that afternoon. It was great to see the White-eared Monarch out once again also. I was pleased with the photos I got this time, especially the Brown Cuckoo-Dove as this was taken about 50 metres away. Unfortunately the Spectacled Monarchs don't come out from the dense foliage until just before sunset so I either have photos that are taken in low light that are not up to standard or photos of them covered in foliage. I will spend some more time down there one of these days to get that better shot of them.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove eating berries

Spectacled Monarch

The morning of the 19th January we went back down to the Lockyer Valley to hopefully find the unidentified bird again that we saw near Seven Mile Lagoon that was in my last post. Along the way, just outside of Ipswich I spotted a Bush Stone-curlew and a few Masked Lapwings close to some houses. I couldn't pass up such a good opportunity to get a few good shots.

Bush Stone-curlew

Bush Stone-curlew

 

Masked Lapwing

 

Before we went to Seven Mile Lagoon, we went to Lake Galletly at The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus. I was hoping that today we might see the Blue-billed Ducks or the Australian Spotted Crake. No luck again today for either of these species. I saw all the same birds as my last trip, with no exceptions. On this trip there were not near as many Magpie Geese though.

 

Pair of Hardheads and a Pacific Black Duck

After leaving Lake Galletly we headed towards Seven Mile Lagoon. As soon as I pulled the car over I heard the distinct call of the mystery bird. It wasn't a mystery for long. We followed one that we saw landing on the field and identified it quickly. I was pleased that the mystery had been solved but I was underwhelmed by the outcome. It was a Brown Songlark. It was the first time I had taken a photo of one which was pleasing. We had seen them several times before but always at the same location. I have been to Cunnamulla 4 times and each time I have passed through you can see these birds flying around on the paddocks coming into town. I had never seen them close enough to see their unusual flight though. Through all my travels in the outback over many years, this is the only place I have ever seen them except for Seven Mile Lagoon. They are meant to be quite common though!

When the Brown Songlark flies up it has its legs tucked up close to its body and when it descends its legs hang down. This pattern of flying up for a short period then dropping briefly is repeated several times before it reaches its landing area. Once it starts to descend for the landing its legs are hanging right down and it drops very quickly! It looks like it has been shot out of the sky by the way it seems to fall to the ground when landing.

The Brown Songlark's flight as it is ascending

The Brown Songlark's flight as it is descending

It was very difficult to obtain a decent photograph of this bird while it was on the ground as the grass was quite long, ranging from 30cm to 1 metre in height. As soon as it lands it runs along the ground into the longest grass close by. It is a very secretive bird and flies off as soon as it spots you approaching. The female is very different from the male in terms of size. The female is at least 5 - 7 cm shorter in length. Their call and flight differs greatly also. The females flight is more direct and the call is less metallic.

A Brown Songlark on the lookout in the grass

A few days later on Tuesday the 22nd I invited a good friend of mine to come out onto the property to go birding with me. I was keen for her to see the White-eared Monarch in particular, while it was on the property. We went out fairly early even though it had rained only a few hours prior. I was hoping this wouldn't effect the birds that were out. Luckily for us it seemed to bring all the species out in large numbers.

We saw many Golden Whistlers, Spangled Drongos, Eastern Yellow Robins, Little Shrike-thrushes, Spectacled Monarchs and Brown Honeyeaters. We saw a few Red-backed Fairy-wrens, Channel-billed Cuckoos, Noisy Friarbirds, Lewin's Honeyeaters plus many other of the more common doves and regular garden birds of the area. We were lucky to see a few pairs of Spangled Drongos feeding their young as well as a couple of pairs of Eastern Yellow Robins feeding their young. Many other species could of been found as they were heard in the bush, but neither of us had much spare time that morning due to other commitments. Also we spent so much time taking photos of the White-eared Monarch which showed himself for a long time, not long after starting our walk. I got lots of beautiful photos again of this spectacular bird and my friend was very pleased that she got to see one and she too got some great snaps.

One of the many Golden Whistlers that were seen

A Spangled Drongo eating a cicada (soon to be regurgitated for a chick) 

The spectacular White-eared Monarch

The White-eared Monarch singing

A Brown Honeyeater trying to dry off



More updates and pics each fortnight.

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Australian Birds KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY 

Back to the Lockyer Valley (Part 1)

While I still have some time before I go back to work I decided to go back for a follow up visit to the Lockyer Valley. I was hoping to find a few of the species that I didn't see a few weeks ago, that have been recorded in the area of late. I won't include a list of all the birds that were seen as this would take much too long. The species are the same as the last trip (Refer to Older Post) plus a few others.

This time we left at a more reasonable hour to arrive at our first destination: The University of Queensland, Gatton Campus around 8:00 a.m. Just before we arrived at Lake Galletly, a bird calling out caught my attention. I pulled over and saw several Brown Honeyeaters but I knew the call was from a different bird. After looking through the trees for a few minutes I found the bird I was after. It was a Yellow-rumped Thornbill. There were several in the tree. This was the first definite sighting I have made of these birds. Unfortunately the photo isn't the best.

Brown Honeyeater



Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Once we arrived at Lake Galletly we went straight to the bird hide. I was shocked by the quantity of birds that were here today. Unfortunately none of the species I didn't get to see last time were here again. I was happy with the photos I took though. I have seen over one hundred Royal Spoonbills and thousands of Intermediate Egrets before but I have never seen either with visible breeding plumage, even though I have seen them during breeding season. I was very pleased to get both of these birds today with their breeding plumage. Not long after I took the photos the birds moved from where they were roosting to feed and you couldn't tell that they had their breeding plumage. It only shows when the are relaxed, sunning themselves or preening. The big difference from this trip to Lake Galletly from the last one was the quantity of Magpie Geese. It was one of the biggest flocks I have seen and definitely the biggest gaggle (more accurate name for a flock of geese) I have seen close to the east coast of Australia. There would have been well over one thousand, and this Lake isn't that large!

It was great to see some Purple Swamphen hatchlings running around the bank plus I saw the baby Australasian Grebe that I photographed on the back of the mother in the older post from the Lockyer Valley. Due to the position of the hide, afternoons would definitely be better to take photos as the light at times was blinding off the water and it made taking the photos a little more challenging.

A Purple Swamphen with 2 very active hatchlings

Update of the Australasian Grebe and the baby: hasn't the baby grown in 3 weeks!

One of the 3 gaggles of Magpie Geese on the lake



A Magpie Goose posing for the camera

Another gaggle of Magpie Geese plus a few other species around them

A pair of Grey Teal on the island in the middle of the lake

A pair of Hardheads and a camera shy Eurasian Coot



Some of the Magpie Geese in flight

A small flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks were also seen

Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage

A White-faced Heron enjoying the company of the Royal Spoonbill

Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage

The Black-fronted Dotterels are surprisingly well camouflaged on the rocks 

 

The Cattle Egrets were still there also. Last time I was here the eggs had just recently hatched. Now the chicks are moving around the trees. Unfortunately many dead babies were seen beneath the trees, but this was minimal compared to the quantity of young that was still alive. If the babies fall from the tree the parents will not feed them any more. Sometimes the babies can climb back up the tree but if they are unable to get themselves back into the tree near the nest they will die of dehydration or starvation. While we were there we placed about 10 chicks back into the trees. I know we shouldn't intervene but it's hard to walk past knowing they will die a slow and painful death for nothing.

 



One of the many Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage

One of the many nests of chicks (3 to 4 weeks old)

A pair of Pink-eared Ducks with some Grey Teal

A Red-kneed Dotterel wading on the edge of the lake

A small flock of Black-winged Stilts

The next stop was Lake Clarendon. Last time I was in the Lockyer Valley I didn't go here as I was told it is usually pretty quiet for waterbirds. I was glad that we did stop in, as I sighted and photographed my first Glossy Ibis and I got to see some Cotton Pygmy-Geese with goslings. There were lots of species here too. There were a few dozen Black Swans, heaps of Australasian Grebes, Darters, Little Pied Cormorants and a few other species that were seen at Lake Galletly.

A pair of Black Swans taking to the air (Would have to be the longest run-up before take off I have seen)

Glossy Ibis

Female Cotton Pygmy-Goose with her goslings

The male Cotton Pygmy-Goose wasn't far behind

Glossy Ibis in flight

Two Glossy Ibis fighting (This went on for over 10 minutes)

An Australasian Grebe taking to the air (Grebes usually only take to the air at night to travel)

The next stop was Seven Mile Lagoon. Last time we were in the area we ran out of time to have a good look, and to be honest we couldn't really find how to get down to the lagoon from the road without going through people's properties. This time we parked the car and walked down beside the drains that carry the water into the lagoon. The birds were abundant here with a good variety of species too! The main species were Pink-eared Ducks and Australian Wood Ducks. Pink-eared Ducks are not that common in the area but are sighted regularly in smaller numbers if conditions are right. Obviously the conditions are pretty good at the moment as there were more than 400 of them. The picture below is just a small part of the flock that was in the air, plus many more were in the water too! There was even more Australian Wood Ducks than that, probably double the quantity.

A small part of the flock of Pink-eared Ducks

Straw-necked Ibis

The Pink-eared Ducks coming in for landing

Some of the Pink-eared Ducks on the lagoon

A small flock of Glossy Ibis that were seen

 Whistling Kite

One of the many Whistling Kites that were eating a carcass close to the bank

This lines the edge of the lagoon which is probably the main food source for the Pink-eared Ducks

Not long before we left a bird flew out from beneath some of the sedge in the paddocks beside the lagoon. It would have to be one of the more bizarre flights I have seen. This bird hovered in flight and went up, then it lowered itself before rising up again, and this repeated multiple times. It was like it was in slow motion. It flew, if you want to call it that, about 50 meters away and landed at the base of some more sedge. While it was flying it was also making a strange call. The bird call it reminded me most of was a Chiming Wedgebill, even though it was quite different from this call.

 

I was very keen to find out what this bird was as I knew I had never seen or heard a bird like this before. As I approached the sedge where it landed it flew off again, as it had moved out about 10 meters from where it landed. It repeated the same strange flying pattern and call. I managed to get a photo of it flying but it is one of the worst photos I have taken. This has been zoomed in and cropped to actually see the shape of the bird. I am very keen to find out what this bird may be as I have looked through books and listened to bird calls of all the birds it could be and none match this bird. If anyone can help me identify this bird please post a comment. As a result I think I will have to go back to see if I can find it again and obtain a decent photo.

 



 

A picture of the unknown bird

After leaving Seven Mile Lagoon we dropped in at Atkinson Dam. Very few birds were present here today. One pair of Australian Wood Ducks with some ducklings and one pair of Cotton Pygmy-Geese. Other than that a few Purple Swamphens and Eurasian Coots were seen near the bridge crossing. I was shocked by the small number of birds in such a large area, especially when I know it regularly has many species in good numbers.

A pair of Australian Wood Ducks with their ducklings

The following day I went out birding on my property. I was attempting to get a better photo of the Spectacled Monarchs. I did see them but they wouldn't come out from the dense foliage today. While I was looking for them in the tree tops another bird caught my attention. I saw it had some black and white on it. I assumed it was a Varied Triller as they are found on the property. Much to my surprise it ended up being a White-eared Monarch!!!! Firstly these birds are found over quite a large area but are uncommon throughout most of their range. In some places within their range they are considered to be endangered, like around the Sunshine Coast. On top of this they are only meant to be found in rainforests and mangroves. I have a very small strip of rainforest on my property that follows one of the creeks. It's barely rainforest to be honest but it has some characteristics of sub-tropical rainforest. I found this bird in this area and he gave me quite a show. He came down and was very inquisitive of me and the call I was making. He showed very well for about 15 minutes before I left him be. They have so much personality. This would have to be one of my new favourite birds. They have a lot of personality, an interesting call and I love the little crest!! A very cute bird all round.

White-eared Monarch

 

More updates and pics each fortnight.

If you're interested in my blog check out my site below by clicking on the link.

Australian Birds KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY