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.

 

 

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

Australian Birds Photography: KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY 

A Few Birds Around My Coles Creek Property

Over the last month I haven't had many opportunities to get out and do much bird watching at all. Not even around my own property. Work and the farm have been keeping me very busy plus I have had a lot of family visiting of late.

I have probably been bird watching only 2 or 3 times for short periods over the last 5 weeks or so. One of the outings on the property I focussed on the Spectacled Monarch. Here are a few of the shots that I have managed to get over the last month or more.

I often get brief glimpses of the Nankeen Night Herons around the property but I haven't photographed them here before. This one showed quite well but the quality of the shots isn't what I had hoped for. It was a long way from me when all these shots were taken.

Nankeen Night Heron

The same Nankeen Night Heron



The Nankeen Night Heron again

The Nankeen Night Heron was close to the top of one of the highest trees on the property

Heaps of Golden Whistlers have been seen on the property when I have got out to have a look. Heaps more females have been seen lately compared to males. Usually the males are more obvious and sighted more. Nearly every female I have sighted over the last month or so has a caterpillar in its mouth too.

Female Golden Whistler

I have attempted to obtain decent photos of the Spectacled Monarchs on the property a few times before. For the first time I had a couple that came down very close to me. These are the best photos and the closest I have ever been to these birds.

Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch in the lantana

While I was photographing the Spectacled Monarchs I had a few Little Shrike-thrushes come in as well. They also landed very close to me, which allowed me to obtain some decent shots.





Little Shrike-thrush

Another Little Shrike-thrush

Spectacled Monarch

Another Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch again

Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch displaying

Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch watching me

A few minutes after leaving the area where the Spectacled Monarchs were an antechinus ran out from the grass, across the big track and up a tree on the other side. They are common here some of the time, but I have never seen one moving around during the day.

An Antechinus

Just around the corner we saw a few more female Golden Whistlers with caterpillars. This is one of the most common sights involving birds over the last month or more, female Golden Whistlers with a caterpillar their mouth.

Female Golden Whistler

This is a bird that arrived a few days after the Channel-billed Cuckoos. Both of these birds arrived about three to four weeks ago. The Channel-billed Cuckoos are a regular here this time of year but are not approachable, so I'm yet to obtain a decent photo of them on the property. This is the first time in the three years I have lived at the property that I have seen or heard the Pallid Cuckoo. The day it arrived I knew it was a bird that I hadn't seen before. I have seen or heard it everyday since it arrived. A very distinct sound. The chickens were unsure to begin with as well. In flight it looks a lot like a bird of prey and it comes in and lands on the ground, which freaked out the free roaming poultry for a few weeks.

Pallid Cuckoo with a type of hairy caterpillar

Pallid Cuckoo (Down the hatch with that caterpillar)

The Pallid Cuckoo with another hairy caterpillar

The Pallid Cuckoo again

The main roosting treet for the Pallid Cuckoo

Australian White Ibis and Straw necked Ibis often fly over the property in large numbers in formation. Often many smaller groups will fly in formation following each other.

Australian White Ibis flying in formation

The Mistletoebirds can be seen and heard in large numbers again now the mistletoe is in flower again. This is the only photo I have taken since they have all arrived. I apologise for the quality!!

A female Mistletoebird

Another summer visitor is the Dollarbird. They arrived about two weeks ago. The first one that I hear and see every year and the main place they are found is around the big dead tree near the main dam. As usual they perch at the top which makes it very difficult to obtain a good photo. This is one of the tallest trees on the property.

A Dollarbird

 

 

 

More updates and pics coming soon.

 

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

Australian Birds Photography: KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY