A Quick Trip to Kenilworth and Some Birds Around Home

I haven't had the opportunity to do much birding again lately but holidays are on the way so I will get out and about in the coming weeks.... and I can't wait! I have a heap of places around the Sunshine Coast area that I have been wanting to go and visit and a number of species that I am keen to locate.

A few months back I went out to Kenilworth and got a few great shots and located a species at Charlie Moreland that I had not encountered before.  On the way out I noticed a Purple Swamphen, which I normally wouldn't stop for on the side of the road, but this one had some company. Two babies were with the adult. It was very difficult to get a photo of them all together with any detail as the two babies kept a distance from each other. Within a few minutes they had moved under the fence of a private property so no more shots could be taken.

Purple Swamphen feeding her chick some grass



This Laughing Kookaburra was watching closely from the other side of the road

Close up of one of the Purple Swamphen chicks



The Purple Swamphen with the other chick

I had to get a little bit of petrol at the BP servo at Kenilworth before I made my way to Charlie Moreland and in the bottlebrush tree towards the back of the block numerous Brown Honeyeaters were spotted along with nearly as many Scarlet Honeyeaters and several Noisy Friarbirds. I focused my attention on the Scarlet Honeyeaters as I haven't achieved a decent photograph of them on any occasion that I have sighted them. My determination paid off!




Scarlet Honeyeater

One of the many Scarlet Honeyeaters



A Scarlet Honeyeater performing its advertising call

Side on view of a Scarlet Honeyeater

A Scarlet Honeyeater in a Weeping Red Bottlebrush

A Scarlet Honeyeater taking off to another flower

Another specimen of the Scarlet Honeyeaters

An adult Noisy Friarbird



Another Noisy Friarbird

A few Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos were spotted in the Hoop Pine forest on the dirt road into Charlie Moreland. I stopped for a quick photo but it was quite dark and hard to get close to them.

A Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Close up of a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo


Not many birds were seen in Charlie Moreland compared to many other trips that I have taken there. It was the morning after the area received some storms so I thought the birds might be active but it was quite late by the time I started photographing. It was a different time of year as well which may have influenced the bird species that were present. I was very surprised not to see any Logrunners for the whole walk. Very few doves or pigeons were seen or heard either. A few Noisy Pittas were heard. One bird that was in larger numbers were the curious and noisy Large-billed Scrubwrens. Many of these were sighted in a very small area. Due to their rapid movement and the dark lighting in the forest it was difficult to capture a good photo.... even though they were so close!

One of the many Large-billed Scrubwrens

Not long before finishing the walk a new species was sighted. It is always exciting locating a species that you haven't encountered before. It was quite a distance from the track in a darker part of the forest. I was able to obtain a few half decent photos but hopefully I can find them again when I am able to get closer, or where there is more light. They were Pale-yellow Robins.

They look similar to the Eastern Yellow Robins, which were sighted in the general area as well. The most obvious differences are the white patches between the bill and eye on both sides and the lack of yellow on the rump, just above the tail. They are also slightly smaller in size. When they are flying around with the Eastern Yellow Robins it is difficult to tell from a distance. I wasn't even sure until I took a photo so I could see a bit more clearly.

A Pale-yellow Robin

The same Pale-yellow Robin

This female Golden Whistler was spotted just nearby and she was collecting spider webs from the branches. This would have been collected for use in her nest.

Female Golden Whistler collecting spider webs

The female Golden Whistler with her collection of spider webs

 

I have been keeping my eye on this nest of Eastern Pale-headed Rosellas for the last few months. I had a suspicion that a bird was sitting on some eggs. I finally had a look as I have heard the chicks calling out for several weeks so I knew they were a decent size. I wanted to get a photo before they left the nest. It was great to see them so healthy!! The parents hardly spend any time at the nest now. They fly in and fed them a few times a day and other than that the parents are not seen at all.

Rosellas are seen regularly around the property but have never nested in this tree. The property over the road has recently cleared hundreds of large 30 - 40 metre eucalypt trees from the property to leave it a barren 45 acre property. I'm assuming that there old nesting hollow has been destroyed from the removal of these trees and this is why they have nested in this tree.

The baby Eastern Pale-headed Rosellas in the nest hollow 

A close up of the Eastern Pale-headed Rosella chicks

A few months ago a melody returned that was common for several months, before they moved on. I couldn't remember the call by sound, until I sighted the birds again. A very obvious call but as I haven't seen many of these birds calling I didn't make the link by hearing them. They were Brush Cuckoos. Usually they are more inconspicuous and not sitting in the open, which is unlike some other cuckoo species.

Brush Cuckoo



A Brush Cuckoo sitting in the open

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