Sunshine Coast Birds

Birding and other wildlife experiences from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Australia - and from overseas - with scribblings about travel, environmental issues, kayaking, hiking and camping.

Thursday 13 June 2013

Black-tailed Native-hen at Yandina Creek, Sunshine Coast

Black-tailed Native-hen
This afternoon I found three Black-tailed Native-hens in flooded grassland on River Road, Yandina Creek, on the Sunshine Coast.

Black-tailed Native-hen
The birds were wary at first but gradually they appeared to loose their fear of me. They were at a spot where I recently found other good birds including Australian Painted Snipe and a large flock of Red-kneed Dotterel - see here. The dotterels had been at this site for several weeks but today, just 2 could be found.

Black-tailed Native-hen
Late last year I found a single Black-tailed Native-hen in the Sunshine Coast hinterland at Ewen Maddock Dam (see here).  The species is normally very rare in south-east Queensland but a few have turned up recently at other sites, mainly in the Lockyer Valley. They are part of a move by several inland bird species to coastal areas in eastern Australia in recent months.

Black-tailed Native-hen
The native-hens are in an area of excellent grassland-wetland habitat close to the Maroochy River. I have attempted to alert the authorities of the need to purchase some of this privately owned land to protect it as a reserve (see here) but unfortunately without success.

Purple Swamphen
The native-hens were associating loosely with some of the large numbers of Purple Swamphen about.

Buff-banded Rail
A single Buff-banded Rail put in an appearance.
Australian Hobby

An Australian Hobby perched on a roadside telegraph wire.

Dusky Honeyeater
Also today a Dusky Honeyeater showed nicely in my Ninderry garden.

Dusky Honeyeater

8 comments:

  1. Another great post and some very helpful information! I'm so glad a Melbournian birder I know pointed me to your blog!

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  2. Thanks Liz you are too kind. Re your Rose Robin query, yes it's easy to access. If you google Booloumba Creek you will get all the info you need.

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  3. You must have been very happy to get such good photos of the Hens, as you've mentioned before how elusive they can be! I'm intrigued by the Dusky Honeyeaters - are they vagrants to the Sunshine Coast area or scattered residents? We certainly don't see them in Brisbane, unless I've been overlooking them as Brown Honeyeaters. Keep up the great work! :)

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  4. Christian, Dusky Honeyeater is regular around the Sunshine Coast but generally occurs no further south. There is the occasional record as far south as the Gold Coast but that's unusual.

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  5. Hi Greg we are thinking of coming down the coast soon and we were wondering what River Road was like as we don't have a 4wd.

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  6. Neil, no problem with vehicle, drive to the end of the road, just before the last bridge, mainly on the left

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