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.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Powerful Owl, Black-chinned Honeyeater near Caboolture

Powerful Owl
A pair of Powerful Owls was detected last week at Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park - a nice area of dry open forest near Caboolture - along the Spotted Gum Track by Stuart Kelly and Carla Perkins.

Powerful Owl
I found one of the owls this morning. Early in the morning I walked the track and there was no sign of the birds. Later, I followed the creek bank south from the Grey Gum Circuit to the Spotted Gum Track, hoping to find a roosting-place. It was then that a bird flushed and landed beside the track.

Powerful Owl
The owl proved most co-operative, offering front and rear views. It was in the same place when I returned two hours later. In the image above, it is looking backwards.


Powerful Owl

Powerful Owl
It's been excellent over the past couple of weeks to have encounters with Sooty, Masked, Eastern Grass and Powerful Owls.

Black-chinned Honeyeater
Another nice sighting was a single Black-chinned Honeyeater spotted about half-way along the Spotted Gum Track. This is a scarce species in south-east Queensland.


Fuscous Honeyeater
Fuscous Honeyeaters were plentiful. It was also good to see a single Yellow-footed Äntechinus (too quick for the camera) foraging in the leaf litter late in the morning.


White-bellied Sea-Eagle
An immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle was seen on the way home over Ewen Maddock Dam. 

5 comments:

  1. I must try Sunday to get to Sheep Station Creek Greg. It's just a hop skip and jump from where I live and I've never seen a Power Owl in Qld as it turns out. Just Victoria. Thanks for posting.
    Jude

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  2. Jude, a friend looked today without success. it was at the western end of the spotted gum track, where there is a small wooden bridge crossing a creek

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  3. I'm going to finally get to Sheep Station today ... will let you know if I see it.
    Thanks, Jude

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  4. Alas no, I did not see the Powerful Owl Greg. There were two other families also looking for the bird unsuccessfully. We met a couple on the Spotted Gum Track that live on the border of the Conservation Reserve. They said quite a few people had been looking for the owl but knew of no one finding it. Thems the breaks !
    Jude

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  5. Yes birds have a habit of being unpredictable

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