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.

Saturday 26 October 2013

Marbled Frogmouth, Masked Owl, Black-tailed Native-hen, Masked Booby, Failed Regent Honeyeater Twitch


When Roger Jaensch found a  Regent Honeyeater two days ago at Stanmore, near Woodford in south-east Queensland, the local birding world was aflutter. This is an extremely rare species in south-east Queensland, especially east of the Great Divide. So when the bird was seen again yesterday, it looked like it was going to hang around.

Marie Tarrant on the job
And so it transpired that this morning, a small army of twitchers descended on the site, searching thoroughly but unsuccessfully for the elusive honeyeater until giving up around lunch-time. Later in the afternoon, however, the bird was seen by other observers.


Rufous Songlark
Fortunately some other nice birds were about. Rufous Songlark and White-winged Triller, both fairly scarce summer migrants in south-east Queensland, were present in some numbers along Cove Road and were singing well.

White-winged Triller

Eastern Koel

Eastern Koel
 A female Common Koel was unusually co-operative for this species.

Glossy Ibis 
Birds on a roadside dam at the honeyeater site included Glossy Ibis, Marsh Tern, Yellow-billled Spoonbill and Latham's Snipe.

Black-necked Stork
 A male Black-necked Stork was on another dam along Little Cove Road.

Black-tailed Native-hen
Five Black-tailed Native-hens were seen at the wetland adjacent to the meatworks at nearby Kilcoy.

Marbled Frogmouth
A spot of owling in the Sunshine Coast hinterland last night was productive with excellent views of a pair of Marbled Frogmouths and fleeting views of a third Marbled Frogmouth. Two Tawny Frogmouths were also seen.

Australian Owlet-Nightjar
Australian Owlet-Nightjar
A pair of White-throated Nightjars performed nicely at dusk near Wappa Dam. Close to home at Ninderry, this Australian Owlet-Nightjar showed well after others of its species remained frustratingly elusive earlier in the evening.

Channel-billed Cuckoo
Channel-billed Cuckoo
In the home garden at Ninderry, meanwhile, Channel-billed Cuckoo this season has been exceptionally vocal and unusually visible.

Grey Goshawk on nest
A day out birding earlier in the week began well at Little Yabba Creek with Dusky Honeyeater, White-eared Monarch, Crested Shrike-tit, large numbers of Wompoo Fruit-Dove and Barred Cuckoo-shrike. We moved on to Moy Pocket, seeing Painted Buttonquail and Fairy Gerygone. A Black-necked Stork was present at Lake Macdonald, where the Freckled Duck was perched in its usual spot. A Lewin's Rail showed very nicely near Eumundi and a Spotted Harrier at North Arm. This female Grey Goshawk was sitting on a nest near Cooroy, where a day earlier I saw a pair of King Quail.

Masked Owl
This magnificent Masked Owl was flushed during the day by birders who prefer to remain anonymous along Elimbah Creek near Donnybrook on September 2 this year.

Masked Booby
An adult Masked Booby was found by Bec Tardent on Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Coast, on September 30 this year. Bec reports that the bird was not bothered by a steady procession of beachgoers.



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