Powerful Owl & Masked Owl at Jimna

Masked Owl

Excellent views of Masked Owl and Powerful Owl were the highlights of a three-day camp at Peach Trees camping ground near Jimna, in the northern Conondale Range, south-east Queensland.

Powerful Owl 

The Powerful Owl was not heard during the first evening but was vocal throughout the next two nights in and around the camping ground. The bird called occasionally during the day; its size and the pitch of the call suggested a male, possibly in search of a mate. Surprisingly, it sat out in the open just before sunset one evening.

Powerful Owl

Powerful Owl

The Masked Owl was seen in mixed vine scrub and eucalypt woodland between the camping ground and the nearby hamlet of Jimna. Its darker colouration and large size clearly indicated this was a female.

Masked Owl

I have seen Masked Owl on two previous visits to Peach Trees and had them in the camping ground in the past.

Masked Owl

Another highlight was a Yellow-bellied Glider calling loudly and showing briefly from high in the trees in the camping ground, frequenting the same area as the Powerful Owl. Other mammals included a Black-striped Wallaby and several Red-legged Pademelons.

Black-striped Wallaby

Among other birds, a Glossy Black Cockatoo flew over the camp late one afternoon. New Holland Honeyeaters, here at the northern end of their range, were common. Yellow Thornbill and Brown Thornbill were unusually sharing the same habitat. Paradise Riflebird, Russet-tailed Thrush and Australian Logrunner were in the dry vine scrub. I found a small area of quite fresh platelets in a scrub patch, probably made by Black-breasted Buttonquail, 800m before the camping ground entrance on the right.

New Holland Honeyeater

 Eastern Spinebills, also numerous, were fond of the flowering lantana.

Eastern Spinebill

A few Rose Robins were about, this one an immature male. Full list of bird species can be found here.

Rose Robin

Peach Trees Camping Area