Black-breasted Buttonquail at Noosa Heads

Black-breasted Buttonquail

Yesterday I saw two Black-breasted Buttonquail in coastal scrub near Noosa Heads in Noosa National Park. I located a female and shortly after a male feeding relatively in the open under bushes, but they were extremely furtive. Later I saw a female but am not sure if it was the same female I found earlier. These images were taken by me last year at Inskip Point.

Black-breasted Buttonquail

I was tipped off to the presence of the birds by Luke Bennett, who saw a female in the area a few days earlier. Luke had seen buttonquail in the vicinity in 2009 and again in 2012. Black-breasted Buttonquail were located in another section of the park earlier this year by other observers. I also had them for several months in the Coolum section of Noosa National Park a few years ago. I have seen a male with chicks at Coolum in December. All three sites are similar - coastal scrub with open areas - favoured by the birds for feeding - with plenty of dense thickets into which the birds disappear when disturbed.

Black-breasted Buttonquail feeding area - Noosa National Park 

The birds are not easy to see here. I searched without success for two hours in the morning, eventually locating them in the early afternoon.

Black-breasted Buttonquail platelet

Platelets are a tell-tale sign of Black-breasted Buttonquail and there were plenty of fresh ones in the sand yesterday.

Lace Monitor

Banksia flowers

Coastal scrub aside, there is nice wallum heath and rainforest in Noosa National Park. At this time of year the heath is ablaze with wildflowers, such as these banksias.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

A party of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos was feeding on banksia cones.

Alexandria Bay

I callled in at Alexandria Bay - one of several beautiful sandy beaches in the park.

Alexandria Bay

Alexandria Bay has two claims to fame. It is Queensland's best-known nudist beach, and the only site in Australia where Blue Rock-Thrush has been seen (see here for link).