Cooloola to Mooloolah: Brush Bronzewing, Ground Parrot, Shining Flycatcher, King Quail, Fairy Gerygone

Noosa Plain

 An interesting couple of days about the region. I spent a late afternoon/early evening on the Noosa Plain at Cooloola, followed by an early morning session there. The next morning I was back on the Sunshine Coast and out in my kayak on the Mooloolah River.

Brush Bronzewing

I flushed two Ground Parrots by the road in the late afternoon at the traditional spot along the telegraph line road. At dusk I heard about 8 parrots calling, including one which called as it flew from one area of heath to another, crossing the road.  A total of 3 King Quail (a pair and a single male) were also flushed from the road edge and several called at dusk. Also calling in the heath was a pair of Lewin's Rail.

The next morning I saw 3 Brush Bronzewings on the road at the Como Scarp end, quite close to its junction with the Cooloola Way. They were distant and very shy so only poor images were obtained. I noticed that the birds returned to the road after being flushed so this may be a good spot for this difficult (in south-east Queensland) species.

Emerald Dove

A juvenile Emerald Dove was in the same spot as the Brush Bronzewings.

White-winged Triller

Also around the edge of the Noosa Plain I found a White-winged Triller and a Rufous Songlark. Both are scarce summer visitors to south-east Queensland.

Noisy Friarbird

 Wildflowers were looking good in the flush of spring, with plenty of honeyeaters attacking the flowering xanthorrhoeas.

Mooloolah River

I kayaked about 7km up the Mooloolah River from Kawana Island on the Sunshine Coast.

Shining Flycatcher

I never tire of Shining Flycatchers and was pleased to find a pair in the mangroves quite close to the busy Kawana Way. This is my first record of the species from the Mooloolah River, so it is established in the Sunshine Coast's three rivers - the Noosa, Maroochy and Mooloolah - as well as in Tin Can Bay to the North and Pumicestone Passage to the south.

Fairy Gerygone

I also found a Fairy Gerygone in the mangroves, the first time I have seen the species in mangroves on the Sunshine Coast, where they are usually in dry vine scrub. Mangrove  Gerygone was also here. A couple of other birds along the way:

Pied Oystercatcher

Striated Heron

Meanwhile the spring nesting season is in full swing. This Noisy Friarbird is nesting in our Ninderry garden. And this week, the Koels and Channel-billed Cuckoos have returned for the season.

Noisy Friarbird