Kayaking & Red-tailed Black Cockatoo in Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo is a scarce bird in south-east Queensland but they are attracted to fruiting white cedar Melia azedarach in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, especially in riverside valleys in the eastern and northern slopes of the Conondale and associated ranges. During a three-day camp this week at SEQ Water's Borumba Dam campsite, Red-tailed Blacks were flying about in small numbers, feeding on cedar fruits.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo was common as usual, on this visit feeding on the ripe pine cones of introduced Pinus radiata trees, and unusually in the same general area that the Red-tailed Blacks were present.

Yabba Creek

I spent a morning kayaking 14km down the Yabba Creek from the sixth to the first crossing along the Imbil-Bolumba Creek Road. Long, calm stretches of deep water are interspersed with stretches of up to 200m of Grade 1-2 rapids. It's a bumpy ride in places, with the kayak having to be hauled out several times to get around tree blockages or tricky-looking bits of white water. A mix of remnant lowland rainforest (vine scrub), eucalypt forest and grazing country lines this scenic watercourse. Wildlife seen included White-eared and Spectacled Monarch, good numbers (20+) of Azure Kingfishers, a Freshwater Snake and a Platypus.

Whiptail Wallaby

Other wildlife about the camping ground included good numbers of Whiptail Wallaby. The population has been resident here for many years, although the species is rare elsewhere in the Conondale Range area, and seemingly is absent from the Blackall Range.
A number of butterflies associated with vine scrubs were close to the camping ground, including the species depicted here.

Yellow Albatross

Fuscous Swallowtail

White-banded Plane

Elsewhere, a Bush Stone-Curlew was seen near home at the foot of Mt Ninderry. The birds have been heard from time to time but not seen here previously; the species generally is quite rare in the Sunshine Coast region.

Bush  Stone-Curlew

In the garden, the transformation from summer to winter is in full swing with autumn-winter visitors like Golden Whistler and Rufous Fantail turning up in small numbers. Still plenty of butterflies about, including this Orange-streaked Ringlet.

Golden Whistler

Rufous Fantail

Orange-streaked Ringlet