Camping at Amamoor and Local Bird Bits

Noisy Pitta

Amamoor State Forest seemed like a good place for a winter camp after our last campout there in 2012. Since then the area has seriously flooded a couple of times and the Cedar Grove camping ground has been reconstructed. No sign of the Powerful Owl seen during the last camp or the Masked Owl seen in the area since, but lots of nice birds about anyway. Quite a few Noisy Pittas were surprisingly vociferous for this time of year.

Amamoor Creek

Amamoor Creek was as delightful as always. No platypus this time though the Azure Kingfishers were frequent. A fruiting tree by the creek was very active, with 20+ Wompoo Fruit-Doves in attendance along with Australasian Figbird, Regent Bowerbird and Satin Bowerbird. Paradise Riflebird, Russet-tailed Thrush and White-eared Monarch were among other good birds in the rainforest, while White-throated Nightjar, Tawny Frogmouth and Southern Boobook were calling at night; again it is early for the nightjars to be vocalising.

Wompoo  Fruit-Dove

Azure Kingfisher

Spotted Pardalotes were nesting in tunnels in the creek banks, shifting nesting material seemingly late in their breeding season. While on the long ridge circuit, a pair of Glossy Black Cockatoos was a nice find. New Holland Honeyeaters, here evidently at the northern end of their range, were very common. Dusky Honeyeater was also common.

Dusky Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

Spotted Pardalote

The full list of birds seen can be seen here. A sluggish Red-bellied Black Snake was making the most of the winter sun.

Red-bellied Black Snake

Closer to home, a Brown Falcon was attending a nest in the cane lands near Bli Bli.

Brown Falcon on nest

While at the Parklakes Wetlands, Spotless Crake and Wandering Whistling-Duck were seen on consecutive visits.

Spotless Crake

Wandering Whistling-Duck

Black Swans appear to be nesting early. These birds were at Lake Macdonald.

Black Swan on nest

Quite a few raptors are still in the vicinity of the recently drained Yandina Creek Wetlands, including Swamp Harrier and Grey Goshawk.

Grey Goshawk

Swamp Harrier

This Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo was cracking a pine cone close to home at Mt Ninderry.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo