 |
| Radjah Shelduck |
The Radjah Shelduck is a very rare vagrant in south-east Queensland, so it was with a modicum of interest that I noted Robyn Duff's sighting of 2 birds on the newly built Maroochy River golf course two days ago. I searched in vain yesterday for the birds, both on the golf course and some nice shallow wetlands that have formed following recent rain along nearby Finland Road, Pacific Paradise.
 |
| Radjah Shelduck |
Two shelducks were seen this morning by Mary Hynes along Finland Road. This afternoon, I found one bird by a small lagoon beside House Number 90, Finland Road.
 |
| Radjah Shelduck with Plumed Whistling-Ducks |
The shelduck was keeping company with a flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks. There was no sign of its mate, which Mary had seen earlier flying towards the golf course nearby.
 |
| Wandering Whistling-Duck, Little Black Cormorant, Plumed Whistling-Duck |
Plenty of ducks were at this spot and in the temporary wetlands just to the south of the house. Postscript: Birders have mixed success since this sighting with the bird; it is not always present. Also present were Wandering Whistling-Duck, Chesnut Teal, Grey Teal, Hardhead and Pacific Black Duck. A full list of species
can be found here.
 |
| Black-tailed Godwit |
Waterbirds were in abundance in the area. It is likely that many of the birds recently displaced by the
draining of the nearby Yandina Creek wetlands may be here, taking advantage of the temporary conditions. A single Black-tailed Godwit was present along with a few Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a Pacific Golden Plover in breeding plumage.
 |
| Black-necked Stork |
Other nice birds included a female Black-necked Stork. Raptors included a Black Kite and a Spotted Harrier.
 |
| Latham's Snipe |
The first Latham's Snipe of the season - 4 birds - were present.
 |
| Comb-crested Jacanas |
An adult and a juvenile Comb-crested Jacana were on a pond near the shelduck.
 |
| Mallard |
On a pond along nearby Burtons Road, Bli Bli, a male free-flying Mallard was seen with a flock of Pacific Black Ducks. This presumably is the same bird I saw several times at the Yandina Creek Wetlands (
see here).
 |
| Common Tern |
Earlier in the week we camped for 3 nights in the caravan park at Woorim on Bribie Island. A first-year Common Tern with red legs was regularly roosting on the beach at a spot where this species occurs reliably in winter in small numbers.
 |
| Gull-billed Tern |
Other terns included this Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage.
 |
| Welcome Swallow |
At the Buckley's Hole hide, 3 pairs of Welcome Swallows were nesting unusually close and relatively indifferent to human interlopers. A Black-necked Stork was seen on the lagoon.
 |
| Beach Stone-Curlews |
On the roost near the Kakadu hide, a pair of Beach Stone-Curlews was behaving in a way which indicated clearly that they were nesting. The birds try to nest at this artificially created roost each year with mixed results. A flock of about 20 Double-banded Dotterels was also here.
 |
| Glasshouse Mountains & Pumicestone Passage |
The view across Pumicestone Passage to the Glasshouse Mountains was quite something.
No comments:
Post a Comment