August 2017 Bits & Pieces

Little Wattlebird & young

Winter is almost at an end and for the second year running, the resident Little Wattlebirds have raised a single youngster at what should be the wrong time the year. The birds have taken a liking to the porch hanging baskets, having nested in three different baskets. Like last year, they laid in July. The young bird successfully left the nest three weeks ago and although it appears fully grown, it continues to be fed by the parents. They are expected to soon begin nesting for the second time this year.

Little Wattlebird & young

Little Wattlebird & young

Elsewhere, Black-necked Stork has been a regular visitor to the Parklakes Wetland. This adult female was feeding when I was there, wielding its substantial bill through the water in the hope of snaring a fish or frog.

Black-necked Stork

Black-necked Stork

Spotted Harriers are building a nest near Bli Bli. A Spotted Harrier was quartering the still empty Yandina Creek Wetlands, where a Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo was present.

Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo

Other birds at the wetlands included Golden Whistler and Rainbow Bee-eater. Note there continues to be no public access to the main site; its southern periphery is River Road.

Golden Whistler

Rainbow Bee-eater

Less welcome at the wetlands was the sighting of two Red Foxes in different places.

Red Fox

A Square-tailed Kite was seen nearby on the Yandina-Coolum Road. A female Shining Flycatcher was in the mangroves of the Maroochy River Wetland. Fairy Gerygone is common enough in the Sunshine Coast's coastal scrubs but this one was found in the hinterland at the Buderim Forest Park's upper carpark.

Fairy Gerygone

Great Crested Grebe continues to be a regular on Wappa Dam.

Great Crested Grebe

A pair of Glossy Black Cockatoos were feeding on Allocasuarina cones at Noosaville.

Glossy Black Cockatoo

A pair of Cotton Pygmy Geese were on one of the small farm dams near Eumundi. A single Black Bittern was seen behind Lake Doonella. A Dusky Honeyeater was busy on the Grevillea flowers at Cooroibah.

Dusky Honeyeater

Leaden Flycatchers are back in force, calling commonly about the Sunshine Coast. This species is the first of the summer migrants to return.

Leaden Flycatcher

Plenty of birds are busy nesting, like these Willie Wagtails that built their nest over the water at Lake Doonella.

Willie Wagtail on nest

Away from the Sunshine Coast, I visited the Port of Brisbane shorebird roost, where the only migratory waders present were two sparring Eastern Curlews.

Eastern Curlews

At Redcliffe I saw a second-year Common Tern with two Crested Terns, one with a yellow bill and the other with a bill that was much more orange, though not orange enough to indicate Lesser Crested Tern.

Common Tern & Crested Terns

Crested Terns with yellow and orangish bills were also present together at Woorim on Bribie Island.

Crested Terns

Sunrise at Woorim