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| Australian Pelican over the wetland |
Steve Popple and I conducted an
afternoon and early evening survey of Yandina Creek Wetland for
BirdLife Australia on September 28. This was the first BLA nocturnal
survey and we were rewarded with brief views of a busily calling
Large-tailed Nightjar after sunset. This is a rare species in
south-east Queensland and Yandina Creek is the most southerly site at
which the nightjar occurs. Unfortunately it didn't avail itself of a
photograph. There was no sign of the Eastern Grass Owls which I had
found in the area in past years.
Also of special interest was a pair of
King Quail on the track. They showed themselves briefly but again
avoided the cameras. A pair of Black-necked Storks were a little more
co-operative; as in times past, this is proving to be the most
reliable site in the Sunshine Coast region for this iconic species. The male bird in this image is fishing.
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| Black-necked Stork |
We were particularly pleased to see
good numbers of migratory shorebirds about. We had an estimated 150
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.Most were in a single large flock seen just before sunset in an area we had surveyed earlier and not found; they clearly had gone undetected in another part of the wetland.
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| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper |
About 20 Marsh
Sandpipers were also of note, as was a single critically endangered
Curlew-Sandpiper.
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| Curlew-Sandpiper (R, pic by Steve Popple) |
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| Marsh Sandpiper |
Five recently arrived Pacific Golden Plovers, most
still sporting breeding plumage, were seen, along with 8 Latham's
Snipe.
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| Pacific Golden Plover |
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| Latham's Snipe |
Among other shorebirds, the presence
of about 80 Red-kneed Dotterels was noteworthy; it's highly unusual
to see so many of this primarily inland species in coastal
Queensland.
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| Red-kneed Dotterel |
Large flocks of Grey Teal were
wheeling over the wetland as we found ourselves drenched by the first
decent downpour of rain on the coast in weeks. Whiskered Tern was a
new species for the wetland: Species Number 168.
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| Grey Teal |
Other nice birds
included Glossy Ibis, Nankeen Night-Heron and Little Grassbird. A fair number of Australian Pelicans
and cormorants indicated quite a few fish must be present.
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Little Grassbird |
Raptors included two White-bellied Sea-Eagles that were actively patrolling the wetland.
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| White-bellied Sea-Eagle |
We found a dead Grassland Melomys,
Melomys bertoni, a new species of mammal for the wetland. In
the past I've found Water Rat Hydromys chrysogaster and Swamp Rat
Rattus lutreolus here.
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| Grassland Melomys |
We noticed that Unitywater has
reopened several more floodgates at the eastern end of the wetland
which had been shut for several years. As a result, the southern half
of the wetland now has some water in it. This is a welcome
development. As other floodgates reopen with time, the site will be
fully restored. Ebird
list of the 68 species recorded.
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| More floodgates opened |
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