Border Ranges National Park and Nearby Wetlands, NSW

Lamington Spiny Crayfish

We had a pleasant few days in the Border Ranges National Park in northern NSW, based at the Sheepstation Creek camping ground. This Lamington Spiny Crayfish was in a rainforest stream; I fished it out for a better look. Interestingly, the species is highly variable in colour. Those in Lamington National Park are blue; in northern NSW they are red.

Nothofagus beech forest

I was here this time last year and enjoyed multiple sightings of Rufous Scrubbird (see here). It was hotter and drier this time but I managed fantastic views of a singing male scrubbird. It was the only one I heard, although road closures prevented access to some territories. As usual, the bird would not allow itself to be photographed but the image above is where I saw it.
I called in briefly to a spot where last year a pair of vocal Eastern Bristlebirds showed well. A bristlebird was heard calling a couple of times.

Bassian Thrush

More obliging was Bassian Thrush in the camping ground at Forest Tops, up the mountain from Sheepstation Creek, where Russet-tailed Thrush was also present. Also seen in the national park were three Albert's Lyrebirds in different places.

Satin Bowerbird

Satin Bowerbird bower

The Satin Bowerbirds at Sheepstation Creek were again busy with their bower.

Black-faced Monarch

Black-faced Monarchs have returned for the summer.

Rough-scaled Snake

Among other wildlife was this Rough-scaled Snake, a venemous species.

Carpet Python

And a non-venemous Carpet Python.

Australian Logrunner - male

Australian Logrunner - female

It was nice to finally snare some decent images of Australian Logrunner.

Rose Robin

Rose Robin is resident in small numbers in these mountains, while the species is a winter visitor generally in south-east Queensland and north-east NSW.

Our camp at Sheepstation Creek - Kathy, Glenn, Greg.

Striated Thornbill

Striated Thornbill showed nicely.

Grey-headed Flying-Fox

Black Flying-Fox

After leaving the national park we found a mixed roost of Grey-headed Flying-Fox and Black Flying-Fox in a small patch of forest in otherwise cleared farmland.

Eastern Rosella

Between Kyogle and Casino I stopped for a Black-necked Stork (adult female) in a roadside wetland and was distracted by this lovely rosella.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

I called in to the Jabiru Geneebeinga Wetlands at Casinio - or at least a nice area of swamp on both sides of the road a little east of the actual wetlands. Among the waders were about 30 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a similar number of Red-kneed Dotterels.

Glossy Ibis

50 or so Glossy Ibis were present.

Latham's Snipe

And a Latham's Snipe showed well.

Freckled Duck & Pink-eared Ducks

At a wetland in the town of Lawrence, near the Clarence River, I found 10 Freckled Ducks amid a large flock of 300+ Pink-eared Ducks. 

Bribie Island's Oriental Plover

Oriental Plover

 I finally got around to getting down to the Kakadu wader roost on the western shore of Bribie Island where birding friend Tom Tarrant found an Oriental Plover last week.

Oriental Plover

The bird at high tide was about half-way between the two hides. It was not immediately obvious as it was initially sitting in longish grass.

Oriental Plover & Mongolian Plover

 Because the tide was very high (2m+) there were quite a few waders roosting here. Waders generally prefer Toorbul across the Pumicestone Passage to Kakadu, but very high tides will see fair numbers using Kakadu. The plover was generally by itself but occasionally mixed loosely with a flock of Mongolian Plovers and Red-necked Stints.
Oriental Plover is a very rare summer visitor to south-east Queensland, usually occurring on short-grassed flats further inland.

Mongolian Plover

Red-necked Stint

Beach Stone-Curlew & Pied Oystercatcher

The resident pair of Beach Stone-Curlew was showing nicely.

Black-tailed Godwit

Before going to Kakadu I called in to the above-mentioned Toorbul wader roost, looking in vain for an Asian Dowitcher seen there recently. Some of the other waders here - above and below.

Great Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel

Grey-tailed Tattler

Black-necked Stork

I also visited Buckley's Hole on Bribie Island. A Black-necked Stork seen there recently was still about. This is the second adult male of this species I've seen in two days (the other was yesterday at  Lake Macdonald).

Lewin's Rail Out and About

Lewin's Rail

I have found Lewin's Rail at two new sites near Eumundi over the past couple of days. Two birds offered repeated, close views along a small creek. The rails are seen easily because they are inside lantana thickets. Lewin's Rail does not like to be out in the open. In my experience they are easiest to see in lantana because the vegetation cover allows the birds to be bolder; it is often possible to get yourself inside the thickets and sit quietly.
The other rails near Eumundi were nearby in wet grassland. Lewin's Rail has also been present recently at North Arm and Noosaville.

Lewin's Rail habitat - Eumundi

The first image in this post I took some time ago at Peregian Beach. The birds today and yesterday, although seen well, were always behind an abundance of twigs, blurring them in pictures. They were also shy, moving about quickly.

Black-necked Stork

An adult male Black-necked Stork was looking good in the sunlight this morning at Lake Macdonald.

Latham's Snipe

Also behaving itself camera-wise was a Latham's Snipe.

Latham's Snipe

Red-kneed Dotterel

Red-kneed Dotterels are still about the Sunshine Coast. These 5 birds were at the Maroochydore sewerage treatment works.

Pied Goose

 Meanwhile, the Cooroy sewerage treatment works have reopened after a lengthy closure due to plant renovations. Pied Goose looked smart among the spring waterlilies.

Tawny Grassbird

Tawny Grassbird and Little Grassbird were singing side by side at Cooroy.
Some other birds out and about at Cooroy:

Australian Reed-Warbler

Brown Gerygone

Fairy Martin

Red-browed Finch

 And in grassland near Eumundi, the nesting season was in evidence:

Chesnut-breasted Mannikin

Silvereye

Golden-headed Cisticola

Cooloola to Mooloolah: Brush Bronzewing, Ground Parrot, Shining Flycatcher, King Quail, Fairy Gerygone

Noosa Plain

 An interesting couple of days about the region. I spent a late afternoon/early evening on the Noosa Plain at Cooloola, followed by an early morning session there. The next morning I was back on the Sunshine Coast and out in my kayak on the Mooloolah River.

Brush Bronzewing

I flushed two Ground Parrots by the road in the late afternoon at the traditional spot along the telegraph line road. At dusk I heard about 8 parrots calling, including one which called as it flew from one area of heath to another, crossing the road.  A total of 3 King Quail (a pair and a single male) were also flushed from the road edge and several called at dusk. Also calling in the heath was a pair of Lewin's Rail.

The next morning I saw 3 Brush Bronzewings on the road at the Como Scarp end, quite close to its junction with the Cooloola Way. They were distant and very shy so only poor images were obtained. I noticed that the birds returned to the road after being flushed so this may be a good spot for this difficult (in south-east Queensland) species.

Emerald Dove

A juvenile Emerald Dove was in the same spot as the Brush Bronzewings.

White-winged Triller

Also around the edge of the Noosa Plain I found a White-winged Triller and a Rufous Songlark. Both are scarce summer visitors to south-east Queensland.

Noisy Friarbird

 Wildflowers were looking good in the flush of spring, with plenty of honeyeaters attacking the flowering xanthorrhoeas.

Mooloolah River

I kayaked about 7km up the Mooloolah River from Kawana Island on the Sunshine Coast.

Shining Flycatcher

I never tire of Shining Flycatchers and was pleased to find a pair in the mangroves quite close to the busy Kawana Way. This is my first record of the species from the Mooloolah River, so it is established in the Sunshine Coast's three rivers - the Noosa, Maroochy and Mooloolah - as well as in Tin Can Bay to the North and Pumicestone Passage to the south.

Fairy Gerygone

I also found a Fairy Gerygone in the mangroves, the first time I have seen the species in mangroves on the Sunshine Coast, where they are usually in dry vine scrub. Mangrove  Gerygone was also here. A couple of other birds along the way:

Pied Oystercatcher

Striated Heron

Meanwhile the spring nesting season is in full swing. This Noisy Friarbird is nesting in our Ninderry garden. And this week, the Koels and Channel-billed Cuckoos have returned for the season.

Noisy Friarbird