Platypus are flourishing around the Sunshine Coast, but for how long?

Platypus in Petrie Creek

The Platypus is enjoying something of a population boom around Queensland’s Sunshine Coast following three years of above-average rainfall. However, the Queensland Government is under pressure to follow the rest of the country by banning a type of yabby trap that is needlessly slaughtering Platypus and other aquatic wildlife, posing a local extinction threat in times ahead.

Patypus in Petrie Creek

During drought conditions the monotreme population drops sharply, with survivors sometimes being confined to isolated pools – for instance in Booloumba and Little Yabba creeks - or making hazardous journeys overland in search of better habitat. Right now, however, the animals are being seen locally in watercourses where they’ve long been infrequent or absent;

Rakali (Water Rat)

This is likely to be the case elsewhere within the east Australian range of the species. Those Sunshine Coast sites include Petrie Creek in Nambour, a short way down the road from my home, where upwards of eight Platypus have been recorded over a couple of kilometres close to the bustling Central Business District. The animal photographed here is frequently seen right next to a bridge over busy Arundell Avenue. The species has long been known to frequent Petrie Creek but the current frequency of sightings is pretty much unprecedented.

Petrie Creek

A Facebook page, Platypus and Echidna Watch Friends Sunshine Coast, is showcasing almost daily photographs and videos of Platypus from Petrie Creek and across many sites on the coast and in the hinterland. The species was found for the first time recently in the South Maroochy River. Also doing well are other aquatic animals including the Water Dragon, various turtles, and the Rakali (Water Rat). The regional Platypus population has stared down threats to its survival in the past. I recall that as a journalist in 2005, I covered protests against plans to construct a Woolworths supermarket adjacent to Platypus habitat in Obi Obi Creek in Maleny. Protesters sobbed and declared that all the Platypus were doomed. Luckily they weren’t. They are often seen in the creek below the supermarket these days and Maleny is one of the region’s top Platypus-watching hotspots.

Yabby Opera House Trap advertised online

Nonetheless, Platypus and other aquatic wildlife face a grave threat in the form of the so-called Yabby Opera House Trap, which traps and kills the animals. Enticed by captured yabbies, a favoured food item, they enter the trap and cannot escape, drowning in a few minutes. More environmentally friendly alternative traps are available.

Seven platypus found dead in yabby trap in Victoria's Werribee River 

Maleny wildlife enthusiast Neil Andison recently wrote to the Queensland Premier and government MPs, pointing out that the traps have been banned in other states and the ACT. However, they remain easily accessible online, where no warnings are displayed about their impact or the ban in most states. A single trap has been known to kill as many as eight Platypus.

One of five platypus drowned in a yabby trap

When dry conditions inevitably return, and Platypus numbers again plummet, the traps will pose a threat to the survival of regional populations.

A pair of platypus drowned in the Gold Coast hinterland.

In his letter, Neil refers to Queensland’s “disgraceful” refusal to ban the traps, which are responsible for the “needless death of all manner of air-breathing creatures that call our creeks and rivers home”. 

Two rikalis (water rats) drowned in a Queensland trap

The Platypus is regarded as one of the most remarkable mammals in the world. We can do better.

Platypus at Amamoor, Sunshine Coast hinterland

North-East New South Wales: May, 2023

 

Masked Owl

We spent a couple of weeks visiting four national parks in north-east NSW for three nights each that we’d missed in the past. First off was the Cypress Pine Campground in Boonoo Boonoo National Park (below), just across the Queensland border. The park adjoins Queensland’s Girraween National Park.

Much better facilities here (generally the case with NSW versus Queensland parks) and nice big camp sites. Platypus was seen frequently in the creek below the camp but the only image was the poor effort below of one swimming past a Little Pied Cormorant.

We had lousy weather here with a couple of days of rain. A pair of Scarlet Robins (below) around the camp lifted spirits.

We also had large numbers of big moths coming into our lights at night, notwithstanding the appalling weather. We wondered if they might be the celebrated Bogong Moths on their return migration from further south.

We did a day trip to the nearby Basket Swamp National Park and found 3 Spotted Quail-thrush – a pair (below)  and a single male – in different spots. We visited the hideout of the famous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt during a quick visit to Tenterfield.

We moved on to Cathedral Rock National Park where the Native Dog Campground was our home for 3 freezing nights: at 1250m the temperature dropped to -5. Nice scenery, but this was one of many areas hit badly by the 2019-20 bushfires. It was disturbing not to find any mammals despite some serious looking with the thermal imager; not even a Common Brushtail about the camp. Just a single Superb Lyrebird was heard when they should have been calling all over the place.

Birds were making a comeback, however. Honeyeaters were in good numbers, with White-eared and Brown-headed showing nicely.

Brown-headed Honeyeater

White-eared Honeyeater

Red-browed Treecreeper (below) appeared to be surprisingly common and was found feeding with White-throated Treecreeper in a couple of spots.

Other showy offerings included Striated Thornbill and Crimson Rosella.

Crimson Rosella

Striated Thornbill

Forest Raven and Bassian Thrush were present in good numbers.

Forest Raven

Bassian Thrush

Next stop was Nymboi-Binderay National Park near Dorrigo where we camped at Platypus Flat campground (below). A beautiful spot overlooking the river, handicapped somewhat by the absence of walking tracks.

A male Masked Owl feeding in the picnic ground was the stand-out here.

It had plenty to feed on. Bush Rat (below) was abundant, both in the scrub and open campground areas. Although this area was hit by the fires, they were limited to about 4m above ground so large trees were largely unscathed, and pockets of ground cover appeared to have escaped the flames.

I was surprised to find both Northern Short-nosed and Southern Long-nosed Bandicoots feeding in the campground.

Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot

Northern Short-nosed Bandicoot

Paradise Riflebird and Red-bellied Black Snake were among other critters about.

Paradise Riflebird

Red-bellied Black Snake

We moved on to Moonee Beach for a couple of days at one of our favourite coastal destinations. Of interest here was a pair of Beach Stone-Curlews (below). A few days later I saw another pair of Beach Stone-Curlews flying around at dusk further north at Pottsville. The following day I found 3 Beach Stone-Curlews 4km away at Hastings Point on Cudgera Creek: 3 sightings at 3 sites of this supposedly rare species in NSW within a few days.

Our final national park was Rummery Park Campground in Whian Whian State Conservation Area (below). Here our high expectations of NSW national parks suffered a setback: it was horribly overcrowded on the Saturday night we were there, though okay on other nights.

 A pair of Marbled Frogmouths were near the camp, while up the road were a couple of Tawny Frogmouths, including a brown phase bird.

Marbled Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth

Pale-yellow Robin was a constant present around our caravan. Three Albert’s Lyrebirds were heard at different spots. An Australian Logrunner was found at its night roost.

Australian Logrunner

Pale-yellow Robin

We finished up with a couple of nights at Pottsville. Other than the above-mentioned Beach Stone-Curlews, Bush Stone-Curlew (below) appeared to be all over the place, which was something of a surprise.

United Arab Emirates: Arabian Oryx & other desert gems

 

Arabian Oryx

Following a visit to Ghana (the next six posts on this blog), Bill Watson and I had two days in the United Arab Emirates to break the journey home – 23-24 April, 2023. We stayed in the Ibis One Central Hotel in Dubai. On the first day I headed south to Kite Beach and Al Sufouh Beaches to look unsuccessfully for Socrota Cormorant, but had to make do with some interesting sights as an introduction to the UAE.

We hired South African-born local businessman and wildlife enthusiast Gary Burns for a full-on outing for our second day, crossing the country twice in search of a handful of target birds and mammals, and to see more of the UAE. We highly recommend Gary’s services for anyone considering something similar in this country: contact him here.

Gary Burns

We left early in the morning, heading east from Dubai on the road to Kalba, driving about 1.5 hours to reach our first destination, Wadi Alrawasi. This is a classic desert wadi, a kind of low sandy area, much of it dry creek bed, wedged between rocky crags. One of the first birds we saw was Arabian Babbler, a flock of 4 and one of the targets. Another target, the recently split Arabian Green Bee-eater, put in an appearance. 

Arabian Babbler

Desert Larks were common.

Soon after I spotted a Sand Partridge racing up a scree and two birds flushed. We were impressed with how Gary’s formidable 4WD, specially fitted out to accommodate the tough desert conditions, negotiated the rugged terrain in the wadi. 

Bill & Greg

Wadi Alrawasi

Other birds showed nicely including the tail-wagging Eastern Olivaceous Wartbler and Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin.

Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin

We moved on to a nearby second wadi, Wadi Tuwa. where we located a small covey of Sand Patridges that offered better views. 

Sand Partridge

Distractions included an Indian Roller eating a substantial lizard and a dazzling Purple Sunbird.

Purple Sunbird

We located another target, Humes’s Wheatear, on the scree slopes, and found two more wheatears on roadside wires as we left the wadi. Scrub Warbler and Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush were among the birds here.

Humes's Wheatear

We continued eastwards to the Indian Ocean at the port of Dibba on the border with Oman, having crossed the country. Here we scrutinised various inlets and bays in search of Socrota Cormorant, finally connecting with a sub-adult on rocks at the entrance to the fishing harbour. Unfortunately the bird was in a military zone and we were not allowed to photograph it.

Dibba

We drove west and then south to the Al Marmoon Reserve in the Al Qudra Desert. Soon another target showed in the form Black-crowned Sparrowlark, of which there were plenty among the white sand dunes.

Black-crowned Sparrowlawk (f)

Black-crowned Sparrowlark (m)

We went for quite a wild and spectacular drive through the dunes, assured that Gary knew what he was doing.

Al Qudra

We found a gorgeous Pharoah’s Eagle-Owl, a bird I’d seen previously in Morocco and one of the more impressive owl species. 

Pharoah's Eagle-Owl_

We also saw our first Sand Gazelles and Arabian Desert Gazelles, along with the impressive Egyptian Spine-tailed Lizard (below).

We moved to another section of the desert as the afternoon wore on, this time in an area where red sand dunes prevailed. An artificial wetland had a few waterbirds including good numbers of Greater Flamingo. 

Greater Flamingo

Greater Hoopoe-Lark (below) was looking good here.

We headed further into the Al Qudra, getting much better view of both Sand Gazelle and Arabian Desert Gazelle, which were about in good numbers. 

Arabian Desert Gazelle

Sand Gazelle

We then enountered a single Arabian Oryx, by any standard an impressive beast, and later watched a small herd of these endangered animals. The species was once declared extinct in the wild but it has been successfully reintroduced to some of its former strongholds , including the Qudra Desert.

Arabian Oryx

Less spectacular but still cute was the distinctive arabicus race of the Cape Hare (below). 

We returned to our hotel in the late afternoon, where we celebrated by downing a few horrendously expensive beers in this alcohol-adverse country. It was a great day out!