Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Weekly Update

Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Published sightings for the week ending 14 Sep 2014. Sun 14 Sep Asian Dowitcher Toorbul–high tide roost 1 bird present today at the roost. Rob Morris Logrunner, Noisy Pitta Fig Tree Walk, Kenilworth A small group of Logrunners on one side of track and a pair on the other had the males engaged in a lively territorial contest calling back and forth for some minutes – a lot of noise from such relatively small birds. Also Noisy Pitta heard and seen. Anne Burgess Black-faced Monarch; Spectacled Monarch; Eastern Spinebill Mt Gravatt summit trail I was surprised to see these three species this morning – in my experience, these birds prefer rainforest. Lots of common bush birds calling as well. Elliot Leach; Jess Mackie; Andrew Mackie Lewin’s Rail, Pale-vented Bush-hen, Azure Kingfisher Huntingdon Creek, Upper Brookfield MCCG platypus surveys this morning from 5-7am; sites along Huntingdon Estate creek, off Rafting Ground Road. Lewin’s Rail heard in dense undergrowth bordering creek, then briefly poked head out from thicket when I played call softly to myself for reference. Same bird later fluttered across creek into opposite bank veg. Buff-banded Rail was foraging on opposite creek for convenient comparison. Other surveyors 100m downstream reported prolonged views of Bush-hen. Would caution that, while I have heard and seen both species here regularly, this is not an amenable site for getting consistently good views, due to denseness of bank veg. This is also local territory for an Azure Kingfisher. Russell Yong Sat 13 Sep Spotless Crake (2); Latham’s Snipe; Glossy Ibis; Wandering Whistling-duck Sandy Camp Road Wetlands Spotless Crake in their usual hangout in the reddish pond near the shelter, Latham’s seen on a grassy little island in the second lagoon, and a single Glossy Ibis seen throughout the morning feeding in the first two lagoons along with a number of Wandering Whistling-ducks. A nice morning birding. Elliot Leach; Jess Mackie White-Eared Monarch, Noisy Pitta, Barred Cuckoo-Shrike Gold Creek Reservoir White-Eared Monarch seen near the last creek crossing before the car park. Noisy Pitta seen in regenerated creek side forest just before last creek crossing. Barred Cuckoo-Shrike feeding and calling in tree with yellow fruits opposite regenerated forest. Jo & Matt Culican Leaden Flycatcher Walter Zimmerman Park, Pine Mountain A remembered song and a reacquaintance as the migrants return from their winter holidays Peter Horler Fri 12 Sep Black Kite Kedron Wetland After the influx some time ago, this was the first bird I’ve seen here for a while. (Moderator’s note: There have been a few records on ebird recently.) Nick Leseberg Dollarbird Cedar Creek Rd at 27ADEG50’56’S 153ADEG11’45’E (restricted access) First return for the season at 0605 this morning in a large eucalyptus tree in front paddock. Sandra Gallienne Cotton Pygmy-Goose Robina–Skill Stadium wetland A single bird. Terry Dillon, Hans & Judy Beste Thu 11 Sep Rainbow Bee-eaters Crn Wiseman Street and Kelly Street, The Range, South Rockhampton 4700 Pair of Rainbow Bee Eaters sitting on overhead wires at 0630 as sunshine touches top of hill. Have seen birds 2 days consecutively at this time. Had a pair a few days earlier further down hill at intersection of Lavarach and Lamington Streets at around midday when sun is above. Carolyn Larkin Channel-billed Cuckoo Maskell Court, Draper, Samford Valley Just heard and saw the first Channel-billed Cuckoo for the season. Julie Sarna Tue 9 Sep Cicadabird University of Queensland (St Lucia) Heard a Cicadabird’s distinctive reel, coming from a treed stretch along Will Macgregor Drive by the river, adjacent to the Eleanor Schonell (aka Green) Bridge, at about 8:30am. Remarkable given the time (just beginning to migrate through), habitat and location; this is the first time I’ve encountered this species on UQ, or indeed in inner suburban Brisbane. The first Channel-bills and Koels for the year have shown up on campus and there are plenty of parrots (Galahs, corellas and both common lorikeets) checking out nest hollows on both ends of the Green Bridge. Russell Yong Australian Koel Kalinga Park One male seen feeding in a fig in Kalinga Park. Although there have been several Channel-billed Cuckoo records already this year, is this the first east coast record of a koel for 2014/15 season? (Moderator’s Note: The first record for the East Coast for this season in ebird is from Innisfail on September 1, 2nd record by the Daintree Boatman on Sept 3, then 3 records from Bamaga, Kingfisher Park and Rowes Bay at Townsville on Sept 4 – Nick’s record appears to be the first record for South-East Queensland). Nick Leseberg Powerful Owl Fig Tree Pocket Seen at 1:50 am perched on the clothesline of my backyard as soon as I got closer it flew away, no calling heard. Josphe Hartigan Mon 8 Sep Sooty Owl, Masked Owl, Marbled Frogmouth D’Aguilar NP – Mount Glorious Sooty Owls at two sites, Masked Owl at one site and Marbled Frogmouth calling at four sites in D’Aguilar NP, from Mount Glorious down to Bellbird Grove during surveys over the last week. Many Southern Boobooks and Australian Owlet-Nightjars seen and heard right throughout the park. Nick Leseberg Eastern Barn Owl East Brisbane At 10pm an Eastern Barn Owl called right next to our house and another one responded from a bit further away. We have heard Eastern Barn Owls now a number of times since the beginning of August in this location. There are also Tawny Frogmouths and Southern Boobooks around. Nikolas Haass & Raja Stephenson Grey-Crowned Babbler Bentley Court, Joyner, 4500. Three birds seen in late June, increasing to 8 birds in September. Seen in our daughter’s and her neighbour’s yards. They don’t seem to be worried by the dogs, and the dogs ignore them. Roy and Pamela Hallett Bush Stone Curlew Centennial Way, Forest Lake, South-West Brisbane area. I heard Curlew calling in close proximity to my residence around 2.00am. I caught a glimpse of the bird scurrying from my front yard towards the adjacent roadway. I believe there may have been more than 1 bird calling but I only observed the one. The calls continued for a few minutes until the birds left the area. I am aware that Curlews have been observed in parts of this suburb on other occasions but this is the first time I’ve seen or heard them in my street. Errol Leslie MADDEN Spotted Harrier Nathan Road Wetlands Reserve Single adult low over sparse woodland and reedbeds. Typical harrier flight pattern. Two observers. David John Collis Sun 7 Sep Glossy Black-Cockatoo Allen Road, Nanango Heard calling from NE of property Julian & Fay Bielewicz