I was fortunate to see a female Buff-breasted Burron-quail this morning about 150m uphill from a previous sighting near the lorry layby.
I arrived an hour before light at about 4.30am. I walked to one of the recent sighting areas (GPS use) and slowly worked the area in the dark with a spot-light. I have seen Red-chested, Red-backed and Little using this technique at night. But no luck. Just before dawn I heard an unfamiliar deep booming button-quail noise. I looked and looked – no luck. As it got light i scoured the general area. Again no luck accept a covey of Brown Quail in thicker wet grass. At 7.30 I returned to the area where I’d heard a Button-quail. This was on the slope above the gentle break (I have GPS coordinates). To my delight the bird which I suspected to be a BBBQ started calling again. I walked up slope to a rocky area and it called very close to me. I rounded a knowl slowly and it was still calling. I nearly stood on it as it flew up the slope and landed in view c. 30m directly uphill amounst a rocks. I got reasonable views in flight (Brown quail sized, medium brown coloured with darker wing t ips) and on the deck (thick bill, pale eye, dull buff (the sun wasn’t on this area yet) breast. The bird started moving uphill towards the sun and I saw it a couple more times as it went out of sight. I felt very priviliged. I then spent an hour looking for it but nothing. I then walked down hills and return to the spot where it had been calling only to flush a second smaller bird which otherwise looked very similar. This bird flew to the same area but I didn’t see it land and despite again looking for another 40mins – nothing.
The habitat was exactly right – sparse grassy tussocks on the lower rocky slopes of very open woodland. The grass is very sparse still (although there are thicker areas on the flats) and I suspect looking for them is going to be good for a while. A calling female (with a male at the exact same spot) must indicate they are preparing to breed? No photos or recordings I’m afraid. I only thought of photography once it was too late!
I booked a relaxing holiday to Port Douglas months ago (wasn’t planning on birding) and my first wet season trip to FNQ has produced BBBQ and Red-necked Crake, and lots of Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers. 3 lifers isn’t bad as I head towards 700sp in Auz!
Rob Morris
Brisbane, Australia
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
