Introduction
I made a quick trip to Brisbane hoping to catch up with a few species I still needed in that area, some of which can be very difficult to find. Thanks to Gavin Goodyear I ended up with 11 lifers in total, which was more than I expected. Highlights included great views of Black-breasted and Painted Button-Quail, Baillon’s and Spotless Crake, Powerful Owl, and Spotted Quail-Thrush.
Daily log
12.9
Arriving at 07:05 on Saturday, we headed straight to Mt. Coot-Tha to look for the Powerful Owls that can usually be found there with ease, but not on our visit. Then drove to Lake Samsonvale where Australian Reed-Warblers were the only birds of note. Also saw two Red-bellied Black Snakes here. Later we made a quick stop at Tom Tarrant’s house to look for the Painted Button-Quails that can usually be seen in his garden, but although they had been around ten minutes earlier they were nowhere to be found by the time we arrived. Subsequently drove to Inskip Point, 2,5 hours drive further north. Fortunately we found a female Black-breasted Button-Quail along one of the trails here. As they are quite used to people, we were able to have very good views. We then spent the rest of the evening in Cooloola NP hoping for Ground Parrot and Southern Emu-Wren. Although we heard a few Ground Parrots we didn’t see any. Before heading home we also tried for Marbled Frogmouth, but alas they were only heard as well.
13.9
On our second day we made our way to Lake Samsonvale early in the morning hoping perhaps to get a glimpse of a Lewin’s Rail, but once again luck wasn’t on our side. We then picked up Tom at his house before heading to Mt. Mee. Fortunately the Painted Button-Quail were easily seen at his house today. Driving along the tracks at Mt. Mee, we were able to find Striated Thornbill, Crested Shrike-Tit and Spotted Quail-Thrush, all of which were lifers for me. At lunchtime we went to Gavin's house for coffee and to look for New Holland Honeyeaters which were easily seen. We then made another visit to Lake Samsonvale which turned out to be a good choice. After watching a Pallid Cuckoo for a while we soon found both Baillon’s and Spotless Crake along the waters edge. At times we even had both species in the same binocular view! After saying goodbye to Tom, I and Gavin once again headed to Mt. Coot-Tha. Luckily, we were able to find a magnificent Powerful Owl roosting. A fitting end to a great weekend of birding! We then made our way to the airport in time for my 19:30 flight back to Townsville.
Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to Gavin Goodyear for taking me birding both days. His knowledge of the local birds and sites once again proved invaluable. Thanks also go to Tom Tarrant for showing us the Painted Button-Quails in his garden.
(Lifers in bold)
Australian Brush-Turkey
Brown Quail
Australian Wood Duck
Black Swan
Magpie Swan
Pacific Black Duck
Great Crested Grebe
Australasian Grebe
Darter
Great Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Australian Pelican
White-faced Heron
Cattle Egret
Great Egret
Intermediate Egret
Straw-necked Ibis
Australian White Ibis
Black-shouldered Kite
Whistling Kite
Brown Goshawk
Grey Goshawk
Brahminy Kite
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Swamp Harrier
Spotless Crake
Baillon’s Crake
Dusky Moorhen
Purple Swamphen
Eurasian Coot
Painted Button-Quail
Black-breasted Button-Quail
Latham’s Snipe
Masked Lapwing
Silver Gull
Spotted Dove
Feral Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Topknot Pigeon
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Emerald Dove
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Rainbow Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Australian King-Parrot
Pale-headed Rosella
Pallid Cuckoo
Powerful Owl
Tawny Frogmouth
Azure Kingfisher
Laughing Kookaburra
Rainbow Bee-eater
Superb Fairy-Wren
Red-backed Fairy-Wren
White-browed Scrubwren
Brown Thornbill
Striated Thornbill
Little Wattlebird
Striped Honeyeater
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Lewin’s Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-naped Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
White-cheeked Honeyeater
Scarlet Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Spotted Quail-Thrush
Crested Shrike-Tit
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Spectacled Monarch
Restless Flycatcher
Rufous Fantail
Willie Wagtail
Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
Australasian Figbird
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Magpie-Lark
Australian Magpie
Pied Currawong
Torresian Crow
Australasian Pipit
Double-barred Finch
Red-browed Finch
Welcome Swallow
Australian Reed-Warbler
Tawny Grassbird
Golden-headed Cisticola
Silvereye
Common Myna
MAMMALS:
Koala
Red-necked Wallaby
REPTILES:
Cryptoblepharus virgatus
Ctenotus arcanus
Copper-tailed Skink Ctenotus taeniolatus
Major Skink Egernia frerei
Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii
Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii
Common Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata
Lace Monitor Varanus varius
Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus