Several of the Lockyer's occasional visitors were still around when I did a
bit of a circuit the other day.
The Banded Stilt at Lake Clarendon is now in full breeding plumage, and
surprisingly easy to pick out from the many Black-winged Stilts and hundreds
of Red-necked Avocets which usually surround him. There's an extra clue at
the moment. The footprints that sink ever deeper into the mud marking my
passage out from the earth wall towards the margin where the Banded Stilt
was feeding - all in the cause of getting some photos of the only
full-plumaged Banded Stilt I've ever seen in Queensland.
Glossy Black Cockatoos are normally only found in the higher slopes of the
valley, but they've been turning up at Abberton and nearby recently. I
managed to photograph two birds feeding in Allocasuarina torrulosa. We're
getting Red-tailed Black Cockies most days too, but in White Cedars.
I mentioned Great-crested Grebes and Hoary-headed Grebes recently - they're
still here, as is the Black-tailed Native-hen, six Banded Lapwings in a
paddock at Lockyer Waters, Swamp Harrier hunting the creek at Abberton most
days. There have been several reports of a pair of Square-tailed Kites in
their regular location around Gatton, but also the other day at nearby
Forest Hill.
And after about a year with no sightings reported, one of the two white
Black Swans reappeared on a local lagoon last week. It must be about 4 years
old now. I'm still hoping to see it pair with a black Black Swan.
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at http://www.abberton.org
Email:
Ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111 Fax: (+61) 7 4697 6056
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