birding-aus

Birding in the Stanley River valley, SEQ

To: birding-aus <>
Subject: Birding in the Stanley River valley, SEQ
From: Jill Dening <>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2011 10:43:04 +1000
Hi,

The Stanley River is in the northern part of the catchment, whose water flowed so dramatically down the Brisbane River earlier this week. James and I have a habit of going birding somewhere at dawn every week or so, taking our breakfast with us. This morning, and this time without breakfast, we headed west into the Stanley River valley, and were at the Woodford Pub by 8am as it opened for Sunday breakfast.
The rural valley was subject to heavy flooding this week, though we had 
no trouble negotiating any of the roads. Clearly the bulldozers and 
graders have been in there opening gravel roads, and there is evidence 
of bitumen patching already. And still plenty of potholes, too. Fences 
everywhere carried evidence to the top strand of wire that there had 
been very serious inundation, and the flattened grasses showed that the 
water had travelled at considerable velocity.
We saw more Kestrels than usual. We saw fewer Wood Ducks than usual. We 
saw a few Black Ducks in trees, and perhaps they are renesting. A family 
of Wandering Whistling Ducks had an enormous clutch (13) of ducklings, 
growing well, but still showing down. I suppose the most memorable sight 
of the morning was at a wetland on McCabe Road, where we saw at least 13 
Latham's Snipe. That's a large number for these parts. There's water 
everywhere you look. It's even a bit dodgy pulling off the road to park.
Cisticolas and Tawny Grassbirds were calling everywhere, but not showing 
much.
The Stanley River has been one of our favourite local birding areas for 
over 20 years. It's in the hinterland of the southern end of the 
Sunshine Coast, and is accessed from the coast by the Beerwah-Peachester 
Road. And the Woodford Pub puts on a lovely Sunday breakfast for about 
$16 each. They even turn down the appalling music when we ask. I'm sure 
they turn it up again as soon as we leave. After all, it's only playing 
to babysit the staff.
Cheers,

Jill

--
Jill Dening
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

26° 51' 41"S  152° 56' 00"E
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