Hi all,
I've just come back from 9 days bush camping throughout Lakefield
National Park. The highlight was seeing approximately 150 Star Finches in a
breeding colony at a small waterhole. I calculated at least 70% were
immatures. Some just out of the nest and some from an earlier brood just
getting their red beaks. I observed 7 nests (some close together) that had
been used & 1 pair that were busy building. So all in all a very good
breeding year with water everywhere and the ground littered with seed.
Other highlights were a female Red-Chested Button-Quail with 4 newly hatched
chicks, a flock of 60 Little Corellas established at another lake, a Red
Goshawk at another lake, observing 3 pairs of Barking Owls in their roosting
trees in different areas of the park, and calling in plenty of Large Tailed
& Spotted Nightjars. On my last morning I was determined to see the
Golden-Shouldered Parrot so camped overnight at a frequented dam and was
lucky enough to have a pair fly into a tree above my head. I saw 138
resident species as well as catch a few Barra. I'll be back there again in
September!
Cheers Stan
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