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North Qld. isn't the only part of the Sunshine
State to be completely bereft of sunshine these past days and weeks. SEQ is also
awash,though not to the same extent.So Easter and Labour Day periods have been
home-based, watching the rain and mist from the verandah, contemplating the
rushing creek,the unplanted trees/shrubs , the overflowing tanks,and the
millions of leeches thinking Christmas has extended into Easter.
In spite of all this, there has been some birding joy- and not all on the
internet, or in the pile of unread birding magazines, or in the unentered
birding records etc. We actually got to see some real live, if not a little
damp, birds. Highlights included only the second sighting at home
("Jaya", Bridge Creek valley, 4km north of Maleny, Blackall Range) of
a Dusky Honeyeater, feeding on the sole remaining callistemon flower on Good
Friday. It managed to get its fill before the squadron of Lewin's arrived,
machine-gun calls and all.Then the arrival of an immature (?male) Regent
Bowerbird, always welcome, but not that frequent a visitor.Along with the
resident Satin Bowerbirds they love the blue berries on the native tobacco
bushes just metres from the verandah. Closely followed by the regulars-- Golden
Whistlers, Rufous and Grey Fantails, Little Shrike Thrush, Brown
Thornbills,Black-faced Monarchs, with Eastern Whipbirds and White -throated
Gerygone heard in the background.At the end of this flurry it
rained(surprise,surprise), but not before we saw our first Rose Robin of the
season.(This is the point at which Julian B. and Bob I. may wish to question the
sanity of the author in talking about "seasons"!!)
Easter
Saturday we saw nine (9) Pacific Bazas soaring towards us across the valley from
the Witta hills. They also are regulars, though we have never seen as many.We
think they must breed pretty close to us as we see adults teaching young how to
feed in branches (the crash-through or crash method) most years. The previous
week three Wedge-tailed Eagles had soared through the valley (in which we have
seen nine species of raptors over the years--though we are yet to get a visit
from a Red Goshawk in the Conondale Range,30km away)
And now the good and the bad
news!! After five years of wanting to see a Bush Hen, and believing that they
should, and probably were, on our property or nearby, I got to see one on Thurs,
last.It was a juvenile, i know that because I had 12 hours to look at it as it
(unsuccesfully) attempted to recover from an attack from a local domestic cat
attack. It didn't make it through the night, or to the local Wilvo who gently
told me not to anticipate its survival. What a sad way to see a long -awaited
new bird. I feel I've put the mockas onit!!! I hope I can see another scuttle
safely into the plentiful undergrowth.
So April's total was 71(birds, not
inches), compared with around 60 most months (out of 128 species seen in total
over five years).Today brought the first White-winged Triller for some time,
although we saw the Varied Triller quite recently, and I managed poor views of a
pair of Spotted Pardolotes through the mist. So ends the reflections, back to
the world -of -work tomorrow.
Russ Lamb,Maleny
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