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With all this talk of Spring arrivals I've had a look at what
has and what hasn't appeared up here on the Blackall Range, well at least in our
little part of it.
We have the Lewin's HE's in full courting mode, lots of
chasies around the flowering grevillas--of each other!! That hasn't stopped a
solitary Dusky HE from making an appearance, but no Scarlet HE this year as yet.
It's a bit hard to fathom the almost complete absence of Scarlets in our valley,
they are as thick as thieves at Mooloolah and Landsborough just 10 km away.I
wonder if it's an altitudinal thing? At this time of the year the Eastern
Whipbirds get frisky and as a result are much more visible as they chase each
other, often up into the relatively sparse branches of eucs. and sometimes
across open spaces.
A juv.Rufous Whistler is in full
singing mode each day, and we have also noted the arrival of Spectacled Monarchs
two weeks ago, and Black-faced Monarchs last week. Usually their is a gap of
many weeks between the two but this year the BFM's are quite early (for
here).Saw and heard the wonderful metallic racket of the first Spangled Drongo
last week after their departure in April or May. Hope they will again build
their spindly nest in their prefered Rose Gum over the bridge as in previous
years. The Welcome Swallows have taken up their usual spot under the front
verandah.
Took my usual route
through the valley last Sunday at the end of the day, felt the need to connect
with something real,something pleasureable, something constant, familiar and
comforting after the craziness of that week. Did me wonders, didn't see anything
remarkable but took comfort from greeting regular birds doing their normal thing
in their usual places in the valley.The Pacific Black Duck pair were patrolling
their section of the creek whilst the White-faced Heron fished(?frogged) for
frogs. A Rufous Fantail was in a gully, The Pale-headed Rosellas and Scalies
poked about in hollows in the paddock gums, a pair of Restless Flycatchers
stretched their wires for all to hear.As a bonus a Pretty-face Wallaby and joey
appeared and later a Red-necked Wallaby.
So what haven't we seen yet? Why of course what everyone
else is reporting-- we have no Dollarbirds as yet, no Channel-billed Cuckoos( we
do have Shining Bronze, they tend to be around most of the year, and the
Fantails are trilling away ), no Koel. But they will appear, they always do, and
usually later up here than down on the Coast.
Must thank Bob Inglis for posting the
Baillon's Crake at Northlakes, Mango Hill. Saw 5 there on Fri. along with Bob. I
predict this will be the best and easiest sightings of BC for a long time. Had
to give Enid Pascoe, Tony Russell and their SA party the bad news over the phone
tonight that there has been a fire through the Inskip Point Black -breasted
Button-quail site. I fear they will again (for the fifth time now ) be
disappointed and I can see them heading for Yarraman (yet again) to see acres of
platlets ---- and no birds!!!
Russ Lamb, Maleny, SEQ
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