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Greetings,
Yungaburra is full of Fig-parrots at the moment.
The point of interest is that I am not seeing any females feeding before about
8am. By 9 am females are more numerous than males.
Breeding activity seems to have increased in the
last few days since we are now getting storms. Riflebirds and Brush Turkeys have
noticeably picked up their effort along with frogs and reptiles.
Early this morning I observed about 20 Eel-tailed
Catfish mouthing the top of he water in our little creek. on closer examination
I found one Black Bream and numerous rainbow fish doing the same. Could the
slight increase in flow from our first storms have actually depleted the
oxygen?
Have had reports of a Papuan Harrier just a
little south of Malanda. Will check it out and keep you informed. One of the
local pairs of Spotted Harriers have been producing strange looking offspring
for some time. These birds go on to look like perfectly normal
adults.
Many White-rumped Swiftlets, about 100
Needle-tails, 20 Fork-tailed Swifts and two strangers have been observed in the
last few days hawking over the town.
Pacific Baza are on eggs.
Water and birds are returning to Hasties Swamp near
Atherton with White Browed Crakes showing well near the hide and Bush Hens on
the paddock before the swamp.
Crane numbers seem to be down but are to be found
in many paddocks either side of the Barron River which is also sporting a Little
Egret at the Jim Chapman bridge (when I saw the sign go up a few years ago I
thought he must have died. Not only do Qld pollies name things after their
living mates they name them after themselves!)
Good birding,
Alan
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