Inskip Pt, Cooloola Nat pk, Qld 13 - 150603
Part 1....
I arrived at my campsite at Inskip Pt, gateway to Fraser Island, at 21.15
last Friday night and set up camp by the light of the silvery moon. Great
site, 4WD access only, right on the edge of a 2 meter sand cliff overlooking
the ocean.
Up at 5.00 on Saturday morning and off to the Cooloola Way, a rough track
running through Cooloola Nat Pk to Kin Kin. Three kilometres in and I turned
off down another track to a previously described 'spot'. It was dead still,
misty and damp, promises of a beautiful day ahead.
Not having visited before I wasn't sure exactly which way to head into the
surrounding grassy, banksia strewn, boggy-looking ground. I stuck to the car
track until I came upon another sandy track winding off across the area.
Following this kept me relatively dry and as I went hundreds of WHITE
CHEEKED HONEYEATERS, LITTLE WATTLEBIRDS and NOISY FRIARBIRDS woke and began
'singing', preening, chasing and feeding. The mist quickly burned off in the
rising sun and the birds became more active - but not my quarry.... yet.
I stopped to do what I had to do - relive myself... at the side of the
track, and, suddenly, bursting from cover the first of my target species. A
GROUND PARROT (tick) lifted and flew low over the undergrowth with the
typical 'snipe-like' (such an accurate description) wing beats and glides
for about 60 meters dropping out of sight again almost as quickly. (This
seems to happen so regularly I believe I have a product to develop. Yes, I
am presently working on an amplified tape of zips being undone and clothes
being opened. I believe this will seal my fortune for ever, all birders will
eagerly purchase my 'Twitchers Exposure' CD, giving me the funds to travel
the world and see all those birds I only dream about!)
Moving right along, I followed the track and explored the small treed area
at the end discovering a beautiful creek flowing through sandy banks.
Returning to the car I did not raise any more GPs despite wearing out every
zip on my clothing.....
Finishing a cup of coffee and considering my options I saw a small brown
bird move in some heavier reeds and strange plants (botanist I am not) - on
further investigation I spied a female SOUTHERN EMUWREN (tick) moving very
discreetly through the stems. It was calling, as was another, but only the
female was seen. The fat, reddy brown, little body with the, almost,
invisible tail, distinctly different from a fairy wren. The call clear,
although sounding more like a zeet to me than the seet described in Pizzey,
but my ears are not a very reliable indicator.
I spent some more time walking through and around the area, but neither
parrot or wren appeared again.
Headed back to camp, happy with the day so far, and decided to check out the
Black-breasted Button Quail site, to no avail, in fact, no obviously new
platelets, maybe they move away during winter?
Spent the day, dozing and reading, until at 16.00 headed back again to the
same site on Cooloola Way. Arriving at 16.45 it was again dead quiet, the
sun going down behind the hills, clear blue sky, flushed with orange and
indigo, it reminded me strongly of summer evenings in the hills in Wicklow
outside Dublin, aided probably by the landscape as much as the conditions.
Lovely.
I had been hoping to hear the Parrots singing, or maybe my third target
species, Grass Owl, heading out for an evening's hunt. Alas, none of the
latter and although I did see two more parrots from the same track, I did
not hear any singing. Once it was definitely dark and there was little or no
hope of the owl I headed back towards Rainbow Beach and then off on the
Freshwater Track. This track cuts through about 25kms of mixed forest to the
main beach north of Noosa. It is definitely 4WD only - being at times a very
soft sand track, rough and rocky. I had attempted to traverse it in November
last year, but had backed out half way through due to the conditions then. I
had noticed at that time, however, that it looked good for further
investigation and that was my intent tonight.
> Colin Reid
Brisbane
"So many birds, so little time..."
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