Part 2
I got to the Bymien picnic ground (2WD access to this point) and, just
beyond, I parked, and placing the speakers on the roof, began to play the
calls of the Sooty Owl on the CD. Within 5 minutes, maybe less, I had a
response! I turned off the player and began spotlighting the trees - there,
immediately above me, 2 SOOTY OWLS (tick) holding their wings up and calling
directly at me. Wow!! What a view!
I could see the inside of their mouths (orange) and every detail of their
dark faced features. Unreal!! I didn't pester them, of course, with more CD
calls, but they persisted around the tree tops for 15 - 20 minutes
afterwards, finally moving off, probably quite chuffed with their ability to
deal with a stranger!!
I began playing the MARBLED FROGMOUTH calls and was rewarded with distant
responses - playing a bit then turning it off, waiting, then playing again,
and they were in the trees nearby within 10 minutes. Responses ranged from
the deep ooom ooom to actual gurgling and bill snapping. Brilliant! Echoing
through the still forest it is so exciting to hear these creatures. I didn't
want to upset them too much, either, so settled for a quick spotlight of one
on a branch 20 meters or so up a nearby tree. I could see the plumes around
the bill and the shape of the tail from underneath as it sat quietly in the
torchlight. I think there were about 4 in the immediate area with, possibly
2 more further out.
I left them all to it and headed home, encountering a BARN OWL in the trees
along the road near the campsite. Checked it's leg coverage - bare shins,
definitely not a Masked Owl - would have been asking too much I
suppose......!
Next morning again up at 5 and off to Cooloola Way yet again. The car knew
the way so I just slept...
Spent a couple of hours wandering the track, zipping and unzipping, just in
case, but no parrots or emu wren fell for that trick. 5 DUSKY WOODSWALLOWS
glided and darted over the road, very neat looking birds, but other than
that just the usual species noted previously. Interestingly the list of
birds was low in total, very specific habitat results in low species
variety, I pondered that as I wandered. Deciding at 8.30 that it was time to
give it away I hopped in the car and headed off and, of course, a GROUND
PARROT flew up off the side of the road after about 50 meters, typical eh?
I ate, packed up and travelled the Freshwater track quite comfortably, the
Suzuki handled it well in High 4, rain had settled the track and there was
no need for extreme 4WDing. A 40 minute drive down the beach, onto the ferry
across the Noosa River and the 1.5 hour road haul back to Brisbane.
Aaah, but all those other drivers didn't see Sooty Owls, Ground Parrots,
Marbled Frogmouths and Emu-wrens - they don't know what they're missing!
> Colin Reid
Brisbane
"So many birds, so little time..."
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