We've had a Little Bronze-cuckoo calling for several days, and on Sunday
morning it spent a spell in the trees close to the house allowing decent
views and good looks at its red eye, but staying just a bit too high and too
back-lit for anything better than ordinary photographs.
Monday was a day of awful weather here. Torrential rain, with intermittent
spells of damp half-light. But once committed to a day's birding, it's hard
to stop - even the toughest day will surely yield some reward for
perseverance. We found Toowoomba's suburban Bush Stone-curlew early on, and
headed straight back down-range out of the cloud.
In between drying lenses and sheltering from the worst of the weather we saw
ten duck spp on the lagoons around the valley, and Lockyer Creek yielded 10
Nankeen Night-herons standing along the branches of just one fallen tree!
All full-plumaged adults. As we were counting them, a Black Bittern flew
past the night-herons and settled just upstream on another fallen log. 5
more night-herons during the day at other locations.
It was just the right sort of day for the Baillon's Crake at Lake Freeman to
show itself, which it did; later, a flock of 30+ Red-rumped Parrots; 3
Ground Cuckoo-shrikes harassing a magpie, then resting on a branch just over
our heads, close enough for us to enjoy the beautifully fine barring across
what usually just shows only as a pale rump.
Late-afternoon, in awful light we were fortunate to pick out a Painted Snipe
with three tiny young. We didn't venture closer than scopable distance, and
took a few photos (which I'll get on the Abberton website asap) but which
will have to be categorised as "record shots" at best. Yet another location
for Painted Snipe, which we've seen now at eight or nine spots around the
valley over the years. Because of the vulnerability to predators of these
very small youngsters, particularly if the parent bird is disturbed enough
to have to move them, I've been asked not to reveal the location. Sorry
about that, but it is a threatened species - maybe when the kids are off
their hands.....
Tuesday was just a little better weather-wise, found Cotton Pygmy-geese on
three different bodies of water, two immaculate Hoary-headed Grebes - they
always remind me of a smart Spanish Don with his salt and pepper hair
Brilliantined and slicked straight back, Spotted Harrier hunting the
creekside paddocks, Wedge-tailed Eagles, more night-herons, including one
right in front of the verandah on a post which had just been vacated by an
Azure Kingfisher. Multiple Rainbow Bee-eaters nesting in the banks of
Lockyer Creek.
Collared Sparrowhawk at Abberton this-morning, and Speckled Warblers, which
have been wandering about with good-sized juveniles seem to be gathering
nesting material - maybe they're going to go have another go.
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at www.abberton.org
email:
ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111
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