augathella-roma/wallumbilla-surat
spent two weeks over xmas/new year between relatives' properties in outback
qld. have mentioned some sightings in previous dispatches (ie hundreds of
fork-tailed swifts, several bustards, pink-eared ducks and a spot of falconry)
at nive downs north of augathella and the xmas day drive east to wallumbilla.
other sightings at nive downs, on the nive river, and old coolabri (10km
further north) included crimson chats (tick - 4 f/imm but alas no males),
brolgas, red-winged parrots, black kites, brown falcon, gull-billed tern
(deceased), white-necked herons, black-winged stilts, black-fronted dotterels,
striated pardalotes, cockatiels, white-browed, masked and dusky woodswallows,
mistletoebirds, peaceful doves, common bronzewings, white-winged trillers,
chestnut-rumped and yellow-rumped thornbills, squabbling grey-crowned babblers,
apostlebirds, golden whistlers, white-winged choughs, striped HE, plenty of
jacky winters, singing bushlarks, pipits and the odd brown songlark. koels
resident nr house and echidnas under it.
waikola/devil's pulpit, 90km east of roma
waterbirds plentiful here on the overflow lagoon from bartons ck which runs
into the dawson river, including:
more pink-eareds, hardheads, plumed whistling ducks, royal and yellow
spoonbills, glossy ibis (regulars here - outnumbering sacreds and straw-neckeds
- yay!), great, intermediate and little egrets.
red-rumped parrots and white-breasted woodswallows (making it four of the five
spp seen on trip) were nesting in dead trees in the water. also channel-billed
cuckoos and an unpopular whistling kite hanging around.
others around the properties included: a tawny frogmouth which lived up to its
name by scooping up a large green tree frog from the back lawn in one fell
swoop and gulp.
yet more pink-eared ducks on another dam; brown goshawk, leaden flycatcher and
spotted nightjar (tick) - the last two on a steep sandstone ridge over eurombah
ck on new years day. nice to start the year with a tick. almost trod on the
nightjar and flushed it three times subsequently. appeared longer than the
30-odd cm quoted in guides. more like 40cm. any comments?
Ticehurst 60km SW of roma
brief visit. much drier here but a burst irrgation dam upstream had recently
inundated the lagoon which sadly is carp infested. waterbird nos much lower
here. either they hadn't cottoned on or were spoilt for carp-free water
elsewhere. only marsh terns of any note.
also: emus, more gorgeous red-winged parrots, restless flycatcher,
spiny-cheeked and blue-faced HEs plus collared sparrow hawk nr miles on the way
back to brisbane.
happy twitching in 2005 everyone.
shane b
vaucluse
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