Two and a bit days of birding around the Lockyer this week turned up 140
species ? despite the virtual absence of water from most of the roadside
lagoons, with even Lake Atkinson now reduced to two small puddles. Lakes
Apex, Freeman and Dyer remain relatively well off for water ? and birds.
We counted 18 adult and immature Banded Lapwings in one paddock, though none
in their once-regular location close to Lake Atkinson. Likewise there were
no Ground Cuckoo-shrikes sighted in their usual breeding location, but there
were a couple close by Seven Mile Lagoon ? another dry paddock! Hard now to
imagine the thousands of ducks and waders, and hundreds of Oriental
Pratincoles, that we have seen there in previous years. That?s ephemeral
lagoons for you; I?m confident it will return ? but goodness knows when.
Redwood Park on the Toowoomba escarpment was alive with all the expected
species including Black-faced and Spectacled Monarchs, Cicadabirds, Varied
Trillers, and some magnificent Regent Bowerbirds, as well as multiple
smaller passerines. Michael Atzeni and Michael Wode have seen a White-eared
Monarch there recently, but it escaped us on Monday.
The Bush Stone-curlew that has inhabited roadside gardens on the western
edge of Toowoomba for several years now hasn?t been in evidence on my last
four visits, and might well have finally moved on. Thanks to Brisbane
friends who came up with several dependable locations, we were able to add a
breeding pair with young on our way to the airport.
We had intended to round off the two and a half days with a quick walkabout
at Nudgee Beach, right next to the airport, but we arrived there less than a
handful of minutes ahead of a mighty storm! We felt lucky to escape the
location without damage, but alas also without the anticipated mangrove spp.
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
(27º 34' 21" S; 152º 08' 21" E)
Visit our website at www.abberton.org
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