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Lewin's Rail & gallopping horse

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Subject: Lewin's Rail & gallopping horse
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Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:03:02 +0000
A group of friends met up at Rainbow Beach, Cooloola National Park -east of Gympie, Qld.- over the weekend and, as on a previous visit, we managed to snaffle some really nice species.
The first afternoon and evening was spent checking the heathlands down 
Cooloola Way for Ground Parrot. None were seen during our few hours of 
searching, but in the few moments before darkness many began calling. We all 
agreed there were at least between 12 and 15 birds calling and possibly many 
more. And this was within a small section of the heath. On the last visit 
back in January they were much more visible.
Next morning -Saturday, we all headed to Inskip Point to look for the 
Black-breasted Button-quail and Beach Stone-curlew. The latter were absent, 
but all five observers that were then present all managed to gain good views 
of the button-quails. Plaxy Barratt and I managed a female just a few metres 
away from us without trying, as we did a Dingo across the straight on Fraser 
Island through the scope. Dan Mantle, Beth Symonds and Jen Garden managed 
four birds and even females calling.
Other good records for Inskip Point were of a Collared Kingfisher, the 
Gull-billed Tern, a Brahminy Kite, Osprey. Other than that, though, all was 
as it is normally is, profuse and diverse.
Later that morning, after morning breakfast, we went for a walk through the 
rainforest (yes, tht's right, rainforest -a surprise to me at least) from 
the Bymien Picnic Area to Lake Poona. Things were very quite by this time 
and probably the most interesting thing seen was a Green Catbird roosting 
very high within a tree and for the most part silent.
Back to the house for a nanny nap and then that afternoon we returned to the 
Ground Parrot site for another try at the bird, as well as maybe the Grass 
Owl and Southern Emu-wren. We heard emu-wrens on a few occasions and a 
couple of the group managed to latch onto and observe a female. The parrots 
were quiet as we made our way through the heath, but just as we were 
resigning ourselves to not seeing them, and heading back to the vehicle, one 
flew up ahead of us and took off towards the woodland to the east. It was 
flushed again and disappeared. It was the only bird we saw on this occasion.
Then again, just before dark, many Ground Parrots began to call. Clearly, 
they were intent on sitting tight, though. A raptor was seen almost on dusk, 
which turned out to be a huge Spotted Harrier quartering over the heath. 
Then, someone called out Gallinule! And to the east in the wetter heath we 
heard a Lewin's Rail, a bird that none of us had managed to snag as yet. We 
heard it again and again. And then another bird off behind it. We listened 
to one of its calls and everyone cacked themselves, for it sounded like 
Audie Murphy on a fast moving horse. We all got out our whips!
With the last hint of light in the sky and a couple of Grass Owls starting 
up, we sat tight with our spotties and waited. Shortly after the excitment 
began, first one bird then another. Plaxy and I shone the light upon the 
performers, a bird each, but when they crossed another in the sky things 
became a little confused. We didn't know what bird to concentrate on. One 
took off not to be seen again, whilst the other alighted on a nearby bush 
and remained there for quite a few minutes. An excellent way to wrap up the 
night.
Next morning, our last, Dan, Beth and Jen went off to chase up the Beach 
Stone-curlew again, whilst Plax and I went off in the opposite direction to 
look for Brush Bronzewings and fruit-doves. None of us were successful with 
our target birds, although Plax and I heard a couple of the season's first 
Shining Bronze-cuckoo at Camp Milo, as well as a few Eastern Spinebill 
hawking insects and wing-flapping.
We all said our goodbyes back at the house and departed, Dan, the lucky 
bugger, off to the Gobi Desert. Thanks guys, for a great weekend!
Best Regards,
Michael Wood

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