I spent a couple of hours at lunchtime at the Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary at
Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast. I chose this time as the tides and heat were
right for seeing the crabs which were really the objects of the excursion.
However, it was one of those days when cicadas were calling and visible, and
the birds seemed quite cooperative and were singing loudly all around me at a
time they’d usually be avoiding the heat.
As well as the Collared, Sacred and Azure Kingfishers, there were Grey and
Little Shrike-thrushes, several Mangrove Gerygones right beside me, Grey and
Rufous Fantails, etc. etc., but the absolute highlight was a juvenile Shining
Flycatcher going into male adult plumage. It was the splotchiest creature I
have ever seen, blobs of chestnut, white and black in no particular pattern,
and the shoulders were not just glossed with blue, but appeared the blue of the
Superb Fairy-wren! It flitted around for so long, and quite close, that I was
even able to show it to some folks who came without binoculars!
Great way to be finishing this year’s birding for me!
Robyn Howard
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