Hi. Meg and I spent 2 nights at O'Reilly's last week - arriving Wed. p.m. after
driving through the bushfires alongside the access road about half way up. All
the usual birds were around and plentiful. This is still the best place to see
lots of Regent & Satin Bowerbirds with male Regents even eating out of your
hand. Logrunners were everywhere with many close and extended views.
We had decided to holiday up here specifically to see 3 species of bird -
Paradise Riflebird, Albert's Lyrebird and Rufous Scrub-bird. A female P.
Riflebird was sighted that afternoon about halfway along Python Rock Track.
Thursday saw us walking the excellent Border Track. Along here, we had one
quick view of a Lyrebird - enough to know it was a lyrebird but unsatisfactory
as a first sighting. We did find 2 male & 2 female Riflebirds for extended
close views. After walking 6.2km, the track arrived at the escarpment. Soon we
began hearing lots of the loud calls of the Rufous Scrub-bird. Between Mt
Bithongabel & the Mt Toolona Lookout, we heard at least 8 males calling
powerfully (but all too hidden to see). We were lucky enough to come around a
sharp bend in the track and see a scrub-bird moving around on the narrow track
with his tail erect. It quickly hopped into thick cover but kept calling. While
we considered what to do next, it suddenly reappeared and went back across t
he track. We went just past this site and sat quietly to eat our lunch. After
about 15 minutes, we could tell that the bird's calls were again getting close
to the track. Sure enough, the male bird came out on the edge of the track in
full sunlight. We were expecting a longer view of this bird but just then, a
group of 5 bushwalkers came from behind us and began talking. Sure enough, the
bird quickly hopped across the track again with just enough viewing to
appreciate the rufous colouring. It did not reappear and after about 10
minutes, we decided that it was time to return to O'Reilly's - happy with our 3
quick sightings.
Next morning - Friday - we left O'Reilly's. Back at Canungra, we decided to
head up to nearby Tamborine and look for the Lyrebird at the Witches Falls
section of the National Park there. We arrived about 10:15 and set out along
the track just behind the cemetery. Within 5 minutes, we found a displaying
male Albert's Lyrebird which kept us enthralled with his dance display and
vocal repertoire. He kept it up for about 20 minutes and we had to leave only
when our arms got tired from holding our binoculars. About 200 metres further
along, we got great views of a female as she scratched around feeding.
We arrived home with three new ticks to our list - an extremely satisfying
couple of days.
Brian & Meg Johnson
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