Birdline Central & Southern Queensland Weekly Update

Birdline Central & Southern Queensland

Published sightings for the week ending 15 Dec 2013.

Sun 15 Dec	Wandering Tattler Caloundra Headland tide out, fine & hot Wandering Tattler (1) On rock shelf seen at close range, darker gray than gray- tailed - small white eyebrow which did not continue behind eye .Also 5 sooty oystercatchers and nesting ospreys. Other surprise was a buff banded rail so close to beach. Jo Culican
Sun 15 Dec	Kelp Gull, Broad-billed Sandpiper Manly Boat Harbour Colin texted me this morning reporting an immature Kelp Gull and a Broad-billed Sandpiperat the high tide roost this morning. Colin Reid - via Rob Morris
	Square-tailed Kite Fitzgibbon Bushland 2 birds at 8am this morning, great views as they quartered the forest between Roghan Rd and Telegraph Rd for 20 minutes. The first I've seen in this area. Ged Tranter
	Spotless Crake, Baillon's Crake, Little Grassbird Parklakes, Sunshine Coast 4 Spotless Crakes & 2 Baillon's Crakes seen at this recently created wetlands near Bli Bli Greg Roberts
Fri 13 Dec	Banded Lapwing Banool Road, Lockyer Valley 18 Banded Lapwings on edge of large dam North side of road. Jo Culican
Fri 13 Dec	Rufous Night-Heron, Spotless Crake, Latham's Snipe, Brush Cuckoo Lindum Wetlands Includes survey of both salt water mangrove swamp off Kianawah Rd and fresh water off Sandy Camp Rd. perfect conditions Rufous Night-Heron (1) hiding in swamp sedge Spotless Crake (2) behind viewing platform on fresh Latham's Snipe (1) on track near fresh water swamp Brush Cuckoo (2) vigorous calling Bill Popple
Thu 12 Dec	Australian Painted Snipe Mount Lindsay Highway, Tamrook Farm Dam behind Tamrookam Primary School APS still at this site as reported in Aug, Sept, Nov 2013. This visit just a brief view of a female crossing a gap in the vegetation under the power line, north side of school. Rob Elvish
	Fork-tailed Swift Griffin 15 over north this evening in ten minutes, in overcast conditons. Appeared to be a small passage as birds flew purposefully north in ones and twos. Andy Jensen
	Black-tailed Native-hen Dohles Rocks Back by the ponds at Dohles Rocks, in the area around the driveway opposite Osprey House centre after an absence of a few months. Perhaps the bird that was at Nathan Road Wetlands nearby recently from late October to late November? Andy Jensen
Wed 11 Dec	Lewin's Rail Kingfisher Park, Kenmore Three, possibly four Lewin's Rails detected in swampy creek beside the playing fields, mid-morning. One Lewin's Rail and a Buff-banded Rail seen briefly; also crakes (Spotless?) calling. Habitat was 100% cover of continuous dense grass, sedge, forbs and a few shrubs; a mix of exotic and native species. Roger Jaensch
	Channel-billed Cuckoo cashmere just off lilley road This juvenile Cuckoo is one of two raised by Pied Currawongs in their very simple loose nest. One bird has left the nest yesterday and this one seems sure to leave very soon. Jack Whiting
	Southern Boobook Kumbartcho Sanctuary, Eatons Hill this bird was sighted in a tree next to the barn area. It was quite close for our group to observe. This is the first time in the last three years that the group has recorded this bird. Jack Whiting
Tue 10 Dec	Asian Dowitcher Osprey House Environmental Centre Two birds at the spot where Andy Jensen saw a single bird last weekend... lousy record image here.. also a single Marsh Sandpiper Greg Roberts
Mon 9 Dec	Lewin's Rail Ashridge Road Park (Darra) & Edenbrooke Park (17 Mile Rocks) Five Lewin's Rails detected, on basis of up to four types of call, at three sites along the watercourse (Jindalee Ck?) beside Edenbrooke Bikeway, from N of Ashridge Rd to N of Monier Rd, in the early morning. Habitat: almost 100% cover of tall mostly-exotic grasses, sedges, forbs and shrubs (such as castor oil), broadly fringing a small trickling creek. Roger Jaensch
	Nankeen Night-heron St Lucia (including The University of Queensland) One bird in full breeding plumage (white streamers present) on the lake closest to the Green Bridge bus station. This is the first time in almost 9 years of regularly visiting campus that I have seen this species and, as far as I can tell, the first time it has been recorded there in almost 20 years. Russell Yong
	Tawny Frogmouth Dowse Lagoon, Sandgate Roosting low on a branch in the trees alongside the observation platform at Keogh St. Vince Bugeja
	Latham's Snipe Dowse Lagoon, Sandgate Early morning start and from the bird hide sighted this pair feeding along the lagoon edge. Completed my circuit of Dowse Lagoon and they were sighted again. Vince Bugeja
	White-throated Needletail, Fork-tailed Swift, possible Australian Swiftlet Alexandra Hills Counted over 200 WTNTs circling over the area between the Vienna Rd junction and the Aldi. In among them were a tiny handful of FTSs (no more than 5- long bifurcated tails and white saddle-patch distinctive), and one bird that made three passes over that was dramatically smaller again than FTS, overall 'blunter' profile (wings and tail), and a dusky (not fully black) body with white saddle-patch. Best fit is Aust Swiftlet, but I am hesitant to fully commit to this ID unless someone else can confirm it based on this description. Unfortunately no photos were taken (seen while at a traffic light, and bird was moving too fast). Russell Yong
Sun 8 Dec	Beach Stone Curlew Macleay Island, Moreton Bay, Southern Queensland. I saw the Beach Stone Curlew a few months back on the sand and mud flats at dusk, but couldn't take a good photo. When taking sunset pictures on 8, 9 and 10th December I saw it again around 5.30pm each time. Twice I saw it coming from a small tidal creek. Suspect that's where it's living. Don't know whether there's two birds or just the one. Very very rare for Southern Queensland, and my first sighting on Macleay Island in 10 years of looking for one. See many Bush Stone Curlews here, but rarely a Beach Stone Curlew. Threatened species here and critically endangered down south. Gail MacPherson
	Oriental Cuckoo Armstrong Creek, near Dayboro Bird seen near the house and sat giving good views, later moving from tree to tree up the drive. Mike and Linda Lewis
Thu 5 Dec	Little Bronze-cuckoo Sharp Park near Canungra A single bird was in trees beside the Coomera river in the camping area. Earlier in the day I heard another Little Bronze-cuckoo near a dam opposite Nindooinbah House Rd on the Kerry Road south of Beaudesert. Barry Davies
Sun 1 Dec	Plum-headed Finch Quilpie 70-80 Plum-headed Finches, 1 Red-browed Finch and a few Zebra Finches feeding on the ground at approx 7pm in a fenced off yard with spilt grain diagonally opposite the Quilpie pub. The next morning there were only a few Plum-heads and Zebra Finches present. Peter Waanders

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