Lake Wivenhoe

Lake Wivenhoe is the largest lake in South East Queensland and provides more than half of the region's drinking water. The shoreline is mainly pasture with occasional scrub and trees. The lake attracts a variety of water and other bird species. The pictures below were taken at Hamon Cove Recreation Cove on the western side of the lake.

Water birds seen included Great Crested Grebes, Hardheads, Pacific Black Ducks, Darters, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants.

Yellow-rumped Thornbills were active in the car park, along with Masked Lapwings, Magpies, Little Friarbirds, Noisy Friarbirds and Striped Honeyeaters. Red-backed Fairy-wren, Superb Fairy-wren and Tawny Grassbirds were plentiful in surrounding areas of long grass.

A Little Friarbird feeding in the car park at Hamon Cove Recreation Cove on Lake Wivenhoe.

Ravensbourne

Ravensbourne in Queensland is an elevated area just north of Toowoomba in the Darling Downs. The Ravensbourne National Park is considered the best remaining example of the rainforest that originally covered this part of the Great Dividing Range. Ferns, elkhorns and fungi cover the forest floor amongst tall trees and Bangalow palms. A three day stay in the area resulted in a 56 species bird list that included Catbirds, Cicadabirds and Bowerbirds, and Wompoo and Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves.

Several families of Rufous Fantail were busy close to our accommodation, but it took the full three days before this bird posed for its photograph.

Eastern Yellow Robins added to a dawn chorus that included Golden Whistlers, Grey Shrike-thrush and the rainforest birds mentioned above.

A constant companion, the Black-faced Monarch could be heard making its scratchy call.

Two mean looking critters, a pair of Spangled Drongos.

Western Downs in Queensland

The Western Downs in Queensland is a fertile flat agricultural district to the west of Brisbane. It covers an area of 38,000 square kilometers, an area just smaller than Switzerland, and is part of the Darling Downs region. The black vertosols (cracking clay soils) support farming aided by water from the great artesian basin. The Condamine River flows through the area and together with a number of dams and water holes provide the best birdwatching.

Round Water Hole is a small pond close to the town of Chinchilla on the Warrego Highway through the Western Downs. The pond is surrounded by eucalypts which a number of birds, including this Sacred Kingfisher, were feeding from. A Restless Flycatcher was busy in an adjacent tree.

Three Greylag Geese added to a number of waterbirds at the Round Water Hole at Chinchilla; Little Black Cormorants, Grey Teal and Pacific Black Ducks.

Above them a Whistling Kite watched on.

Back down the road this Apostlebird was doing very well feeding in the chicken coup behind the town’s general store.

The dominant roadside bird by a long way across the whole region was sadly the introduced Common Myna, challenged in a few places by Magpie Larks.

Bunya Mountains

The Bunya Mountains emerge from the plains of the Western Downs, some 200 km north west of Brisbane, Queensland. Sub-tropical rainforests top the mountain range, dominated by Bunya Pine, a tall and spectacular evergreen tree of the conifer family. We stopped at the Russell Park Picnic area and a short walk around the picnic area revealed 16 species of bird including a Noisy Pitta.

A Crested Shrike-tit, exploring a rather large curled vine in the car park at Russell Park Picnic Area in the Bunya Mountain rainforest.

One of many Eastern Whipbirds calling and feeding in the car park.

While listening to a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo calling, this Fan-tailed Cuckoo suddenly appeared.

A Brown Cuckoo-Dove feeding of the ground, again in the car park!

D'Aguilar National Park on the North-West of Brisbane

D'Aguilar National Park protects 36,000 ha of the D’Aguilar Range’s vast bushland. It has sub-tropical rainforest and eucalypt woodlands set in a rugged backdrop of rivers and gorges. There is easy access from the city, especially to the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre on the shores of the Enoggera Resevoir, a back up water supply for the city.

This Bush Stone-curlew was part of a family of three feeding in the car park at Bellbird Grove in D’Aguilar National Park.

Not far from the parklands of Bellbird Grove were a selection of bush birds, including this Lewin’s Honeyeater.

This Brown Thornbill was seen near to the Bellbird Grove carpark.

About a kilometer along the Araucaria Walk at Enoggera Resevoir, a large group of Bell Miners were calling.

In the same area there was a pair of Olive-backed Orioles and also Lewin’s Honeyeaters..

And this Noisy Friarbird was feeding nearby in a patch of Lantana.

There were several Eastern Yellow Robins feeding on the walking track at various stages along the Auracaria Trail.

Minnippi Parklands in Brisbane

A worthwhile place to visit in central Brisbane is the Minnippi Parklands and the areas surrounding. They are located on Bulimba Creek which flows into the Brisbane River near its mouth in Moreton Bay. The Parklands contain one of the few remnant lagoons of this area, with woodlands, mangroves as well as open fields used for sport and paths for running and cycling.

The Minnippi Parklands are home to many species of water birds and woodland birds. This Sacred Kingfisher was active on Bulimba Creek near the the head of the lagoon.

Among the waterbirds was this Cattle Egret, evidently regular visitors to the Minnippi Parklands.

Bulimba Creek is tidal shown here with the tide coming in.

An Australian Hobby was patrolling the creek line, hawking then using this high tree as a vantage point.

A family of Australian Hobbys were using the high-tension power pylons as their super-high lookout. I spotted three birds at one time, working from the pylons. This bird was feeding on a captured bird judging by the shower of feathers beneath it. They may be using the crude nest to the left, Hobbys usually use the old nest of other raptors.

A wide range of bush-birds were around, this Spangled Drongo was chasing insects in the woodland bush.

A female Rufous Whistler photographed close to Bulimba Creek.

This Common Tree Snake, about one metre long, was crossing one of the concrete paths in the Parkland.

The Birds of Maleny

Maleny is a peaceful farmland village in hills above the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. During a recent stay, our cabin on the Maleny - Montville road was surrounded by an extensive garden with large gum trees in a park-like setting. At the foot of an extensive lawn was a swampy field formed by drainage from a natural basin.

This Wonga Pigeon reflects the peaceful vibe of the garden, designed in memory of the Australian landscape designer – Edna Walling.

The garden was home to many bird species but parts were dominated by the unholy trio of Noisy Miners, Rainbow Lorikeets and the Grey Butcherbird (above).

Parrot species included the Blue-chinned Rosella (pictured), King Parrots, Galahs and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets as well as Rainbow Lorikeets.

Magpie-lark parents were regularly changing over nest duties, the nest was close to a large farm dam.

The swampy paddock at the bottom of the garden is grazed by cattle, accompanied by numbers of Cattle Egrets. Welcome Swallows swooped across the wet areas and a Lathams Snipe flushed and crossed the paddock.

After making numerous calls during the morning this Buff-banded Rail finally put it’s head up above the vegetation..