birds australia bird guides guiding birding birdwatching brisbane queensland
birds australia bird guides guiding birding birdwatching brisbane queensland
birds australia bird guides guiding birding birdwatching brisbane queensland
birds australia bird guides guiding birding birdwatching brisbane queensland
Expert guiding, quality accommodation, checklists, maps and birds, birds, birds...
Abberton Diaries...
Spring extracts
Summer extracts
Winter extracts
Autumn extracts
March
- Another of those glorious mornings when the garden is full of birds. Almost too
much to look at at one time. Spangled Drongo and Sacred Kingfishers in the
same tree, Restless and Leaden Flycatchers, Rufous Whistler,
Double-bars, Pale-headed Rosellas, Channel-billed Cuckoos - much as Monday,
but even busier. Two Spangled Drongos together in a castor oil bush.
In all more than 40 spp during breakfast this-morning. A Restless Flycatcher
on the verandah this afternoon, systematically selected and ate four spiders in less
than a minute.
April
- Spangled Drongo and Azure Kingfisher at breakfast time. Usual
mixed flock of Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Silvereyes and Double-barred
Finches. Platypus briefly this morning.
- During breakfast, I took a look at a tree on the other side of the creek where a
couple of Magpie-larks were making a bit of a fuss. I thought there might have
been a bird of prey in the tree, and as soon as I brought the binoculars to bear,
I discovered an Osprey sitting at the very top of a dead tree this side of
the Magpie-larks. He was a perfect bird with the full eye-stripe, very
hooked beak, distinctive head and dark breast bib. He sat where he was for at least
20 minutes, visible from the dining room, and even from the study while I was on the
phone, inviting nearby birders. He dodged the occasional Magpie-lark sortie,
once opening his wings fully and dramatically before eventually dropping from his
high perch and flying across the creek and over the house.
- A very birdiferous pre-breakfast. I stepped onto the verandah to find a party of
White-backed Swallows circling the garden between the verandah and the creek
with a Spangled Drongo in nearby castor-oils. Also male Rufous Whistler
, Double-barred Finches, Eastern Whipbirds calling, Striated
Pardalotes, very active parties of Welcome Swallows circling close to the
verandah, Tree Martins, Variegated, Red-backed and Superb Blue Wrens
etc. Grey Fantail, then White-bellied Sea-eagle cruising eastwards
along the creek!
- An exciting morning with Cicadabird . Leaden Flycatcher male and female, White-winged Triller female, Pacific Bazas at the nest, Pallid Cuckoo calling. The Cicadabird was in the open for much of the morning, Baza calling in nest tree, White-winged Trillers mating. Rufous Night Heron, many Spine-tailed swifts approx. 35 spp during the morning.
May
- During a visit from the Queensland Times this morning, we heard the Pacific
Bazas noisily approaching their tree. As we watched one bird executing his aerial
display, he was joined by two low-flying Whistling Kites which then circled
over the Bazas, nearby trees and the house. We had been excited to see the
Bazas turn up, doubly so when the Whistling Kites joined in, but we
were astounded when a White-bellied Sea-eagle cruised past and in turn circled
above the other four birds of prey. Another one of those scenes which would be hard
to believe if you didn’t see it for yourself. For a while we, and the astounded press,
were watching five birds of prey criss-crossing the skies above Abberton.
Earlier, a flock of passerines shot past the verandah with a Hobby in hot
pursuit. Later this-afternoon, while watching a probable BOP, which was moving away
us at speed, we came upon two Wedge-Tailed Eagles, with an attendant
Australian Kestrel. Still later, while writing about the eagles, a large
Brown Goshawk cruised slowly around high above Abberton. Later still,
Black-shouldered Kite. Eight species of BOP at Abberton today!
- Owen, Ann and I canoed upstream, where we had close views of an Oriental
Cuckoo feeding on caterpillars in the creek-side castor oils. When we headed
downstream we followed an Azure Kingfisher some of the way, then noticed a
platypus lying on the water’s surface, eyes and beak showing well, until he
rolled under the water and out of sight. We paused for a while and were able to
watch him surface again, good views again and another roll under. Four
Australasian Grebes, and on the return trip the Azure Kingfisher
again and then a startled Magpie-lark and Kestrel alerted us to a
Brown Goshawk cruising past, examining the creek-side undergrowth.
Once back on home territory, past the bridge, we spotted a small snake in the water
and harried him gently until he evaded us. He was about 15-18" long, and probably a
Common Keelback or freshwater snake. (Platypus at 10am.)
-
During breakfast an Azure Kingfisher appeared on the casuarina opposite, sat,
fished, sped away, reappeared on the limb that serves as a vantage point in the
middle of the creek, and generally came and went over the next half-hour or so,
sometimes there, sometimes not. An Australian Hobby scythed into view,
through the tesselaris and away high along the creek heading west at speed.
A moment later the Kingfisher reappeared on the mid-creek limb, and suddenly
the Hobby was there, arcing down at enormous speed onto the Kingfisher!
The action was so fast and the shock so stunning that we are not clear just what
happened. Within a couple of seconds, the Hobby had swept around and was away
swiftly along the creek, back to the west. Of the Kingfisher there was no
sign. At the moment of impact, if there was one, a big splash occurred beneath the
birds. Did the Kingfisher escape? Did he fall stunned into the water? Did
both birds hit the water before the Hobby carried his prey off for eating?
We watched the creek and its margins closely for much of the morning, but with no
sign of the Kingfisher.
Spring extracts
Summer extracts
Winter extracts
Please feel free to CONTACT US with any questions !
We are always pleased to answer any queries and to help
you in any way we can to plan your trip to Queensland.
email us at: jollyabberton@bigpond.com
Abberton Birding, PO Box 53, Helidon, Queensland
4344, Australia
Tel: 07 4697 6111 International: +61 7 4697
6111
