June 2015 in Bundaberg

I'd hate to sound repetitive, but I'm afraid that this post will probably sound vaguely familiar to last month's... I went for another visit to Gengers Rd one bliss morning to try again for the Black-breasted Button-Quails. Gengers Rd is a reliable site close to Bundaberg were to see rainforest species amongst the other usual birds. Regularly seen here are Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves, Spectacled Monarch and Rufous Fantail, and birds seen by others include Noisy Pitta, Pale-vented Bush-hen, Topknot Pigeons and White-eared Monarch. The most surprising birds of this visit was a pair of Satin Flycatchers and a Little Eagle along Moore Park Rd. Since I first reported the button-quails at Moore Park, most of the locals have been visiting the site quite regularly over the last few months, which has produced some good records during this short period of time. This is, I think, very important data as the area is very close to residential land which is susceptible to development and is probably the last patch of sufficient coastal rainforest scrub in the region. The silver lining of this site is that Black-breasted Button-Quails are in fact endangered species and are very habitat-specific.

There are fewer and fewer waders at the port during our survey this month, however there is still some Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers flying about erratically, presumably ready to take off on migration. Just as well too because the Peregrine Falcon seems to have claimed the observation platform as its own. Raptors are generally easily come across at this time of year, and some that were about the port were Nankeen Kestrel, Australian Hobby, Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Swamp Harrier and Spotted Harrier. Also at this time of year we can focus on some of our resident waders and appreciate them more than we do during summer - residents such as Red-capped Plover, Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-kneed Dotterel as well as the Double-banded Plovers which reside away from the NZ winter.

A local birder, John Hall was out and about this month and saw a couple of nice records for the region - Fairy Prions offshore from 1770 and a Red-backed Kingfisher, usually an inland inhabitant, on the way to Elliot Heads. I decided to check out a little conservation park in Bullyard as I'd never been there before, and it was quite interesting. The habitat featured eucalypt and stringybark dominated woodland that followed a rocky ridge which gave way to sclerophyll at the bottom and also had patches of brigalow woodland. Some of the highlights include White-throated Treecreeper, Varied Sittella, Variegated Fairy-wren and a calling Australian Owlet-nightjar.

Jack, Jane and I spent a day at Stockyard Crk and Cordalba SF. It was relatively quiet throughout the morning, particularly around Stockyard Crk where only the usual suspects seemed to be around. At Cordalba, however, we were able to add a few more species to the list, such as Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Little Lorikeet, Dusky Woodswallow, Fuscous Honeyeater, Jacky Winter and Buff-rumped Thornbill. Overall a great day to be out birding, and a great month for birding...

Brandon