Author Archives: Tara

Return To Mosquito Creek Road & Coolmunda

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The final day of the Birds Queensland Camp was a visit to Mosquito Creek Road & Lake Coolmunda including a private property near the lake.  I was really hoping to get a good look at Bluebonnets and hopefully some photos this time.  The nice thing about birding with a group is that you have a lot more eyeballs at work and one of the group did spot a pair of Bluebonnets that I probably wouldn’t have found as they were well camouflaged and being very quiet.  Once they were pointed out to me, I was able to follow them with my 400mm lens and grab a few shots – none of which came out well other than to prove we saw Bluebonnets!  I’ve included some untouched shots and some cropped ones to show just how far away the birds were and how difficult they are to see.

IMG_1299a IMG_1303 IMG_1303a IMG_1308 IMG_1309 IMG_1309a IMG_1310 IMG_1310a IMG_1311a IMG_1312a IMG_1314 IMG_1314a IMG_1316 IMG_1316a IMG_1317 IMG_1317aAnother highly sought after bird was the White-winged Fairy-wrens bustling around in bushes.  They weren’t too keen on being photographed either!

IMG_1245 IMG_1245a IMG_1247a IMG_1248a IMG_1250a IMG_1253aLuckily a few birds were happy to pose for photos.  First up is a Pale-headed Rosella who looks to have some hybrid blood in him.  Oddly enough Pale-headed Rosellas often breed with Eastern Rosellas around here though there is no reason they couldn’t find a partner of their own species.

IMG_1220 IMG_1220a IMG_1221a IMG_1223a IMG_1226 IMG_1229a IMG_1231a IMG_1232 IMG_1232aSacred Kingfishers also put in an appearance.

IMG_1278 IMG_1279a IMG_1281aHere’s a few more random shots.

IMG_1235 IMG_1261 IMG_1296a IMG_1324 IMG_1345 IMG_1349 IMG_1350 IMG_1351 IMG_1353 IMG_1352We had a nice spot to have a picnic lunch by the lake and watch some Little Corellas play in the trees.  After lunch, Ina & I took off as I wanted to make it back to Brisbane before dark and also have a quick look-in at the Durikai Watering Hole enroute.  Traffic back to the city does build up in the afternoon on a Sunday so bear this in mind when planning your journey.

 

Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla)

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The Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla) is a species of parrot in the Psittaculidae family. It is endemic to Australia. It is a small parrot, predominantly green in plumage with a red face. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

They can be very hard to photograph as they tend to stay high up in trees and blend in well with the foliage but I finally got a decent shot in Durikai National Forest, near Karara.

IMG_1174a IMG_1140 IMG_1140a IMG_1144aThey have a large range on the eastern side of Australia.  I have seen them at Woodlands near MEL, several reserves in the Brisbane area and at Durikai National Forest.

L LorikeetsLEARN MORE ABOUT LITTLE LORIKEETS

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You can see how well they blend in.

Nesting pair

 

Birding Durikai State Forest – Near Karara

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Durikai State Forest is better known for fossicking but those who look deeper can find some wonderful birds here.  Last year, someone even spotted a rare Regent Honey-eater although I was not so lucky this year!  It is located about 3 hours drive from Brisbane, 7 km from Karara and around 40 km from Warwick and you can access it from the Cunningham Highway.  On the right side of this map, the red line is a gravel road leading into the forest.  We were there around 2pm so there weren’t many birds around but the highlight was a lovely Mistletoe Bird.  The yellow splotch is across the road and a bit hard to find.

Karara DurikaiIMG_1081 IMG_1086 IMG_1089 IMG_1092 IMG_1094 IMG_1096To find the Durikai Watering Hole, you look on the left if coming from Warwick (around 44 km)  for this sign.  The turn-off to the watering hole is pretty well concealed but you can see a white Jeep coming out from it.

IMG_1369 IMG_1366If you are coming from Coolmunda or Karara, look on the right for these signs about 7 km past Karara.

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This watering hole is a magical spot where you can set up a camp chair, chill out and watch beautiful little Yellow-tufted Honey-eaters, White-naped Honey-eaters, Noisy Friarbirds and Little Lorikeets frolic through the trees and come down to drink water.  I also got a glimpse of Turquoise Parrots shooting through but unfortunately they didn’t stop to pose for photos.  I was really lucky to get decent shots of the Little Lorikeets which had been eluding me in tree branches for ages!

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Meanwhile back at Karara apparently these Little Corellas missed their train!

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United Offers 30% Partner Bonus – Ends Nov 20

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While this isn’t the most lucrative partner bonus I have ever seen, it’s still nice to get something extra if you were planning to do business with any of these partners anyway.  Unfortunately the one partner that I could have used – Chase is not included!

United bonusYou need to register first (click on the image)  and you’ll earn 30% more with partners you haven’t used in the last 12 months.  Click on each category in turn to see which partners you are eligible for the bonus.  Here’s a sample.

United bonus2You can still get a 10% bonus on MileagePlus Shopping, MileagePlus Dining and the MileagePlus X app.  Be sure to scroll down and read the T&Cs.

I’m not too excited about this promo as I have used all the partners I normally use (mostly the survey ones) within the last 12 months so no bonus for me.  But if you are just getting started with United MileagePlus it doesn’t hurt to register and see if any bonus miles show up!

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)

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The Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) is the least colourful and most common of the four pardalote species.  This little guy from Karara sure knew how to show himself off to good advantage – like a supermodel he showed his best profile, both sides and his gorgeous wings up!

IMG_0851 IMG_0854 IMG_0857 IMG_0858 IMG_0858aThey have a very large range throughout Australia.  I saw them in Karara and around Lake Coolmunda which is represented by the blue dot.

Striated PardaloteLEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

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These wild Striated Pardalotes are nesting on some lucky person’s verandah!

Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)

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One of the birds you are most likely to see in Australia is also one of the most beautiful.  The galah Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the rose-breasted cockatoo, galah cockatoo, roseate cockatoo or pink and grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.

Notice how this first Galah’s crest (Nallan Station) is pinker than the other ones?

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IMG_0161Galahs are known for their silly, playful nature.  If an Aussie calls you a “galah”, they usually don’t mean it as a compliment!

You won’t have to try to hard to find them as they are pretty much all over Australia.  I’ve seen them around Perth, Nallan Station, Stirling Range, Tasmania, Melbourne, Brisbane, Bowra Station, Coolmunda, Karara, Girraween just to name a few.  They frequent the park a couple blocks from my house and I can usually hear them as they fly overhead in the morning to forage for breakfast.

Galah rangeLEARN MORE ABOUT GALAHS

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Wild Galahs in  action – playing and foraging.

 

 

 

Birding Around Karara, South-east Queensland

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If you are driving to Lake Coolmunda, a worthwhile stop for birding can be in the small town of Karara and the back roads nearby. On the map below you can see the town of Karara on the left and the Back Creek Road is the blue line in the middle where we saw a lot of parrot species.  Further to the right is the Durikai National Forest which also has excellent birding.

Karara Durikai

Although the Striated Pardalote and Tawny Frogmouth pictured below were on a private property (I was with a Birds Queensland group) the species are local to the general area.

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Can you see the Tawny Frogmouth?  He blends in very well!  If you ever see one resting like this, please don’t disturb him as making him fly in the daytime could cause predators to spot this bird.

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This gorgeous little Striated Pardalote was a real supermodel, turning every which way so I would get his best side, even giving me an open wings shot!

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Sulphur-crested Cockatoo hiding in a tree.

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Karara Sports Ground – camping available although mine was organized by Birds Queensland.  I recommend going to Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park and making an excursion to this area.

IMG_0865Back Creek Road, about 4km down the road from Karara proved to be a treasure trove for parrots!  We saw Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Little Corellas, Galahs, Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Pale-headed Rosellas, Eastern Roselllas and Red-rumped Parrots all within 1 hour early in the morning.  Coming back to Karara to rejoin the BQ group, there was also a Red-winged Parrot flying overhead near the roadhouse.

IMG_1005 IMG_0869Sorry, the editor isn’t working so please tilt your head left to see the Cockatoo Tree!

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Staying Hydrated While Birding

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Here in Australia the weather is heating up which reminds me how important it is to stay hydrated when you are hiking through a national park looking for birds.  There are many different ways to carry water with you.  You may elect to buy one mineral water bottle and just keep refilling it if you are in a place where water is safe to drink.  Or you can get a product like this collapsible water bottle which has the added feature of collapsing down so you can carry it past airport security empty, then fill it up at a water fountain.

 

If you are birding somewhere that doesn’t have safe tap water, most eco-lodges will supply boiled water for you to refill bottle such as these or if you are camping then you can boil your own water.  Whatever you do, stay hydrated and stay safe!

For those who have the Chase Freedom card, don’t forget that you get 5x from Oct – Dec 2015 on Amazon.com!

Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)

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The Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii) is an estrildid finch found in dry savannah, tropical (lowland) dry grassland and shrubland habitats in northern and eastern Australia. They are sometimes referred to as Bicheno’s finch; and also as owl finch, owing to the dark ring of feathers around their faces.

The name of the species commemorates James Ebenezer Bicheno, a colonial secretary of Van Diemen’s Land appointed in September 1842.

I saw these guys at the Edith Falls Campground in the Northern Territory.

And these are from Wikipedia

DBFinch DBFinch2 They have a good sized range in Australia but to date the only places I have seen them is Mosquito Creek Road near Lake Coolmunda and Edith Falls in the Northern Territory.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

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Up close and personal with Double Barred Finches, very cute little bird!

 

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

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The Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), also known as the quarrion and the weiro, is a member of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia.  Cockatiels have a special place in my heart as they were the first bird I had as a pet and it was my love for them that led me to learn more about them and ultimately led to me being a conservationist.  It will always be a magical experience for me to see them in the wild!

These photos were taken along Mosquito Creek Road which is near Lake Coolmunda, about 4 hours drive from Brisbane.

IMG_0475 IMG_0467 IMG_0628 IMG_0634 IMG_0647They have a large range covering most of Australia but seeing them is harder than you may think as they prefer remote grassy bushlands and they blend in well if they are on the ground foraging.  Mosquito Creek Road and Bowra Station (blue dots) are 2 easy places to find them.  I recommend searching on eBird since they are so widespread and there is bound to be a place within a reasonable drive from most cities in Australia.

Cockatiel rangeLEARN MORE ABOUT COCKATIELS

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Any search through Youtube will find 1000’s of pet cockatiel videos so I had to search for the wild cockatiel clips.  I found some good ones showing wild cockatiels going about their daily life in the bush.

I wish I could see this many all at once!

Mini doco with good basic info but be advised that some photos are pet mutation cockatiels, not the wild ones though they also have wild cockatiel pics.