Heh, heh, heh! It's a bit warmer in Yungaburra than
the ACT!
After relatively quiet night from the wildlife we awoke and went for a walk. I had exchanged emails with Alan Gillanders, from
Alans Wildlife Tours, who lives here, on the roosts of Bush Stone Curlews in Yungaburra. He provided the good oil.
The first site he suggested was at the end of 'our' street. Here were a couple spotted as we set off on our dog walk.
About 1km further towards the Avenue of Honour we found these 3 imitating garden ornaments!
A little later I revisited Elm Street to get this more focussed image.
Alan also suggested a fig tree in Mather Street could produce some interest. It was blowing a gale, which made things difficult but this small green blob resolved to a Double-eyed Fig-Parrot.
Lifer!! One of my target species for the trip.
Meanwhile back at our place a MacLeay's Honeyeater turned up.
As did the usual horde of Olive-backed Sunbirds.
Much later in the day I revisited the hide at Hasties Swamp. The Geese and Ducks were in similar numbers to Monday but seemed a bit more mixed together.
Frances had stayed outside the National (Socialist) Park boundary and when I rejoined her, commented on the two large raptors she had been watching. She nailed the key ID point of white rump, making them Swamp Harriers, and they continued to stack on a real turn of display flying. Absolute magic.
Getting back to botany, this lichen was interesting in the market park.
As was this huge case moth shell. It's at least 12.5cm long.
A very modern War Memorial on the way out of town ...
.. towards the
Afghanistan Avenue of Honour.
I had thought this was somewhere in the village and it was quite a step to get there - about 3.5km at a guess.However it was a very interesting walk with lots of other birds to look at en route. It ends up on a Southern branch of Lake Tinnaroo and will be visited again.
In the afternoon we went through Atherton to the rail trail which was quite a pleasant walk - that means flat - apart from a gale! We found a couple of interesting birds (Plum-headed Finch and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet) and some pretty flowers.
This is an Umbrella Tree, which seems to be
Schefflera sp. but according to Wikipedia has had "a turbulent taxonomic history".
I did see, but couldn't photographa male Ulysses on that walk but back at home this Bordered Rustic was very obliging
- Bird of the Day: A very tough call, but the Fig-Parrot was a lifer and also very pretty so beats out Macleay's Honeyeatyer and Spectacled Monarch. 6 Hornbill Friarbirds take a flock walk - 200 Little Black Cormorants had the numbers, but that is business as usual.
- Vegetation of the day: The fig tree in which the Fig-Parrot was feeding.
- Memorable moment:
- Comment of the day: "Lola, don't terrify the little dog." A considerate, but totally misguided, owner of a cattle dog about to exchange greetings with Tammy. I explained that Tammy didn't do "terrified".
- Pie of the day: No sample.
- Troppo moment of the day. Grass mowing. I expect this has to be done continually in this climate or else mowing needs a chain saw!
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Great trip to a great part of the world. I'd be more envious if we weren't to following you in a few weeks (at least as far as Charters Towers, where we turn left for NWQ and the Top End). Meantime I'm off to the western deserts on Saturday, via Alice Springs, for a couple of weeks helping with bird surveys on aboriginal lands in WA, with a philanthropic mob called Desert Discovery. No phone out there, so I'll catch up to your doings when I get back. I've seen Barking Owls perched on street signs in Yungaburra by the way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, especially the Barking Owl tip. We're coming back one road West so may bump into you.
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