Early morning bird walk, 17 January 2016 - adapted from the report of our leader, Lindsey

Knehr Road Bird Walk (click to enlarge)

It is a tradition with the Fassifern Field Naturalists that the January outing is a bird walk in the early morning. This is to avoid the heat of midsummer. Not heat, but heavy rain and strong winds throughout the night did not deter a larger than expected number of enthusiastic bird watchers who had travelled locally and from many parts of Brisbane to Knehr Road, Wyaralong. The walk winds its way around the banks of the Wyaralong Dam and is home to many water and bush birds.

Despite the weather conditions through patches of rain and drizzle - 70 birds were identified which was a remarkable number considering the conditions. 

There were three species with chicks and the Little Black Cormorant seemed to be sitting on a nest lined with plastic bags until the young ones started to raise their hungry little heads. 

Where we walked

Koala, not the one seen on the walk, 

but included purely because it is so photogenic

It is difficult to choose the bird of the day as there were some good sightings - Nankeen Night Heron, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Red-kneed Dotterel, Comb-crested Jacana, and Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo to name a few. However because most of our party had good views the Latham's Snipe wins the prize.

Watching us pass by was a koala yawning and stretching providing a perfect photo opportunity for all of us that did not bring a camera out because of the rain! 

Ed: Lindsey's comment about not having a camera is so true. Sorry there's not many photos to go with this report.

Species Lists

Birds:

Brown Quail, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Bar-shouldered Dove, Australasian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant with chicks, Australian Pelican, Eastern Great Egret, White-faced Heron, Nankeen Night-Heron, Royal Spoonbill, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite, Purple Swamphen with chicks, Dusky Moorhen with chicks, Eurasian Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Red-kneed Dotterel, Comb-crested Jacana, Latham's (Japanese) Snipe, Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Little Corella, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Eastern Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Fan-tailed CuckooBrush Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Rufous Whistler, Australasian Figbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Golden-headed Cisticola, Tawny Grassbird, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, Common Myna, Red-browed Finch.

Golden Orb-Weaver, another photo not taken on the walk

Marsupials:

Koala, Eastern Grey Kangaroos.

Spiders: Golden Orb Weaver, Leaf-curling Spider.

Butterflies: Large (Common) Grass-yellow, Meadow Argus, Lesser Wanderer, Wanderer.