Steve Happ Photography Ramblings and dissertations

Blackall Ranges

After Kenilworth, I turned right at the road towards the Obi Obi Creek, where I camped for the night. There were not many birds around but it was a nice peaceful camp by the creek. The next day I kept going to Mapleton Lilyponds, where I went for a walk around the pond. A few Dusky Moorhen and that was about it.

Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)

Just up the road is Mapleton National Park, where this little beauty posed for me. Looking for attention as per usual.

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

The next day I headed out of Mapleton towards the northern end of Lake Baroon. The morning was very foggy but I was lucky to get some shots of these Restless Flycatchers.

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

Blackall Ranges bird list

Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)
Laughing Kookaburra
Dusky Moorhen
Grey Fantail
Eastern Whipbird
Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)
Welcome Swallow
Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

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Blackall Range

Just north of Toowoombah, I headed east again and ended up at the Ravensbourne National Park.

Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)

Going south again and I went for a walk around Kilcoy Wetland , situated in the middle of town at Yowie Park.

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)

The pink bare skin at the back of the head really stand out on this one.

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

In breeding plumage with the pink on the crown and the yellow patch above the eyes.

I stopped off at Lake Somerset, just off Westvale Road where I had a nice relaxing day sunbaking and reading a book. I went past Maleny which was chock a block full of people, and moved on to Fritz Park near Conoldale.

Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis temporalis)

Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)

My last stop was at Fig Tree Walk, just before Kenilworth.

Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)

I could not get rid of the red-eye from the flash. It was so dark. I do not like using flash but sometimes it is unavoidable.

Southern Queensland Bird list

Lewins Honeyeater
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)
Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)
Silvereye
Superb Fairy-wren
Australian White Ibis
Australasian Swamphen
Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Dusky Moorhen
White-faced Heron
Brown Honeyeater
Pied Butcherbird
Little Pied Cormorant
Australasian Grebe
Masked Lapwing
Little Corella
Whistling Kite
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)
Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis temporalis)
Restless Flycatcher
Eastern Whipbird
Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)

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Southern Downs Birding

I had not taken any photos for about a week. It has been so cold. The last few nights I have woken up with ice covering the windscreen. brrr. This morning I did not get out until after 9am. That is unheard of for me. It is just too cold. I took a few photos at Charley’s Creek at Chinchilla a few days ago but nothing much was there. This morning I stopped at Crows Nest, north of Toowoomba and went for a walk from the Bullocky Rest Area along Applegum Walk to Pumphole Lookout.

Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)

Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna)

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)

Southern Downs bird list

Australian King-Parrot
White-plumed Honeyeater
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Royal Spoonbill
Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)
Noisy Miner
Straw-necked Ibis
Masked Lapwing
Cockatiel
Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus)
Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna)
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus)
Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)
Laughing Kookaburra
Australian Wood Duck
Apostlebird

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Western Downs Queensland

Redbank Reserve is somewhere in the central west of Queensland. I have forgotten exactly where it was now. It was so long ago. After that I kept going south. It had been raining for days and this morning was the first chance that I had got to take the camera for a walk. So here I am at Wandoan, wandering around the Waterloo Plain Environmental Park.

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)

Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos)

Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hiruninaceum)

Central Queensland bird list

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)
Peaceful Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove
Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)
Noisy Friarbird
Little Friarbird
White-plumed Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Pied Butcherbird
Spotted Bowerbird
Galah
Magpie-lark
Australian Magpie
Mistletoebird
Weebill
Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana modesta)
Little Pied Cormorant
Australian Pelican
Australian White Ibis
Australasian Grebe
Hardhead (Aythya australis)
Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)
Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

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Central Western Queensland.

I left Muttaburra in the afternoon and drove to Aramac, about eighty kilometers east of Muttaburra. It is a small village with a shop and a camping area. I found a nice camp site near Aramac Creek at the 5 Emus Camp Site. I wandered around in the afternoon and saw a few birds and in the morning walked along the creek and back again. The Aramac Creek Rail Bridge was first built in 1913 by the Aramac Shire Council. The bridge is all that remains of the original rail line between Aramac and Barcaldine. Here are my bird photos.

Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta)

Red-tailed Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii )

Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus )

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhynchus)

Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)

Aramac bird list

Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta)
Zebra Finch
Red-backed Fairy-wren
White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)
Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii )
Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)
Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus )
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)
White-faced Heron
Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)
Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)
Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)
Black-fronted Dotterel
Mistletoebird
Apostlebird
White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhynchus)
White-plumed Honeyeater
Little Friarbird
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

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Winton to Muttaburra Bird Watching

After Hughenden, I headed south to Winton where I spent the night at Mistake Creek, just out of town. There was a film festival at Winton so I went and saw Outlaws, starring Tom Hardy. After doing some internet stuff, I headed east towards Longreach and then went north again along a dirt road to Muttaburra.

Hardhead ( Aythya australis) and Grey Teal

In the morning I had a look at the Winton Sewerage Works. There were a few ducks around but not much.

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)

I camped the night at Union Hole where striking shearers carted their water from Union Hole with a horse and dray in 1891. At Union Camp approximately 400 striking shearers camped here in March 1891. The remains of the main camp oven can still be seen along with other relics.

Spotted Bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata)

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)

Rufous-throated Honeyeater (Conopophila rufogularis)

Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)

adult corvid

Not sure which one. Too hard to tell maybe.

Central West Queensland bird list

Australian Magpie
White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula pencillata)
Zebra Finch
Australian Reed-Warbler
Australasian Grebe
Australian Swamphen
Grey Teal
Pacific Black Duck
Hardhead
Eurasian Coot
Black Kite
White-headed Stilt
Singing Honeyeater
Pied Butcherbird
White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Diamond Dove
Black-fronted Dotterel
Willie Wagtail
Restless Flycatcher
Sacred Kingfisher
Galah
Spotted Bowerbird
Fairy Martin
Rufous-throated Honeyeater

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Central Northern Queensland 1.

I headed south from the Atherton Tablelands. Just past Mount Garnet, I turned left onto the Kennedy Development Road. The first night I camped at the turnoff to the Valley of Lagoons. A lovely name but I had no idea what that was all about. The next day I found Moonstone Hill, where I dried out all my bed stuff. In the afternoon I walked down to some wetlands/swamp. There were a few herons and ibis hanging out but nothing special. So I carried on and found a camp near a water-hole at Lake Louisa. The next day I stopped off at Porcupine Gorge National Park and was rewarded with some photos of a Squatter Pigeon.

Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta scripta)

White-necked Heron

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

Having a bath in a dam.

Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)

Pale-headed Rosella ( Platycercus adscitus palliceps )

Sunset pouring through the dust

After a road train came past.

Kennedy Development Road bird list

Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta scripta)
White-necked Heron
White-faced Heron
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Straw-necked Ibis
Pied Butcherbird
Rainbow Lorikeet
Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)
Pale-headed Rosella ( Platycercus adscitus palliceps )
Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)
Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)
Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)

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Mount Molloy 2

In the afternoon, I headed back south to Lake Mitchell to have a look for some finches. I did not find any other than Double-barred Finches. Hmm , as a matter of fact I did not see much at all. Once more and big DOH!! After that I went up the road to the Big Mitchell River but saw absolutely nothing. There was plenty of grass but no finches. In the morning I went once again to the Rifle Creek Rest Area just north of Mount Molloy. More rainforest birds and a severe lack of light.

Double-barred Finch ( Taeniopygia bechinovii )

Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)

Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta)

It probably should be called Scarlet Myzomela.

Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata)

Little Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha)

Spectacled Monarch (Symposiachrus trivirgatus)

Mount Molloy Bird List

Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus)
Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)
Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata)
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta)
Forest Kingfisher
Double-barred Finch ( Taeniopygia bechinovii )
Willie Wagtail
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Laughing Kookaburra
Little Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha)
Spectacled Monarch (Symposiachrus trivirgatus)
Australian Brush-turkey

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