May
22nd – Good Topknot Pidgeon flock on birdwalk. Whipbird checked fruit feeding on fence of front door. Various Regent
males around the area including a half coated one near staff carpark was quite a drawcard.
26-Booboook owl and Owlet Nightjar calling in Morans Valley
28-Satin Bowerbird Male seen eating Stinging Tree leaves not far down the Villa Track. Boobook Owl and Owlet
Nightjar down Morans Valley again
29 th -Boobook Owl Guesthouse and Morans Valley again
June
2nd-Varied Triller calling by day at Flying Fox area. Boobook Owl down low-head height on gloworm tour tonight
right after green bridge crossing, didn’t move when a large group passed by (without being noticed by all those
ahead). Luke had some Bellbirds calling at the Plum Pudding cutting on the main road which reminded me that I
thought I heard one call here driving up last week. Bellbirds may be establishing themselves over here from the
nearby colony over the ridge
3 rd -Marbled frogmouth well seen on Gloworm Tour by entire 30 person group it managed to stay put in good view
somehow. Scot had Boobook Owl in Morans Valley
4 th -Peregrine Falcons and both Tawny Frogmouths at Lukes Farm/ Bluff
5 th -Double Lyrebird feature and quick Riflebird view on Birdwalk. Rose Robin at Canungra Vineyard around trees in
the picnic area, not all that difficult to locate. Rose Robins also calling around the roadworks further down the valley.
Bellbirds seem firmly established at the Plum Pudding cutting on Main Road
9 th -Triller at Flying Fox. Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo above Morans Valley. Luke saw 3 in Pine Tree below helipad.
Regent Bowerbird males around the Cafe area. Boobook Owl at Flying Fox. Tawnies reliable at Lukes Bluff again.
Australian Kestrel at Lukes Farm near the big dead Crows Ash Tree powerlines. Havent seen one around here for
ages
10 th -Riflebird opposite guesthouse
11 th -Lyrebird on first corner of the villa track-good views of it practicing its calls on a low vine. Black Faced Monarch
call was a bit unusual to hear from this one. Varied Triller at Campgrounds. Grey Goshawk at Flying Fox
12 th -Willywagtail returns after a possible 6 month abscence or longer. It was enchanting how my energetic friend ran
straight up to say hello and didn’t hesitate taking a walnut crumb like he never left, always a most cheery bird.
Yellow Tail Black Cockatoos Campground and Morans Valley Midday. Regent Bowerbirds still a little hard to get but
several sightings a day especially in the tops of Hoop Pine trees. Grey Goshawk everywhere today. Tried to tempt a
Regent Male down with a walnut not noticing old Gossy there till he saw the throw as an invitation and swooped
towards the food unexpectedly thinking I may be feeding it instead. The Goss didn’t get too excited with the nut but
wow anyways. 2 Tawny Frogmouths driving down the main road in wet weather
16 th -Annette O’Reilly saw Grey Goshawk in the Valley and what looks like a Grey Crowned Babbler in the Canungra
Valley before the Mountain bends began. Barry Davies had Sooty Owl and Tawny Frogmouths on a Track in the
Morans Valley.
17 th -Yellow Tail Black Cockatoos Morans Valley. Celery Woods still fruiting well keeping Bowerbirds distracted
towards them. Guests reporting Lyrebird female with mossy ‘nesting material’ 100m down the Border Track.
Marbled frogmouth at the Morans Creek area. Tawny Frogmouths at the Plum Pudding (cutting) bends again
21 st -Mark Watson saw 2 Glossy Black Cockatoos in the Cainbable Hairpins around the major land slips
22 nd – Scenic Day tours Dave had Noisy Pitta calling along Border Track-Treetop track merge. It was calling constantly
around midday
23 rd -Tawny Frogmouth 3km from bottom of the Mountain Road on a daytime perch. Luke saw a Riflebird (team) on
Birdwalk near the undertakers bower area/ Corroborree Ring, 3 of which then went separate ways. A Crested Shrike
Tit encounter then evolved as well in good range and viewing. Black Kite day around Lismore, Chinderah, Burleigh seem to be in many areas lately. Glen also supported the likely theory of the nesting Lyrebird somewhere around the Border Track maybe around 3-400m zone as other sightings support this. Riflebird calling along Border Track midday and afternoon. Golden Whistlers calling like spring today
25-Peregrine Falcons soaring around the escarpment today at Lukes Bluff once the warmer northerly winds picked
up. Later in their favourite tree perch. Tawny Frogmouths in their favourite perch near Lukes Bluff sitting in a heart
shape patter just to look romantic. Lyrebirds calling around most places today. Riflebird behind cafe and at
Moonlight Crag. Russet Tail Thrush calling down Lukes Farm road today
27 th -many guest reports of Lyrebird sightings in all areas lately
29 th -Noisy Miners and Double Barred Finches with nesting type behaviour down on the coast was a bit surprising
30 th -Boobook Owl down low in staff village about 8pm.
July
1 st -Yellow Tail Black Cockatoo Mt Cainbable. Boobook Owl around the Guesthouse and Owlet Nightjar calling in the
vineage around the gloworm track on Gloworm tour tonight. Lyrebird crossed the road to Moonlight Crag. Riflebird
at Flying Fox
2 nd -Riflebird at campgrounds. Regent Bowerbirds everywhere today on Birdwalk. Boobook again at O’Reilly’s
3 rd -Goshawk everywhere today. Yellow Tail Black Cockies Morans Valley. Willy Wagtail made another appearance
after a 2 week gap somewhere that he goes. Wompoo Pigeon crossed main road near Pine Mountain about 4pm
surprisingly being the first I’ve actually laid eyes on this year! A few Regent Bower males getting promoted to full
coloured outfit in rough thirds each week is fascinating to observe how quick it does happen-but it won’t happen
overnight. Scrub Turkey waddle development also getting near full effect, maybe a tad early. Still a notable Brown
Gerygone drought just lately
7 th -Sara had Lyrebird and Grey Goss on birdwalk. Common Bronzewing at second turn from bottom of main road in
Canungra. Brown Goshawk clearing out the parrots around the feeding area about midday. Marbled Frogmouths
calling in Morans Valley was a surprise given the cold weather
9 th -Robin mating/ territorial call heard. Masked Lapwings at Helipad during the night
3 |Birding Update May, June, July 2017
10 th -Guests what sounded like a Powerful Owl calling during the night as well as Booobook Owl around the
Guesthouse grounds/ forest edges. Lyrebird crossing Red Road again near boom gate while we were coming back
from Segway tour. Pale Yellow Robins calling Morans Creek/ Falls
11 th -Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo past campgrounds after sunset
13 th -Glen had Scrubwrens checking out a nest, not sure the level of construction interest and also had both
Peregrines at Lukes Bluff
14 th -Lyrebird across Red Road heading up to Moonlight Crag on sunset tour. Marbled Frogmouth calling again in
Morans Valley. Owlet Nightjar flew across Red Road driving up after gloworms and Booboook Owl around
Guesthouse
15th-Lyrebird on birdwalk at start of the Booyong Walk was a great bonus, Logrunners with nesting behaviour on the
Villa Track. Eagles at Lukes Bluff as well as Tawnies and Male/female Pardalotes were photographed by 3 guests
which is always an achievement. There was a Pheasant Coucal at the Rocky Creek Gully before the Euc forest at
Lukes Bluff/ farm edge
21-Booboook and Sooty Owl heard calling in the Morans Valley
22 nd -Crested Shrike Tit 100m along Booyong Walk. Advertising Call of Rose Robin also near the Black Booyong sign.
Albert Lyrebird male in the staff village walkway near the top of the Wishing Tree Track, nice and close. Sara also
struck Lyrebird gold on the top of the Morans Track with a special double bird feature here not far in on the guided
walk.
23 rd -Magpies flew into top of Hoop Pine Trees at campgrounds on Morning Birdwalk not long after mentioning how
the forest regrowth had them move out several years ago.
24 th -Noisy Pitta scored us a few glimpses on the Wishing Tree Track top, oblivious to our presence and any
attempted calls for attention, not many reports of these lately, a major stroke of luck followed shortly by female
Lyrebird at track top which then done a disappearing trick somewhere. We were alerted by its alarm call very short –
but alarm call to whom? With a search of nearby areas it seemed she vanished, highly possible snuck away but also
suggested some other possibility and with the steep bank here with good cover by Pollia cover it is slightly
conceiveable she could be nesting here, as extraordinary as that may be. Further information and experience may
reveal this or not. Russet Tailed Thrush 100m along Booyong Walk. 3-4 Magpies visited all the high points around the
O’Reilly’s areas for second day in a row.
Scarlet and Yellow Faced Honeyeaters noticeably starting to trickle back south as the tide turns and the move to
southern areas begins. Mick O’Reilly said Weipa in the North Qld gulf that the place was raucous with the Channel
Billed Cuckoo noise as they were on descent down from Asia. White Necked Heron still around Pine Mountain
regularly. More Gerygones being seen and heard. More Topknot Pigeon Flocks around the mountains. Fantail
Cuckoo at Flying Fox. Bellbirds still at Plum Pudding cutting on main road seem fully established months now.