Around mid-November 2023 I heard a ‘commotion’ from my barn, and noticed an adult Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) perched at the apex of a large Hoop Pine to the south. It was being ‘relentlessly’ attacked by a pair of Australian Magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) who obviously had a nest nearby.
Fortunately I had a camera and tripod nearby and managed to get this footage, sadly it was quite warm and heat-haze is evident.
Whilst bird-walking locally this year (2023) I noticed an increase in the amount of buttonquail ‘platelets’ in the vine-forest scrub near the banks of the North Pine River. ‘Platelets’ are created by various species of Turnicidae when they spin around and kick the leaf-litter exposing the bare-earth whilst searching for invertebrates and seeds on the ground. I have never seen any of these birds perched in trees before. Initially, I assumed that the platelets were made by Painted Buttonquail (Turnix varia), which are the most frequently encountered Turnix species in the general area, but, after placing audio-sensors and trail-cameras out I discovered that they were actually made by Black-breasted Buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster). In the past year I’ve captured a reasonable amount of this rare and declining species on camera, but have only seen physically them on a couple of occasions. Interestingly, all buttonquails are polyandrous (the females are usually more colourful and leave the parental-care to the males.)
One of the first-clips from July 2023, this infra-red footage shows three foraging-birds and how, when a threat is perceived, they can ‘freeze’. Check the bird on the right: it moves very slightly.
Unfortunately the footage from the trailcams are not high-quality but it is definitely possible to identify which species is evident.
During October I noticed another bird taken on an animal-track nearby, to my surprise this was actually a Painted Buttonquail.
Check out the camouflage of this male BBBQ (…footage just captured!) He is foraging in a platelet then is ‘alerted’ to some danger and freezes.
Nice find on my dawn-walk this morning, a Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis) singing on the side of Strong Rd.
Captured this footage of the Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis) in early-November 2021 with a Canon RP and RF 800mm IS F11 hand-held. I think I may have discovered a new ‘martial art-form’, trying to hold a telephoto lens steady whilst several blowflies crawl up and down your bare-legs, and in and out of your facial-orifices, needs much practice.
Two Chirruping Wedgebills (Psophodes cristatus) were observed singing near the Noccundra Hotel, SWQ Queensland in early-May 2021 whilst I searched in vain for Grey Grasswren (Amytornis barbatus). Unfortunately this clip was filmed without a tripod but hope it’s not too ‘shaky’.
Recently there has been plenty of Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus) action around my Barn, including quite a few of the ‘nominate’ New Zealand race ‘lucidus’. Unfortunately I haven’t managed to get any video-clips of them at this stage (late-March 2021) but with the new Qld COVID ‘lock-down’….it might just happen!
Saw this male Spotted Quail-thrush near Crows Nest, but was surprised after trying to get a decent ‘still’ photo when he flew up onto the branch in front of me. Unfortunately I didn’t have a tripod handy so used the nearby ironbark tree as a support.
Filmed this Black-eared Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx osculans) at Sundown National Park in Southern Queensland in November 2020.
Finally managed to see the northern race of Superb Lyrebird in Queensland (ssp edwardi) This male was approaching Bald Rock Creek at Girraween National Park for a drink at dusk when we noticed him fly up to a tree. The footage is short and very poor (taken with a handycam) but shows clearly what a magnificent species this is.
During mid-November 2020 up to 10 young Paradise Riflebirds (Lophorina paradisea) were observed ‘practising’ their courtship-dance at Mt Glorious in SE Queensland. Unfortunately the day that I filmed this was particularly cloudy and dull. Sadly I didn’t see any adults performing.