Tag: queensland

  • Buttonquail trailcam footage.

    Buttonquail trailcam footage.

    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.

    Female Black-breasted Buttonquail
    Male Black-breasted Buttonquail
    Female Black-breasted Buttonquail

    During October I noticed another bird taken on an animal-track nearby, to my surprise this was actually a Painted Buttonquail.

    Painted Buttonquail
    Female Black-breasted Buttonquail
    Female (…..and male, just) Black-breasted 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.

  • Black-fronted Dotterel

    Black-fronted Dotterel

    Have been getting some interesting video of this species Elseyornis melanops close to my residence near Rush Creek (Dayboro, SE Qld)

    This clip was taken hand-held (….without a tripod) hope it’s not too ‘jumpy’.

    Spring is in the air…..

    Black-fronted Dotterel
  • Black-eared Cuckoo

    Filmed this Black-eared Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx osculans) at Sundown National Park in Southern Queensland in November 2020.

    Black-eared Cuckoo
    Black-eared Cuckoo

  • Superb Lyrebird…in Queensland!

    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.

  • Flight-training for Kites

    This young Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura) was recorded undergoing ‘pre-flight training’ by it’s parents at Samsonvale, SE Qld in November 2020. The footage was captured on a Panasonic HC-VXF1 handycam whilst walking the owners dog first thing in the morning. Note the kites premier nuisance, several Torresian Crows ‘making-mischief’ loudly in the background.

    Square-tailed Kite parents ‘supervising’ young bird