Mary's Creek.

Mary's Creek west of Gympie is a beautiful area and a great place to go birding, 31 species for the short time we were there. Not bad since it was Winter.

Click on photos to enlarge.

  Spectacled Monarch (Symposiarchus trivirgatus)

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis laevigaster)

Little Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha)

 Mary's Creek.

Beautiful reflections in the clear rock pools.

Staghorn Fern (Platycerium superbum)

By the looks of this, not everyone appreciates a beautiful forest.

Hope they like cleaning their vehicles.

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

In search of Freckled Duck

After hearing about the rare Freckled Duck at Lake MacDonald, Cooroy, on the Sunshine Coast, we decided to try and find them. After our first unsuccessful attempt last month, we thought we would try again. This time we were lucky enough to see four Freckled Duck, and as an added bonus, a Comb-crested Jacana appeared right in front of us. 
Click on photos to enlarge.

 Australasian Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)(Male)

 Comb-crested Jacana (Metopidius gallinacea)

(Juvenile)

Comb-crested Jacana (Adult)

 Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa)

 Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), Purple Swamphen,

 Australasian Darter, Freckled Duck.

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), Australasian Darter.

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

Dagun

Dagun is a small rural community in the Mary Valley.

Although the train no longer runs through Dagun, the community have looked after the station, and hold farmers markets on a regular basis. The pineapples here are very nice, sweet and juicy, should have bought more!

click on photos to enlarge.
 

  Dagun Railway Station

This Welcome Swallow was gathering mud for its' nest. I would like to know how it managed to keep its head clean.

 Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

The White-browed Scrubwren was busy feeding young with little fat caterpillars.

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis laevigaster)

As we walked along the road we came upon this White-necked Heron  searching for food around the edges of a farm dam. 

 White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

Waders

 Wader Time Again

Not many waders around at this time of year. Winter is not a good time to count waders at Mullen's with low tides and cold water to walk through to get to the site. Still and all, 11 Species totaling 96 individual birds is not bad. With showers hanging around I was debating whether to take the camera or not; just as well I had a raincoat for it!

  Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

 Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)

 Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.