Spring - A time for young birds.

Due to family commitments and health concerns, I have been unable to keep up with blogs, though all now under control.

So it was good to be able to get away for a weekend of birding with members of Birds Queensland to Rainbow Waters Holiday Park, with visits to Inskip Point, Bullock Point, Mullen's, Tin Can Bay Foreshore and the Noosa Plains for the Ground Parrot. 

I was the only person lucky enough to see one of these just twenty meters from where the others were sitting having Happy Hour while waiting for the Dusk Chorus of these elusive birds, during which five more were heard. We also had King Quail calling close by. While waiting, a flock of 40 plus Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo kept us entertained.

It must have been a good breeding season due to the amount of young birds and nesting birds we found during our travels over the weekend.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)(Juvenile)

Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)(Juvenile)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)(Immature)

Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans)(Immature)

Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela) (Male & Juvenile)

Varied Triller (Juvenile)

Varied Triller (Male)

More birds to come as we managed to record 99 species for the weekend.
For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

Azure Kingfisher & Tree Martin

Was lucky enough to come across this Azure Kingfisher yesterday. They always seem to be very hard to get a good photo of as they are normally flying very fast along a tree lined creek. This one was out in the open just sitting above a dam overflow which was flowing rather well considering all the rain we have been having of late. The only thing that it would not do is turn around to show off the colour of its front. Just when I put the camera down to have a look at the bird it flew off along the watercourse.

Click on photos to enlarge

Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea)

Tree Martin (Hirundo nigricans)

After our wader count in September we took some visitors out to Carlo caravan park so they could check out the park for their camp in November. While we were looking around to see what birds were about we were watching some Welcome Swallows and Tree Martins flying over the sand flats. One Tree Martin kept flying to a metal pipe on one of the jetty gates. After closer inspection we found its mate inside on a nest. At least this nest site is well protected from the weather and from being chopped down. Not sure how many people would be aware of this activity being so close to a busy boat ramp.