Dirk & Nancy Down Under: 124) Twitching and dipping

Finally! A glorious Glossy Black Cockatoo!
The GBC has been on the "must see" list for three years

We participated in another Gold Coast Glossy Black Cockatoo census (a research project from Griffith - http://www.griffith.edu.au/environment-planning-architecture/environmental-futures-centre/projects/cockatoos-on-the-coast) a few days ago. Nancy had been to our assigned census area 2 weeks ago and seen no signs (no chewed casuarina (She-oak) cones) so we were not hopeful. Then the census day arrived -- gloomy and drizzling. So after our first 1.5 hour pass through the area I headed for my office (it was after all, only Saturday). An hour later I received a terribly excited call - "oh, he's here!". When I got there it was absolutely bucketing rain. But we tromped out to the tree and there he was still chewing away (all birds should be this sedate and comfortable about people). I waited for a break in the rain but this photo Nancy took is one of the better ones. Amazingly enough, he methodically chewed cones in the same tree for at least the five hours we were keeping an eye on him; research indicates they always use their left foot. They are very specific eaters and nesters and, of course, are threatened in AU with a precipitously dropping population locally. Luckily they are building another 1000 home development just across the NSW border - that should help....(not)

Some days though the Sulphur-crested cockatoos come to us. This fellow came in for a drink from the bird-bath on the deck. Too chicken to get in though.

Two weeks ago we stayed up in Lamington on a twitch for a the Rufous Scrub-bird. The weather was - well it's a rainforest, so we trudged 6 miles out and back through some spectacular mud and constant drizzle to see nothing. Here we are staking out the Antacrtic beach trees they prefer. Lunch was cold, damp and leech infested. And short.

Completely dipped the scrub bird (that is twitcher talk for "didn't see anything"). Nancy just finished "The Big Twitch" about an Ozzie vying to break the 12 month record for a 700 species count in AU (he was successful). She is now reading "The Biggest Twitch" - same idea, different people- 12 months to see as many birds as possible - in the world......gotta buy lottery tickets.........

Back at O'Rielly's we spotted this King Parrot feeding its baby (THAT is a baby? Maybe "yout" is a better term.) The little one sure was vocal about food though!

On another mud-fest at Green Mountain we s-l-o-w-l-y eased around this sunning Tiger snake in the trail. Only aggressive when it's cold (as in May) it has one of the most potent toxins going.

We later saw a Red-bellied black but it glided off before I could unlimber the camera. The name describes it well and like all AU snakes, it is not to be trifled with.

We did nothing on the second day due to - well, its a rainforest.......

We did go for a night-spotting walk before the rain settled in. This Southern Boobook owl was a treat particularly when he dropped to the ground to snap up some morsel. Later in the tent, we could hear him calling: "mo-poke, mo-poke"

The park ranger also showed us a funnel spider . He pointed out the web "funnel", which is beautifully camouflaged against the tree bark, and tricked the spider into emerging to jump on a twig. He stated that this one had lived in the same place for over 10 years - I was shocked when it emerged - jet black, fast and BIG! They are one of the "primitive" spider orders with powerful bites (poisonous, I ask? "well yes, but there hasn't been a death since 1996").

I will be watching which trees I touch from now on....

On a morning jaunt down to the Terranora Broadwater, it was fun to see many of our local birds back including this Mistletoe bird. I only wish these guys were more like GBC - calm, ignoring people and sitting on low branches instead in the very top of the canopy at the farthest reach of my telephoto!

Or I could get a bigger lens!