230 More from the New 'Hood'

Pale-yellow Robin

Pale-Yellow Robin

We went exploring more in our new neighborhood, venturing up to Mt Nebo in D'Aguilar National Park.  It was a glorious autumn day, with a bit of a nip in the air, clear blue skies, and lots of sunshine.  We first went looking for a spotted quail thrush that had been recently sighted, but weren't lucky to spot one today--we'll try another time, because this place made us happy.  Lots of singing birds, some new faces, and some old familiar ones.  We stopped at the fabulous Cafe Boombana for take-out breakfast--divine banana bread and chai latte--then ate surrounded by Bunya pines and nice, old-fashioned stone shelters around the picnic tables at Maiala picnic ground. We've only seen Pale-yellow robins a few times, although they're supposed to be common.  These robins were up on the Maiala loop track, a nice rainforesty walk where we heard Wompoo fruit doves, catbirds, and bowerbirds.

Brown Gerygone

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

We saw lots of Brown Gerygones today...another bird that supposed to be common, but we were happy to finally get a positive id on these guys. Thornbill-sized, and extremely active, they're not so cooperative at staying still long enough to get a good look, let alone enough to focus a camera.  









Many  Yellow-faced Honeyeaters high in the canopy requiring careful sifting to see if any less frequent species had snuck into the flock.




















We we pleased to get a good ID on the Buff-rumped Thornbill. We have seen them but they are small, high-up and fast - a bad combination for getting the detail of the white eye-ring!

Bell Miner

When the bird you hope to photograph won't show what do you do? Take more pictures of the terribly accommodating Grey Fantails that follow you around and invite you to take pics! They seem inquisitive, boisterous and are quite happy to pose!


















We also dipped on another bird we hoped to find at the Wivenhoe lookout, a red-browed treecreeper.  But there were lots of Bell miners to keep us company.  They look a bit sad, but we love the colors of these birds--bright green with bright orange beaks and legs and a triangle behind their eyes.  And their cheerful 'tink-tink' resounds through the forest.