We are working jointly with Toowoomba Bird Observers and the Lockyer Upper Catchments Incorporated to conduct bird surveys on private properties in the Upper Lockyer Valley
The purpose of this joint activity of BirdLife and Toowoomba Bird Observers Club (TBO) is to support data gathering for the bird inventory project of LUCI . The project is creating an inventory of bird species, abundance and seasonality on (so far) 17 properties of LUCI members, all within the Lockyer Valley council region. It is engaging landholders in wildlife survey, delivering knowledge to them and informing future landscape-scale management of habitat under the umbrella of the Birds of the Lockyer Uplands Conservation Action Plan (BLUCAP: a consortium of stakeholder organisations).
This was also our first joint excursion with the Toowoomba Bird Observers Club – so it was with much joy that we started these surveys on a 300 acre private holding along with the owners and members of TBO.
41 species were sighted across a number of survey areas which included sloped woodland and some scree slope with Semi-evergreen vine thicket present.
Here is the list for the day:
| Australasian Figbird | Sphecotheres vieilloti |
| Australian Brush-turkey | Alectura lathami |
| Australian Magpie | Gymnorhina tibicen |
| Bar-shouldered Dove | Geopelia humeralis |
| Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike | Coracina novaehollandiae |
| Brown Goshawk | Accipiter fasciatus |
| Brown Honeyeater | Lichmera indistincta |
| Brown Thornbill | Acanthiza pusilla |
| Cicadabird | Edolisoma tenuirostris |
| Eastern Whipbird | Psophodes olivaceus |
| Eastern Yellow Robin | Eopsaltria australis |
| Golden Whistler | Pachycephala pectoralis |
| Grey Butcherbird | Cracticus torquatus |
| Grey Shrike-thrush | Colluricincla harmonica |
| Laughing Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae |
| Leaden Flycatcher | Myiagra rubecula |
| Lewin’s Honeyeater | Meliphaga lewinii |
| Little Friarbird | Philemon citreogularis |
| Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum |
| Noisy Friarbird | Philemon corniculatus |
| Noisy Miner | Manorina melanocephala |
| Olive-backed Oriole | Oriolus sagittatus |
| Peaceful Dove | Geopelia placida |
| Pied Butcherbird | Cracticus nigrogularis |
| Pied Currawong | Strepera graculina |
| Rainbow Lorikeet | Trichoglossus moluccanus |
| Regent Bowerbird | Sericulus chrysocephalus |
| Rufous Whistler | Pachycephala rufiventris |
| Silvereye | Zosterops lateralis |
| Spangled Drongo | Dicrurus bracteatus |
| Speckled Warbler | Pyrrholaemus sagittatus |
| Striated Pardalote | Pardalotus striatus |
| Striped Honeyeater | Plectorhyncha lanceolata |
| Torresian Crow | Corvus orru |
| Varied Triller | Lalage leucomela |
| Wedge-tailed Eagle | Aquila audax |
| Weebill | Smicrornis brevirostris |
| White-browed Scrubwren | Sericornis frontalis |
| White-throated Honeyeater | Melithreptus albogularis |
| White-throated Treecreeper | Cormobates leucophaea |
| Willie Wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys |
Twelve species that hadn’t been formally recorded on this property before were sighted: Brown Goshawk, Brown Honeyeater, Leaden Flycatcher, Little Friarbird, Peaceful Dove, Pied Butcherbird, Rainbow Lorikeet, Regent Bowerbird, Spangled Drongo, Striped Honeyeater, Varied Triller and Wedge-tailed Eagle.
The day was a huge success on many fronts – firstly extending the inventory of birds for the Upper Lockyer, secondly as a very happy first joint outing between TBO and BSQDD – and finally for the amazing spread our hosts Penny and Mark put on afterwards – thankyou so much for your hospitality, inviting us on to your land, and for caring for the environment in the way you do.
