Braving dense fog (in Toowoomba) and hordes of mosquitoes on site, 11 birders visited Lake Broadwater (via Dalby) early on 10 February for the fourth excursion to this conservation park by BirdLife’s Darling Downs group.
The mostly overcast sky was at least helpful in keeping temperatures down and while beside the lake the persistent light easterly dispersed the bothersome insects.
The first three visits by our group to this park had been in winter, so this was our first summer encounter. On this occasion, our teams re-surveyed five of the 2 hectare, 20 minute sites established on previous visits and added another of these standardised surveys nearby. Some incidental observations were documented as well.
Our efforts meant that a wide range of habitats was included: woodlands of poplar box, native Callitris pine, and red gums, and mixed grey box, brigalow and belah; also short tussock grassland and lake edge wetland. Lake Broadwater had filled to capacity from summer rain and inflow, causing waterbirds to disperse—they were also discouraged by speed boating on the open lake, a popular recreation here at this time of year.
Altogether, 50 bird species were recorded on the day, a reasonable outcome for mainly plot-based effort, summer conditions and scarcity of waterbirds. The few lake edge birds included a group of seven Great Crested Grebes displaced from mid-lake, three White-bellied Sea-Eagles, and a tight flock of (unusually) 15 White-necked Herons passing overhead.
This is the full list from the visit:
Apostlebird | Struthidea cinerea |
Australasian Darter | Anhinga novaehollandiae |
Australian Magpie | Gymnorhina tibicen |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike | Coracina novaehollandiae |
Brown Honeyeater | Lichmera indistincta |
Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia |
Cockatiel | Nymphicus hollandicus |
Crested Pigeon | Ocyphaps lophotes |
Double-barred Finch | Taeniopygia bichenovii |
Eastern Yellow Robin | Eopsaltria australis |
Galah | Eolophus roseicapilla |
Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus |
Great Pied Cormorant | Phalacrocorax varius |
Grey Fantail | Rhipidura albiscapa |
Grey Teal | Anas gracilis |
Grey-crowned Babbler | Pomatostomus temporalis |
Inland Thornbill | Acanthiza apicalis |
Little Corella | Cacatua sanguinea |
Magpie-lark | Grallina cyanoleuca |
Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum |
Nankeen Kestrel | Falco cenchroides |
Noisy Miner | Manorina melanocephala |
Oriental Dollarbird | Eurystomus orientalis |
Pale-headed Rosella | Platycercus adscitus |
Peaceful Dove | Geopelia placida |
Pied Butcherbird | Cracticus nigrogularis |
Plumed Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna eytoni |
Rainbow Bee-eater | Merops ornatus |
Red-winged Parrot | Aprosmictus erythropterus |
Rufous Whistler | Pachycephala rufiventris |
Sacred Kingfisher | Todiramphus sanctus |
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet | Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus |
Spangled Drongo | Dicrurus bracteatus |
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater | Acanthagenys rufogularis |
Straw-necked Ibis | Threskiornis spinicollis |
Striated Pardalote | Pardalotus striatus |
Stubble Quail | Coturnix pectoralis |
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo | Cacatua galerita |
Superb Fairy-wren | Malurus cyaneus |
Torresian Crow | Corvus orru |
Wedge-tailed Eagle | Aquila audax |
Weebill | Smicrornis brevirostris |
Whistling Kite | Haliastur sphenurus |
White-bellied Sea-Eagle | Haliaeetus leucogaster |
White-necked Heron | Ardea pacifica |
White-plumed Honeyeater | Ptilotula penicillata |
White-throated Treecreeper | Cormobates leucophaea |
Willie Wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys |
Yellow Thornbill | Acanthiza nana |
Yellow-faced Honeyeater | Caligavis chrysops |