Not deterred by overcast skies and forecast showers, an intrepid team of five members of BSQDD and/or TBO undertook the first systematic group surveys of birds in the lower section of Prince Henry Drive Park on 11 May 2024.
This extension to the pre-existing park (small parcels along Prince Henry Drive), was acquired by Toowoomba Regional Council within the last few years and is poorly known in terms of its biodiversity.
Habitats range from open forest and woodland dominated by ironbarks and gums, mostly over a dense shrub layer to semi-evergreen vine thicket,
With some massive fig trees, on volcanic scree slopes below the three lookouts.
There is also riparian forest/scrub along several creek lines although some is infested with woody weeds and creepers.
The team completed three of the standardised 2ha-20minute area searches, listing 17, 14 and 11 bird species as it progressed up slope. Although lack of sunlight may have suppressed some bird activity, nevertheless these are reasonable tallies for plots in broad areas of forest in late autumn.
Perhaps a surprising record, one warm-season migrant, a single Black-faced Monarch (nationally listed as migratory) was encountered in the creek-side scrub.
Of the anticipated cool-season visitors and passage migrants, only three Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were encountered but nine Grey Fantails, six Golden Whistlers, two Rose Robins and an Eastern Spinebill were recorded.
Some Brown Goshawks are considered to migrate north on the east coast in autumn and one bird was seen soaring during the surveys.
Other species of some note included Regent Bowerbirds (7) feeding in fruiting trees, a White-eared Monarch calling, and seven Little Lorikeets. They rounded out the total list of 37 bird species.
Combined species list for all the surveys conducted:
| Bar-shouldered Dove | Geopelia humeralis |
| Black-faced Monarch | Monarcha melanopsis |
| Brown Cuckoo-Dove | Macropygia phasianella |
| Brown Goshawk | Accipiter fasciatus |
| Brown Thornbill | Acanthiza pusilla |
| Double-barred Finch | Taeniopygia bichenovii |
| Eastern Spinebill | Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris |
| Eastern Whipbird | Psophodes olivaceus |
| Eastern Yellow Robin | Eopsaltria australis |
| Fan-tailed Cuckoo | Cacomantis flabelliformis |
| Golden Whistler | Pachycephala pectoralis |
| Grey Fantail | Rhipidura albiscapa |
| Grey Shrike-thrush | Colluricincla harmonica |
| Laughing Kookaburra | Dacelo novaeguineae |
| Lewin’s Honeyeater | Meliphaga lewinii |
| Little Lorikeet | Glossopsitta pusilla |
| Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum |
| Olive-backed Oriole | Oriolus sagittatus |
| Pied Butcherbird | Cracticus nigrogularis |
| Pied Currawong | Strepera graculina |
| Red-backed Fairy-wren | Malurus melanocephalus |
| Red-browed Finch | Neochmia temporalis |
| Regent Bowerbird | Sericulus chrysocephalus |
| Rose Robin | Petroica rosea |
| Scarlet Honeyeater | Myzomela sanguinolenta |
| Shining Bronze-Cuckoo | Chalcites lucidus |
| Silvereye | Zosterops lateralis |
| Spotted Pardalote | Pardalotus punctatus |
| Striated Pardalote | Pardalotus striatus |
| Torresian Crow | Corvus orru |
| Varied Triller | Lalage leucomela |
| Variegated Fairy-wren | Malurus lamberti |
| Welcome Swallow | Hirundo neoxena |
| White-browed Scrubwren | Sericornis frontalis |
| White-eared Monarch | Carterornis leucotis |
| White-throated Treecreeper | Cormobates leucophaea |
| Yellow-faced Honeyeater | Caligavis chrysops |
We look forward to completing two more visits to the park this year.
