Pardalote Holt: The old year passes

G'day Folks

I hope you all had a happy Christmas, Saturnalia, Hannukkah, or whatever else you celebrate at this time of year. Back at the Holt we had a very quiet period with Richard and Natalie away and Susanne recovering from a couple of minor, but painful operations that put the dampener on her enjoying the season. Its been a very warm and humid start to the summer, with plenty of short but spectacular lightening storms passing over us. The accompanying rain has filled the dams, the creeks and brought on a rush of new growth that's making the land lush and green (that's Australian lush and green and shouldn't be compared with British lush and green, which sits at an entirely different level).

As is my custom I have taken the holidays to exercise the old legs and to get out onto the mountain or along Guanaba Creek for a bit of birding. These expeditions haven't been as successful as I would have liked, for example I sought the elusive Albert's Lyrebird again, but it remained elusive, but there's always something to see. For example, Guanaba Creek has filled nicely and although I saw few birds I was treated to some baby turtles, quite exciting!

Guanaba Creek

Juvenile Brisbane Short-neck Turtle breaking the surface

Whilst Mum (or Dad) drifts nearby.

And up on the mountain, despite the missing Lyrebird, I did get some good sightings of a number of birds. Out of sight, hidden in the canopy, the Wompoo Fruit Doves were making their presence known by calling constantly. The sounds of the forest were added to by Cicadabirds and Spangled Drongos who are both very active at this time of year.

View from the Mountain

The Catbird

So named because it's call is reminiscent of a strangled cat!

Further down the trail at the forest margins I was treated to a sighting of an Emerald Dove. A shy and demure little bird that is always a pleasure to see.

Emerald Dove

There's a particular point on the Jennings Trail where I can pretty much guarantee seeing Logrunners, and I wasn't to be disappointed on this trip.

A female Logrunner checks out the leaf litter in the gloom of the under-storey.

It's unusual to see one perching on a twig, but it gives a good view of the claws it uses for scratching through the leaf litter.

The ever inquisitive Pale Yellow Robin.

Back at the Holt I haven't been able to spare as much time birding as I would like, and to be frank the humidity and rain hasn't helped much either, but its the time of the year for the larger birds. The Honeyeaters, Thornbills and Whistlers appear to retreat into the deeper bush, to be replaced by large families of parrots and the summer migrants including Channel-billed Cuckoos, Cicadabirds, Common Koel, Dollarbirds and Spangled Drongo, all of which are very noisy birds with some quite unique calls. I haven't mastered recording sounds, but would recommend Googling these bird calls to get the feel of the cacophony that can be created.