30th November Report

Again hot, humid and thunderstorms during the week with only 20mm of rain from three rain showers. Bird sightings for the week were 73 seen plus 9 heard, reptiles and mammals were 12 seen. Butterfly's and moths were in evidence with Ambrax Swallowtail, Ulysses, Common Crow, Blue Triangle, Blue-banded Eggfly, Lemon Migrant, Evening Brown and Hercules Moth plus many more unidentified. Other insects of interest were a couple of species of Longicorn Beetle - Xixuthrus microcerus 75mm long and Cyocyphax pranethoides 30mm long and very uncommon.

Cyocyphax pranethoides

Bird highlights for the week were a pair of Black-chinned Honeyeaters feeding in Grevillea sp. these are a quite uncommon species in our area with only a few sightings during the year. The Papuan Frogmouth chick continues to grow at a fast pace and has been seen sitting up beside the proud parent during the day. A Pacific Baza is also sitting on a nest and the Nankeen Kestrels who were also nesting nearby fledged at least one chick. The young bird was seen next to the nest site being fed by the parent but unable to maintain its balance and it ended up hanging upsidedown clutching some leaves.

Nankeen Kestrels at nest

The Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers continue digging out their nests in termite mounds, six nests have so far been located. A pair of Spangled Drongos also started to build a nest but did not continue with it, a pair of Magpie-lark has also just started building.