On a beautiful early winter morning, 21 Nats met at Pine Mountain Bush Reserve Blacksoil, after some car-pooling at Neil Street car park. The Reserve is a small area of dry rainforest, gum trees, wattles and an under-storey of various vegetation. We noted quite an area near the entrance of the Reserve with small mother-of-million plants growing. Lovely spotted gums had interesting arthropods under the bark. The Reserve straddles a lovely creek with some small waterholes and birdlife was very active due to the cool temperature. Birdos had a lovely time identifying and listing the birds sighted. We had our smoko before setting off to our next stop.

After a beautiful drive along the Brisbane Valley Highway, through Fernvale, a market town in full swing with the usual weekly markets and a Food Fair as well, we arrived at Cormorant Bay on Wivenhoe Dam. We set off for a lovely walk, on a good track around the Dam. This walk was through very different country, very poor sandstone soils supporting gum and wattle trees with very open understorey. A small stand of scrub figs, Ficus rubiginosa was spotted, in fruit, with unidentified birds feeding.

There was some action on the water. A good deal of time was spent, by a group of birdos, trying to identify a large group of water birds following a couple of pelicans. Jean Gundry finally photographed one and it was decided to be a Crested Grebe. These grebes appeared to be hoping for pelican left-overs. This was our very good lunch stop, with the whole group sitting around in a circle, talking about how we had enjoyed our morning and what we had seen on our walks.

All in all a great day with a great group of Nats.

(Report by Julie Latham)

Bird Lists (Compiled by Ann & Allan Parry)

Pine mountain Bush reserve

Little Friarbird, Silvereye, Grey Fantail, Rainbow Bee-eater, Yellow Faced Honeyeater, Black-chinned  Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Bar-shouldered Dove, Rainbow Lorikeet, Red-browed Finch, Bell Miner,  Torresian Crow, Striated Pardalote, Olive-backed Oriole, Little Lorikeet, Peaceful Dove, Fuscous Honeyeater,  Spotted Pardalote, Peaceful Dove, Noisy Miner, Currawong, Grey Butcherbird, Lewins Honeyeater, Variegated Fairy-wren, Scrub Turkeys Nest (25 species).

   

Wivenhoe Dam 

Great Crested Grebe, Pied Cormorant, Hard Head, White-naped Honeyeater, Pelican, Golden Whistler (Female), Brahminy Kite, Darter, Scarlet Honeyeater, Silver Gull, Rose Robin, White-faced Heron, Black-backed Magpie, Grey Butcherbird. (14 species).