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| Australian Little Bittern |
A male Australian Little Bittern has returned to the Parklakes wetlands at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast. A pair were in residence here last summer (
see here) when they successfully raised a single chick.
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| Australian Little Bittern |
There is some debate about whether the species is generally a summer migrant in south-east Queensland as winter records are few; none have been seen at Parklakes since April. I've had one also recently at the nearby Yandina Creek Wetlands (
see here).
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| Buff-banded Rail |
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| Baillon's Crake |
With dry conditions continuing in the region, extensive areas of mud are exposed are Parklakes. I saw 1 Spotless Crake, 1 Baillon's Crake and 1 Buff-banded Rail, while Latham's Snipe showed nicely with about 10 seen.
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| Latham's Snipe |
Little Egret and Intermediate Egret were looking good in breeding plumage.
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| Little Egret |
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| Intermediate Egret |
At Bli Bli, a Rufous Fantail was difficult to resist.
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| Rufous Fantail |
I visited the wader roost at Toorbul at high tide late last week and found a single Asian Dowitcher among the hundreds of Bar-tailed Godwits and smaller numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and Great Knots. I saw a dowitcher here
last January and it has been seen by quite a few observers since at various times of the year; presumably it has overwintered here.
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| Asian Dowitcher |
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| Bar-tailed Godwits |
After Toorbul I moved on to Dowse Lagoon at Sandgate where I saw a Wood Sandpiper and a Pectoral Sandpiper which have been present there for several days.
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| Wood Sandpiper |
