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| Brown Songlark |
Following some productive birding
this time last year in the Oakey-Jondaryan area of the eastern Darling Downs, it seemed like a good idea to revisit the place. Nice birds encountered included good numbers of Painted Honeyeaters, Black Falcon, Plum-headed Finch, White-winged Fairy-wren, numerous Brown Songlarks and Horsfield's Bushlarks, and Black-faced Woodswallow. This area is the eastern range limit of quite a few wide-ranging, predominantly western-central species.
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| Brown Songlark |
Conditions were much drier this visit, although heavy rain had fallen the day before our arrival. There was no sign of the Black-eared Cuckoos seen last year. Nor were Red-chested Buttonquail or Stubble Quail heard or seen, despite looking at night as well as during the day.
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| Painted Honeyeater |
Painted Honeyeater was in fine form. At least 8 birds including 2 juveniles were seen during two visits to Doctor's Creek Reserve, on both sides of the highway. Another Painted Honeyeater was seen just east of Jondaryan, and 4 more, including another 2 juveniles, were 2km east of the town along the Jondaryan-Sabine Road. This species appears to be a regular summer breeding visitor to this area.
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| Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo |
The dry scrub along the Jondaryan-Sabine Road was quite productive, with a Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo and a pair of Speckled Warblers on offer.
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| Speckled Warbler |
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| Black-faced Woodswallow |
A Black-faced Woodswallow was perched on a wire in the same spot in the township of Jondaryan as a pair was seen last year.
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| Plum-headed Finch adult & juvenile |
Also in the town centre was a lively flock of about 20 Plum-headed Finches feeding in a small area of heavily seeded grass, including many juveniles. The birds were not present at Doctor's Creek where they have been seen previously.
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| Red-rumped Parrot female |
Red-rumped Parrots were feeding with the finches.
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| Pallid Cuckoo juvenile |
A juvenile Pallid Cuckoo was on the wire near the Jondaryan Woolshed.
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| Horsfield's Bushlark |
Brown Songlarks and Horsfield's Bushlarks were numerous along Devon Park Boundary Road, Bowenville-Norman Road and elsewhere in the area.
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| Black Falcon chasing Torresian Crow |
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| Black Falcon alighting on cow |
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| Black Falcon |
A few White-winged Fairy-wrens were also present along Devon Park Boundary Road, where a Black Falcon was the bird of the trip. The falcon was watched as it unsuccessfully pursued a starling and landed briefly on a cow before chasing a Torresian Crow. Devon Park Road list
can be found here.![]() |
| Australian Hobby |
Nearby, an Australian Hobby performed nicely.
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| Australian Pelicans |
A flock of Australian Pelicans was incongruous flying high above the vast agricultural plains.
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| Yellow-throated Miner |
Other birds seen included Yellow-throated Miner, living here side-by-side with Noisy Miner.
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| Striped Honeyeater |
Striped Honeyeater was common throughout the area.
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| Southern Boobook |
A Southern Boobook was mobbed by other birds in the Doctor's Creek Reserve (
see here for bird list for the reserve).
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| Zebra Finch pair |
Small groups of Zebra Finch were scattered throughout the grasslands.
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| Wedge-tailed Eagle |
On the way home a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles soared overhead.
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| Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby |
We stopped at Perseverance Dam near Toowoomba (we overnighted here after 2 nights in an Oakey motel) where 5 Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies were basking in the early morning sunlight.
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| Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby |
