MARCH '19

 EARLY MARCH

Migration is in full swing, on my first visit for the month (3.3.19) I saw this female Satin Flycatcher (above), a rare migrant for Brisbane, with Leaden Flycatchers, Golden Whistlers, Rufous Whistler, Black-faced Monarch, Spectacled Monarchs and Rufous Fantail all in the same area. I had seen a Satin Flycatcher last early November, a male, this time the striking darker colours of this female caught my attention as the very similar Leaden Flycatcher is much lighter. This bird perched quietly at mid canopy for a while allowing me to notice the blue sheen on the head as well as the light brown edges of the wing feathers and just like the male in November it was slightly larger than a Leaden Flycatcher.

 The Great Egret in all its beauty.

 Rufous-tailed Bush-hen seen from the eastern bridge.

 I had heard from the locals that there was a Wallaby in the Reserve, it was very nice to finally find this Red-necked Wallaby.

 Crested Pigeon

 Welcome Swallows chasing each other.

Eastern Water Dragon enjoying the creek flowing again.

 The first migratory Grey Fantail (7.3.19)

 More and more Golden Whistlers, as well as Rufous Whistlers, are turning up in the Reserve, here an immature Golden Whistler with rufous-coloured secondary and tertial feathers.

 Immature Black-faced Monarch

 By now, most of the summer-breeding Spangled Drongos have left, it looks like only the resident pair is here.

Pheasant Coucal

The following selection of photos shows three different species of birds all sharing a migratory behaviour and an orange-rufous plumage.

 Immature Black-faced Monarch

Adult Spectacled Monarch above.

 Immature Spectacled Monarch above.

Immature female Leaden Flycatcher, above and below.

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (below).

This Shining Bronze-Cuckoo was very obliging, it's an adult
 female, with dull crown and mantle feathers. It was feeding on caterpillars and also enjoying the sunshine, showing the beautiful iridescent green and bronze colours of its feathers.

Australian Gull - Cepora perimale


MID MARCH

It was nice to see this Brown Cuckoo-Dove visiting the Reserve as they are not commonly seen here, it was quietly enjoying berries on a low bush. The fine barring across the chest and neck suggests it's a female.

  As March moves on, the number of Silver-eyes (as well as all other migrants) grows, on the 15th a flock of about 15 birds criss-crossed the area searching for food, loosely followed by a single female Mistletoebird which is another rare visitor to Banks Street Reserve.

List of migratory and uncommon birds (for Banks Street Reserve) seen or heard on 15.3.19:

Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Shining Bronze Cuckoo
Brush Cuckoo
White-throated Needletail
White-throated Gerygone
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Rufous Fantail
Grey Fantail
Black-Faced Monarch
Leaden Flycatcher
Silve-eye
Mistletoebird

Brush Cuckoo

 During the summer, Masked Lapwings could be heard from around the Reserve but seen occasionally, it looks like they just started roaming the flat grassy areas again as they do in the cooler months here. Notice that the bird in the second photo has a deformity on the bill, I remember this bird from last year.

 Pacific Black Duck

A male Varied Eggfly - Hypolimnas bolina

 On the night between 16th and 17th of March we had some very heavy rain, the dirt line on the water sign at the eastern bridge shows that the water level reached 1.4 meters. Nevertheless, on the 16th and 17th there was a lot of bird activity especially with migratory insectivores in their favourite spot in the bush, all very busy feeding on the many insects that were around.

 Immature, turning adult, male Brush Cuckoo.

 This is all I could get for the White-throated Gerygone, an adult above and a juvenile below. They are very rarely seen or heard at Banks Street reserve, they always keep in the high canopy and are partial migrants.

Fairywrens are in full moult at the moment and very shy, above a Red-backed Fairywren and below a Variegated Fairywren, both males.

A female Variegated Fairywren below.

Pied Currawong

 Noisy Miner with prey.

 I had never seen Straw-necked Ibises on land at Banks St Reserve, always flying over, but today (17.3) one was looking for food on the lawn not bothered by dog walkers.

 Ringtail Possum.

 Evening Brown - Melanitis leda

LATE MARCH

On March 22, I accidentally flushed a White-throated Nightjar, I heard a quick noise from the ground not far from me, a couple of wing flaps and the bird flew off silently, I could see the camouflaged plumage and I noticed its buoyant flight, it happened in a relatively open area in that part of the bush that all birds seem to favour. No previous record of this bird here. I hope I'll see it again one day.

Immature Fan-tailed Cuckoo above.

Immature Rufous Whistler above.

An immature Tawny Grassbird above, this is the second time I see a Tawny Grassbird at Banks Street Reserve, in Autumn again, last year, it would be nice if they chose to stay.

Willie-wagtail above.

An immature Common Cicadabird above, like all the other Common Cicadabirds I saw here, only staying a little while, on its way to somewhere else.

 Today (30.3.19) I estimated about ten Golden Whistlers, including the first almost adult male of the season (photo below). There could have been more, it was hard to keep a count while they were all busy feeding and moving around. I have the impression that immature birds (see 'early March' section of the post) arrive earlier as the majority of birds today were adult females like the one above.

Great Egret (above).

 Adult, non-breeding (eclipse plumage) male Variegated Fairy-wren, notice the black bill and white throat. All that is left of its bright breeding plumage (see this blog's header photo) is a blue tear-drop and blue tail.

 Gray Fantail above.

Brown Goshawk above and a pair below, circling above their territory over Banks Street Reserve.

For this busy migration month I have visited the Reserve 12 times, I saw a total of 75 species of birds, on average 44 species per outing. Here is the March list on eBird which includes the birds seen by other birders.