"What's up?" at Ben Bennett Reserve, Caloundra

This Mistletoebird was checking out potential prey not predators

On Saturday 18th May I made my third visit to the Ben Bennett bushland reserve in Caloundra. Each of these visits has been in May. Once again I had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours and could easily have spent longer. Today's visit was dominated by the smaller birds of the subtropics.

Striated pardalote

Grey fantail

Gray fantail

Varied triller

Spangled drongo

Of the Family Pachycephlaidae the Golden whistler presented a better photo opportunity than Grey shrike-thrush and Rufous whistler (below)

Eastern yellow robin kept popping up demonstrating all those classic robin poses!

Red-browed finch

There were some of the palest Brown thornbill I have seen

The place was alive with honeyeaters. Most that caught my eye turned into Noisy miner, Little wattlebird, Brown honeyeater or Lewins honeyeater but there was the odd special surprise ...

Brown honeyeater

Brown honeyeater

Lewin's honeyeater

The last "tick" added to the day's list was Scarlet honeyeater, photographed as my lift arrived! 

From only 15 lists contributed to date I notice that the Eremaea species list for Ben Bennett is up to a respectable 68 species. The Eremaea page also provides an excellent description of the site and describes how secluded and relaxing the place feels.

Best we don't tell anyone!

Lowland rainforest section, Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve

Wet heath abuts Melaleuca woodland, Ben Bennett

Bird on!

It's a Grey Goshawk you Spangled Drongo!

I was walking back to the hire car as birding time was nearly over at Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve in Caloundra. (I had to leave as one of my mates in the travelling group was nearly finished at the tattoo parlour and he would have ink to raise eyebrows at - this was a first in our group!) A cacophony of noisy miner and other honeyeaters awoke me from my misery (dips on scarlet honeyeater and variegated fairy-wren). The birds were clearly upset by what I hoped would be a raptor. I wasn't disappointed:

Grey goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae) A lifer for me!!!
Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve, Sunshine Coast

 Examining the image at lower right I wondered if the bird was injured but on closer inspection the talons of the bird's right leg appear to be withdrawn - I'm not sure.

Other birding pleasures for this south-of-the-Murray birder included Spangled drongo, Lewin's honeyeater and Eastern yellow robin (enjoys living in Victoria as well).

Spangled drongo (Dicruris bracteatus)

Lewin's honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii) above and in flight while hawking for a feed (below)

Eastern yellow robin (Eopsaltria australia)

A few shots showing the locale ...

Birders look away (not for the purists) ...

(a few of the above images with filters applied a la Instagram)

Caloundra

On a good weekend I might have added 20 subtropical birds to the 2011 list from the lads' weekend jaunt up to Caloundra. As it was we had a great time & I managed 11 new birds for the year. This included the lifers Variegated fairy-wren & Scarlet honeyeater (Spangled drongo also recorded as an Eremaea lifer but this must be an oversight on previous lists).

As usual had excellent views of Osprey & a wonderful Sea-eagle experience as it's massive form took off from the top of a tree in bushland only metres above me - we had surprised each other.

The birds added to the 2011 list were:

• Osprey
• Scaly-breasted lorikeet
• Red-backed fairy wren
• Variegated fairy-wren
• Scarlet honeyeater
• Brown honeyeater
• Blue-faced Honeyeater
• Pied butcherbird
• Varied Triller
• Spangled Drongo
• Torresian Crow

Red-backed Fairy wren (only brown birds today)

Does my bum look big in this?
(can just see the red back coming through)

Variegated Fairy-wren (dismal light), Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve

Huge! White-bellied sea eagle, Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve, Caloundra

Scarlet Honeyeater, Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve

The photo that might have been.
Scarlet Honeyeater hawking

Osprey