DECEMBER 2011: ALL HAIL THE HOLY GRAIL OF QUAILS
December was, as always, a bird watcher’s delight here on beautiful Fraser Island.  Kingfisher Bay Resort guests disembarked the ferry to friendly greetings by our aerobatic Welcome Swallows – who dipped and dived through the air chasing down a bug-gy meal.

The Welcome Swallows’ muddy nests – filled with fluffy fledglings – were easily spotted from under the resort’s Jetty on the western side of Fraser… and were a definite highlight on our early morning bird walks.

Walking through the Wallum Heathland – just a stone’s throw from the resort’s Centre Complex - always excites our Ranger team and the twitchers who come and stay with us. There are no manicured lawns and rose gardens here at Kingfisher, when the resort was built, the landscaping was designed to mirror the native vegetation and ensure the protection of the gene pool.  

Many thousands of plants were removed prior to construction and held in an on-site nursery for replanting later.  A further 150,000 plants were raised from seeds and cuttings.  The success of the revegetation in the area can be judged by the abundance of wildflowers and native wildlife nesting and feeding in the bush around the resort.

This month, we were pleased to see plenty of Bar Shouldered Doves going about their daily business. These uniquely marked doves – adults have a blue-grey head neck and upper breast with a distinctive reddish-bronze patch on the hind neck with dark barring - have a unique feeding habit. Once the young hatches, both parents feed them with a source of milk known as Crop Milk. After about a week the young chick is weened onto an adult diet of seeds.

Our fabulous White Cheeked Honeyeaters were all aflutter as them flitted from blossom to blossom on the Swamp Banskias in the resort grounds – they were too engrossed to spare a thought about our cameras and curiosity. The White Cheeked Honeyeaters’ busy feeding behaviour along with the Brown Honeyeater and the Blue Faced Honeyeater helps to pollinate our local plant life.

However, the word on everyone’s lips this month was ‘Quail’. A few lucky Twitchers were treated to several sightings of the super-shy Brown Quail - a bird very rarely seen around the resort grounds. Though the holy grail of quails; the Black Breasted Button Quail eluded us for the year, we remain hopeful we’ll spot our BBBQ courting pair in the coming months. The species is listed as vulnerable in Queensland due to habitat loss and exotic species and Fraser Island is one of the few safe havens left for this ground dwelling bird. Fingers crossed for 2012!

With December coming to an end, we look forward to a bird watching bonanza in 2012 - may it bring some feathered surprises with it.  This is Ranger Kelly sighing off until next month.

NOVEMBER 2011: NOVEMBER BRINGS WITH IT A MOVEABLE FEAST
It’s certainly been a case of all creatures great and small coming to visit us on Fraser Island over the past month – and our eagle-eyed twitchers and guests on our early morning bird walks and resort nature walks couldn’t have been happier.  As the seasons changed on Fraser and we move steadily towards summer – we’ve seen our trees come alive with blossoms and seeds in the Wallum Heathland.

This moveable feast has attracted all manner of birdlife including an Australian native species – Bar-shouldered Doves - which are easily identified by the blue-grey breasted, chequered brown-bronze wings and striated nape feathers.  November has also seen the arrival of a species we only ever see in summer - the very shy, rich-red Red Browed Finch.

If its colour you’re looking for, we’ve got that too!

Regular sightings of the bashful electric blue Azure Kingfisher – after which the resort is named - and the striking, tropical colours of the Rainbow Bee-eater filled the sky with florescent blues, greens, yellows and oranges and lots of ‘prrp prrp’ noises as they flitted through the wallum.

Random Birdy Fact: Did you know that the Rainbow Bee-eater rubs bees and wasps against its perch to remove their stings before eating them?

On the western beaches, we’ve seen Eastern Reef Egrets and White Faced Herons frolicking along the shoreline in search of a fresh seafood meal whilst Brahminy Kites and Whistling Kites – with their loud descending whistle (it sounds like ‘teee-titi’) - soared high above them also scanning the water for their next tasty treat of fresh fish.

At this time of year, the waters of the Great Sandy Strait (which border Kingfisher Bay’s resort grounds to the west) are full of large schools of bait fish – making them perfect feeding grounds for our Gull-billed Terns and Crested Terns.  This month we’ve watched as they’ve dive bombed into the water – only to come fluttering back out with a prized fish in their beak.  It’s a great photographic opportunity.

Overall November was magical for bird spotters.  Our feathered friends have played, posed and paraded about for all to admire and we’ve enjoyed every minute.  Until next time, this is Ranger Kat signing off.

OCTOBER 2011: CRAKEY!  IT'S BEEN AN EGG-CITING MONTH FOR TWITCHERS
Sorry for the lateness in getting this blog to you - spring is such an exciting time for birding and this October was no exception – so we’ve been away from our desks and out on Fraser Island, wandering the wallum and seashore with guests in search of new and exciting feathered friends to add to our burgeoning bird count!

This month we’re pleased to report that Kingfisher Bay Resort’s resident Grey Shrike Thrushes are nesting for a second time this season. Each year we bear witness to the development of their young from just eggs; to noisy chicks constantly nagging for food; to anxious fledglings that can’t wait to explore their new surrounds; and to the adults that that become part of our Kingfisher family.

To experience this breeding cycle twice in such close succession is a real treat and we’ll keep you posted with the progress of the new families over the coming months.   If you’ve visited Kingfisher, chances are you’ve seen these intelligent birds around our Centre Complex area and in the Wallum.  Working in pairs, they’ve perfected the art of the ‘fly by’ to gain access to our main reception and Maheno areas – one flies past the sensor to activate the doors and the other zips inside.  

In other egg-citing news, a pair of Tawny Frogmouths has also produced a chick, which we spied early one morning on our Ranger-guided Bird Walk around Kingfisher. This small fluffy ball of down was spotted testing out its wings under the watchful eye of both parents. Although these birds are nocturnal, the new addition to the family means little sleep for attentive parents. Sound familiar?

The Wallum lakes – within a stone’s throw of the resort - sported a flurry of activity this month with Red-backed Fairy-wrens, Noisy Friarbirds, Lewin’s Honeyeaters and Bar-shouldered Doves all sighted in and around the lake banks. A new addition – a Darter - made a cameo appearance much to our delight. This graceful bird was spotted on several bird walks either wading through the tea-coloured water in search of a meal, or perched in a lakeside Paperbark - wings outstretched, drying off in the warm morning sun.

The Wallum was definitely the place to be this October with our most exciting sighting of a species never before recorded on our bird walks - a Spotless Crake – and right in front of our Hervey Bay Bird Watching Group – we couldn’t have planned it better! This pint-sized wader had bird watchers spellbound as it surreptitiously emerged from amongst the vegetation for a look around, before quickly darting back under cover. This was a rare and special sighting of this uncommon and nomadic species.

We can’t wait to see what November brings… until then this is Ranger Kat saying hooroo.

SEPTEMBER 2011: MORE FROM OUR FRASER FLOCKSTARS!
Spring has sprung and what a beautiful time of year it is here at Kingfisher Bay Resort.

The resort's Wallum is simply teeming with bird life as Fraser Island's wild flowers have burst into bloom. The aromatic and nectar filled flower spikes of Forest Grasstrees continue to attract Honeyeaters from far and wide. Dusky Honeyeaters, Scarlet Honeyeaters, White Throated Honeyeaters and Blue-faced Honeyeaters could all be seen gorging themselves on the nectar.  The beautiful red inflorescences of the Bottlebrush are also in bloom and are equally as attractive at mealtime for our resident Honeyeaters.

Birding along the main road was stunning this month and our eagle-eyed twitchers spotted Emerald Doves on three separate occasions. These striking birds, with their iridescent green wings, are mainly found in rainforest and rarely seen within the resort grounds, causing our Rangers to do a double-take!

Adorable Eastern Yellow Robins were also spotted on several mornings flitting through the undergrowth, collecting twigs to construct their tiny nests. Fraser’s resident flower peckers - Mistletoebirds - were also seen on several September mornings - happily picking fruit from clusters of Mistletoe high amongst the Eucalypts.

There was plenty of activity down on Fraser Island’s western beach with many of our magnificent raptors making an appearance. Whistling Kites and Brahminy Kites were seen on many mornings soaring gracefully over the Great Sandy Strait scanning the waters for fish prey. Ospreys and White-bellied Sea-Eagles were happy for us to watch them as they perched majestically in beach side Eucalypts.

We’re pleased to report that our Rainbow Bee-eaters are back on island! These stunning birds can migrate all the way to Papua New Guinea during winter but their return to Fraser’s shores is a sure sign that spring is here!

Hooroo until next month, Ranger Kat.

AUGUST 2011: AUGUST AUGURS WELL WITH OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS
Winter has drawn to close, but what a great month of birding we experienced here at Kingfisher Bay Resort and on Fraser Island’s western side over the past month.

Around the resort’s Wallum Heath there has been an outburst of activity as the temperatures have warmed up and different bird species have flocked back to Fraser Island.

With spring truly in the air, our feathered friends will also being gearing up for, what we hope is, a very productive breeding season. The first indication of this has been our gorgeous firebirds; the Red-backed Fairy-wrens, which have been courting in the Wallum, the fittest and brightest males dancing to attract their bevy of beautiful-but-dull (colour wise!) females.

Other Wallum sightings have included the unassuming Australasian Figbirds which we’ve seen quite regularly, feeding on everything from Blueberry Ash to Prickly Broom Heath. Whilst these birds are so quiet in their movements, their bright red eye patch is a dead giveaway amongst the green foliage.

Down by the beach, only one species made regular appearances this month. Our majestic Whistling Kites were spotted most days, either diving for a fishy meal, or casually gliding on a breeze. Sacred Kingfishers were occasionally spotted perched in the beach side Eucalypt surveying the sand for crustacean prey.

However, the highlight of the month was encountered unexpectedly one beautiful sunny morning, as we stood on the beach looking back over the dunes… and admired the silhouettes of three Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos as they glided quietly over the tree tops.

Here’s looking forward to September.

JULY 2011: LOOKING FORWARD WITH A 'SPRING' IN OUR STEP
Hi-De-Ho from Fraser Island. Very little rainfall was recorded for the whole of July… and the beautiful clear mornings that we experienced this month provided perfect conditions for our feathered friends and Twitchers alike.

Our resident Buff-banded Rail made appearances on several mornings around the resort’s lakes.  We also spotted a newcomer to our shores in the shape of a Dusky Moorhen, which was seen gliding through reflective waters of our mirror lakes in search of its morning meal.

Throughout the Wallum, White-cheeked Honeyeaters were out in force.  As usual, these handsome birds put on a great show for guests by chasing each other through the vegetation or hanging upside down on the Casuarina branches.

Noisy Friarbirds were also entertaining to watch as they stripped soft bark off our Paperbark trees and flew - with mouths full - to construct their new nest. Blue-faced Honeyeaters also had nesting in mind.  Pairs of these striking birds were spotted flying overhead with various twigs and vines in tow.

Down by the beach, our gorgeous Welcome Swallows could be seen busily collecting sand and mud in their beaks. Each year these little birds set about the laborious task of building their precariously-perched mud nests under the resort’s jetty.  And we’re there to keep an eye on their progress.

The delight of the month though was a flock of Galahs that we spotted one morning down at the beach. These beautiful birds are rarely seen around the resort and were quite a welcome surprise in July.  We can’t wait to see what August brings…until next time…

JUNE 2011: WE'RE WINGING OUR WAY INTO WINTER
The first month of winter has brought with it some amazing bird sightings in and around Kingfisher Bay. Plenty of guests braved the brisk early morning air and the birding rewards were worth it.  The Wallum teamed with life as usual this month with the quavering calls of Varied Trillers ringing in the morning chorus most days.

Pairs of Eastern Whipbirds were heard most mornings calling back and forth to each other through the dense undergrowth. The melodic calls of the Rufous Whistler were also often heard from amongst the Casuarinas.

The resort’s lakes were graced with the presence of a Little Egret this month. This majestic creature was seen on many of our early morning bird walks - gracefully treading through the grassy banks and probing the soft soil for its morning meal.

We also greeted two new additions to the Wallum lakes this month - with a pair of Australasian Grebes spotted on a number of occasions quietly paddling amongst the reeds.

Down by sunset beach, White-breasted Woodswallows have returned in their dozens, favouring a particular Eucalypt. These adorable birds were observed several mornings huddled together along its branches aiming to catch the first rays of warming sun as it crept over the dunes.

Our magnificent birds of prey were also out and about this month. Ospreys, Whistling Kites, Brahminy Kites and a White-bellied Sea Eagle were all observed taking advantage of the superb visibility of the Great Sandy Strait’s crystal clear waters; perfect for catching fish prey!

Can’t wait to see what our feathered friends are up to next month – catch you then.
Ranger Kat.

MAY 2011: WARM MAY DAYS SERVE UP SOME HOT BIRD SPOTTING
As the autumn season comes to a close, the morning sun starts to creep over the sand dunes later and later – which means we can sleep in longer, before heading out on our early morning bird walks. While crawling out of a warm bed becomes increasingly difficult, for any Birder intrepid enough, this month has proved that now is the perfect time for spotting our amazing avian residents.

The sweetly scented blossoms of the resort’s Swamp Mahoganies have drawn in an array of magnificent bird life. Rainbow Lorikeets, Noisy Friarbirds, Spangled Drongos, White-Throated and Lewin’s Honeyeaters were all seen feasting noisily on the abundant nectar these plants produce.

The various flowering Paperbarks around the Wallum were also teaming with our smaller feathered residents as Scarlet, Dusky and White-Cheeked Honeyeaters busily flitted from flower to flower.

This month also marked by several rare and unusual sightings, much to the delight of guests and rangers alike. Chestnut Breasted Manikins were sighted down by Dundonga Creek, the first Buff-banded Rail sighting in years occurred on the bank of one of the resort’s lakes and flocks of rarely seen Topknot Pigeons have been spotted on several mornings soaring over the resort grounds.

Both male and female Australasian Figbirds were also sighted in the Wallum. These quiet and unassuming birds made for delightful additions to this month’s bird walks and have certainly given us something to tweet about.

APRIL 2011: APRIL'S ALL ABOUT THE LOVE BIRDS ON FRASER ISLAND
Forget Noah and his animals marching two-by-two onto the ark, April was the month to pair up in the Bird World, with several different species exhibiting courtship behaviour at Kingfisher Bay Resort.

Down near the beach we recorded pairs of beautiful Brahminy Kites flying side by side; Spangled Drongos were spotted participating in what appeared to be courtship feeding; and Pied Oystercatchers were spotted quietly foraging together along the sandy beach strip. Not to be outdone, mating pairs of White Breasted Woodswallows were also seen busily preparing a nest high in dead tree hollow.

Around the Wallum this month, the skies were filled with noise as the unmistakable calls of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Rainbow Lorikeets, which dominated the morning chorus. These colourful characters are not found on the island all year round, instead they flock in droves in the cooler months to feast on the nectar of flowering Swamp Mahogany.

A lone Little Pied Cormorant also graced us with its presence on several occasions - either fast asleep on a Paperbark branch around the banks of the resort’s lakes, or bobbing around in the water under the jetty searching for a fishy meal.  Along the resort’s main road Laughing Kookaburras perched themselves on overhanging branches and, on the ground, Grey Shrike Thrushes and Bar Shouldered Doves foraged through the leaf litter in search of insects and seeds and amongst the Eucalypts.  Mistletoe Birds could also be seen busily searching for Mistletoe fruit.

From Ranger Kat, and her feathered flockstars, we’re signing off until next month.  Happy Twitchin’.

MARCH 2011: LIVING IN A TWITCHER'S PARADISE
Well Bird Lovers, what a month we’ve had here in paradise.

Kingfisher Bay Resort’s resident Honeyeaters were out in force with seven species sighted in March alone. White Cheeked Honeyeaters Blue-faced and White-throated Honeyeaters, Lewin’s Honeyeaters, and Brown and Dusky Honeyeaters were all spotted in and around the resort during our morning bird and Ranger-guided walks.

However, it has been the Scarlet Honeyeaters that have been the highlight in March, with their beautiful melodic calls filling the morning air. These adorable little birds are a delightful addition to any bird walk - especially when their bright scarlet plumage is illuminated by the morning sun creating a stunning contrast amongst the green Eucalypt foliage.

Fraser Island’s western beach has also been a twitcher's paradise this month with many species sighted. The Welcome Swallows were abundant as usual, and kept our guests captivated as they darted and performed aerobic manoeuvres above their heads in their eternal search for food. Crested and Caspian Terns both made appearances this month and majestic White Faced Herons were seen gliding over the coastline.

John Knight and our mates from the Hervey Bay Bird Watchers club came and spent time at the resort and kept us abreast of their sightings – high on their list of top birds was a Spectacled Monarch, the Pheasant Coucal, the Sacred Kingfishers and an unconfirmed sighting of an Eastern Spinebill.

A White Bellied Sea Eagle also spent time in our neck of the woods and a pair of Pied Oyster Catchers decided to take an Autumn break and spend some time on our shores - their striking black and white plumage and bright orange beaks a stand out against the turquoise waters.

For those that follow our regular tweets and birdie blogs – we’re certainly clucking about one stand-out sighting this month… a Fan-tailed Cuckoo was spotted by an eagle-eyed twitcher amongst a stand of Swamp Mahogany down by the western beach. This beautiful creature flitted from tree to tree showing off its impressive tail complete with notched white feathers. 

April has a lot to live up too in the bird watching stakes and we’ll be there to record it.  Hooroo… until next time from Ranger Kat.

FEBRUARY 2011: ONE GOOD TERN DESERVES ANOTHER
G’day nature lovers... as we waved goodbye to the last weeks of summer, February produced some exhilarating bird watching, and some impressive feathered visitors made cameos in and around Kingfisher Bay.

The White Bellied Sea Eagle is more commonly seen on the eastern side of Fraser Island, but the breezy weather on the western beach this month provided the perfect conditions for our largest bird of prey.  Guests on our bird walks, and eco walks for that matter, watched transfixed as these giant creatures soared majestically overhead on thermal currents. One even landed in a nearby Eucalypt making for excellent close-up viewing of its striking plumage and powerful talons – not to mention some great ‘happy snaps’ for the collection.

As the old saying goes - "One good 'Tern' deserves another" - Crested Terns were also regularly sighted on the beach this month, no doubt taking advantage of the large number of bait fish present in the calm clear waters at the moment. Several of the less common Caspian Terns were also recorded.

As the name suggests Kingfisher Bay is a pretty good place to spot a Kingfisher… and this month we’re recorded sightings of the three different species known to reside in and around the resort. The Azure Kingfisher with its vibrant orange and blue plumage was seen around the resorts lakes, while the Forest Kingfisher and Sacred Kingfisher spent their mornings scouring the beach for tasty crustaceans – and that’s where we were.

February was also a very colourful month with quite a few Rainbow Lorikeets sighted. These charismatic birds were hardly seen during the first half of summer, but joined us to feed on the Bloodwoods and Blackbutts that have been flowering throughout the month.  Mistletoebirds were also regularly spotted through the Wallum and amongst the paperbarks around the tennis courts. These gorgeous little birds, with their striking red, black and white plumage, are always a delightful addition to any morning’s sightings.

By far and away the most unusual sighting this month was of a pair of Brown Thornbills, spotted behind the resort’s Centre Complex. We’ve not seen any Thornbills so far this year, so their presence was a welcome surprise.

This is Ranger Kat saying hooroo for now.

JANUARY 2011: STONE THE CROWS - WHAT A GREAT START TO THE YEAR
Hi there bird lovers - "stone the crows," what a start to the year it has been.  The changeable weather didn’t dampen spirits of our guests and has worked to compact the tracks, making for some good four-wheel-driving on Fraser Island.  We’re also pleased to reports that the sun has been shining on Fraser, Dingo mums are teaching their pups to hunt, the waterways are alive with Threadfish Salmon and Catfish and our island amphibians are enjoying being in the spotlight.

Down on the beach the usual shorebirds could be seen eagerly going about their business, searching the intertidal environment for their morning meal. Eastern Curlews with their long, perfectly-equipped beaks probed for tasty worms and crustaceans deep within the sand.  White Faced Herons and Striated Herons were also spotted along the western beach this month - these graceful and intelligent birds could be seen silently stalking their fish prey... and our early morning bird walkers lapped it all up.

Within the resort grounds a flowering Pink Doughwood was easily the highlight of the month’s bird walks as a collection of exceptionally beautiful birds came to feed on its nectar.  Scarlet Honeyeaters flitted from flower to flower - the male’s vibrant red feathers even more stunning when illuminated by the morning sunlight. These creatures were a photographer's dream as they went about their morning unconcerned with the inquisitive twitchers below. Dusky Honeyeaters and Lewin’s Honeyeaters were also regular visitors to the buffet!

Also worth noting were some of the weird and wonderful avian calls that filled the morning air around the resort this month. Resident Noisy Friar Birds sat high in the paperbarks busily preening, whilst occasionally stopping to ring in the morning with their peculiar chortle. The infamous Laughing Kookaburra's taunting cackle turned heads as the cheeky birds went about chasing each other or taking a cooling dip in the fresh water creeks and lakes throughout the Wallum Scrub. And of course who could forget the Eastern Whipbird’s quintessentially Australian sound of the male calling out to his mate.

What a month!  This is Ranger Kat signing off til the end of Feb.

DECEMBER 2010: A THING OR TOO TO COCKATOO ABOUT
G'day to all twitchers out there... Summer is truly here. The island days have become warmer and this, combined with the influx of holidaying guests, has created a flutter of activity at Kingfisher Bay.

With the change of season, we've really had something to crow about on our bird walks as we've seen several exciting and rarely-seen bird species making the daily December bird list.  We started the month watching a nesting pair of White-Breasted Woodswallows.  These birds were spotted down near the beach one morning zipping in and out of a dead eucalypt... where they'd chosen to nest.

On another December day we were enthralled as a Beach Stone Curlew faced off against a dingo on Fraser Island's western beach! While the dingo was only mildly interested in the large shorebird, the distressed curlew repeatedly charged at the predator in an aggressive display. It really was fascinating to watch.

While the flowering Grass Trees provided plenty of nectar for honeyeaters during spring, the summer seeding provided an attractive food source for many Sulphur Crested Cockatoos. It was quite amusing as these large white parrots flocked to the Wallum, landing on these slender Grass Tree stems, which bowed heavily under their weight.

While the larger birds definitely made an impression this month, Fraser Island’s smaller feathered residents were not overlooked with regular sightings of Mistletoebirds, Leaden Flycatchers and Red Browed Finches.

The Kingfisher Bay family also grew by three, as our resident Grey Shrike Thrushes produced a clutch of eggs in their nest (which is conveniently located in our Centre Complex near reception). Once again the 'clucky' Rangers were kept busy protecting adventurous fledglings from the hustle and bustle of summer at Kingfisher Bay.

Here's tweeting you - til next time... hooroo!

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2010:  A SWEET MONTH FOR HONEYEASTERS
Hi there Nature Lovers, there's been a whole lot of twitchin' going on at Fraser Island and, as spring draws to a close, a flutter of new life can be seen everywhere as the offspring from successful courtships go about finding their place in the island’s ecosystem.

We eagerly watched as the Grey Shrike Thrush chicks, born in a nest in our Centre Complex roof (just near the hotel reception), grew to fledglings and, as young birds do, fearlessly leapt from their nest, only to land on the floor below.  Eeek!

Thanks to the efforts of their attentive mother continuing to bring the young ones food, and our Resort Rangers - alerting guests to the possible presence of baby birds under their feet - these chicks successfully learned to fly and eventually left the reception building to start life on Fraser.

As the Bottlebrush flowers finished for the season, we watched as the flower stems of the Grass Tree provided a rich nectar source for the island’s Honeyeaters throughout October.

Blue-Faced and Lewin’s Honeyeaters were regularly seen feasting on the wild flowers down near the beach. Dusky Honeyeaters were occasionally spotted but it was the ever present White Cheeked Honeyeaters that continued to dominate morning sightings on our Early Morning Bird Walks.

Down on the beach, the nesting pair of Whistling Kites produced a single chick, which proved popular with guests and staff alike during our bird walks. We followed this chick's progress with baited breath as its mother taught it to fly and to catch fish prey and to produce its stunning whistle. The air was filled with the wonderful sound of the young bird practicing on many of our mornings.

With spring nearly over, the next generation of feathered friends is busy learning about life at Kingfisher Bay. A brand new season is upon us and those warmer morning temperatures should bring about some new and fantastic sightings.  We look forward to sharing this with you.

Season's Greetings from our resident 'Bird Nerds' Ranger Kat and Ranger Bec.

SEPTEMBER 2010: KITE SKITING
Howdy fellow twitchers, with spring well and truly here, the resort is a-flutter with nest building and courtship displays as our local feathered friends get set for another productive season.

The reception complex is filled with spring melodies as a pair of local Grey Shrike Thrushes have started nesting across from the main reception desk. We’ve watched with amazement as the adults have let themselves in and out of the building with nesting material. By identifying where the automatic door sensor is located, it only takes these cheeky locals three swift flights underneath before the doors open and welcomes them inside.

By the end of the month, we were watching a similar pattern but this time with food being brought in to feed three very hungry and quickly growing chicks!

With the poolside Bottlebrush trees in full bloom for most of the month, a large number of Honeyeaters were spotted on regular occasions tucking into the delicious and plentiful nectar. White-cheeked and Lewins Honeyeaters certainly dominated the group with the less common Dusky Honeyeaters, Scarlet Honeyeaters and Brown Honeyeaters also making regular appearances. In between, a pair of Blue-faced Honeyeaters could be seen swooping down from their nest in a Pandanus palm to enjoy the sweet treats.

The resort’s lakes produced consistent sightings of Azure Kingfishers on most mornings - darting across the surface to move from one feeding sight to the next.   The Azure’s close relative, the Sacred Kingfishers, were also seen regularly – particularly as we discovered their nest site along the main resort road… they don’t call it Kingfisher Bay for nothing!

Whistling Kites continued to dominate the western beach front with regular sightings of a nesting pair just south of the resort jetty. Being true to their name, the skies above the resort were filled with their stunning whistle as they circled high in the air currents chasing the plentiful schooling fish available in the waters below. The occasional Osprey and Brahminy Kite also added to our tally of raptor sightings for the month.

With spring all around us at Kingfisher and our local feathered friends busy feeding, nesting and courting, October should bring some fantastic sightings of new arrivals. Stay tuned for the next generation of our fantastic feathered friends - coming soon.

This is Ranger Bec signing off.

AUGUST 2010: SPRING HAS ALMOST SPRUNG
Howdy Twitchers and Bird Fans - Ranger Bec back with your eagerly-anticipated August Birding update.

With spring just around the corner, our local feathered friends have lost no time at all practicing calls, making nests and grooming plumage in the hope of another successful relationship – now that’s what I call love, birds.

The smaller birds around the resort put on the biggest show for the month with Red-backed Fairy Wrens, Red-browed Finches and Welcome Swallows taking the limelight on several occasions much to the delight of our early morning twitchers.

The local Leaden and Restless Flycatchers added to the competition when it came to morning calls - often heard as a far pitch above the rest. Even Willy Wagtails joined in the excitement, swishing their tails in a flurry of feathered dancing.

With the local Eucalypts coming into a second flowering stage for the season, Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets and the occasional Pale-headed Rosella were spotted throughout the canopies tucking into the fresh nectar on offer.

Honeyeaters of every shape, size and colour made full use of the fresh wildflowers starting to appear throughout the Wallum and, when none available, made short work of the insects in the vicinity. With pure accuracy and efficiency, these little locals zipped through the skies snapping their beaks tightly on any food within range.

By far the highlight of the month was another sighting of the elusive Black Breasted Button Quails (BBBQ) – which excited our Resort GM and birding fanatic Ivor Davies – who snapped busily away with his camera.

A male and female BBBQ were spotted busily foraging the undergrowth and perfecting their platelet technique in time for the springtime. Fingers crossed for another successful breeding season from them.

With a flurry of feathers and the cooler conditions well and truly gone, we head into the most exciting time of the year for us twitchers. Spring is well and truly on the way and by the looks of it - a touch of love is already in the air for our local feathered friends.

Until next month – Hooroo from the Bird Guru and keep on twitchin’.

JULY 2010: OF KOOKABURRAS, KITES AND OTHER FEATHERED FRIENDS
Hi Twitchers, it's been a wee while since you've heard from us - but rest assured whilst we haven't been cooped up indoors on the computer, we've been out helping visitors to Fraser Island discover our abundance of wildlife and bird life... ah it's a great life!

Early starts on these Queensland winter mornings have certainly separated interested bird watchers from avid twitchers and for those that have braved the early starts, we've certainly spotted some great specimens in and around the wallum scrub and resort grounds.

With the sun slow to rise over the grounds at the moment, the first call of the day has become a contest between the Eastern Yellow Robin and the Laughing Kookaburra. In the end, the Kookaburra certainly played true to its nickname as the 'Dawn Breaker' and was often heard above all others. The Honeyeaters - White-cheeked Honeyeaters, Lewins Honeyeaters and Scarlet Honeyeaters were quick to add to the morning chorus once they warmed up.

Above average rainfall on Fraser Island over the past month has seen an increase in new grass shoots around the resort and a welcome return to our smaller feathered locals - the Red-browed Finches and Red-backed Fairy Wren - with both species delighting in the warm winter sun and abundance of food.

The beach truly came to life in July and early August with several bird walks occurring in the typical westerly weather - perfect for local birds of prey. Whistling Kites, Brahminy Kites, Osprey and the occasional White-bellied Sea Eagle made appearances showing their prowess in the skies over the Great Sandy Strait. A few morning we watched a Brahminy and a Whistling Kite jostle for prime nesting locations - the Whistling Kite winning out more times than not.

Am sure our twitchers, early morning risers and folks just new to birding will agree it's been a great time to photograph, view and chat about feathered friends on beautiful Fraser. Until next time, Ranger Bec.