Much of the world knows about Brisbane-ites' travails with the floods in January; for this author it was a case of fortune favouring excellent timing, as I high-tailed it out of the city the day the floodwaters rose and got on a plane bound for Malaysia, where I was to spend the next six weeks. It wasn't exactly a planned move, at least not in terms of the timing, which was merely a fortunate coincidence. While away I was kept abreast of developments: the state of inundation, the recovery and clean-up efforts and my partners-in-crime's myriad attempts at undertaking wildlife forays, made infinitely more difficult by the assorted infrastructural damages as well as the continuously erratic weather. This was not a good summer for wildlife-watching.
I returned on the second of March to a much-rejuvenated Brisbane; many places were still inaccessible, but the reconstruction was progressing well and there were still a few places to explore that were relatively unscathed. I was chomping at the bit, but as it happened, I could only go out for the first time a week later, as Jeremy decided to do a circuit of some of our regular haunts in the south and west side of Brisbane (see map below).
Our first stop was supposed to have been Oxley Common, a much-heralded and oft-frequented patch of pasture and wetland that sits right opposite the Rocklea markets. We were interested to see how the place had gotten on since the floods [the entire area was inundated], but ended up not even getting out of the car: the pastures and wetlands looked wrecked, as if someone had decided to thresh the fields before the mud had even set. The carpark was full of tradies' 'utes' and even a boat; it appeared that the common was, in addition to undergoing its own rebuilding, also being used as the depot for other reconstruction efforts in the area. It was a grim start to the day, and I worry for the continued sanctity of the common. The Brisbane City Council has long been threatening to open the place up to development, and its destruction might be just the excuse they would need to push such a proposal through.
Having opened our day with disappointment, we scooted straight off to a rather unlikely place for wildlife watching: Forest Lake park, a small man-made water body surrounded by manicured parkland, jogging tracks and million-dollar homes. This wouldn't be a place where one would expect to get much wildlife, but one should never underestimate the average Australian park's ability to attract a wide range of creatures. A sizeable lake like this is Mecca for waterbirds, and the surrounding parklands are a haven for all manner of animals, including a good range of bird species which take well to human development. We arrived at about 7am and were immediately greeted by flocks of Little Friarbirds (Philemon citreogularis) and Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus). Headed towards the lake, we spied some Red-browed Finches (Neochmia temporalis), and rather more surprisingly, a female Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula). These two species are common rainforest-edge birds, and their presence further affirmed the usefulness of such green spaces as wildlife refuges.
The lake itself was full of the regulars: Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata), Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa), Dusky Moorhens (Gallinula tenebrosa), Purple Swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio), Coots (Fulica atra) and Australasian Grebes (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) (above) were all present in some numbers, while there were also a handful of Australasian Darters (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Little Black Cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and Little Pied
Cormorants (P. melanoleucos) (left). There was one bird we were specifically looking for though that was the entire reason we came to this lake: the Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus). This duck, among the smallest of all waterfowl, is widely distributed from across southern Asia into northern Australia, but is declining in Australia and is regarded as near-threatened in this country. An erratic species, its presence anywhere in the greater Brisbane region is notable, and bizarrely Forest Lake, of all places, has become a regular spot for them, with even breeding recently recorded. Of course, there was no guarantee we would actually see them, but in the event they showed: three birds, two males in eclipse plumage and a female landed on the lake, as if on cue (below).
A quick breakfast in Inala was followed by an attempt at gaining access to a conspicuous patch of wetland in neighbouring Doolandella, comprising a good-sized swathe of land surrounding a marsh which appears to be a stagnation of Blunder Creek. The plot sits on private land, but we were hoping to scout around the periphery for anything interesting. As it turned out, the only way around was an overgrown and sodden track which we quickly gave up on; the only notable sighting here was of a Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus) basking in a high tree.
With the day getting on, we headed for the last stop on our itinerary, Gold Creek Reservoir in Upper Brookfield, a small dam with a circuitous walking track that takes one through a range of habitats: wet gully, wet sclerophyll and casuarina forest as well as patches of thick lantana scrub. The trail has been noticeably less-frequented recently and the lush rain-fed growth means it is in danger of becoming overgrown in parts. Additionally, one end of where it normally starts is inaccessible as it begins at the dam spillway, which is now a fast-flowing torrent. We didn't stay long as activity was already dying down, and drifts of misty rain had begun to sweep down. We did however catch glimpses of Striated Thornbills (Acanthiza lineata), Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys) and White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus).
It wasn't the best day, but it wasn't the worst either. We'd come away with nothing new but a couple of decent ticks for the year and some idea of the state of a few of our regular haunts. If nothing else, it was good getting out again around Brisbane, and we can hope for plenty more excursions of the sort in the near-future.
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