Birds, nests and a band: Spring at Warrina Lakes
Ceri Pearce | Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator
A light sprinkle of rain greeted us at 7:00 am for our September Warrina Lakes outing, but it soon cleared to reveal a glorious sunny morning. Ten participants joined in, including welcome visitors from the Tablelands, Cairns and Daintree.
From the moment we left the carpark, the parkland was alive with the calls of Australasian Figbirds and Green Orioles. Spring was also making its presence felt, with a female Australasian Figbird sitting on a nest and several Shining Flycatchers active around the waterways.
It is always a good day when you see Shining Flycatchers, their rich orange throats contrasting beautifully with glossy blue-black plumage. Even better, we found one sitting on a beautifully lichen-decorated nest about a metre above the water.
Another welcome sign of the changing season was the return of Torresian Imperial-Pigeons, with at least ten seen or heard during the morning.
Over two and a half hours, we wandered through the parkland, along the lake and drainage lines, and into the botanic gardens section. A Black-necked Stork provided another highlight, gliding into a small wetland before stalking through the shallows in search of food.
It was a three-raptor morning, with two Pacific Bazas, a Brahminy Kite and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle recorded. Our usual Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were nowhere to be seen, but two Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos came in to feed and provided a very welcome alternative.
Brown-backed Honeyeaters were surprisingly quiet, with only three recorded and no nests found to indicate that breeding at the Lakes has recommenced. Perhaps they are still waiting for their cue.
There was good news on the main lake, where the Salvinia infestation has now been largely brought under control. The change has not yet brought back all the lake’s familiar birds, however. No Comb-crested Jacanas were seen, and the resident Wandering Whistling-Ducks were also absent. Pacific Black Ducks, Radjah Shelducks, Little Pied Cormorants and an Australasian Darter remained present.
By the end of the morning, we had recorded 46 species and 298 individual birds, making for another rewarding few hours at Warrina Lakes.
Then it was time for the other important part of our monthly outing: morning tea. We settled in with quite a spread to share and, this month, an unexpected soundtrack. The Innisfail Community Band treated us to a concert, bringing our morning to a rather fitting conclusion: birds, nests, sunshine, good company and a band playing us out.
