Folks, I went for another hot mid-morning walk around Prince Henry Drive today. It's become a bit of a quandry for me lately; an early morning walk for the birds or a walk in the heat for invertebrates after the birds have retired until the cool of the noontime. Insects like the heat of the morning....

Folks, Easy birding on Christmas Day at Ma Ma Creek; forty-eight species of birds and an Eastern Brown Snake seen from the comfort of an Aussie verandah. King prawns and spilled beers do make your binos grubby but two new birds added for "Summer Beyond - 2011/12" despite these travails viz...

Folks, I was reading a booklet on New Zealad arachnids last night (Crowe 2009) that had an entry, which has some relation to Rob Ashdown's posting of 04 Nov above on his paragliding spider sprats. Under the entry for the Golden Orbweb Spider (Nephila edulis) on page 13 the author Andrew Crowe states...

Folks, In my posting "Variegated Fairy-wren, Brown Thornbill: McEwan State Forest" in "Summer Beyond - 2011/12" of 21.12.11 I listed four dragon/damselflies that we recorded on the day. It wasn't until yesterday that, on reading up on these insects, I realised how significant one...

Folks, Yesterday (22.12.11) I spent doing a quick run through the Warwick and Granite Belt areas checking on some of my old survey sites. It was a very productive day and I recorded some great birds and other animals including a mixed mob of macropods loitering by the roadside near Connolly Dam. Thi...

Mick,

Can you add Varied Sittella to the "Summer Beyond 2010/11" list for Alistair Silcock at McEwan State Forest on 20/12/11, thanks.

Regards,
Rod Hobson

Folks, Yesterday (20.12.11) we spent a very enjoyable and proftable day on a QPWS flora and fauna survey of McEwan State Forest at Stoneleigh via Pittsworth on the eastern Darling Downs. By the end of the day we managed to record one mammal, 37 x birds, five lizards, one snake, three frogs, 11 x but...

Folks,

A single Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove on Prince Henry Drive yesterday midmorning (see my entry "The Challenge -2011 also). Australian Brush Turkey seen on this walk as well; both new species for "Summer Within-2011/12".

Regards,
Rod Hobson

Folks, Yesterday I took the mutt for a midmorning walk around Prince Henry Drive but bird life was generally quiet, as it was quite hot and humid by this time of day. Of the few birds I did manage to record one was a new species for "The Challenge - 2011". About half way around the Prince ...

Folks, It's interesting to think of the number of night-flying birds you miss when you spend most of your waking nocturnal hours ensconced in front of the idiot-box. Over the last two nights I've had fellow birders David Stewart and Richard Johnson staying at our home in Webb Street, Toowoomba. They...

Folks,

Two additional species for "Summer Within - 2011/12" from a mutt walk around local area yesterday:

11.12.11:

5 x Red-tailed Black Cockatoos over Toowoomba Grammar School, Mary Street.

1 x Eastern Spinebill in house yard, 33 Long Street, Toowoomba.

Regards,
Rod Hobson

Folks, I've just spent the last wet week doing incidental fauna surveys of a few of the many state forests of the Dalby-Chinchilla district on the Darling Downs. Unfortunately the majority of these estates have had very little to no attention from the natural history community despite being wonderfu...

Folks,

Just a couple of locals for a start to summer:

Webb Street, Toowoomba on 03rd December 2011:

Channel-billed Cuckoo (two flying over)

Sugars Park, Toowoomba on 02 nd, December 2011:

Southern Boobook (calling)

Regards,
Rod Hobson

Folks, Just a few records to get the ball rolling: Ma Ma Creek - 03rd December 2011: Brown Quail Little Friarbird Grey-crowned Babbler (nesting) Striped Honeyeater (nest with young) Mistletoebird Galah Brown Honeyeater Grey Butcherbird Australian Magpie Torresian Crow Double-barred Finch Superb Fair...

Folks,

A few late contenders for "Spring Beyond - 2011":

Painted Button-quail at Mt. Peanga, Barakula S.F., 01.11.11
Blue Bonnet at Burncluith S.F., 24.11.11
Emu at Burncluith S.F., 24.11.11

Regards,
Rod Hobson