Roadkill Black Bittern

Sightings of local rarities (those asterisked on the club's official Species List and any species not listed. That includes Paradise Parrots!!!) Post your non-local rare or unusual sightings here too.

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Rod Hobson
Posts: 509
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:03 am

Roadkill Black Bittern

Post by Rod Hobson »

Folks,

Last Friday (07.07.06) I was returning to Toowoomba from Rainbow Beach. On the northern approach to the crossing over Running Creek at Woodford I found a roadkill Black Bittern. Unfortunately the bird was badly mutilated so was unsuitable for a voucher specimen for the Q.M. Fellow QPWS employee Robert Ashdown did get some good digital images of the corpse, however. The bird was a dark phase animal with broad buff edges to the wing coverts clearly indicating its juvenile condition. This is the first time that I've ever encountered a roadkill bittern of any type. Running Creek, in the vicinity of the find, has very suitable habitat for this secretive bird.

Also, during this trip, encountered two Red-tailed Black Cockatoos in Gympie, a lone Little Eagle over Ezra Road near Kilcoy, Red-necked Avocets at Lake Galletly, about 50 Little Corellas at Gatton Apex Lake and a Glossy Ibis on Freeman's Waterhole, Gatton. A good trip.

Regards,
Rod Hobson.
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