Dusky Honeyeater on eastern Darling Downs

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

Dusky Honeyeater on eastern Darling Downs

Post by Rod Hobson »

Folks,

The bird world never ceases to amaze. I've just received one of the most bizarre of records. A QPWS work colleague, Karen Smith has just placed a very good specimen of a Dusky Honeyeater into my hot lil' paws. The bird was found dead on the Smith's property, "Carbeena Park" at Bowenville, between Toowoomba and Dalby, on the eastern Darling Downs of SEQ on 28.07.06. "Carbeena Park" is at GDA 94 - S 27deg 17.881', E 151deg 29.680'. Karen said that the weather had been wet and gusty around the time of the find, which could account for the bird being blown inland from its normal coastal habitat. I'll deposit the specimen in the Q.M. reference collection ASAP.

Bowenville is an interesting area for birds generally. Last Friday, 28.07.06 Mark Weaver, May Bennie, Malcom Wilson and I saw a party of about six White-winged Fairy-wrens at Lake Broadwater south of Dalby. When I remarked that this was the most easterly record of this species in Queensland (to my knowledge), Malcom said that he and Michael Hurst had recorded the bird on the Hurst's property, 'Carn Brae' at Bowenville some years back. Both Malcom and Michael are very reputable birders so the record would be a good one. HANZAB states that Dalby is the most easterly record of this fairy-wren in Queensland. Malcolm is chasing up the details of the "Carn Brae' sighting for me at present.

Bowenville is a hot spot for some great critters. Letter-winged Kites bred on "Carbeena Park" and in the surrounding area in the early 1990's. The endangered Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla) is also known from the Smith's property whilst a second endangered reptile, the little burrowing skink Anomalopus mackayii has been recorded from the native grasslands on the southern side of Bowenville township.

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

Another Dusky Honeyeater from inland SEQ.

Post by Rod Hobson »

Folks,

I was just yarning with Frank Truscott regarding the recent sighting of a Dusky Honeyeater by members of the Chinchilla Field Nats on the 26.08.06. The bird was clearly observed by several birders as it fed on a flowering Xanthorrohea spike in Gurulmundi State Forest. This forestry lies north of the township of Miles in SEQ. The observation was made on the club's monthly outing and is reported in their newsletter Vol. 4, No.9, Sept. 2006, p. 5.

This, then, is the second report of this essentially coastal species from inland Queensland in the winter of 2006.

I would like to thank Frank Truscott for this information and my mate, Craig Eddie from Roma, who first alerted me to this record.

Regards,
Rod Hobson
Last edited by Rod Hobson on Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rod Hobson
Posts: 509
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:03 am

Historical Records of Dusky Honeyeater, Inland Queensland.

Post by Rod Hobson »

Folks,

Further to my two postings regarding * recent records of Dusky Honeyeater from inland SEQ I've done some literature searches on the subject and disinterred the following from HANZAB, Vol. 5, p. 1152. Under the section dealing with the distribution of Dusky Honeyeater in inland Queensland it states, " During drought in 1928, doubtfully said to have been widespread near Burketown, in Gulf Country (MacGillivray 1929) and near Texas (De Warren 1928)."

These HANZAB records, especially in regards to those from Texas, are interesting and mightn't be as doubtful as it suggests considering the recent SEQ records. Additionally both the HANZAB records and the present records are from drought-affected periods.

* the Bowenville specimen has now been lodged with the Queensland Museum.

Ref:

McGillivray, W. (1929). 'Emu' 29: 113-29.
De Warren, J.J. (1928) 'Emu' 28: 111-20.

Regards,
Rod Hobson
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