Today I completed the drive back to the coast, arriving at Inskip Point to once again search for the Black-breasted Button-Quail. You may remember that I have done this before, on my way north, and had absolutely no success. I have decided that I am not leaving this time without at least seeing the bird, but I can live without a photograph. Button-Quails have to be one of the most frustrating families of birds in Australia. To be quite honest, I am not sure what distinguishes them from regular quails, but they are part of a different family. However, like typical quails, they are very secretive and pretty much spend their lives on the ground, flying only when necessary. Several species prefer forests while others prefer more open country but pretty much always in dense cover.
The Black-breasted Button-Quail is one of the rarer ones and is confined to a very small area of southeast Queensland. Fortunately, a population has been discovered at Inskip Point and is relatively "easy" to locate. As Isaid, I arrived this evening and decided that Iwas not leaving without having seen this bird. Upon my arrival I dedicated the afternoon to a thorough search for the bird and after an hour or so I found a pair! They were about 8 meters off the side of the track and I only found them because I could hear them scratching the ground.
One thing that these birds are known for is the way they feed. The birds feed by excavating small dishes in the ground cover. These small dishes, known as platelets are typically a bit smaller than a dinner plate and were numerous throughout the area. When I finally discovered the pair of birds, they seemed to be feeding and I could easily hear them scratching around. Over the next hour or so, I followed these birds as they moved around the area, covering about 100 meters along the trail, but I was never able to get a decent photograph of them in the open. I will have to give them another try in the morning but Iam not very hopeful after seeing their skulking behavior.
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