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Migration

To: birding-aus <>
Subject: Migration
From: Phil Gregory <>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 20:41:06 +1000
Autumn is really here, though the spin doctors now want to rename the wet season in Far North Queensland the green season, whilst disaster and emergency signs are a bit scary for our visitors so will have to be renamed in newspeak! Me, I want to have Cyclone State instead of Sunshine State on the number plates.....
Anyway, the first Rufous Fantail appeared in the back garden at Cassowary House, Kuranda ( near Cairns) on March 5, and there have been lots of Rainbow Bee-eaters and Dollarbirds in the area for the past week. An adult Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher showed well by Cass House on March 13, they will soon be gone to PNG.  Noisy Pittas have gone completely quiet since early February, and the Victoria Riflebirds are only calling occasionally. Black-faced Monarchs were vocal last week, but have gone silentt now, and look to be moving through.
Pied Imperial-Pigeons are still around Cairns, as are Metallic Starlings. Rumours of an albatross wrecked near Cairns seem to relate to a misidentified Brown Booby......
Cyclone Steve brought Lesser Frigatebirds and Gull-billed Tern over Cassowary House, and we now have a vista from our back veranda where a huge tree used to be, which will be good for viewing seabirds in future cyclones. Much to our amazement "Dad" (the male Cassowary who visits us a lot) reappeared on March 5 for the first time this year, with a tiny stripy chick in tow. Now we know why he was away! We have christened the chick Steve after the cyclone when it was born, talk about bad timing! It has an amazingly bright yellow beak and legs which are now darkening off. It's also very noisy, we hear it peeping from some distance off, with dad giving a grunting, lowing call in reply.
Happy birding
Phil Gregory, Cassowary House, Kuranda
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