Hi,
Not much time for looking at birds over the last few weeks but a couple of
sightings over the weekend were worth reporting, a Wedge-tailed Eagle was
soaring over Kamerunga (northern Cairns suburb), last Saturday escorted by
two Black Kites. Wedge-tails are very uncommon on the coast here and not
that common up on the Atherton Tablelands either.
An odd spoonbill was seen at Smithfield (another northern Cairns suburb), it
had a pure white bill, steely grey upper parts (back and wings) and a
brownish coloured head. The bellied had a graduated grey wash from the neck
fading into white on the under belly and the legs were dark grey, there was
no black present on the primaries or anywhere else - it was the only
spoonbill present, the lighting was excellent and the bird only 20m away. My
first thoughts were that it was a juvenile Yellow Spoonbill with the
possibility of it being a leucistic adult.
The Cairns Esplanade had a good variety of waders last weekend, with
Broad-billed Sandpipers turning up last week, which from memory is unusually
early for them, also there was one Red Knot with traces of breeding colours
amongst the Great Knots. Plenty of Sharp-tailed, Curlew and Terek
Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Red-necked Stint, Grey-tailed Tattler,
Lesser & Greater Sandplover in small numbers and both Black & Bar-tailed
Godwits. There was also a single Beach-stone Curlew plus about 20 birdos.
Cheers
Keith & Lindsay Fisher
Cairns (16°55' 40"S 145° 46' 35"E)
Far North Queensland 4870 Australia
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