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Spent a couple of days recently around Chillagoe,
which is situated about 130 km west of Mareeba. Well known for it's limestone
and marble formations above ground, there are 420 caves that have been mapped by
speliologists. Weather was warm and windy and saw smaller species of birds
only on the second morning. Large numbers of Red-tailed
Black Cockatoos were a feature and saw a flock 16 Squatter Pigeons which
was unusual. On the first afternoon we drove west 35km to the Walsh River where
we encountered large numbers of Little and Noisy Friarbirds feeding on
flowereing paperbarks. The highlight of the trip was the adult Red Goshawk that
we watched circling in the vicinity of the river crossing for a time. Near town
at the race course the next morning we located 20+ black-throated Finches which
are always a delight. Nearby in stunted eucalypts to our surprise we found a
pair of Fairy Gerygones a species that I had always associated with rainforest
or mangroves...when the closest typical habitat was 130+km distant. Always
surprises in store! I was accompanied by Richard Thomis of Brisbane. A general
lack of Black Kites was a feature of the trip and for some unknown reason this
is a feature throughout this year, even on the cane fields along the coastal
areas.
Del. Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman,
NQ.
www.finefeathertours.com.au
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