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Had the good fortune to spend 8 days in a wonderful
beach-front house at Wongaling Beach in late August with dear friends from
Adelaide having their first NQ experience. Although not a birding trip I
nevertheless managed to get a fair bit of good quality birding during both
excursions and "rest days".
We stayed at the southern end of Wongaling Beach, just before
South Mission Beach ( 24km E of Tully), with views across to Dunk Island, a
little tidal creek in front, and some remnant lowland rainforest behind. Had a
dawn chorus of Mangrove Gerygone and Black Butcherbird
most mornings, and both Forest and Collared
Kingfisher appeared daily in a coastal causarina, along with a
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike. A Yellow-bellied
Sunbird was spotted nest-building in a shrub next door. Pleased to find
a Beach Stone-curlew unconcernedly walking the water's edge one
morning, and also saw a pair when walking the Edmund Kennedy walk towards Tam
O'Shanter Point. A small flock of White-rumped Swiftlet
were seen one day heading out to Dunk Is.Early morning walks in and around the
rainforest patch brought forth a pair of Double-eyed Fig-parrot,
Orange-footed Scrubfowl and Victoria's Riflebird. A
Common Sandpiper put in an appearance on the banks of the
creek, and Eastern Reef Egret were also seen on the beach.The
only honeyeater seen was Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, but
Leaden Flycatcher, Figbird ,Yellow Oriole and Varied
Triller were regularly and easily seen. A total of 47 species in the
week within a 500m radius of the house.
A trip to Yamcutta Reef and home via Taylor Cay
did not produce many species, but there were 50+ Brown Booby on
the cay ,preparing to breed according to the skipper (he also informed me that
the tern were Black-naped but I couldn't get close enough views-- damn, a missed
tick).
Very lucky with the Cassowary,
saw one twice whilst driving towards Tully, the second time within four metres
of the car for an extended time.
A day trip to Dunk Island, an an energetic walk up to
the mountain lookout, got 24 species, best being Emerald Dove
and Metallic Starling. A day trip to the Atherton Tableland was
cram-packed with touristy and birdy action.We managed to get about 55 species
with the highlights for birders and non-birders alike being 50+ Sarus
Crane in a harvested cane paddock between Atherton and Malanda ( ?the
same who use the night roost at Yungaburra reported recently by Alan Gillanders)
,and the wonderful Hasties Swamp where we saw a White-bellied Sea-Eagle
take a waterfowl and then rip it to bits.As usual , hundreds of
Plumed Whistling Duck were the centrpiece of a wonderful
birding experience.We got Great Crested Grebe at
Lake Barrine , along with Chowchilla .Only paid a cursory visit
to the Cairns Esplanade on the way to the airport but was rewarded with my only
tick of the trip, a Varied Honeyeater ( yes, I know they're
easy, but I've managed to miss them on three previous trips!). Nutmeg
Manniken and Black-fronted Dotterel at Cairns Airport
finished a great weeks holiday.
Russ Lamb, Maleny, SEQ
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