HIGHLIGHTS Of TRIP TO NORTH AND WEST QUEENSLAND 17 MAY to 3 JUNE 2005
* An Avocet on Dangars Lagoon, Uralla, NSW and Forest Ravens nearby on
17/5/05
* King Quail - Single Male seen at Lake Samsonvale, thanks to advice from
Tom Tarrant. Also seen here was the usual waterbirds, a lone Glossy Ibis and
some Brown Quail, on 18/5/05
* Black-breasted Button-quail - Extended views of a single male, or two
sightings of different males seen at the usual site at Inskip Point, Rainbow
Beach. This was the only location during our trip where Mangrove Honeyeaters
were seen. 18/5/05
* Black Falcon - 5km on Highway south of Gin Gin 19/5/05
* Eungella Honeyeater - 2 + feeding in mistletoe clumps, in a Red Ash on
Dalrymple Rd, 22 kms N of Eungella on 20/5/05. Also seen in the vicinity
were Topknot, White-headed & Wompoo Pigeons, Brown Cuckoo-Doves and Emerald
Dove. At the end of nearby Snake Road, in Dalrymple SF good views of 6+
Superb Fruit-Doves.
* Cotton Pygmy Goose - Many birds feeding in a roadside lagoon at
Deadmans Creek, 15 kms S of Proserpine.21/5/05
* Brolga & Magpie Geese, Nutmeg Mannikin and Rufous-throated Honeyeater
at Townsville Common 21/5/05
* Crimson Finches & Jacanas first sighted at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham. A
great place for an hour or so's break when travelling north 22/5/05
* Macleay's & Dusky Honeyeaters first sighted at Bilyama Rest Area, south
of Tully 22/5/05
* Female Golden Bowerbird seen at Longmans Gap SF 22/5/05 & at The Crater
NP 26/5/05, however no males seen at any site. Bridled Honeyeaters seen on
both occasions at The Crater.
* c.3000 Plumed Whistling Ducks and many Magpie Geese & a few Pinkear at
Hasties Swamp, Atherton 22/5/05
* 42 Sarus Cranes were seen arriving at Brothersons Swamp, Malanda at
dusk 22/5/05
* Displaying male Victoria's Riflebird and Spotted Catbirds at Chambers
Retreat, Lake Eacham on 23/5/05.
* Varied Honeyeater only seen on the Cairns waterfront, along with many
Reef Egrets and Gull-billed Terns on 23/5/05
* Breeding pair of Golden-shouldered Parrots at Artemis Station, Musgrave
and Black-backed Butcherbirds common in the area thanks to Klaus Uhlenhut
24/5/05
* Many Green Pygmy-Geese and Rufous-banded Honeyeaters at Lotus Bird
Lodge, Musgrave 25/5/05 and Red-browed Pardalotes in the area. A large
Crocodile on the Lagoon at The Lodge where there were nesting Blue-faced
Honeyeaters
* Lesser Sooty Owl with a large buff-coloured rat, possibly a Grasslands
Melomys, which it took to a nest hollow at Kingfisher Park, Julatten. Good
views of a number of Barn Owls at night, by day good for Macleay's and
Graceful Honeyeaters, and many more birds 25/5/05
* 14 Barred Cuckoo-shrikes & 8+ Fig Parrots feeding in the fig trees
located at the school grounds in Yungaburra 26/5/05
* Plenty of Cotton & Green Pygmy-Geese & Great Crested Grebes on the
Mareeba Wetlands, where our only sighting of 6 Squatter Pigeons was made.
Well worth a visit. Ex Broom Bird Observatory warden Tim Gale, is now a
ranger at Mareeba wetlands, good for a talk and for information on bird
locations 26/5/05.
* 20+ Black-throated Finches and some Brown Treecreepers at a stock dam,
20 k W of Mt Carbine on the Hurricane Station Road 26/5/05
* 21 Bustards and a Pacific Baza on the East Mary River Rd, Mt Molloy
26/5/05
* Chowchillas, Atherton Scrub-wren, Bowers Shrike-thrush, King Parrots
and White-cheeked Honeyeaters Mt Lewis 27/5/05
* 4+ Red-backed Button-quail, Singing Bushlarks & Pipits in a cane field
near Mossman 27/5/05 thanks to Del Richards.
* 5 species of kingfisher (Little, Sacred, Azure, Collared & Forest) on
Mossman River Boat Trip, in addition to Large-billed and Fairy Gerygones,
Great-billed Heron, Shining Starling, Fig Parrot, Leaden & Shining
Flycatcher etc 27/5/05 thanks to Peter, from Mangrove Man Tours.
* Immature Cassowary at the Tam O'Shanter SF picnic area, Mission Beach,
together with great views of Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Doves 28/5/05.
* Varied Lorikeet and Rainbow Lorikeets, 2 km E of Homestead, near
Pentland, west of Charters Towers. Possible eastern limit of range of the
Varied Lorikeet 29/5/05. Another 8 Varied Lorikeets at the Clem Walton
Reserve, W of Charters Towers 30/5/05
* Spotted Bowerbird seen feeding on fallen fruit in street at Richmond,
northern limit of range? 29/5/05
* No Flock Bronzewings found when staking out a known site 7 km W of
Julia Creek at dusk. However Hobby, Spotted Harrier and Black Falcon all
checked out the waterhole while we were waiting there 29/5/05
* Inland Dotterel on road at daybreak 7 km S of Julia Creek when looking
for Flock Pigeons. 50+ Brolga & 3 Bustards seen at the same time 30/5/05.
* 4 Painted Finches drinking at the Clem Walton Park picnic area west of
Charters Towers, where Varied Lorikeets, where Red-winged Parrots and Great
Bowerbirds present. At nearby Lake Corella, Crimson Chats, Caspian Terns,
Grey-headed Honeyeater & Diamond Doves 30/5/05.
* Many Bustards and Brolgas from Mt Isa to Boulia and through to Winton
and further south 30/5/05
* Bustards and Spinifex Pigeons in the town limits at Boulia, but no
Brolgas walking up the main street as per my last visit in 1987, 30/5/05
* 3 Avocets and 3 Orange Chats at a small waterhole near Hamilton on the
Boulia-Winton Rd 31/05/05
* Spinifexbird and 5+ Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens, Bladensberg NP Winton
31/5/05
* 2 Rainbow Lorikeets at Greenhide Gully, south of Barcaldine 31/5/05,
western limit of range?
* 4+ Slaty-backed Thornbills, White-browed Treecreeper, Glossy Ibis,
Black-tailed Native-hen etc and a wonderful flock of 120 Pink Cockatoos at
Bowra HSD, Cunnamulla 2/6/05
Out trip took us over 8000 km and 266 species were seen. Our target species
were 13 birds (King Quail, Red Goshawk, Letter-winged Kite, Sarus Crane,
Red-backed Button-quail, Black-breasted Button-quail, Flock Pigeon,
Golden-shouldered Parrot, Lesser Sooty Owl, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Yellow
Chat, Black-backed Butcherbird and Golden Bowerbird). While we were often in
Red Goshawk known sites , none were seen, Conditions appeared to be right
between Julia Creek and Winton via Boulia for Flock Pigeons and
Letter-winged Kites but none were located despite some early morning and
late evening stake-outs. Yellow Chats near Curtis Island have been seen in
good numbers recently on private property but our travel dates could not be
matched to the dates that the survey teams were visiting the private
property. We will have to return for them and the Red Goshawks when the
latter are nesting.
Many thanks to all those people who helped make our trip a success including
Marc Gardner, Mick Todd, Julie McLaren, Lloyd Neilsen and those already
mentioned above. For further information or comments on these highlights
please contact us direct.
Alan Morris & Robin Benson
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