David Mitford and I have just come back from a terrific trip to
North-east QLD (27-31/12/06) with a number of interesting bird and other
animal sightings. We saw some new birds (2 for me and 30 for David) and
other animals. The weather was also much cooler than expected for this
time of year with patchy rain in the region.
Our highlights included the following:
CAIRNS - at least 4 Oriental Cuckoos (2 adult grey birds and 2
juveniles) seen beside the cemetery; several Fig Parrots. There are
quite a number of Oriental Cuckoos in north-east QLD at the moment.
ETTY BAY - 2 adult Cassowaries (2 locations around Etty Bay); a Black
Bittern and 5 Latham's Snipe feeding on someone's lawn (where we also
saw one of the Cassowaries). After a good observation of the Snipe we
concluded they were Latham's and not the Swinhoe's that we wished.
CATTANA WETLANDS, YORKEYS KNOB - 2 White-browed Crakes, 2 Little
Bronze-cuckoos, Bush-hen (heard); a Pacific Baza and Crimson Finches
NEWELL BEACH - 4 Little Bronze-cuckoos, hundreds of White-rumped
Swiftlets over the cane field; 3 Lesser-crested Terns on sand spit
There were very few swallows and martins about when we checked around
Newell Beach on 3 occasions. However not far away there were hundreds of
Tree Martins over a cane field but again very few Swallows.
DAINTREE RIVER - 2 Oriental Cuckoos; a nesting Papuan Frogmouth; great
views of 5-6 Black Bitterns.
DAINTREE VILLAGE - 3 Superb Fruit-doves (2 males and a female); a Little
Bronze-cuckoo; Lovely Fairy-wrens; a Pied Monarch and a pair of
Yellow-breasted Boatbills
KINGFISHER PARK, JULATTEN - Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers
(nesting); 2 Pied Monarchs; another Oriental Cuckoo; Red-necked Crake;
Grey Goshawk; a Noisy Pitta; good spotlighting with great views of
Masked Owl and Papuan Frogmouth, Fawn-footed Melomys, Diadem Leaf-nosed
Bat; Giant Tree Gecko etc
MT LEWIS RD - awesome views of 3 Blue-faced Parrot-finches; 3 Atherton
Scrubwrens and the other Atherton specialties; 2 Yellow-eyed
Cuckoo-shrikes; Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher (lower elevation); a
Musky Rat Kangaroo; great views of Bush-hen (beside Bushy Creek); good
views of Striped Possum (at Bushy Creek at night). Also saw another
Giant Tree Gecko and a Carpet Python nearby at night.
ABATTOR SWAMP, JULATTEN - 2 White-browed Crakes and 2 Northern Fantail
BLACK MOUNTAIN RD, JULATTEN - David and I took great photos of a
Large-tailed Nightjar within a metre from it at night. Lots of other
wildlife on this quite road at night.
MAREEBA - 2 Australian Bustards; pair of White-browed Robins (at Big
Mitchell Creek) and a Frilled Lizard on road
MT CARBINE - 15 Australian Bustards (including one male displaying); a
Black Bittern; 3 Squatter Pigeons; 5 Black-throated Finches; 2
White-browed Crakes, several Green Pygmy Geese and 200 Wandering
Whistling-ducks on dam
Saw well over 200 species of birds and lots of interesting animals
during our few days in this great part of North-east QLD.
Edwin Vella
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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