Had a couple of very hot and humid days at Georgetown, a night at
Normanton and then two nights at Karumba, where I can recommend the
river cruise run by Alison and Glenn of The Ferryman. Highlights below:
Georgetown
Little Bronze-Cuckoo heard at the riverside walk in town, also 2
Radjah Shelduck there, both new records for me out here, as was a
Brown Songlark by the town sign, with Rufous Songlark singing
immediately opposite. Channel-billed Cuckoos and Eastern Koels were
much in evidence too.
Cumberland Dam was quiet as there is so much water about, the place is
amazingly green already; we saw a couple of Black-throated Finch in
the creek beds beds nearby , also a Masked Finch and a few Banded
Honeyeaters, with far more Rufous-throated Honeyeaters than normal,
and a couple of Paperbark Flycatchers by the dam; Three Australian
Bustards near the dam were a fine sight, and a single flock of budgies
flashed over as we neared the dam turning.
Normanton
There is a small dam near the railway line, turn left down Matilda St
then left down a dirt track a couple of hundred m in, bearing right to
the raised embankments of the dam after you cross the first cattle
grid. Be careful if it's been raining as the mudflats here would be
treacherous:
Radjah Shelduck 7
White (Cotton) Pygmy-goose 1 female
Brolga 6
Red-necked Avocet 2
Tawny Frogmouth one roosting above the museum at Normanton station
Yellow White-eye 3
Rufous-throated Honeyeater common
The wetlands just over the river crossing held another 7 Red-necked
Avocet and about 100 Pied Herons, with 3 Sarus Crane nearby.
Karumba
Very dry here still so the wetlands were non-existent as yet; we saw a
bustard flying over, a few Brown Songlarks seemed well north, and a
single Zitting Cisticola amongst lots of Golden-headed Cisticola. A
few Australian Pratincole were a nice find, as was an Australian Hobby
in the town.
Walking the mangrove edges in town gave Red-headed Honeyeater,
Variegated Fairywren and Yellow White-eye.
Sunset Point was quite good for shorebirds with a 120 Great Knot, a
single Black-tailed Godwit, a few barwits, a couple of Pied
oystercatchers, one Grey-tailed Tattler and Greater Sand-plover, plus
a handful of Red-necked Stint, and single Whimbrel and (Far) Eastern
Curlew. Also tame Red-tailed Black-cockatoos feeding in the pub
grounds on the fruits of the big shade trees there, and an Arafura
Fantail from the boardwalk by the point, with several Australasian
Reed warblers singing in the mangroves.
River trip 0900-1130 Thanks to Glenn and Alison of The Ferryman river
trips,
I was worried about going so late and on such a hot windy day, but we
did well: This is an essential part of a trip here if you want the
mangrove specials, and costs $45 per person.
Terek Sand 10
Common Sand 3
Whimbrel 3
Eastern Curlew 1
White-breasted Whistler one obliging male and a brief view of a female
Rufous Whistler common and vocal in the mangroves
Mangrove Fantail 2
Arafura Fantail 1
Australasian Reed warbler one singing in the mangroves
Broad-billed Flycatcher 3+, these show a distinct white eyelid on the
lower part of the eye and have a faint tendency to paler lores,
nowhere near as marked as the birds at Fogg Dam in the NT.
Leaden Flycatcher one male and a couple of females, call and song
being helpful to distinguish from the very similar Broad-billed.
Red-headed Honeyeater a few
Yellow White-eye quite common
Phil Gregory
www. cassowary-house.com.au
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