Tony Russell asked about various species in Cairns in early October.
The boat trip with Chris Dahlberg on the Daintree River should be a must.
It is excellent and you should find Channel-billed Cuckoo, Common Koel and
possibly Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. Great-billed Heron, Little
Kingfisher, Bush-hen, Pacific Swallow, etc are other good chances on the
trip.
The cattle sale yards at Atherton (?) are another recommended site for
Channel-billed Cuckoo.
Kingfisher Park at Julatten is another birding highlight in Australia. I
have always found Lesser Sooty Owl there, plus Buff-breasted
Paradise-Kingfisher last January (I don't know if it will have arrived by
early October?). They used to run night spotlighting trips where I twice
saw Masked Owls, but they had to stop these as their vehicle was not
properly licensed. They may know where you can look. Similarly for Rufous
Owl. They have a daytime stakeout for a pair up near Mt Molloy or
somewhere. I saw my first spotlighting at the Curtain Fig Tree and another
spotlighting south of the Crater. The Blue-faced Parrot-finch can be found
on Mt Lewis but you need to put in the time. Ask Kingfisher Park where
they have been seen recently. There is a small clearing on Mt Lewis where
they are seen fairly often, plus there is a track across the road from the
clearing where I saw a pair last January.
Wandering Tattler has been recorded at the Esplanade, but I will be going
to Brisbane in late March next year to find it (along with Russet-tailed
Thrush).
I can't help you with Zitting Cisticola, White's Thrush, Russet-tailed
Thrush and you won't find Yellow-billed Kingfisher as far south as Cairns.
You didn't ask about Pacific Swallow. The recommended site is on power
lines near the golf course at the turnoff to ?? Beach north of Mossman. I
saw them at a chicken farm just north of Mossman along Syndicate Road.
Look closely at the tail. The Welcome Swallow has a "spotted" tail, while
the Pacific Swallow has a white line on either side. The tail streamers
are very short for the Pacific but young Welcome Swallows are reported to
also have shorter tails.
Black-throated Finch can be found in the vicinity of Mt Carbine.
I recommend that you buy Lloyd Nielsen's guide on where to find birds in
the area. Lloyd Nielsen lives (lived) at Mt Molloy and may be available to
show you around (e.g. the Rufous Owl).
John Crowhurst (on the Esplanade), Andy Andrews and Del Richards are bird
guides in the area that would find you most of your species.
All the best,
Frank
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