Hi All
Just got back from Cape York, the job at Lotus Bird Lodge
was excellent, but management left a little to be desired.
Enough said about that, onto the birds.
The area of Violet Vale Station and the adjacent Lakefield
National Park is where I worked and birded (if you call taking
people birding work).
Some interesting sightings where:
- Numerous sightings of Black Bitterns along Saltwater Creek
and the Lagoon on Nifold Plain, throughout late May, June and
early July. By the way a Bittern was seen at Toonpan adjacent
to the Ross Dam, Townsville on the 15/7.
- A Juvenile Common Koel at the Lodge Lagoon in early June
seen several times.
- A pair of Dollarbirds seen at the Lodge Lagoon several times
over the same period as the bitterns the last being on the 9/7/98.
- A Palm Cockatoo on Saltwater Creek near Laurlumba Lagoon in mid
June, not seen again, also recorded along the creek in April by Jamie
Ford.
- Excellent sightings of Golden-shouldered Parrots, including several
breeding pairs at the nest, most visits to the area yielded 15-20 birds.
- Good numbers of Star Finches on the Lagoon at Nifold Plains. Other
finches seen where Black-throated, Masked, Crimson, Double-barred
and Chestnut-breasted.
- A pair of Pink-eared Ducks on Low Lake in Lakefield National
Park.
- Most visits to Nifold Plain yielded Spotted Harrier, Swamp Harrier
Black-breasted Buzzard, Brown Falcon, Black, Whistling and
Black-shouldered Kites, Kestrel, Wedgies and Brown Goshawk.
- Several sightings of Brush and Pallid and Little-bronze Cuckoo.
- A couple of sightings of Square-tailed Kites on the Marina Plains Rd.
- Good numbers of Brown, Banded, Rufous-banded, Bar-breasted,
Brown-backed, Rufous-throated and White-streaked Honeyeaters,
and all four Friarbirds, in most areas.
- Two sightings of Singing Honeyeaters at the Lagoon on Nifold Plain.
- Good numbers of Radjah Shelduck on the Lagoons and creeks
one flock of about 50 on Boggy Lagoon.
- The Black-backed Butcherbird is very common.
- Good sightings of Papuan Frogmouth along Saltwater Creek,
what an awesome bird.
- Fairy Geryegone where regularly sighted in good numbers.
- Lovely Fairy-Wren seen at Annie River and Orange Plains.
- I expected to see more Sarus Cranes but only saw one, good numbers
of Brolgas around.
- I thought Townsville had a good population of Great Bowerbirds until
we visited Coen, they are like flies.
- A visit to the Archer River was not very fruitful yielding two new species
Magnificent Riflebird and Tawny-breasted Honeyeater. I walked
down stream from the crossing for about three km. and saw very little
in some magnificent gallery forest.
- Good sightings of both species of crocodile along Saltwater Creek.
A full list of sightings will be available on request.
Ian Clayton
Townsville
North Qld.
Phone 07 4721 6489
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