Hi all,
A two hour trip around Cairns this morning (23/8) had the following
highlights:
First stop was at Yorkeys Knob Lagoon on Wattle Street where a Darter had a
nest with 3 chicks about ¾ grown, 2 Galahs (very unusual) which may or may
not have been escapees, 2 Torresian Crows ( again very unusual in Cairns)
being chased off by Masked Lapwing, 13 Magpie Goose, 6 Green Pygmy-goose and
Brown-backed Honeyeater building a nest. In all 35 species were seen here in
a 20min count. Next stop was the Cairns Esplanade where there was 27 species
in a 20 min count with a good variety of waders, some in partial breeding
plumage. The waders included Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eastern
Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler, Great Knot, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Curlew
Sandpiper as well as one Pied Oystercatcher.
A quick look by Centennial Lakes at the Ospreys nest found 2 birds which
looked like juveniles perched beside it and an adult in the nest rearranging
sticks. Whilst watching this a Peregrine Falcon swooped past chasing some
Spotted Turtle-Doves. We finished off with a Red-browed Finch , a species we
have not seen around our garden for at least 5 years and a family of Lovely
Fairy-wrens having a bathe in our birdbath.
In the afternoon a Great-billed Heron was foraging beside the northern
treatment works creek where it meets the Barron River - not a bad day!
Alexandra Appleman had the following sightings from around Townsville.
9th Aug Brown Booby (> 40) on pylons in the sea channel, visible from the
Port.
10th Aug Toonpan Lagoon which lies to the west of the old
Townsville-Charters road, south of the city and is under the control of the
Townsville-Thuringowa waterboard. Access is restricted with a locked gate at
either end, but the Townsville BOCA has negotiated a key with the Ranger.
Black Swan (> 1000) , Pink-eared Ducks (7), Great Crested Grebes (2),
Plum-headed finches (c 12), Diamond Doves (4)
Bye for now
Keith & Lindsay Fisher
PO Box 2209, Cairns QLD 4870
E-mail:
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