Hello everybody,
Just a bit more detail about the BB P-Kingfisher sighting at the Mt
Molloy Pub last Friday (23 October) which Chris posted a few days ago.
I was with Richard Jordon for a couple of days with a very enthusiastic
group of American birdos. One of the questions asked was - will we get
the BBPK?. Our answer was 'Probably too early but you could be very
lucky - odd birds do come through early but chances of seeing one are
next to zero. Maybe at Kingfisher Park or with Chris on the Daintree
but don't hold your breath!'
As we passed through Mt Molloy - on a very tight schedule - there was
the obligatory stop at the pub for supplies (drinks) for the night.
When almost everyone had made their purchases and were sitting in the
bus, the last person to be served came running back back excitedly -
'There is a BBPK over the bar.'
I don't think a bus has emptied so quickly anywhere - especially in Mt
Molloy. Everyone literally ran across the road - except Richard and I
who looked at each other and said 'Oh yeah? who is pulling who's leg?'
We dawdled over to the pub well behind everyone else but when we got
there we could not believe what we saw. There was a BBPK over the
verandah area, up in the ceiling 'well', flying back and forth over the
heads of drinkers. The bird was in fine plumage except that it had lost
its white tail streamers probably from the present situation. The pub
patrons who had been enjoying a quiet drink were rather stunned when
swamped by 12 excited birdos with binocs, and cameras clicking away at
the bird - not exactly in the best of tropical habitats.
So after a 30 minute delay we were on the road again. Despite another
tick for the Americans, I would bet there has not been so much
excitement at the old pub since the gold rush days! And without a doubt
the Mt Molloy pub will be etched in the minds of the Americans forever.
There is a good line or a moral to this story somewhere but like Chris
it too escapes me at the moment!
Lloyd Nielsen (Mt Molloy)
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