birding-aus FNQ news

[Phil Gregory <>]

Hi folks,
Just a quick bit of news for any birders heading this way; The Little
Bitterns are still at the Cairns Croc farm (near Edmonton, not the
Hartley's Creek one north of Cairns). Meg Cameron, Liz Kerr and I saw 4
individuals in the space of an hour from 1545-1645 on January 7, including
an adult male twice, a streaky immature type bird and two in female type
plumage (one of these was in the ponds to the north, flushed from long
grass by two workers). Other nice species here were Black-necked Stork,
White-browed Crake and Buff-banded Rail, Brown-backed Honeyeater,
Yellow Oriole and Crimson Finch. Tell them you are  birders
and you can get in for A$8.00 instead of A$11.00 for the croc watchers.
We travelled inland on January 8, highlights being Black-throated
Finches and Squatter Pigeons along the road to the Mareeba Wetlands
Visitor Centre (closed until April 2000 by the way), tremendous views of
at least 8 Blue-faced Finches at Mt. Lewis, feeding in small bushes
and sometimes associating with Red-browed Finches, a Fernwren
calling
nearby, excellent looks at Mountain Thornbill and also
Grey-headed
Robin.
We finished with good views of 8 Red-rumped Swallows on wires
by the first houses on the left as you turn-off from the main highway south
of Mossman to Mt. Molloy, about 200m from the turn-off itself. The folks
at Kingfisher Park tell us that there have been up to 18 here, so if you
need it for your list now's the time!
This diversion cost us a Cassowary however, a female came in
very late at Cassowary House that afternoon, staying until nearly 1900-
this is unusual as they have normally gone by about 1700. We got back just
after it had left-oh well!

Good birding
Phil Gregory, Cassowary House, Kuranda