Migration

[Phil Gregory <>]

Autumn is really here, though the spin doctors now want to rename the wet
season in Far North Queensland the green season, whilst disaster and emergency
signs are a bit scary for our visitors so will have to be renamed in newspeak!
Me, I want to have Cyclone State instead of Sunshine State
on the number plates.....
Anyway, the first Rufous Fantail appeared in the back garden
at Cassowary House, Kuranda ( near Cairns) on March 5, and there have been
lots of Rainbow Bee-eaters and Dollarbirds in the area for
the past week. An adult Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher showed
well by Cass House on March 13, they will soon be gone to PNG.  Noisy
Pittas have gone completely quiet since early February, and the Victoria
Riflebirds are only calling occasionally. Black-faced Monarchs
were vocal last week, but have gone silentt now, and look to be moving
through.
Pied Imperial-Pigeons are still around Cairns, as are Metallic
Starlings. Rumours of an albatross wrecked near Cairns seem to relate
to a misidentified Brown Booby......
Cyclone Steve brought Lesser Frigatebirds and Gull-billed
Tern over Cassowary House, and we now have a vista from our back veranda
where a huge tree used to be, which will be good for viewing seabirds in
future cyclones. Much to our amazement "Dad" (the male Cassowary
who visits us a lot) reappeared on March 5 for the first time this year,
with a tiny stripy chick in tow. Now we know why he was away! We have christened
the chick Steve after the cyclone when it was born, talk about bad timing!
It has an amazingly bright yellow beak and legs which are now darkening
off. It's also very noisy, we hear it peeping from some distance off, with
dad giving a grunting, lowing call in reply.
Happy birding
Phil Gregory, Cassowary House, Kuranda