Hi All,
just back from a great (birding) holiday Down Under, visiting Darwin, Cairns
and Sydney. I like to thank everybody who helped during preparation and
during the trip esspecially the guys from Kingfisher Lodge, Cassowary House
and Red Mill House, Chris Dahlberg, Steve Anyon Smith and a couple of Nomen
Nescio birdwatcher that I met during the trip esspecially on Cairns
Esplanade.
I managed to see just over 300 species with about 150 in Darwin (6 days),
220 in Cairns (15 days) and 115 in Sydney (5 days). I'm kind off proud to
say that I found most of it on my own except in Sydney where it was just the
other way around.
I'll try to make and publish a trip report asap, here are some highlights of
the trip:
Darwin (1 - 6 oct):
Things started good with the only Australian Hobby of the trip just in
Darwin. Howard Springs showed me over 8! sightings of the great Rainbow
Pitta's, at least of 5 different birds. The only Red-backed Kingfisher sat
on a wire a few km before Fogg Dam. Fogg dam was teeming with birds. Great
views (and photo's) of White-browed Crake and a large flock of Little
Curlews and Aus Pratincoles.
In Kakadu a Black-tailed Treecreeper and two Partrige Pigeons showed well
near the visitors centre. The only 'specialist' that I could find at
Nourlangie was a Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon (why do they open this area
only from 8:00 o'clock in the morning?).
At the Edith Falls camping a (breeding?) Tawny Frogmouth just at the
entrance didn't bother the huge amount of swimmers. I was very happy (and
lucky) with a small group of Hooded Parrots flying over the road to Edith
Falls when we left the place after searching in vain for hours near the
camping and river (no Gouldians).
Maybe even more lucky (actually quite relative) when I got back in Darwin on
the 6th. I was to sick to go birding at East Point and we went for a sleep
in the park at the Esplanade. Couldn't hold myself from looking over the
tidal area every once in a while and there was a Beach Stone Curlew, being
harrased by a Brahminy Kite.
Cairns (7 - 21 oct)
Just after arrival in Cairns on the 7th I had the best time at the Esplanade
with an Asian Dowitcher and a Broad-billed Sandpiper among a huge amount of
waders (all rare vagrants here back in the Netherlands). Couldn't find the
Dowitcher back the same afternoon on or subsequent visits, but the
Broad-bill was still there that afternoon.
Only the latter half of a Red-necked Crake showed on the swamp boardwalk
near the Botanical Gardens but that's not a problem when a visit to
Kingfisher logde is ahead.
Great views of a juf Lesser Sooty Owl (and a lot of other night stuff)
during a night excursion at the Kingfisher Lodge. Quite lucky with good
views of a Fernwren (a foregner only realises that after getting back home)
and some other wet tropis endemics at Mt Lewis (Dutch weather up there).
Lake Mitchell held one of te best surprises of the holiday (oct 11th). After
searching in vain in Africa and Asia I found a Painted Snipe just there
where is it not that common on the shore of the left lake (when entering). I
would have identified it as a male but after the commotion on this newsgroup
about the one down south I don't vouch for that anymore. Kind of peculiar
that it was fairly active during the heat of the day.
The breeding Papuan Frogmouth on Chris' trip in Daintree was just great.
Also had good fews of a Gould's Bronze Cuckoo in the Red Mill Garden and a
Amathystine Phyton up in a tree. The beautifull Little Kingfisher was
present in the pond in the Red Mill Garden and we saw two on Chris' trip.
A sighting of two Pied Oystercatchers at Newell Beach near Mossman (no Manta
Rays) migth be worth mentioning.
Mt Hypipamee (the Crater) held a handfull of the endemics that I hadn't seen
on Mt Lewis, including a displaying Riflebird.
A Russet-tailed Thrush besides the road was the only mentionalbe at Tully
Gorge NP.
After 8 hours waiting at Cassowary House (not always that lucky) the
Cassowaries arrived just a quarter of an hour before we were to depart.
Unfortunately only with one young in stead of the three the day before.
A visit to the Crocodile farm resulted in a Latham's Snipe and some
White-browed Crakes.
To end the Cairns Chapter, great views (and photo's) of two Double-eyed Fig
Parrots eating in a low tree and (finaly) some stunning Lovely Fairy Wrens
at Mt Whitfield back in Cairns.
In Sydney I had great help of the extremely sharp and dedicated Steve Anyon
Smith, who helped me find Lirebirds, both Rock Warbler and Pilotbird and a
beautyfull Crested Shrike Tit, all in Royal and Heathcote NP. Other
Highlights of the Sydney area: Brush Bronzewing, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Musk
Duck, Wonga Pigeon (lots of), Southern Emu Wren (heaps), Chestnut-rumped
Heatwren etc.
greatings
""""""""""""""""""
Simon Plat
Drachten
THE NETHERLANDS
0031 (0)512 538568
0031 (0)6 53736951
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