Queensland continued:
Cairns Esplanade, 6.24: Beach Thick-knee, and in the grass of park Bush
Th=knee, and Varied Honeyeater intrees. Cairns cemetery had lots of
Bush Thicknees Aug; W of Hwy on James St in Cairns, R at big circle.
Michaelmas Cay, 6.25: Lesser Frigatebird, Brown Booby, Sooty ,
Black-naped, CRESTED AND Little Terns, Common Noddy. Sea Star II let us
lans on the Cay but allowed little time for the glass-bootom boat compared
to how long it took to get to the reef-a long, seasick voyage
Cairns Botanic Gardens, 6.26: Black Butcherbird, Orange-footed
Scrubfowl, Helmeted Friarbird
Mt Whitfield: right beside Botanic Gardens HQ; too full of walkers.
Near start: Double-eyed Fig-parrot, O-F Scrubfowl
Thomsons Rd, 6.28: the trail's evidently on the N of rd just past
building enclosure-unclear path. Lovely F-wren only. Swallow Rd E off
hwy just N of Edmonton: keep L, dirt rd to grassy area with Crimson Finch,
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Boardwalk on R of rd to Cairns airport: Mangrove Robin
Cassowary House: N of Cairns, W from hwy toward Kuranda; once you
reach top turn N on Black Mtn Rd, cross 2 (?) bridges, up, then L to C
House. Cassowaries possible here in yard, and Red-necked Crake, seen at
dusk, and various birds at feeders. In yard and near saw Vic's Riflebird,
Superb F-dove and Wompoo, Topknot Pigeon, Sp Catbird, Brown Cuckoo-dove,
Emerald Dove. It's run by Sue Gregory, who helped in various ways and
told us where to see Papuan Frogmouth-along Black Mtn Rd a little S of
the 1st (?) bridge.
Daintree R cruise, 6.31: Chris Dahlberg charged about $16 US per person
and was good. Azure and Little Kingfishers, Brown-backed Honeyeater,
Fairy and Large-billed Gerygones, Saltwater Crocodile.
Crater, 6.32, is Mt Hypipamee NP
Hasties Swamp, 6.33: about 2 K S of Atherton toward Herberton turn W.
Plumed Wh-duck, Magpie Geese. Sarus Cranes were in pasture a bit farther
S on the hwt, on W side, just visible. Bromfield Swamp: couldn't see
much without a scope
L Eacham, 6.34: S of Gillies Hwy E of Yungaburra, trail around lake
to L. Sp Catbird.
Curtain Figtree near Yungaburra: Vic's Riflebird
Tinaroo Cr Rd, 6.37: Double-barred Finch, Chestnut-beasted Mannikin,
not much else
Pickford Rd, 6.38, W of Kennedy Hwy: rough; couldn't find bird places
Big Mitchell Cr, 6.39 ; White-browed Robin, Fairy Gerygone
(personata)
Kingfisher Park, 6.40: Aug was just too late for L Sooty Owl and too
early for migrants except Metallic Starling,newly arrived 2nd wk in Aug.
Yellow Honeyeater, MacLeays and others, Buff-banded Rail in yard, Little
Sh-thrush. The resident birders are Carol and Andrew; their night walk is
inexpensive and though we saw only Barn Owl and Bush Th-knee, there were
lots of mammals including Platypus. Mt Lewis: sign to Mt L N
from hwy E of K Park. Keep R; 12 K up (unpaved) there's a clearing
(birds) from which there's a track on the L of rd; walk 2 K, keeping L,
and shortly after fork Golden Bowerbird bower's up in woods on L, out of
sight from track but not far. You probably need a guide; we paid Carol
to show us the bird. Also Fernwren, Mt Thornbill, Atherton Scrubwren,
Chowchilla, Vic's Riflebird. Carol said the Parrot-finch isn't findable
in Aug.
Abattoir Swamp, 6.41: Ignore T; it's marked by a sign on S side of rd
W from Kingfisher Park. Brown backed Honeyeater
Mt Carbine Rd, 6.42: we didn't go but heard that after Mt C wolfram
quarry there's a path to a dam with Squatter Pigeon
Mt Molloy, 6.43: schoolground has Great Bowerbird bower. We heard
Squatter Pigeon and White-throated Gerygone are possible there.
Cumberland Dam, 6.46: 20 K W of Georgetown turn S, fork L near old
chimney. Honeyeaters including Rufous-throated and Banded, Black-throated
Finch, White-throated Gerygone, Cotton Pygmy-goose, and lots more Aug.
Normanton: Sarus Crane near rd both E and NW of town. Rd to S: Aus
Pratincole, Spotted Harrier .
Burke and Wills Rdhouse halfway to Cloncurry: Spinifex Pigeons near track
to airport
Mt Isa: tried 6.49, not 6.50, but in mid-day heat saw nothing. A
birder told us both grasswrens are still there.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Barkly Tableland, 7.1: at the bore (waterhole) in T: W-tailed Eagle,
Aus Pratincole. Bridge over billabong S of this: Pink-e Duck
Cape Crawford, 7.2: a roadhouse with trees but no special birds seen
Caranbirini Springs, 7.3: at billabong, Lilac-crowned F-wrens (no
adult males), Crimson Finch, White-gaped and Banded Honeyeaters. Path from
carpark W to rock formations: Sandstone Sh-thrush. We talked to birders
who'd tried the grasswren site; they said it was a hard hike and no
grasswrens seen. Boroloola: as you enter town turn R on dirt rd
to boat ramp; Lilac-crowned F-wrens were in grass by pandanus pams near
the boat ramp area.
Middle Arm, 7.5: No luck, but (button?) quails were at woods edge
just before rd end boat ramp, and saw Torresian Imperial pigeon on rd in.
Howard Springs, 7.6: Rainbow Pitta, Little Sh-thrush
E Point, 7.10: no luck
Fogg Dam, 7.11:from parking area on L there's a path to a boardwalk:
Pheasant Coucal, P Baza, Rufous-banded Honeyeater, Broad-billed
Flycatcher, Little Bronze Cuckoo. From the causeway beyond carpark:
White-browed Crakes, Crimson Finch, etc. Heard Barking Owl nearby.
Kakadu NP: Visitor Center area: Partridge Pigeon, Masked Finch. Trail
to Mardugal billabong: White-lined, bar-breasted and Rufous-banded
Honeyeaters
Nourlangie Rock, 7.15: White-lined Honeyeater
Waterfall Cr, 7.18: in Kakadu NP. Turn E off Kakadu Hwy on a long
bumpy dirt rd (saw Black-breasted Buzzard soaring , and Partridge Pigeon
seen by others along this rd). WC Campground: Great Bowerbird bower, N
rosella; Bush Thickknee at night, and others heard Barking Owl. Found no
trail along creek below falls. Steep trail on R side of Gunlom Falls; at
the top continue along creek to first big side canyon on R: White-throated
Grasswren was on L side of this canyon near rocks of lowewr canyon wall,
though we didn't see it till we went with someone who played a tape, to
which it responded. Also in this canyon were Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon,
Sandstone Sh-thrush, and nearby were Black-tailed T-creeper and Weebill.
Stag Cr, 7.19: probably known by a different name. To walk up it you
must ignore Keep Out signs. Going up R side of creek after we passed a
bare steep place with 2 warning signs we saw 2 Banded Fr-doves, hard to
see in dense trees; look for fruit. Saw no white pipe.
Fergusson R, 7.20: Banded, Bar-breasted and White-gaped Honeyeaters,
Masked Finch. Others saw Hooded Parrot fly past. The 2nd bridge E of hwy
is a low small one; good area
Chinaman Cr, 7.23: Turn N off hwy a bit E of creek bridge, then W on
old hwy. Lots of water in creek in Aug this year, so no point
concentrating on one pool, After several tries we found Hooded Parrot
farther up in trees by creek. V Sittella
Victoria R, 7.24: Lilac-crowned F-wren is there, but there's lots of
high grass down toward the river from campground and we couldn't find it,
probably because we weren't there in early morning. About 1 K W of
rdhouse on R there's a signed track up the cliff: Sandstone Sh-thrush, and
glimpsed White-quilled Rock-pigeon. About 1 K farther W on a track L from
hwy saw N Rosella.
Timber Cr: campground had White-gaped and Bar-breasted Honeyeater and
by the creek White-browed Robin,etc; we heard Gouldian Finches possible at
sprinklers in morning. If you can find a ranger at the office on W side
of TC, ask for finch info; he told us go back E from TC about 10 K to
Dingo Springs Cr, and we saw Gouldians there next morning, about 100, some
red-faced. Someone else saw them farther E at a diagonal creek crossing
where the railings aren't opposite each other.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
L Argyle rd, 8.1: very rough so we only went a few K; Long-tailed,
Masked and a few Gouldian Finches
Kununurra, 8.2: N of town only Star Finch by 3rd irrigation channel.
Red-backed Kingfisher. Not much at Hidden Valley, Mirima NP. Celebrity
Tree park by lake in town:White-gaped and Rufous-throated Honeyeaters,
Chestnut-breated Mannikin, White-browed Crake, etc
Marglu billabong ( signed to Parry's Lagoon off Wyndham hwy): long
poor rd, not much seen; no Yellow Chat
China Wall, 8.6: No luck, perhaps because there were lots of
waterholes
Derby, 8.8: There was a woman at the tourist office who knew birds,
very helpful. Go on through town N to rd end by a factory for mangroves,
which are probably best if you walk off to the R here. S of town go W on
Conway St, L at dump and follow around to R outside fence to wetland area:
Yellow Chat, some shorebirds though Aug was too early
Broome, 8.9: turn S on Crab Cr Rd 9 K E of Broome; a bumpy sand rd to
Obervatory. From HQ there's a path to best beach for shorebirds, and
there were some already there late Aug including Black-tailed Godwit, E
Curlew. On past this beach where the rd goes down and ends Yellow Chat
may be possible, and on the adjacent ranch. If you go R (instead of L to
Observatory ) at the T by beach and drive past the one house there you can
walk along the beach by mangroves: Red-headed Honeyeater
Point Samson, 8.11: mangroves less than 2 K S of PS, 17 K N of Roebourne.
Mosquitoes. Dusky Gerygone. Wh-breasted Whistler became visible when the
tide came in because it was on the ground.
Maitland R, 8.12: Star Finch, Baillons Crake. Flushed a bittern out
of the extensive reeds which may've been Black B
Cape Range, 8.13: about 15 K S of Exmouth turn W on Shothole Canyon
Rd (no camping, dead end)-Spinifexbird, Gray-headed Honeyeater. The
glass-bottom boat trip at CR was better than Barrier Reef one
Carnarvon, 8.14: 12 K N of C turn E to get to Rocky Pool area. In
the bushy desert near the RP camping area: S Whiteface, Chiming Wedgebill
Denham, 8.16: just S of the 26th parallel sign glimpsed Thick-billed
Grasswrens running across track parallel to the rd on W side. S
Scrub-robin near here. The lagoon area a few K NE of Denham has been
redone and there were enough people there to scare grasswrens into hiding
Mt Magnet, 8.17: no golf course N of town. About 1? K W of Mt M: S
Whiteface, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Mulga Parrot, posibly gimsped and
probably heard Chestnut-breasted Q-thrush. 1 K W of Yalgoo: no luck
Nallan Station (signed), E off hwy N of Cue (N of Mt Magnet): you can
camp or stay in a cabin for not too much money. Western Bowerbird by
house. Track N across airstrip from house: Bourkes and Mulga Parrots,
Chiming Wedgebill
Kalbarri NP: good flowers early Sept, with Tawny-crowned Honeyeater.
Rufous Calamanthus in low bushes
Perth: Didn't see much at Monger L. Herdsman L: Great Crested Grebe.
Ellis Brook Park in hills SE of Perth, N of Kelmscott: Elegant Parrot, W
Rosella, W Spinebill, etc
Penguin I: just offshore from Safety Bay SW of Rockingham: 2 L Blue
Penguins in burrow under a wooden staircase
Dryandra, 8.19: 32 K NW of Narrogin, 25 K S of Wandering-Pingelly Rd; turn
W off hwy on Dryandra Rd, R on Tomingley Rd which goes to cottages (if you
go L on Kowana Rd here there's an office on L where you can get info). On
W of cottages, on S, is the dam area which may have birds. We went on W
to Marri Rd and turned N on it: Elegant and Red-capped Parrots.
Blue-breasted F-wren. Too many people around so numbats gad been scared
off.
Rudgyard Caravan Park S of hwy E of Denmark (W of Albany): Red-eared
Firetail, White-breasted Robin, Red-winged F-wren
2 Peoples Bay, 8.20: We couldn't find a passable rd, at least in wet
weather; T's directions seemed screwed up. Lots of rain
Porongurup, 8.21: near the Tree in Rock parking area: White-breasted
Robin, Red-eared Firetail, Inland Thornbill, Red-winged F-wren
Stirling Range, 8.22: all around Bluff Knoll was burned out. Parking
area S of Bluff Knoll Rd just E of hwy: Elegant, Regent and Red-capped
Parrots and probably Purple-cr Lorikeets. We heard there was Purple-gaped
Honeyeater down the path S of this but that it was hard to see
Fitzgerald R NP: the area around hwy bridge over Fitzgerald R had
Black-eared Cuckoo. W Whipbird ? (heard only, though we tried a long time
to see it) and Purple-c Lorikeets. E of this we turned S on a dirt rd
through heath: Little Wattlebird. Mylie's Beach: Hooded Plover. Aus
Gannets offshore.
Esperance: 2 Cape Barren Geese on golfcourse on N side of town
Sugarloaf I, 8.24: 6 Red-T Tropicbirds soaring over the island, easy
to see from shore
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Big Swamp, 9.7, 11 K SE of Coffin Bay turnoff: nothing special
Lincoln NP, 9.8: mostly burned out
Coffin Bay, 9.9: Saw no Rock Parrots flying from island, but
repeatedly flushed one in dense bushes among dunes in area W of point
where T saw them; never saw it except flying. Brush Bronzewing, and on
hwy to N
L Gilles, 9,10: White-fronted Honeyeater, Inland Thornbill, probable
Blue-breasted F-wren
Strzelecki Track, 9.14: We just drove up (washboard rd, as usual)
from Lyndhurst as far as the whiteface site. Orange Chat en route, in
greener area. Apparently the site's owner doesn't like birders coming
there; but no one came while we were there (we spent the night and day).
The old car T mentions isn't close to the rd; we didn't see it from there.
As you drive in off rd keep to L alongside creek bed. It'd been wet so
the creekbed had flowers; Black Honeyeater on Emu bushes. Budgerigar.
Thick-billed Grasswren in open area up to R from where 2 creekbeds come
together. Crimson Chat out in open areas. Chestnut-breasted Whiteface
(hard to find) in open area across the creekbed (on L). Chirruping
Wedgebills by creekbed.
Nullarbor Roadhouse, 9.18: found no Q-thrush but saw Crimson Chat here and
Slender-billed Thornbill and Little Button-quail running along
ahead,easier to see than other encounters. By hwy W of here : small flock
of Budgies
Gluepot: Get gate key at Shell station in Waikerie, then go N via
ferry, then W on Renmark to Morgan Hwy, then soon N on Lunn Rd (dirt,
bumpy) for 50 K. $5 per vehicle, $10 to camp. Whistler Tank Trail:
Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Hooded Robin, Shy Hylacola, Gilberts Whistler
(and we heard Red-lored Wh is possible by Whistler Tank). Callitris
Track: barely glimpsed Striated Grasswren running across; heard that
Chestnut-breasted Q-thrush is possible here. Black-eared Miner in area
just E of the tracks you're allowed to drive on. White-fronted and
Striped Honeyeaters, C Bellbird, White-browed T-creeper. We were told
Scarlet-chested Parrot's extremely unlikely here but may occur in mallee
further E.
Coorong NP on SE coast: Purple-gaped Honeyeater in brush inland from dunes
along track S of hwy SE of Salt Creek
Addendum to Australia Bird Trip, 2001.
Side trip to NEW GUINEA first week in Aug. Expensive, but how
could we be so close and not go for Birds of Paradise? The trip was
arranged by Sue Gregory Of Cassowary House. You probably need guides in
NG to find Bird of P display trees, and perhaps for safety too, tho we had
no bad experiences. We flew to Pt Moresby and were met by guide and
driver who took us everywhere in that area. The guide knew some birds
(including Raggiana Bird of P display area) though not all.
VARIRATA NP: Black-billed Brush-turkey, Pink-spotted Fruit-dove, Zoe
Imperial Pigeon, Western Black-capped Lory, Red-flanked Lorikeet,
Brown-headed Paradise kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Black
Cuckoo-shrike,Chestnut-bellied Fantail, Frilled Monarch, Variable?
Pitohui, Papuan Black Myzomela, Yellow-faced Mynah, Hooded Butcherbird, ,
Raggiana Bird of Paradise doing somre displaying
Rd N from E side of Port Moresby, mainly area between Brown and
Vanapa Rivers: Orange-bellied Fruit-dove, Zoe and Torresian (flying)
Imperial pigeon, Eclectus and Red-cheeked Parrots, White-shouldered
Fairy-wren, Grey-headed Mannikin, Lowland Peltops, Golden Mynah. (The
guides didn't want to go here, fearing thugs)
Next we flew to Kiunga where Samuel took us by boat down the Fly and
Elevara Rs to a very primitive "lodge" from which we took walks in the
nearby jungle when it didn't rain (rain mostly after noon). Leeches on
one trail, chiggers on the other. Samuel was a good birder, but it was
hard to see birds here. ELEVARA area: Collared Imperial pigeon, Papuan Mtn
pigeon (flying), S Crowned pigeon (not hard), Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus and
Vulturine (flying) parrots, Large and Orange-breasted? Fig-parrots,,
Blyth's Hornbill, Common Paradise kingfisher, Moustached Treeswift,
Rufous Babbler, Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Spot-winged and Golden Monarchs,
both Mynahs, King and 12-wired Birds of Paradise (both displaying), Grey
Crow.
Samuel also took us up the rd N of Kiunga to K 17, where we saw:
Vulturine Parrot (flying), Golden Cuckoo-chrike, Tawny-breasted
Honeyeater, Yellow-bellied Longbill, Crinkle-collared? Manucode, and
Greater Bird of Paradise displaying back in the woods by here.
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