Hi All,
The BA-North Queensland Group had a wader identification session on the
Cairns Esplanade today. Us locals were joined by several visiting overseas
birdos who were grateful for the local knowledge. The main and surprising
highlight of the session was a glide by of 80+ Frigatebirds, mainly Little
with at least two Greater amongst them. We can only recall seeing them over
Cairns in cyclonic conditions previously - do they know something we don't!
Also 4 Glossy Ibis flew past heading for Cairns Airport. There was a good
variety of migratory waders inc. one Red-necked Stint still in breeding
plumage, most numerous were Whimbrel, Great Knot and Red-necked Stint (full
list at end of report). There was only a few Lesser & Greater Sandplovers
and very few Grey-tailed Tattlers and in the trees behind the Esplanade were
at least 4 Nankeen Night Heron and a couple of Pied Imperial-Pigeon who were
probably getting ready to nest in the mango tree they had occupied last year
(at least 8 nests)
Lindsay did a good job handing out brochures and information to passers by
who wanted to know what we were up to, many of them expressed an interest in
birds.
Esplanade Bird List for 8th September 2002
Australian Pelican
Great Frigatebird
Lesser Frigatebird
White-faced Heron
Little Egret
Great Egret
Intermediate Egret
Striated Heron
Nankeen Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Australian White Ibis
Royal Spoonbill
Black Kite
Brahminy Kite
Buff-banded Rail
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Eastern Curlew
Common Greenshank
Terek Sandpiper
Grey-tailed Tattler
Great Knot
Red-necked Stint
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Pied Oystercatcher
Lesser Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Masked Lapwing
Silver Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Rock Dove
Peaceful Dove
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon
Rainbow Lorikeet
Sacred Kingfisher
Helmeted Friarbird
Varied Honeyeater
House Sparrow
Common Myna
42 species
Cheers,
Keith & Lindsay Fisher
Cairns, (16°55' 40"S 145° 46' 35"E)
Far North Queensland 4870 Australia
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