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Started on the Atherton Tablelands on 15 Aug. with 170 species
on trip list.Have already commented on Hasties Swamp, but were disappointed with
Bromfield Swamp ,only a few birds at a distance.A trip to The Crater gave us our
first Golden Bowerbird and Atherton
Scrubwren.Next day headed north then west,past Nardellos Lagoon (not
very accessible) and along Granite Creek Rd. where we got Red-backed
Kingfisher.Spent some time at a large water storage area west of
Mareeba with variety of waterbirds including Cotton Pgymy Geese
and the darkest Brown Falcon we had ever seen. I had
convinced myself it was a Black Falcon, everything was clear----until it flew
with that slow,unhurried,loping wingbeat.Spent the afternoon at the Mareeba
wetlands where new bird number 11 appeared, Black-throated
Finch in a party of 10+, along with a northern Brown
Treecreeper.Our first juvenile Jabiru following a
parent through the lakeside vegetation was a great experience (though not in the
Cassowary chick class). An easy day at Lakes Eacham and Barrine gave us 3
moreChowchilla, yet more uncertain shrike-thrush,
Bridled Honeyeater and the most Spectaclrd Monarchs of
the trip.
Decided to take the Dunbulla State Forest drive, starting at Lake Tinaroo, not
really expecting much.Well, it turned out to be one of our better days, with
three new birds in a 30 minute period.Yellow-bellied Boatbill
was the first, at Platypus Rock Lookout.We were able to look both up
and down at three boatbills beside the rock, getting clear and close views of
their amazing bills.A group of Stone Bush-curlews were in the
carpark as we drove backto the main road where I spied what looked like a
pied treecreeper on a trunk, doing the treecreeper thing.Second new
bird,Pied Monarch ,another which had somehow evaded my
research-radar.And to top it off, a clear and unambigous view of the black bill
of a Bower's Shrike-thrush.Well satisfied, we slowly continued
the drive, stopping at Mobo Creek and being totally enthralled with seeing a
Platypus cruising in shallow water right near the bridge, then
just floating downstream.Wow, its been 13 years since we'd seen one.An
Emerald Dove and Grey Goshawk finished the day
at the Cathredal Fig.
We left
Atherton with our tally at 193 and headed to Julatten.Acting on a tip from a
birding colleague (thanks John) took the back way to Emerald Creek Falls where,
after two attempts, got the bird of the trip and one we'd hankered for since
dipping -out on our NT trip 4 years.There in the gallery forest, just above
eye-level and only 15 metres away, clutching in its talons the rear end of a
White-tailed Rat was a beautiful Rufous Owl.What a sight!!
After taking my fill, I carefully left to call Maria and camera.We returned ,got
as close as before, and just as the camera was raised, the owl flew back and up
to a higher, more distant, perch.(We still got a picture, of a dark blob in the
shadows.)Completely satisified, we left and had only gone 3 or so kms when a
party of 8 Squatter Pigeons waltzed by the side of the road
(this was at noon, on a quite hot day). What luck,what bliss, we'd almost given
up on Squatters as well!!.Celebrated with a felafel in Mareeba, got absolutely
nothing of interest at Big Mitchell Creek, although pleased with Glossy
Ibis and White-bellied Sea Eagle from the roadside at
Lake Mitchell.
----- to be continued
Russ
Lamb, Maleny,SEQ
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