Hi Folks,
Not a great deal to report from Far North Queensland at the moment. We have
had some recent rain which has filled some of the local wetlands displacing
some of the smaller wading birds and dispersing the ducks. The Cotton
Pygmy-goose that were at the Skyrail Lagoon, Smithfield, Cairns have now
gone and only 1 Green Pygmy-goose is left. Of interests at some of the other
wetlands in the area over the last weekend were 5 Pink-eared Ducks and a
Common Sandpiper at the Northern Treatment Works Smithfield, Cairns, a Pied
Heron and a Great Cormorant at the Southern Treatment Works, Woree, Cairns.
Further afield on Friday 7th Feb Warruma Swamp (17 49 12S 145 07 36E) at
Mount Garnet (west of Ravenshoe on the Kennedy Highway) had a Great-crested
Grebe, 3 Glossy Ibis and 12 Brolga amongst the 27 species present.
Bird numbers on the Cairns Esplanade seem to be picking up with Great Knot,
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Red-necked Stint the most numerous, with plenty
of Bar-tailed Godwit, a few Black-tailed Godwit and both Grey-tailed Tattler
and Terek Sandpiper re-appearing after being absent for a while. Many of
these birds are starting to come into breeding plumage.
At the Cairns Airport there was 6 Beach Stone-curlew along with 6
Black-necked Stork.
A Lesser Sooty Owl appeared in our backyard, calling on the 9th Feb.,
interestingly we have only heard them around this time of year here, 16th
Jan. & 1st March 2001. We also heard a Papuan Frogmouth for 2 nights on 30th
and 31st Jan. - the only other times they have been here previously were on
11th Jan. 2002 and 20th Jan. 2001.
All from FNQ for now.
Keith & Lindsay Fisher
Cairns, (16°55' 40"S 145° 46' 35"E)
Far North Queensland 4870 Australia
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