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The annual suspense over what will be first bird of the year at Cassowary
House, Kuranda was resolved when a Brush-turkey walked in front
of the still invisible Chowchillas that I was watching for from
our veranda- damn! Last year I made Victoria's Riflebird as the first,
and the year before it was Cassowary.
We spent New Years Eve out spotlighting on the Atherton Tablelands,
seeing 6 Barn Owls, a Tawny Frogmouth and 5 Bush Stone-curlew.
Mammals were also good, with coppery brushtail, common ringtail, Agile
wallaby, red-legged pademelon, Mareeba rock wallaby and, as a long
held ambition fulfilled, stunning views of a Northern Quoll fossicking
about a pile of rocks near where we saw the rock wallabies. The black tail
stuck up like a toilet brush, and had a pale central spine to it. I've
seen a few dead ones, but this was the first live.
A walk down by the Barron River at Kuranda gave us 3 Brown-backed
Honeyeaters, lots of Metallic Starlings, Black Butcherbirds
with juveniles and my first local area sighting of Nankeen Night Heron.
Happy new year to all ausbirdoes
Phil Gregory
Cassowary House
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