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Early in September I had the good fortune to travel
to Lakefield NP with fellow guide Jack Leighton of Tinaroo Birds and Barra. The
park is situated NW of Cooktown which meant a drive of six hours. Lakefield as
the name implies is laced with water resources of every type including lilly
covered lagoons, drying billabongs and a number of picturesque lakes. General
habitat is savannah woodland,riverine forest, tidal mangroves and the termite
mounds of the Nifold Plain.
During our visit we encountered
139 species of birds.Because of that variety I will deal with the species/groups
rather than list them all individually.
LAKES AND LAGOONS:
All egrets were in
good numbers. Also Pacific and White-faced Heron, only one Pied Heron.
Noteable amongst the Ibis were in excess of 100 Glossy Ibis lakeside on the
Marina Plains.
DUCKS AND GEESE.
Pacific Black Ducks and
Wandering Whistling Ducks were the most prevalent. Only saw 12 Pied Geese. The
very beautiful Radjah Shelduck were in family groups of 5-7 dabbling on Sweet
Water Lake where we camped. Green Pygmy-geese were a joy to watch in the
water-lillies and did not record Cotton Pygmy-geese.
RAPTORS
Observed 12 species. Most common
was Whistling Kite, outnumbered Black Kite three to one. Saw Brown and Grey
Goshawk singly, both harriers, four sea-eagles, one kestrel,one hobby, and a
pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles. Of special note were two Black-breasted Buzzards on
the Nifold Plain.
QUAIL ETC.
One Brown Quail in woodland and
two Red-chested Button-quail at night on Nifold Plain.
WADERS.
Pairs of Masked Lapwings and
Black-fronted Dotterals around open lakes. Many jacanas with the water
lillies, one pair with small chicks on Low Lake. One flock of 50+
Australian Pratincoles on Marina Plains, uncommon elsewhere.
DOVES AND PIGEONS
Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Dove
were abundant in all suitable habitat and would have seen 60+ Diamond Doves,
which was unexpected.
COCKATOOS AND
PARROTS
On most days we saw small groups
(3-6) of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and only one group of three Red-tailed Black
Cockatoos. Rainbow Lorikeets were common and daily we saw Red-winged Parrots
with young. There was a pair of Little Corellas drinking at Low Water Lake in
the north of the Park.
KOOKABURRAS AND
KINGFISHERS.
Blue-winged Kookaburras
outnumbered Laughing by about two to one.Forest Kingfishers were patchy in
woodland and we located five Sacred Kingfishers. Rainbow Bee-eaters were common
in suitable habitat.
FROGMOUTHS AND
OWLS.
At our campsite on Sweet water
Lake judging by the calls Papuan Frogmouths were located every 100 metres. In
taller timbered areas we saw four Southern Boobooks and one Barking Owl on
Nifold Plain.
Absence of Nightjars in the
areas that we visited, We couldn't explain this as we had both seen them
before.
....To be continued... in Part
2..(Passerines).
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