There and Back Again- Toronto to Cape York- Trip Report 4

[Michael Todd <>]

There and Back Again- Toronto to Cape York- Trip Report 4

Hello all,

This is part 4 of my Toronto to Cape York Trip Report. This part will
detail observations on the trip south and west. It starts on the NE Qld
coast and then finishes near Birsdville in the far SW of Qld. Note that
I'm not mentioning all species- just the few that I found interesting.

PART 4
Cardwell, ~20 km S. (Porters Creek) 27/7/2004
Large-tailed Nightjar, Masked Owl (was giving the cackling courtship
call), Mahogany Glider, Northern Fantail, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher,
Dingo, Australian Goshawk, Brown-backed Honeyeater.
Fishers Creek Boat Ramp 28/7/2004
Collared Kingfisher (2), Little Kingfisher (1), Azure Kingfisher (1),
Mangrove Robin (2), Striated Heron.
Paluma Range NP (Jourama Section) 28/7/2004
Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Large-tailed Nightjar (4), White-throated
Nightjar (1), Noisy Pitta, Bush Stone-curlew. Also some frogs including
Litoria leseurii (not sure of the current taxonomy) and what was either a
Litoria rheocola or L.nannotis.
Paluma Road (3 km W. Highway) 28/7/2004
Masked Owl (male, relatively small, was giving the cackling courtship
call).
Paluma Ranges NP (Little Crystal Creek) 29/7/04
Wompoo Pigeon, Spotted Catbird. 

Got rained on heavily here and decided that I would head west faster than
I had intended. Over the range and down towards Charters Towers, and then
south and west to Bladensberg NP.

Laroon, 4.5 km S.29/7/2004
Emu (5), looked like 1 adult male and four immature birds. They were
feeding on a dead Eastern Grey Kangaroo, that a more timid Wedge-tailed
Eagle left as I approached.
Charters Towers, 5 km N. 29/7/2004
Red-backed Kingfisher
White Mountains NP (25 km W. Pentland) 30/7/2004
Pied Currawong, Leaden Flycatcher, and a little gecko by the name of
Diplodactylus vittatus.
Warriana Creek (43 km S. Hughenden) 30/7/2004
Diamond Dove (10)
Hughenden, 104 km S. 30/7/2004
Australian Pratincole (4)
Winton, 3 km S. 30/7/2004
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo (4)
Bladensberg NP 30/7/2004 to 1/8/2004
Crested Bellbird, Red-backed Kingfisher, Masked Woodswallow (feeding
on nectar), Budgerigar, Red-browed Pardalote, Nankeen Night-heron,
Diamond Dove, Australian Owlet-nightjar, Australian Bustard, Spinifex
Pigeon, Spotted Bowerbird, Ground Cuckooshrike (6), Southern Whiteface,
Black-breasted Buzzard, Little Buttonquail, Spotted Harrier, Spotted
Nightjar, Spinifexbird and Rufous-crowned Emuwren.
Atholstane 1/8/2004
Spinifex Pigeon
15 km S. Fermoy T/O (on the Winton-Opalton Rd). 1/8/2004
Here I came across the rather sad sight of a dingo strung up in a
dead tree for all to see. I assume that the dingo was already dead when
it was strung up but I have to say that it left a rather sick feeling in
the pit of my stomach to see the splendid animal treated in such a
way.
Opalton, ~20 km S. 1/8/2004
Rufous-crowned Emuwren (I found 2 separate groups here). No Striated
Grasswrens though no matter how hard I looked.
Winton-Jundah Rd (4.3 km S. Mayneside T/O) 1/8/2004
Crimson Chat (8)
Lark Quarry Rd (starts approximately 100 km S. Winton) 1/8/2004 to
2/8/2004
Grey-headed Honeyeater (abundant), Red-backed Kingfisher (2), Common
Bronzewing, Spotted Nightjar (4+, calling throughout the moonlit night),
Budgies, Rufous-crowned Emuwren, Australian Bustard and the frog, Litoria
inermis.

I took some time out here to joint the tourist trail by visiting the
Dinosaur Trackways and their splendiferous modern corrugated iron
shelter.
 From here I headed across to Longreach via Lochern NP

Vergemont Creek (about 30 km E. of the Winton-Jundah Rd)
2/8/2004
Crimson Chat (7), Diamond Dove (2), Red-backed Kingfisher
Lochern NP 2/8/2004
Brolga (2)
Bogewong 3/8/2004
Bustard (2)
27 km N. Noonbah T/O 3/8/2004
Major Mitchell Cockatoo (2)
Katherine Creek (60 km W. Longreach) 3/8/2004
Spinifex Pigeon (5), Red-backed Kingfisher
Longreach, 8 km N. 3/8/2004
Crimson Chat (8)

 From here it was to the NW up to Winton and then across to Diamantina NP
and Astrebla NP via the Cork Rd which is just to the north of Lark
Quarry.

Longreach, 27 km NW. 4/8/2004
Black-breasted Buzzard (roadkill). 
Cork HS 4/8/2004
Australian Pratincole (12)
Old Cork 4/8/2004
Brolga (2)
Brighton Downs (10 km N. HS) 4/8/2004
Spinifex Pigeon
Brighton Downs (22 km S. HS) 4/8/2004
Red-tailed Black-cockatoo (2)
Diamantina NP 4/8/2004 to the 8/8/2004
Budgies (many flocks of many hundreds. Also nesting birds at Gumhole
Stockyards and Gumhole Creek), Australian Pratincole (max. 30),
Red-browed Pardalote, Spinifex Pigeon, Zebra Finch (nesting birds behind
ranger station and at Gumhole stockyards), Flock Bronzewing (flock of 30
on the plain in front of ranger station, and then another flock of 12
about 2 km S. of the ranger station). Barn Owl, Australian
Owlet-nightjar, Spotted Bowerbird, Red-backed Kingfisher, Diamond Dove,
Australian Bustard (18, flew over Hunters Gorge one morning heading
south). Black Kite and Whistling Kite (I witnessed both these species
catching small fish in the Diamantina River at Hunters Gorge). Painted
Firetail (2, at Hunters Gorge). Brolga (max. 17 at Gumhole Creek). Pied
Honeyeater, Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo, Crimson Chat (max. 12).
Diamantina NP (Green Tank) 7/8/2004
Plumed Whistling-duck (~1000), Pink-eared Duck (~200), Wood Duck
(~100), Spinifex Pigeon (25), Diamond Dove, Little Corella (30).
Davenport Downs (to the south of Diamantina NP) 6/8/2004
Australian Dotterel (2), Australian Pratincole, Gibberbird (nest with
one Gibberbird egg and one Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo egg). Dingo, Budgies
(flock of over 300), Spotted Harrier, Pied Honeyeater, Clamorous
Reed-warbler.
Astrebla NP 6/8/2004
Orange Chat (2), Crimson Chat (2), Brolga (2), Rufous Songlark, Pied
Honeyeater (5), Australian Pratincole (4).
Elizabeth Springs Conservation Park (Boulia Rd from Diamnatina NP)
8/8/04
Orange Chat (3), Brown Songlark (2), Brolga (3), Budgies (100's),
Zebra Finches (100's)
Boulia, 23 km S. 8/8/04
Pied Honeyeater
Georgina River Crossing (70 km S. Boulia) 9/8/04
Spinifex Pigeon (15), Diamond Dove, Singing Honeyeater, Whistling
Kite (nesting), Australian Owlet-nightjar, Barn Owl, Budgies
(nesting).
Bedourie Sewage Works 9/8/04
Bustard (remains only. Looks as though it must have flown into
powerlines that are between the road and the sewage works). Black-winged
Stilt, Gull-billed Tern.
Eyre Creek (Cuttaburra Crossing) 9/8/04 to the 11/8/04
Pink-eared Duck (3), Musk Duck (5+, some engaged in courtship
behaviour), Plumed Whistling-duck (5000+, impossible to count accurately.
I've never seen so many ducks altogether in such a close flock. It made
them impossible to count. They were roosting on the creek itself each
night). Yellow-billed Spoonbill (2), Pied Cormorant, Red-backed
Kingfisher, Caspian Tern (5), Horsfield Bronze-cuckoo, Orange Chat (max.
5), Grey Grasswren (only one bird seen), Whistling Kite (observed
fishing), Little Crow. Flock Bronzewing (many thousands in the area.
Usually seen in flight where you would see a constant flow of flocks of
30-50 birds flying over over a considerable period of time. The largest
group that I was able to actually count was of 700 birds which were
feeding and rinking near the Cuttaburra Rest Area where the road goes
across the creek). Also saw the tiny frog Crinia deserticola on the banks
of the creek.
Birdsville, 31 km N. 11/8/2004
Orange Chat
Birdsville, 5 km N. 11/8/04
White-backed Swallow
Birdsville, 70 km S. 11/8/2004
Orange Chat, Crimson Chat, Spotted Harrier
Moongara Channel (78 km S. Birdsville) 11/8/04
Spotted Harrier, Rufous Songlark, Hardhead, Musk Duck, Red-necked
Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Caspian Tern, Flock Bronzewing, Australian
Owlet-nightjar, Barn Owl, Red-browed Pardalote, Black-tailed Native-hen
(4), Black-faced Woodswallow (observed mating, and also playing ?scout?
for feeding Budgies), Orange Chat.

I realised about now that if I was ever going to back home to eastern
Australia I was going to have to start heading on a road that went east
rather than south and west like the Birdsville Track! So from here I went
back to Birdsville and headed east and then down towards Innamincka. This
will be in Part 5 of my trip report (hopefully the last one).

Cheers

Mick Todd
Toronto, NSW




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