It's been a busy and interesting time up here of
late, recent sightings along Black Mountain Road include the family of 4 chicks
and one adult male Cassowary coming daily at Cassowary House,
Kuranda. They first came on Oct 29 and are growing fast.
On Nov 3 at 0200 we found them sitting by the
side of the road by the entrance drive, all 4 chicks tucked under the male. We'd
just come back from seeing Masked Owl up near Julatten and it
was totally unexpected to find them roosting in such an open and obvious place.
I moved them away as I was concerned about speeding drivers later on. I have
only ever seen the adult and chicks once before at night, and that was on a full
moon at 2300 when they appeared in the garden, no doubt disturbed by
something.
The female comes in several days a week and
sometimes meets up with them all, they seem to get on just fine with no
animosity being shown.
Double-eyed Fig-Parrots are
showing very nicely at a nest site high in dead tree limb along the road, I
think the pair are feeding the youngsters.
White-eared Monarch have been
silent for weeks and hard to find since the late winter breeding finished, but
18/11 we had a group of five calling along Black Mt Road, presumably a family
party.
White-browed Crake: The birds at
the freshwater lake in Centenary Park Cairns had two long legged black chicks
with paler markings on the side of the face on 18/11, much more long legged than
Red-necked Crake chicks.
Red-necked Crake two adults daily
at Cassowary House, and another two along the drive, but no sign of breeding as
yet as it's so dry here.
Reports from our trip out to Georgetown in October
include:
Spinifex Pigeon 5 at Routh Creek
29/10
Grey-fronted Honeyeater One near
Georgetown in our usual site 30/10
Banded Honeyeater a couple at
Cumberland dam 31/10
Masked Finch 10 at Cumberland Dam
31/10
Plum-headed Finch One at
Cumberland Dam with Masked Finch 31/10 This was my first record out here where
it is a very scarce visitor.
Black-throated Finch 20 at
Cumberland Dam 31/10, 10 there on 29/10
Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher
One adult flew through at eye level by the pond at Mareeba TAFE on Tinaroo Creek
Road on Nov 13, a bit of a surprise out in such dry sclerophyll and no doubt en
route to sites in the Lamb Range nearby!
Phil Gregory
Cassowary House Kuranda
www. cassowary-house.com.au
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