QLD '06 Trip Report
We set off on 1/06/06 from Melbourne, on what was to be a 3 month trip to
Queensland. When we got to Cooktown we had to cut the trip by 4 weeks, due
to family reasons, but still managed time to look for most of our targets.
Our aim was to mop up subspecies missed on our '03 trip, while keeping an
eye out for vagrants and over-wintering summer migrant species that were on
our wish-list.
We started with an unsuccessful search for the Letter-winged Kite west of
Cameron's Corner. The corner country was drier than I had ever seen it.
Raptor numbers were extremely low but there was a fair mix of bush birds.
We passed Innamincka then headed north through western Qld, via Opalton, to
Karumba.
We then went west to the Atherton Tableland then north to Iron Range. We
returned via Lakefield NP to Cooktown, then down the coast to Pt Macquarie.
The weather on the Qld coast was disappointing with 3 days of sunshine in
the 3 weeks from Cooktown to the NSW border. There has been a lot of rain
in North Qld and at times our route and itinerary had to be modified to
suit weather and road conditions.
We then headed home via Burren Junction to pick up the GHL. We travelled
14,000k and were away for 9 weeks, returning to Melbourne on 4/08/06.
361 species were seen, although most effort was focused on hunting the
targets, and other sightings were generally incidental.
New Species Seen
Bush-hen, ruficrissus Broadwater Rd
nw of Ingham
Lapwing, Grey-headed Burren Junction
Target Subspecies Seen
Black-Cockatoo, Glossy erebus Mt Archer, 3k from
base turn-off
Corella, Little normantoni Karumba
Parrot, Red-rumped caeruleus Cullyamyrra Waterhole
Bronze-Cuckoo, Shining lucidus Barrett's Lagoon, nw
of Cooktown
Owl, Rufous meesi 200m n
Rainforest Camp Turnoff, Iron Range NP
Swiftlet, White-rumped chillagoensis Outside Royal Arch
Cave, Chillagoe
Scrub-bird, Rufous ferrieri BrushyMt
Weerikimbi NP NSW
Grasswren, Striated rowleyi Opalton
Pardalote, Red-browed yorki Split Rock s of Laura
Pardalote, Red-browed yorki 21k s on road to
Jowalbinna
Thornbill, Buff-rumped nesa 10.3k n
Somerset Dam
Thornbill, Yellow nana Kooloonbung
Ck PtMacquarie
Thornbill, Yellow flava Days Rd s
of Herberton
Thornbill, Yellow flava Tumolin
Rd, s of Herberton
Miner, Noisy titaniota W of Laura,
2.4k s on Palmerville Rd
Honeyeater, Fuscous subgermanus Kaban Rd s of Herberton
Honeyeater, Fuscous subgermanus Old Kaban Rd cnr Arbouin Rd
Chat, Yellow macgregori 12Mile Ck 47k s
Rockhampton
Scrub-robin, Northern superciliaris 250m s Rainforest
Camp Turnoff, Iron Range NP
Shrike-thrush, Little gouldii Waterpack Ck
Picnic Area, Byfield NP
Bushlark, Singing athertonensis Forsyth Rd e of
Atherton
Finch, Black-throated cincta Oak Valley Res s
of Townsville
Finch, Star clarescens Karumba, 400m
e of K Pt turnoff
Finch, Star clarescens Nifold Plain,
twin palms, Lakefield NP
Cisticola, Zitting normani s of Karumba
Point
Other interesting Sightings
Guineafowl, Helmeted Chillagoe
Heron, Great-billed 10k n
12Mile W/H Rd Lakefield NP
Heron, Great-billed Saltwater
Ck e of Newell Beach
Heron, Great-billed Mossman River
Bittern, Black australis Road to Iron
Range
Bittern, Black australis Wenlock River
Falcon, Black w of Winton
Falcon, Black w of Julia
Creek
Lorikeet, Varied ( in 100's) Fullarton
River(w of Julia Creek) and Sedan Dip
Cockatoo, Palm macgillivrayi Wenlock River
Emu-wren, Rufous-crowned w of Opalton
Whiteface, Banded w of
Cameron's Corner
Honeyeater, White-streaked w of Iron Range
Honeyeater, Painted Sedan Dip
(Flinders R, nnw of Julia Creek)
Quail-thrush, Cinnamon cinnamomeum w of Cameron's Corner
Finch, Crimson evangelinae 6.3k up 12Mile
W'H track, Lakefield
Targets looked for but not seen
Monarch, Black-winged (seen once by other birders at Iron Range while we
were there); Kingfisher, Little (pulsilla); Finch, Black-throated
(nigrotecta); Bristlebird, Eastern (monoides); Bowerbird, Fawn-breasted
Targets not looked for (due to access or weather problems)
Honeyeater, Lewin's (amphochlora); Fig-Parrot, Double-eyed (coxeni).
Wish-list birds not seen
Kite, Letter-winged; Button-quail, Buff-breasted; Swiftlet, Glossy;
Swiftlet, Uniform; White-eye, Pale; Tropicbird, White-tailed; Booby,
Masked; Paradise-Kingfisher, Buff-breasted; Swallow, Red-rumped; Swallow,
Pacific; Finch, Star; Pitta, Red-bellied.
We had great pleasure meeting some of the Qld birding guides and, although
we generally didn't use their services, they were very friendly and
generous with assistance and advice. Thanks to Del Richards, Alan
Gillanders, Scott Templeton at Coen, Peter Cooper at Mossman, Keith &
Lindsay at Kingfisher Park and Sue & Gary at Lotus Lodge. We have no
hesitation in recommending any of them to birders who like to use guides.
Thanks also to Geoff Walker for generously supplying information on sites
for some of the targets. The Birdata website was a fantastic help in
deciding where to concentrate my searches.
I can provide particular details of some sightings to those who wish to
contact me directly.
Frank Pierce
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