I think you have answered your own question Tim by considering two trips.
Select a weather friendly time of the year and drive from Cairns to the Cape
visiting Iron Range and various other famous birding localities on the way
to get virtually everything on your list. A birding rite of passage, this is
your real "trip of a lifetime", bare in mind that even in June I have had to
wait four days to get out of Iron Range after rain. Then make a second trip
by flying to Bamaga or Lockhart River for two birds, Black-winged Monarch,
Red-bellied Pitta and take Paradise Kingfisher while your there or in Cairns
before catching your flight. Buff-breasted Buttonquail is a full species
best seen around the Cairns region with one of the local guides. You will
have to visit an offshore island for the White-eye.
Cheers, Jeff Davies.
-----Original
Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Tim Jones
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 10:17 PM
To:
Subject: RFI Cape York
Dear All,
So far I have had 20 replies re Cape York birding in December. That's a
wonderful response - and one which at the moment will prevent me thanking
everyone individually, so I am sending another general email out. On
balance, though, the general opinion seems to be 'don't risk it' although
others say do go, but with a guide (and some guides have responded). Some
emails suggest that even guides wouldn't go at the time I suggest (the 2
weeks immediately preceding Christmas). Others have asked exactly where I
want to go on CY - which is a bit of a 'chicken and egg' question - of
course I want to go where my target birds are, and part of my original
question was where I should go to see them. Anyway, to help clarify that,
these are my target birds and the ones marked with a * are the ones which I
think really depend on a visit to CY or which I particularly aim to get on
the trip (I realise I would have to spend a little time in the Cairns area
as well).
Great-billed Heron*
Chestnut-backed Button-quail
Red-backed Button-quail
Palm Cockatoo*
Red-cheeked Parrot*
Eclectus Parrot*
Golden-shouldered Parrot*
Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo*
Oriental Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Kingfisher*
Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher*
Grass Owl
Red-bellied Pitta*
Yellow-legged Flycatcher*
Northern Scrub-robin*
Black-winged Monarch*
Frilled Monarch*
White-eared Monarch
Tropical Scrubwren*
Fairy Warbler
White-throated Honeyeater*
Bar-breasted Honeyeater
Tawny-breasted Honeyeater*
White-streaked Honeyeater*
Pale White-eye(*)
Star Finch
Blue-faced Finch*
Black-throated Finch*
Black-backed Butcherbird*
Fawn-breasted Bowerbird*
Magnificent Riflebird*
Trumpet Manucode*
Some of these (particularly Rainbow Pitta) I think you could never see in
Aus unless you did CY from December onwards, so some people must do it (in
other words 'don't go' cannot possibly be the answer, you would need to make
at least one trip in a lifetime in December - or later). At the same time,
my marriage (not to mention my job) might come to an abrupt end if for some
reason I didn't make it back for Christmas!!
Maybe I should 'break it up' and do one 'winter' trip, picking up some
birds, then one in summer for the real migrants.
Anyway, if anyone wants to add to their comments in the light of the above,
I would be most obliged to hear from you again. Similarly if anyone has any
advice not already given.
Many thanks again to everyone who answered.
Cheers
Tim
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