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Trip Report - Northeast Queensland May 2007

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Subject: Trip Report - Northeast Queensland May 2007
From: Peter Kyne <>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 10:09:43 +1000
Dear Birdos,

We have just returned from our expedition to north Queensland. We had a great trip and a big thanks must go all that assisted before and during the trip, particularly Keith and Lindsay at Kingfisher Park, Allan Gillanders, Chris Dahlberg, Sue Shepherd at Artemis Station, Shane Dorrell at Musgrave Roadhouse and Sue at Lotusbird Lodge.

We started at the Cairns Esplanade. The tide wasn't good but we managed a few things in the area such as COLLARED KINGFISHER, STRIATED HERON, VARIED HONEYEATER, RED-CAPPED PLOVER and a few of the more common waders. NO sign of any Laughing Gull. Despite getting Mangrove Robins to respond to our whistling, none would come into view. Centenary Lakes provided LITTLE KINGFISHER, great but somewhat neck-breaking views of PAPUAN FROGMOUTHS in the swamp, BLACK BUTCHERBIRD, VARIED TRILLER, LEADEN FLYCATCHER, YELLOW ORIOLE, amongst other common species.

The following morning we went out with Chris Dahlberg on the Daintree. Nice close views of AZURE KINGFISHER, SHINING FLYCATCHER, LARGE-BILLED GERYGONE, GREY WHISTLER and our first of many many SPECTACLED MONARCH for the trip. A walk along Stewart Creek Road in Daintree Village provided our first of several viewings for the trip of YELLOW-BREASTED BOATBILL, as well as FAIRY GERYGONE and MACLEAY'S HONEYEATER.

The carpark at Abbatoir Swamp between Julatten and Mt Molloy was alive with HONEYEATERS including SCARLET, WHITE-CHEEKED, WHITE-THROATED and BRIDLED while LEWIN'S, YELLOW-SPOTTED and GRACEFUL were all seen in the Kingfisher Park (KPBL) gardens as was GREY-HEADED ROBIN and EMERALD DOVE. Heading up Mt Lewis we finally secured views of DOUBLE-EYED FIG-PARROT after hearing them ever since arriving in Cairns. The climb up the mountain, the clearing, and the walk from the clearing yielded CHOWCHILLA, LARGE-BILLED, YELLOW-THROATED and ATHERTON SCRUBWRENS, FERNWREN, MOUNTAIN THORNBILL, EASTERN SPINEBILL and race keasti of the GREY FANTAIL. That evening Keith showed us MASKED OWL in the park next to KPBL as well as 2 STRIPED POSSUM.

After adding SPOTTED CATBIRD and a female VICTORIA'S RIFLEBIRD at KPBL we headed to Mowbray State Forest (Julatten side, end of Pinnacle Road) and immediately heard a close calling cuckoo which proved to be a CHESTNUT-BREASTED CUCKOO. Best birding at that site was along the road as opposed to the walking track which is a little overgrown in places. Also observed were a male VICTORIA'S RIFLEBIRD, GREY GOSHAWK and KING PARROT.

We then set our course northwards towards Musgrave on Cape York. The Lakeland area was productive for raptors with AUSTRALIAN HOBBY, WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE and BROWN FALCON along with the many WHISTLING and BLACK KITES and NANKEEN KESTRALS. The powerlines just outside Lakeland also produced BLACK-FACED WOODSWALLOWS (race albiventris) and a pair of RED-BACKED KINGFISHERS.

En route to Laura, a couple of PIED BUTCHERBIRDS got us a little excited, but we didn't have to wait long to secure BLACK-BACKED BUTCHERBIRD at the Laura Roadhouse. A little further along, a random stop by the road produced our first MASKED and DOUBLE-BARRED FINCHES.

We met up with Sue and Tom Shepherd at Artemis Station that evening who were most accommodating. RED-WINGED PARROTS, PALE-HEADED ROSELLAS and SILVER-CROWNED FRIARBIRDS were common around the station, with a group of GREY-CROWNED BABBLERS seen by the road in. The following morning Sue took us to a nest mound where we checked in on 2 GOLDEN-SHOULDERED PARROT chicks and awaited the arrival of the adults. About an hour and a half later they appeared and while one often gets a good indication of the beauty of a bird from drawings and photos, we were more than blown away at just how beautiful this species is. Sue as well as Shane Dorrell are doing great work monitoring the species and with their efforts, along with others, let's hope this bird is here is stay.

A short distance from the nest mound we observed a pair of BROGLA, a BLACK-NECKED STORK and a WHITE-NECKED HERON together on a rather small wetland, as well as WEEBILL and RED-BACKED FAIRY-WREN in the area. Leaving the GSPs, we were able to photograph a pair of SQUATTER PIGEONS from the car on the road to Musgrave, which turned out to be the first of several sightings of the species on the Cape.

After a drink and a few NANKEEN NIGHT-HERONS at the Musgrave Roadhouse, and a quick look at an old Red Goshawk nest (yay, a nest tick!) it was on to Lotusbird Lodge near to the northern entrance of Lakefield National Park. Sue at the lodge was most welcoming and allowed us to spend a few hours there birding and talking it up. Birds observed around the lodge included PAPUAN FROGMOUTH, GREEN PYGMY-GOOSE, BLACK-NECKED STORK, COMB-CRESTED JACANA, DOLLARBIRD and RUFOUS-BANDED, BAR-BREASTED and BROWN-BACKED HONEYEATERS (nest-building).

Right at the entrance sign to Lakefield National Park a flock of finches flushed from the roadside which turned out to be a mix of BLACK-THROATED and MASKED FINCHES. A single DIAMOND DOVE was picked out of the PEACEFUL DOVES at the same stop, the only one we would observe all trip.

Our original plans to enter Lakefield from the north and work our way down to the south back to Laura were thwarted as the section between Saltwater Creek and Hann River Crossing remained closed after the wet. Apart from missing the Nifold Plain (and a good chance of Star Finch) we were still very happy with what we saw, having some great birding around the Marinas Plains and surrounds. The Plains and roads in and out produced such things as RED-HEADED HONEYEATER, LEMON-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, BARKING OWL (we were drawn to its calls at 3:30 in the afternoon as we were driving by, and it didn't take long to find a somewhat disturbed looking owl), RICHARD'S PIPIT, SINGING BUSKLARK, BROWN QUAIL and PIED HERON (the only 4 of the trip). The area around Saltwater Creek produced RED-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOOS, BUFF-BANDED RAIL and LITTLE WOODSWALLOW.

Heading back out of Lakefield, BANDED HONEYEATERS were seen near the entrance to the park. Around the National Park entrance signs turned out to be good birding spots as coming in the southern entrance we had our one and only BLACK-BREASTED BUZZARD of the trip. What an amazing bird. The wetland close to New Laura yielded 2 SARUS CRANE (4 the following morning) and the road into 12 Mile Waterhole dished up what we had come for, race evangelinae of the CRIMSON FINCH. Just before retiring for the night, a BARN OWL graced our campsite. A short morning stroll gave us YELLOW-TINTED HONEYEATER before we headed back to Cairns. On the way Mt Carbine Dam produced a good variety of waterbirds we hadn't seen elsewhere such as GREAT-CRESTED GREBE, HARDHEAD and ROYAL SPOONBILL, as well as a very large group of APOSTLEBIRDS. Since we had somehow managed to spend some 2 days in Lakefield without seeing BUSTARD we visited the old faithful Mary Farms site between Mt Carbine and Mt Molloy and added that to our list.

After another futile attempt at Mangrove Robin in Cairns the following morning, it was down to the marina to head out to Michaelmas Cay with Passions of Paradise. A single MASKED BOOBY greeted us on arrival as it flew in to alight on a tender. Apart from the BROWN NODDIES, CRESTED and SOOTY TERNS and BROWN BOOBYS, also observed were 2 female GREAT FRIGATEBIRD, 1 ROSEATE TERN, only 1 LESSER CRESTED TERN, 1 RUDDY TURNSTONE and 4 BLACK-NAPED TERNS.

With no time to spare it was up to the Atherton Tablelands and out with Alan Gillanders for a spotlighting tour. A fantastic night was had, observing a female LUMHOLTZ'S TREE-KANGAROO, five GREEN RINGTAIL POSSUMS and many a COPPERY BRUSHTAIL-POSSUMS. During the tour with Alan we had heard a falling bomb call as well as the screech of a Tyto. Soon after, along Thomas Road on the Atherton side of Yungaburra we were able to whistle in a LESSER SOOTY OWL. Inspired we continued on to Wongabel State Forest where we found CHAMELEON GECKO and GIANT WHITE-TAILED RAT.

The following morning was mostly focused on cleaning up a few wet tropic specialties including PIED MONARCH which we found at Curtin Fig, and several other places afterwards. The Tablelands also added such species as CRIMSON ROSELLA, WHITE-THROATED TREECREEPER, SWAMP HARRIER, WANDERING WHISTLING-DUCK, BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE and SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO to our trip list. We spent some time searching the Topaz Road and Butchers Creek area for Blue-faced Parrot-finch but with no luck. We knew it was a long shot, but worth the try.

Arriving late afternoon in the Mission Beach area we were quickly rewarded with a close encounter with a female SOUTHERN CASSOWARY outside our accommodation near Bingil Beach. Turns out she was a regular visitor between 5 and 6pm, coming in to drink from their water features.

The onset of rain limited our birding opportunities somewhat the following day, but Lacey Creek near Mission Beach yielded a WOMPOO FRUIT-DOVE and a FAN-TAILED CUCKOO. We were somewhat surprised at the very low numbers of both fruit-doves and cuckoos during our trip, seeing or hearing only a handful of each. A quick stop at Tyto wetlands in Ingham, during a pause in the rain provided our second race of CRIMSON FINCH, a GREY GOSHAWK and a COLLARED SPARROWHAWK having it out with a SPANGLED DRONGO. Both Jourama Falls and Big Crystal Creek (Paluma National Park) proved to be productive for a combination of woodland and riparian birds including NORTHERN FANTAIL and WHITE-BROWED ROBIN. We tried one more time for Mangrove Robin along the coast before we headed to Townsville. This bird remained annoyingly elusive throughout the trip, while fishermen looked at us strangely as we stood on boat ramps the length of the northeast Queensland coast whistling at the mangroves.

After more than a week of fairly intensive birding we headed to Magnetic Island for an end-of-trip relax, but of course, we pretty much just went birding. Not much to speak of on the island. We had read that Maggie was a favourite for White-eared Monarchs in winter, but we couldn't locate any. We managed to add only EASTERN REEF EGRET, ROSE-CROWNED FRUIT-DOVE and OLIVE-BACKED ORIOLE (very surprising that it was added this late in the trip) to the trip list, as well as the Horseshoe Bay HELMETED GUINEAFOWL.

Back to Townsville for our last day we headed to Ross River Gardens where we found a flowering wattle with several RUFOUS-THROATED HONEYEATER, along with a near-by BROWN GOSHAWK. Our last port of call for the trip was the Cromarty area where we had great birding along Reed Bed Road, with hundreds of finches present. In fact the road was alive with birds including RUFOUS-THROATED HONEYEATER, RUFOUS SONGLARK, BLACK-FACED WOODSWALLOW, ZEBRA FINCH and PLUM-HEADED FINCH. On Reed Bed Road we saw 2 Plum-heads associating with a group of CHESTNUT-BREASTED MANNIKINS, and later another 16 on the road to Cromarty Creek boat ramp near Giru (but alas no Zitting Cisticola).

1400km and 225 species later, it would appear that May may not be the dead season it is said to be. Apart from a little rain the weather was superb, making for comfortable birding, and we were happy with the numbers of such groups as kingfishers, honeyeaters, raptors, owls and finches. All in all, a most memorable trip.

Thanks again to everyone who provided information on the region. If anyone would like specific information on any sites feel free to email.

Pete Kyne (Brisbane) & Claire Bartron (Perth)


Peter M. Kyne   

PhD Candidate                           
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology                 
University of Queensland                        
St Lucia 4072 QLD               
Ph: (07) 3365 2720 or 3365 2944
Fax: (07) 3365 1299



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