Trip report - Weipa/Wenlock River

[Peter Kyne <>]

I have just returned from a week of fieldwork on the Wenlock River, north
of Weipa. Birding was limited to the area surrounding our bush camp on
the Wenlock, and a few spots around Weipa.

We camped on the Wenlock River approximately 18 km from Mapoon, between
Batavia Landing and Cloughs Landing. The area consisted of dry woodland
with patches of vine-thicket along the river. YELLOW-BILLED KINGFISHER,
TRUMPET MANUCODE and TROPICAL SCRUBWREN were seen in the thickets, and
PALM COCKATOO was heard but not seen. In the woodlands and thicket edges,
honeyeaters were abundant, particularly BROWN-BACKED, DUSKY, YELLOW and
TAWNY-BREASTED. Both WOOMPOO and ROSE-CROWNED FRUIT-DOVES were regularly
seen or heard, LEMON-BELLIED FLYCATCHER were common and other birds seen
included LOVELY FAIRY-WREN, GOULD'S BRONZE-CUCKOO, NORTHERN FANTAIL,
CICADABIRD, juvenile SPECTACLED MONARCHS,  PAPUAN FROGMOUTH and
BLACK TREECREEPER (race melanota of Brown Treecreeper).
LARGE-TAILED NIGHTJARS were flushed from the leaf litter during the day
and also seen along the river at dusk and dawn.

Also of interest around our camp were the geckos Oedura rhombifer
and Nactus eboracensis. 

Along the Wenlock River and tributaries, LITTLE KINGFISHERS far
outnumbered AZURE KINGFISHERS while SHINING FLYCATCHERS were regular. On
one occasion in the early morning a NORTHERN SPOTTED CUSCUS was seen
moving through the creekside vegetation. 

One 4 separate days (2nd, 4th, 8th and 9th August) I visited both the
Mapoon Road and the Napraman turnoff poo ponds without hint of Spotted
Whistling-ducks. A big fat dip. On one day a COMMON SANDPIPER was seen at
the Mapoon Road ponds

YELLOW-BILLED KINGFISHER was seen at Uringan Nature Reserve in Weipa.

A great spectacle was the large numbers of LESSER and GREAT FRIGATEBIRDS
over Weipa late afternoon and early morning.  

On our way back down the cape I managed to persuade my colleagues to
detour to the Lily Vale Road Red Goshawk nest near Musgrave, but without
result (brief visit in the middle of the day). 

Cheers, Pete Kyne (Brisbane)

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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