Hi All
I've posted the general diary which focuses on the key species plus a
few others. I am happy to provide comment if emailed. In general it is
all well worth it. I dipped on a few species but that's birding! After
all it was a family trip
Cheers
Dan
3/8/08
Departed late from Cairns, - 9:30am and headed up
the Via
Kuranda/Mareeba . Had a brief stop at mount Carbine and continued on to
Lakeland Downs. Arrived at 12:30pm and had an hours break while the
kids did a
bit of running around. Had a coffee as
it was probably the last real coffee except for the plungers along the
way
which would be our own. Headed straight
to Lake field and got one stone chip from idiots approaching to
quickly. Pays
to slow down and let then pass. Not an issue to travel quickly excepts when passing or being passed.
Arrived at Hann River Crossing about 4:15 and
set up camp. Great spot with few people and good river. Good variety of
wildlife with several frogs calling and a bit of water in the form of
dams
nearby.
4/08/08
The kids were keen to get up early but for birding
it was
just to dark so waited. When it eventuated the kids came along and we
saw a few
species including kingfishers and ibis so
nothing exciting but a few
tracks in the sand added to the adventure including dingo.
We had breakky and departed about 10:30am and did
the red
and white lily lagoon circuit via Melaleuca camp ground. Just before
melaleuca
turnoff we lured for barra and got three catfish. Just prior to this
lagoon was
a wetlands that had Pied heron and Green
pygmy geese along with alot of
other common species. Red and White Lily
lagoons were very overgrown and didn’t offer much except a Swamp
harrier. We drove back to the Hann R crossing and had a lazy
arvo, except for entertaining the kids. A croc took the yabby pot the
night
before so we need to come up with another method of catching them.
5/08/08
Packed up camp by 9:30 and stopped at the dunnies on the main road before heading north. We
realised the causeway of the Hann River would have been good too have a
dip as
there were lots of shallow pools so there were no crocs present,
however we
continued on. We stopped in at Low Lake which was 3km off the main road
and was
worth a visit. We saw many species, including Green Pygmy
Geese, Wandering
and Plumed Whistling Ducks, Jacanans,
Brown Goshawk, and numerous
other water birds. Beyond that it was one of those special scenic
spots. We
crossed Nifold plains which had some good photo opportunities of
magnetic
termite mounds scattered over the landscape. Exiting the plains there
was great
spot for a cuppa by the billabong.
Black-throated Finch was present in the trees next to the lagoon
where lots
of Archer fish hitting the surface. We had a lure but caught nothing.
Added Sacred Kingfisher to the list. There
were several other common species in the trees but nothing to note.
Along the
way to Coen we saw a pair of Black-breasted
Buzzards. We decided to stop for a break at Coen where there was a
Land
Council Meeting at the vistor Centre. We had a pot at the Sexchange
Hotel which
was quiet to say the least. Had a yarn to one of the locals who was
very
‘chattable’. About 2pm we were just north at the Bend for a lunch
break. A
great spot to camp and the kids had a swim. We had decided to push on
to Archer
River Roadhouse for the amenities and a shortened following days trip.
Not much
bird activity but was good not to unpack a heap of gear so to make it
easy the
next day. Met Sean Seniger’s dad (a school mate) and he gave us advice
about
the tip. Had a ‘quiet one’ and hit the sack early. Food was adequate
and
reasonably priced for a remote location. The road was great all the way
and
posed no problems, even to a 2wd (if you were driving one) but that may
change?
6/8/08
A short bird walk in the morning was rewarded with
nothing
and in general the wildlife was ordinary. There was an Agile
Wallaby in the field adjacent but that was about it. I
discovered that the river had some great areas to camp and with that it
is
possible to camp on the river bed and still wander up for showers and a
feed if
you require.
We left at 9:00am and drove straight to Iron
Range. We
stopped along the way and removed a Black-headed
python along the way. The road was good and we arrived at around
12:30pm.
After registering we went to set up camp at Cooks Hut but discovered a
great
area at the end of the rainforest camp site area. It was right on the
creek so
was handy to have the water. Cooks Hut requires a short walk to get
water. There were a few birders at Cooks Hut as
expected. If the end campsite at Rainforest area is free then I would
recommend
it. It is only several hundred metres to walk to Cooks Hut anyway.
After setting camp we had a short bird walk while
our
friends minded the kids. We picked up White-faced
Robin (common in forest) and Eclectus
Parrot but only flying overhead. We walked to the main road and
towards
Cooks Hut. We saw Green-backed
Honeyeater, Fairy Gerygone with lots of Magnificent
Riflebirds calling. Many other common species were
present such as Emerald Dove, Brown
Pigeon, Rufous Fantail etc. We met some other birders and while
chatting
got glimpses of a Palm Cockatoo. On
the way back into camp we saw the Magnificent
Riflebird calling from a perch just to the left of the walking
track which veers
off to the left and crosses the creek (Old Coen Road walking track). He
looked
well at home in his cleared area which was well lit. There are many of
these
birds calling and I expect that this small light patch is well fancied
by this
particular bird. Great views of 10 minutes were easy and after he left
he
returned later so no doubt a regular spot within 100m of the campsite.
In the
canopy there was a raucous of Red-cheeked
Parrots which swirled around but couldn’t get a clear look at them.
Also in
the tree tops were Tawny-breasted
Honeyeaters at a flowering tree. I
also saw Shining flycatchers in the
creek next to the campsite. I returned to the main road for a short
stroll and
heard the Northern Scrub-robin on
the other side of the road about 100m in but as it was about 5:30pm
decided it
was not wise to head off on my own into the bush.
Later that night we had dinner and went for a
spotlight. Got
an immature Spotted Cuscus on the main road. Didn’t see or hear any
birds so
hit the sack by 9:30pm, falling asleep the chorus of Rana
daemeli (Austalian Bullfrog) in the creek.
7/08/08
Started birding at about 7am and decided to go for
the Northern Scrub Robin. I was in luck
hearing it at the junction to the rainforest campground and spent about
15min
in the forest on the opposite side of the road and finally saw a pair
after a
long following chase. There were 2 Noisy
pittas on the road in to the campsite. Joined the family for
breakfast with
the then wandered toward Cooks Hut and had a look around there. On the
way saw Yellow-legged Flycatcher. I spoke to a
couple of other birders and they pointed out a Red-cheeked
Parrot building a nest on the other side of the road of
the northern entrance to the campsite on the opposite side of the road.
Great
views and pics. I walked on a bit further to a small clearing on the
left of
the road where the Eclectus Parrots
were nesting but they weren’t there. They are commonly seen flying
overhead but
still hadn’t had a good look. Not phased
as I had a few days left I wandered on but didn’t get much else. My
crew picked
me up along the way and we headed to Chilli Beach and saw John Young on
the
side of the road having a yarn. On the way saw the biggest Blue-tongue
Lizard any off us had ever seen. At Chilli Beach there
wasn’t a Palm Cockatoo in sight despite reports so would have to go
back again.
The kids had a great time there and we threw a line for a bit. Chilli
Beach is
a beautiful place and well recommended for the scenery but can be
windy. The
campsites can be quite sheltered despite the wind depending which on
you
choose. All of us then headed to Portland Roads for a look and we
caught some
bait to fish the next day. Not a bad spot for a dip to clean off. While
there
Klaus Urchart from Kirrima Wildlife Tours passed through. We headed
back to
camp by 3pm and later had another walk and picked up Frill-necked
Monarch not far from the campsite in amongst a group
of small birds. Included was Lovely
Fairy-wren, Spectacled Monarch and
Yellow-breasted Boatbill. I
saw glimpses of Trumpet Manucodes. I
was informed that one was displaying in the big tree at Cooks Hut the
afternoon
before. A short nightwalk later picked
up nothing!
8/08/08
Had a short walk in the morning but was quite
windy and the
birding was terrible. Went to the rainforest campground and saw John
Young there. They were in the forest whistling up the Northern Scrub
robin (tape or CD) while I whistled it up on the camp site side. Got
good views while they waited a 50m away. A couple Jason and I
entertained the kids in the morning while the
girls did the Old Coen road walking track. They reported that the male Eclectus Parrot was at the smugglers
tree about 800m in to the walk. A fig
parrot was also nesting in the same tree. We visited Lockhart River
and
gained permission to visit the lake near the farm which is on the road
which is
a T-junction to the right before the town and dump. After the causeway
past the
mangoes a road goes left. The track splits immediately and the dam is
on the
right hand raod. We had heard reports of Spotted
Whistling Duck there. On arrival the ducks were amongst the
Melaleuca. I
saw them in flight but not enough to identify them from regular
whistling ducks
although the call was different and they had been seen there but
decided not to
tick them.
Later in the afternoon we went to Portland Roads
for a fish
and managed Palm Cockatoo along then way. For sightings at Chilli Beach
it
seems every site must be checked out as the birds can often be down
low. Caught
a Trevally which formed part of the dinner. Despite comments about
Trevally in
general it wasn’t to bad.
The Olympics have started but probably wouldn’t
listen to
them anyway.
9/08/08
The weather was dismal in the morning so it upset
the plan
to spend time in the morning to go for the Fawn-breasted
Bowerbird that had been reported by several birders at the Cape
Weymouth/Chilli
Beach Turnoff. That’s the one after the Portland Roads/Chilli Beach
intersection. We decided to pack camp due to the crap weather and
everything
getting slowly wet but I went for the FB Bowerbird anyway but dipped.
Went back
to camp then assisted with the pack-up, leaving about 10:00am. Jodie
and Jason
went into Lockhart River while I went for the Spotted Whistling Duck
again but
also dipped. We headed toward Moreton Telegraph Station via Frenchmans
Track
which was very rutted (be careful at the
Pascoe River). It took about 3 Hours including a lunch stop at the
Wenlock. The
Pascoe River was the worst crossing with steep entry/exit, alot of
erosion and
reasonably deep considering we had a hire car! No dramas and we all
crossed
easily in the end with a few bumps underneath over the course of the
track. The
Pascoe has a big rock half way across so worth checking out to go
around it.
Didn’t see much wildlife along the track but lifted a log at the
Wenlock and
got Stony River Frog and a small Crinia looking species which was most
likely Crinia remota. Arrived at Moreton Telegraph
station about 3:15pm. Kids were able to
run around a bit to burnoff some energy. Not many birds around in the
afternoon
but started a list. Jason got hit luring for Barra at the Barra hole
but didn’t
see it although we were advised they weren’t to big in there anyway.
The hot
showers were great and we cleaned up and all the tents dried out from
the wet
morning. I went spotting for Cus Cus but no luck.
10/08/08
Jason got up early and went for a fish at ‘Barra
Hole’. He
had a couple of strikes but didn’t pull one in. Wendy and I did some
birding
and got great looks at Palm Cockatoo
only 5m away when we exited from the creek walk. There were plenty
around. I
had been told there were fawn-breasted Bowerbird around but we only saw
Great Bowerbird. There is a
bower located near the dam which
was dry at the time. The bower is to the right of the dam (more like a
depression).
Looked like a Great Bowerbirds bower. Other species included Rainbow Bee-eaters, Lemon-bellied
Flycatchers and White-bellied Cuckoo
Shrikes. We left there and headed up the telegraph Track from
Bramwell
Junction ( last chance for a pie). Took about 3 hours with stops to get
to the
main road again. We travelled on to Gunshot where there were a few
people
standing around waiting for cars to do gunshot or rather just wasting
time. We
took the easy route about 5m to the right of gunshot then travelled to
Cockatoo
Creek. Cockatoo creek was the pick of the spots with a track to the
left going
to a campsite and a walk down the bank leading to the river. Good for a
camp
but we only had lunch there. Looked like good swimming. It was a late
lunch so
we went straight on to Elliot Falls. The camp ground was ordinary so we
drove a
bit further to Canal Creek and got a good site. Water was clear and a
good
temperature for swimming. Not much wildlife around but heard Rana daemeli and Crinia remota. Bird
life is thin but will investigate further
tomorrow when we visit the local waterfall attractions.
11/08/08
A lazy start to the day but on investigation of a
call I was
not familiar with revealed White-streaked
Honeyeater. Once the call is recognised they were common in the
area. We
visited Fruit bat and Eliot Falls and enjoyed a swain at Fruit Bat but
decided
to lunch it back at the camp at Canal Creek because of convenience.
Fruit Bat
falls was a good swimming area and once again the ‘purpelensis’ Brush
Turkey was present along with Black
Butcherbird.
In the afternoon we spent time swimming and entertaining the kids,
while people
driving across to head north on the track entertained us. Despite an
easy
crossing to the left many did not check the creek and took the hard
road with
several large bangs during the day while others did alot better. Serves
reason
to check all options before crossing any creeks. Palm
Cockatoos were around in the arvo, Leaden Flycather
and Grey -Shrike
Thrush were present amongst various honeyeaters in the afternoon.
Went
spotlighting for frogs and confirmed Crinia remota. Rana daemeli was also
present and has been common throughout the trip. Saw a cryptoblephalus
sp. And
another skink I couldn’t catch during the day to confirm what it was.
Pitcher
plants were a good focus of study in the afternoon along with Lobelias,
Banksias, Achronicias, Violets and other species not so common. Genus’s
are
recognisable but not so sure on species but all good fun.
12/08/08
Departed Canal Creek at around 9:401m and headed
north along
the telegraph track. Turned off toward the highway at Mistake Creek as
reports
of the far northern section were not good and the creek crossing would
not be
pleasant. Apparently several cars has been swamped. It was only about
an hour
to Bamaga. We called in at Injinoo to see Dale who we knew but he was
busy. We
checked the Umagico camping area which he had recommended and it was
great. We
had power and amenities for $7 a campsite per night. We
checked out Seisia later and used the
laundry at the camp ground to do washing. We were glad we didn’t stay
there as
it was packed. By the time a few chores etc were done we went about
feeding the
kids etc. Although Umagico didn’t have the cleanest amenities, it has
one
toilet and a shower that were good enough so we were happy to be only
the
second lot of campers having the beach to ourselves. We fished at night
and
caught a Barracuda and a Ramora.
13/08/08
After breakky we headed for the tip. Weather was
overcast
and windy as it has been for a while. Enjoyed the drive and was there
in about
an hour. Parked at the old Pajinka site which was totally run down and
abandon.
The tip was good and saw Brown Booby,
Greater and Frigatebird cruising over the ocean. Stopped to see Mr.
Pig at
Lockerbie Station on the way back and bought some postcards. No food
available
so went shopping at Bamaga and went back to the campsite for lunch.
Lockerbie
Scrub looked good so we plan to head back there. Relaxed and spent time
with
the kids in the afternoon. Fished at night and caught a Black-tipped
Reef Shark. A few other things got away however Jason
managed a Blue Swimmer Crab.
14/08/08
Went for a drove early to see what species we
could locate
in the Lockerbie Scrub. A great place but couldn’t manage anything new.
We
walked randomly chose areas to bird and did part of the Roma Flats
walk. The weather
has been exceptionally windy adding to the difficulty in locating
species. We
saw Palm Cockatoo, Frilled-necked
Monarch, Shining Flycatcher, Spectacled Monarch, Magnificent Riflebird, Trumpet Manucode (glimpse),
Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Little Shrike-thrush and a range of
other
rainforest species. On the way back to camp we checked out the sewage
ponds at
Bamaga which are on the left of the on the Seisia Road. Only Grey Teal and Australasian Grebe
Present. Went back to camp for smoko-lunch and
took the kids to the WWII plane wrecks. Only two of them are worth
seeing. The
DC3 is on the corner of the main road and the Cairns turnoff north of
the
airport. As you drive toward the airstrip past the Cairns turnoff it is
on the
right. A dirt road leads to it. The Beafourt Bomber is on a track that
is on
the left when the airfield comes into view. Follow it through the old
gate.
There are lots of old drums etc from the war left there. Arrows will
indicate
the direction. It is about 2km or so from the turnoff and is adjacent
to the
current airstrip. Didn’t see any birds of interest. A walk along the
beach in
the arvo noted several Brown Boobies
just offshore.
15/08/08
Jason booked a boat to go fishing so went along.
Before
leaving Camp we had six Palm Cockatoos
above our tents and we got some good photos. They were eating seeds
from the Bloodwoods
which are common in the campground. This was a real bonus. We fished
the Jackey
JAckey and had reasonable success with Threadfin Salmon, Grunter and
Golden
travally as well as seeing a 3m Croc. Calls from the mangroves were
great but
the weather was dismal. Still windy (25kn) with light showers. Saw Greater Frigatebird, Lesser Crested Tern,
Grey-tailed tattler and Whimbrel.
Cooked up the fish for dinner when we got back.
16/08/08
A day of moving so packed up and headed for Weipa.
Had a
brief stop at Bramwell Station where got some good pics of Black-backed
Butcherbird. They have a few residents here and are
not shy in the least. After the Batavia Downs Road where the road
rejoins the
Weipa Road I added Australian Pratincole
for the list. Briefly stopped at Myall Creek on the way into Weipa. The
creek
was dry and dusty with not much activity. As we passed the settling
ponds ducks
were present so will cjeck in detail tomorrow for Spotted Whistling
Duck. Ate
dinner at the Albatross but not the restaurant. The pub meals were well
priced
and quite good. Stayed in a cabin at the Weipa Camp ground which was
average
for $120p/n.
17/ 08/08
Departed Weipa about
8:30am and picked up a few species on the sand flats in front of the
park.
Extras included Common Greenshank, BW
Stilt, Gull-billed Tern (macrotarsus) and Striated
Heron. ON the way out stopped at the settling ponds with
only a few hardheads, Aust Grebe, Rajah
Shelduck and Golden-headed Cistcola present. The Pratincole were
present
again near the bitumen. On the
Development Road got great pics of a Spotted Harrier. Motored
south,stopping
briefly at Archer River Crossing and bought some bread and milk ($4.80
a litre
–what a bargain) but Weipa was closed because of Sunday) before heading
into
Mungkan Kanju. Camped at Old Archer
Crossing which was great. Shallow swimming for the kids and surrounding
lagoons
better than Lakefield but yet to explore. Spotted
Cus Cus were present. Birds in the afternoon included DB Finch, Red-browed Finch (northern race) and Papuan
Frogmouth. More exploring to do
as many honeyeaters are seen flitting around.
18/08/08
Walked early in the morning
along the river, and with surprise turned up Trumpet
Manucode. There seems to be alot of species here that are
associated with wetter areas and that is probably due to
high quality riparian forest. Explored a few
of the closer lagoons in the morning and did another birdwalk in the
afternoon.
Noted Grey Whistler amongst a variey
of others. In general the birdwatching is good morning and afternoon.
19/08/08
Took a general break from touring and did
activities around
the camp. Lured along the banks and caught a few sooty grunter which
were great
for lunch. Caught a few Freshwater
Prawns in the afternoon which were eaten
for dinner and very good. Added masked
Lapwing to the local list.
20/08/08
Packed up and moved
camp to Laura. No time for birding. When we camped at the pub grounds
at Laura.
Black-backed
Butcher bird was present. The pub was obviously struggling with
staff. The
German sheila at the till couldn’t operate it and they also stuffed up
the
meals. Good size though. Very noisy during the night with a few people
rolling
out of there bar late.
21/08/08
The final group morning. Still windy and birding
not good.
Lots of Red-winged Parrots around. We headed for Cooktown via
Battlecamp and
stopped at Horseshoe Lagoon. Lots of Jacanas and a few Green-pygmy
Geese. On the track in were Black-throated Finch,
Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Just at the main Road
there were Grey-Crowned Babbler. The
track had lots of activity and would have been worth spending a bit of
time.
Drove through to Cooktown where we stayed at the Cooktown Hotel.
