It was interesting to read Rod's report on Iron Range and compare it my
recent experience at Bamaga, the major town near the tip of Cape York.
Bamaga does not have Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Green-backed
Honeyeater, Spotted Catbird (joanae) or Fig- Parrots (marshalli). Also
the Fawn-breasted Bowerbird has become very difficult to locate at
Bamaga. I could not find it on two visits here this year. There was also
not a sniff of Black-winged Monarchs that must only be passage migrants
through this area as Keith Fisher has recorded them here frequently in
January during Klaus's Cape York Bird Week. These must presumably be
returning breeding birds to PNG.
We arrived on the 27th and after checking in to the Bamaga Resort and a
siesta commenced exploring the Lockerbie Scrub. On the first attempt up
popped a male Yellow-billed Kingfisher. On the next first attempt up
popped the Northern Scrub-Robin followed by Frilled Monarch. Heading
back to the hotel found a beautiful male White Goshawk and then a pair
of perched Palm Cockatoos gave a great experience. Spotlighting turned
up a female bill snapping Marbled Frogmouth, Sugar Glider, Giant Tree
Gecko and a Pale Field Rat we could have captured by hand it was so
docile.
Morning of the 28th and back out in the rainforest we had three more
pairs of Palm Cockatoos perched on the forest edge. White-faced Robin
made a welcome appearance followed by a Spotted Cuscus climbing in a
roadside tree in broad daylight. Tawny-breasted Honeyeater and Tropical
Scrubwren followed although one of our party unwittingly disturbed a
nest of paper wasps and three out of four of us received some stings!
Luckily I missed out but payed my dues a few days later when stung by a
jellyfish on the Great Barrier Reef. Our next highlight was a stunning
Mangrove Monitor cruising along the road plus the first of several Major
Skinks. We heard our first Red-bellied Pitta that responded to mimicry
straight away and hopped right up to us. Noisy Pittas were also much in
evidence. In the afternoon explored Cowal Creek and found a few
White-streaked Honeyeaters plus a Black Bittern. Spotlighting in the
evening turned up a Tawny Frogmouth near the airstrip (Papuans are
common), a Dingo plus a random breath test.
Morning of the 29th saw us back in the rainforest plugging away and
being duly rewarded with great views of male Magnificent Riflebird and
energised vocalising Trumpet Manucodes. Oriental Cuckoos were quite
plentiful seeing 3-4 per day although good perched views were always a
challenge with this shy species. The afternoon was spent searching for
Black-backed Butcherbird, a pair showing well after a bit of searching.
We also found a Bustard 10 km S of Bamaga on the road to Jardine River
and at least 7 Brown Songlarks on the airstrip-females and non-breeding
plumaged males; possibly a range extension. With thunderstorm activity
spotlighting turned up a few common species of frog with an Eastern
Tube-nosed Bat giving a good view-its teeth full of Lillypilly fruit.
One tree had three Giant Tree Geckos in it.
The 30th and our last full day started well with a Chestnut-breasted
Cuckoo making a welcome appearance, followed by a pair of Yellow-legged
Flycatchers. More great views of 3 Red-bellied Pittas and Magnificent
Riflebird on this morning. In the afternoon I finally tracked down a
calling bowerbird in the swamp heath area only to find it was a Great
Bowerbird. We flushed a King Quail as a consolation. Spotlighting was
lively Carpet Python, Scrub Python, Spotted Cuscus, Barking Owl,
White-tailed Rat, Papuan Frogmouth, White Goshawk, Large-tailed
Nightjar, Northern Brown Bandicoot, Agile Wallaby, Black Flying-fox,
Brown Tree Snake plus four species of frog making one or more
appearances. The biggest highlight came when we found at least two
Delicate Mice that I was able to get some quite good photos of. A lifer
for me! A well named and delightful native rodent.
All up we recorded 116 species in Bamaga. Fork-tailed Swifts were seen
daily many in tail moult so beware of House Swift. Buff-breasted
Paradise Kingfisher, Wompoo, Superb and Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves were
frequent. Other interesting Cape York subspecies or populations of Brown
Cuckoo-Dove, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australian Brush-Turkey, Red-browed
Finch, Spectacled Monarch and Fairy Gerygone make for lively birding. A
boat charter to Little Woody Island adds several more species especially
Pale White-eye and is recommended if you make it to Bamaga but we did
not make it on this trip.
I enjoyed Rod's observation of an arboreal Coastal Taipan. When working
at Taronga Zoo in the reptile department we looked after several Taipans
and more than once was surprised to see one cruising through the
branches of the trees in the exhibit; sometimes causing us to have a bit
of a panic when we could not find them on the exhibit floor and thinking
momentarily they might be wandering out of bounds.
Cheers
Dion
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