A few days birding around the far North Queensland area from March
14-21 were remarkable for how dry it has been. This is the driest
March since we have been here (1998), quite amazing as this is usually
the wettest month with a cyclone or two coming through. That said,
waterbirds are amazingly dispersed and we did not see a single grebe,
with no Great crested Grebe on Lake Barrine for the first time in
ages. Few ducks (still no white pygmy-geese anywhere), no egrets
except Cattle on the Daintree, no koels and few cuckoos, no martins,
all quite strange really.
Numbers of migrants are heading back to New Guinea, we had Channel-
billed Cuckoos, a couple of Black-faced Monarchs, and a notable find
of a female Satin Flycatcher on 16 March along Black Mountain Road at
Kuranda, very unusual for this time of the year. This road gave us
Pied Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Lovely Fairywren, Chowchilla,
Victoria's Riflebird and lots of Mistleoebirds, let's hope the Wet
Tropics and EPA don't stuff it up too much with their program to
remove dead trees along here. the dreaded "public liability" being the
catch all excuse for tree felling, despite this being a National Park,
EBA and Wet Tropics World Heritage zone. More of this later I
suspect.....It's also one of the best birding roads in Australia, we
hope to get it onto the new Bird Routes of the Tropical North
initiative. Two adult cassowaries made breakfast and/or afternoon
appearances at Cassowary House, the forest has recovered well from
previous cyclones and there is a lot of fruit about this year.
The Crater was good for the high altitude species, with the elusive
Fernwren ( a male judging by the clear black throat marks), Briudled
Honeyeater, Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain Thornbill and 3 Tooth-billed
Bowerbirds feeding from a fruiting vine, always a tricky species to
find when not displaying.
Cairns Esplanade gave us breeding plumage Great Knot, Grey-tailed
Tattler, Greater and Lesser Sandplover and Bar-tailed Godwit, plus a
bonus Laughing Gull still about and lots of Little Tern. Crimson Finch
in the canefields to the north were also a fine sight.
Daintree for the river trip was also good, with very obliging Great-
billed Heron that for once say without disappearing into the distance,
good to see them back and readily seen here; Black Bitterns were also
about, we had an amazing fluffy juvenile sky-pointing on a branch,
pretending to be a beady-eyed stick, and then two fledged juvs. a
little further down the river. 13 Radjah Shelduck at the Wonga Beach
barra farm were a pleasing local find too, this is not an easy bird up
here.
Andrew from Red Mill House told us of the Banded Lapwing at Mossman
Golf Club, so as per his posting we went to see the Golf Pro at his
shop. Whilst waiting for him to get off the phone we then saw the
Banded Lapwing walking about on the green opposite the shop, my first
coastal record ever and a very unusual visitor in the FNQ area. Thanks
to the Golf Club guys for permission to enter, and to Andrew for the
news.
We farewelled White-tailed Paradise-Kingfisher at and near Kingfisher
Park, with an adult and fledged juv, giving wonderful looks along a
road nearby. Their Papuan Frogmouth was in evidence again, always a
nice bird to score and one we had dipped at three other sites, thanks
to Keith and Lindsay for sharing that with us.
Phil Gregory
Website 1: Http://www.sicklebillsafaris.com
Website 2: Http://www.cassowary-house.com.au
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