Dear “Birding Aus” Members,
Thanks so much to all of those who helped me on my birding trip to Queensland.
A few people said they'd like
to hear some details, so here is a summary of the trip. Sorry it is so long. If
you have questions about
any of this, or find possible errors (such as misidentifications), or if you
have answers to my questions,
please feel free to e-mail me at and I will get back to
you.
I have attached a list of species--I hope that's allowed on this list.
Who: Gary Bletsch
What: two weeks of birding (and precious little else)
Where: Queensland, Australia, from Lamington NP to just north of the Daintree
River
When: 27 July through 9 August, 2010
Why: cuz!
27 August: arriving at around 0700, I headed south from the airport in
Brisbane. Promptly getting lost
on the way to O'Reilly's, I stopped and got directions at a gas station in
Marsden. By that time, I
had already identified Australian Magpie, Australian Ibis, Torresian Crow, and
Masked Lapwing. Having gone astray from the originally planned route, I took
the gas-station lasses' advice and headed
south on the Beaudesert-Mount Lindsay Highway. At Beaudesert, I stopped at Dick
Westerman Park. Although to an experienced Australian birder, this would have
been a rather mundane location, to me it was absolute magic. There were birds
everywhere, virtually all of them requiring numerous consultations of my
brand-new copy of Morcombe! I ended up ticking eleven lifers in the park,
including Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, and Green Figbird. I also saw one of the
very few Tawny Grassbirds of the trip here....Next I drove toward Canungra,
stopping at a farm pond along the way. The pond had Australasian Grebe,
Comb-crested Jacana, Dusky Moorhen, Maned Duck, Grey Teal, and quite a few
other birds. After a brief stop in Canungra, I headed up toward Lamington NP.
Not long before reaching Mt Cainbable, I turned a corner in the road and saw a
tiny bird sitting in the middle of the lane I was driving in. The car went
right over the little guy. I stopped and ran back.
Amazingly, there was a perfectly healthy little Spotted Pardalote, sitting
just where I had driven over him. Luckily, he hadn't flown up as the car passed
over. I took a few photos, then picked him up. After being placed on a branch
by the roadside, he came to and flew off, as any sensible bird would.
When I reached the little monument at the border of Lamington National Park,
it seemed like good habitat. Sure enough, the monument to R.W. Lahey, M.B.E.,
M.E., was a V.G.B.S. (very good birding spot). There I saw a Green Catbird,
several White-browed and Large-billed Scrubwrens, some Golden Whistlers, and a
Brown Gerygone.
At O'Reilly's, I had only a short time to bird before darkness fell,
but did get to see my first Australian Brush Turkeys, Welcome Swallows, Crimson
Rosellas, and so forth. An Eastern Yellow Robin perched on a fence at dusk was
the last bird I saw on this great day. Before dinner, I stumbled out to look
for night birds. Having taken a bus to Seattle, then flown from Seattle to LA,
then LA to Brisbane, and then driven to O'Reilly's, I was a bit addled from
jet-lag. Not realizing that a guided spotlighting hike was setting off right
about this same time, I headed off on my own. I heard a Tawny Frogmouth, but
did not see it. I heard a Sooty Owl, but did not see it. I heard quite a few
other beasts going bump, squeak, and hoo-hoo-hoo in the night, but saw none of
them, either. Next day, I learned that the guided night-walk had yielded a
brief but decent view of a Sooty Owl--a bird I would
end up missing on the trip.
28 August: A rainy day in the rain forest, what a surprise! Still, the
Regent and Satin Bowerbirds cooperated, I managed a fleeting look at an
Albert's Lyrebird on the Main Border Track, and tracked down a few more species
in the vicinity of O'Reilly's. I took the guided night-walk after sundown, but
the only vertebrate we saw was a Brush-tailed Possum--the only one I saw on the
trip. We also took in the amazing spectacle of the Glowworm Grotto, which,
coincidentally, was where I had earlier lain eyes on my first Logrunner.
29 August: under improving weather conditions, I awoke well before dawn,
drove down to the beginning of Duck Creek Road, and headed down it on foot.
This road was in monstrously bad condition, obviously not do-able in a Toyota
Yaris. Still, by walking down a kilometer or two, I was able to get good looks
at a Southern Boobook just before dawn. Shortly afterwards, a male Albert's
Lyrebird ran across the road, right in front of me. A Russet-tailed Thrush was
one of the most exciting birds of this morning's walk. I had wanted especially
to see and hear this bird, because I had noticed, when listening to some
bird-song cassettes, that its song is very, very similar to that of the
Black-capped Chickadee here in the States. Sure enough, it sang a song that
sounded a lot like "Cheese-burg,"
or maybe "scuuuze-me," as my daughter used to render the chickadee's version
when she was a tot.
After reluctantly checking out of O'Reilly's, which was to be the only
luxurious segment of the trip, I headed down the road toward Canungra. On the
way I saw my only Eastern Spinebill of the trip; this bird was in a mixed flock
of honeyeaters way up in the tops of the eucalypts; none of the other birds
gave me a good enough look for an ID. Here I also made the acquaintance of the
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, a bird which seemed exotic and mysterious when I was
studying the field guides before the trip, but which would soon become a
near-constant presence in the days to come.
I headed to the Goomburra Section of Main Range National Park (formerly
Goomburra Forest Reserve). On the way, I saw the first of only two Wedge-tailed
Eagles for the trip, as well as Australian Kite and White-faced Heron. The
number of Bell Miners seen and heard near Cunningham Gap was simply astounding.
I had to drive fast to reach Goomburra Valley Campground before dark, but I
made it. All through this trip, I heeded the advice I had received from various
Australians and foreign tourists--don't drive at night! Sure enough, as I
cautiously motored the last few miles of bitumen, wallabies made several
kamikaze runs at my front bumper--but I was able to reach camp safely. A
Southern Boobook landed in a tree next to the bunkhouse, and a Tawny Frogmouth
commenced to call me forth. This species eluded me here once again, and I did
not have a second opportunity to see one on this trip, so it will have to wait
for next time.
30 August: At the trailhead I opted for a fairly short hike, but ended
up taking a 6.5-km walk. I started on the Dalrymple Track, turned onto the
Ridge Track, and returned on the Cascade Track. Two birds showed up here at
Goomburra Section that did not make a second appearance for me: Crested Shrike
Tit and Red-browed Treecreeper. Each bird gave me good views at close range.
There were lots of Bell Miners here, too. On the way out, I had further good
fortune. A Red Wattlebird flew across the Inverramsay Road, giving me a good
view as well. This was my only one of the trip, and a tough bird to find, as I
was later informed. Near here I also saw my only Eurasian Starlings of the
trip--an introduced species that occurs in flocks of tens of thousands where I
live.
A few times in this agricultural area, I drove by some large-looking
corvids that I could have sworn were too big, shaggy-looking, and large-billed
to be Torresian Crows. Two in particular I remember, perched on top of a wooden
ranch fence, seemed like they just about had to be ravens of some sort.
However, several birders have pointed out to me that the Australian Raven would
not occur in the Lockyer Valley, so I have left them as unidentified corvids.
Heading west from here, I was in a race against time. I wanted to visit
at least a bit of the Lockyer Valley, but I had to get to the northern suburbs
of Brisbane by eventide. A quick drive up the Gatton-Clifton Road did turn up a
few interesting birds, among which were two Red-rumped Parrots, the only ones
of the trip, as well as my first of only two sightings of the Australian
Kestrel. As the light faded, I made a quick visit to Lake Apex in Gatton, where
I saw my first Hardheads and Black Swans, as well as scores of Little Black
Cormorants, Australian Ibis, and Pacific Black Duck.
I was in a hurry to get to Samford, where I was to meet Roger McNeil for
a weekend of birding. I somehow managed to negotiate Brisbane's rush-hour and
make it up to the northern suburbs of Brisbane, where Roger took me on a
night-walk in the hills. We got to look at an interesting arboreal rodent
there, the fawn-footed melomys, before calling it a day.
31 August: Roger McNeil has already posted about this most excellent
day of birding. Knowing birds' vocalizations as he does, Roger enumerated close
to 150 species on the day. I was taking some fairly laborious notes as we went,
peeking into Morcombe and into Simpson and Day about once every seven minutes,
and peppering Roger with innumerable questions--and even I managed to ID 109
species. Kudos are due to Roger, and to Tom Tarrant too, who accompanied us for
much of the day.
They were very patient with a fellow who was still having a hard time
distinguishing his honeyeaters! Some of the highlights of this day were a
Square-tailed Kite, a White-eared Monarch, some Double-barred Finches, and of
course the Australian Owlet-Nightjar which showed itself so nicely in its
roosting cavity. I ended up adding exactly 50 species to my life list in a
single day, an onrush of avian novelty I have not experienced in decades!
Beyond the egocentricity of padding one's list, though, I must add that I
learned a lot from Roger and Tom, and felt better prepared for the birding yet
to come.
1 August: Roger took me for a morning's birding around Ferny Grove,
yielding the only Musk Lorikeets of the trip. We also saw my first Bush
Stone-Curlew, an individual for which I felt sorry, dwelling as it does in the
dusty confines of Ferny Grove's not-so-ferny railway-station parking lot.
At this point on Sunday morning, I had to say goodbye to Roger and
begin the long drive north. Virtually everyone I had consulted had told me I
was gonzo for even contemplating driving from Brisbane to Cairns and birding
along the way. That, however, was the plan, and I wanted to bird Inskip Point
by midday, so off I went. At Inskip, a female Black-breasted Buttonquail showed
herself almost immediately after I headed down the trail. Out on a sandbar were
the only Double-banded
Plovers I would see on the trip, as well as a nice assortment of other waders.
There were a few sand-plovers there; I think they were Lessers, but they were
too far out for an ID, and would elude me as the only sand-plovers of the whole
trip.
At a pond in Maryborough, I saw a few Mallards, the only ones of the
trip, along with about 200 Magpie Geese and a handful of Eurasian Coots.
Pushing north from there, I was able to reach Burrum River Caravan Park by
nightfall, where I heard what would be the last Southern Boobook of the trip,
as I was putting up my tent.
Speaking as a Yank who does a lot of camping back in the states, I must
add here that the caravan parks I patronized in Oz were a happy surprise. They
are more pleasant and congenial than our private campgrounds, they offer a
better value, and have features sorely lacking here in the states!
2 August: This was pretty much a pedal-to-the-metal day. I covered
just over 700 of the 1600 kilometres between Brisbane and Cairns today, but did
stop to look at a bird or two. I had lunch at the Yaamba Rest Area, between
Rockhampton and Marlborough. There was a bird-feeder and a birdbath, and the
only Apostlebirds of the trip fed and drank. This was one of only two spots
where I saw Squatter Pigeons. Some bold Rainbow Lorikeets tried to take my
lunch out of my very hands here.
I stopped at a motel in MacKay, as my plan for the next day was to try for
Eungella Honeyeater.
3 August: I could not find any concentrations of flowering trees around
Eungella; that is probably why the Eungella Honeyeater eluded me--as several of
my advisers had suggested it would. I did see my first Spectacled Monarch and
Forest Kingfisher of the trip here, and made a valiant but failed attempt to
see a platypus. Actually, the platypus and echidna were two critters I would
very much like to have seen, along with the emu, whose habitat I barely
grazed--all good reasons for another trip to Australia, as soon as I can!
On my way north from the MacKay area, I had one of those sightings that
tend to gnaw at one's mind later on. Just north of the town of Kuttabul, a
lapwing landed beside the highway. This bird landed not ten meters from my car.
It was smaller than the Masked Lapwing which was standing nearby, and had, in
addition to a white tail with black tip, a bold white wing-bar. I can only
conclude that this was a Banded Lapwing, although it was in an area peripheral
to its expected range.
Further north, I spotted another roadside attraction, an Australian
Bustard, between Proserpine and Bowen. This huge fellow stepped up to the
shoulder of the busy Bruce Highway, contemplating a run across. I hope he made
it.
After driving 519 kilometres today, I tented it at the rest area in Home
Hill. There I had a nice chat with some young countrymen of mine. We united our
voices in praise unto camping in Queensland!
4 August: In Townsville I attempted to find the Townsville Commons,
but not one of the various people I asked had ever heard of the place, although
they were all locals. I took this to be a karmic hint that I needed to drive
farther north, and headed out of Townsville none the wiser. The first of a very
few Black-necked Storks of this trip was standing at a puddle near a
construction site just north of Townsville. I considered this stork a bird of
good omen.
I determined to spend at least a day birding around Mission Beach, in
hopes of finding a Cassowary, one of the birds I most wanted to see. I took
five or six hikes in various known areas for this species in the Mission Beach
area, to no avail, although there is still quite a bit of Cassowary poo
adhering to the lugs of my hiking boots. Even so, I enjoyed fine birding in
such sites as Licuala Day Use Area and Lacey Creek. I saw my only Grey
Whistlers of the trip here. Some other birds which revealed themselves to me
here included the Chowchilla, the Topknot Pigeon (which I had only heard at
O'Reilly's), the Wompoo Fruit-Dove, and the trio of similar Meliphaga
honeyeaters.
5 August: This morning I left the motel at El Arish with Cassowaries on my
mind. I had stayed at El Arish because the Arabic name of the town intrigued
me. I had only just finished reading Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" the
week before this trip, reading about the battle after which the town was named
after the first World War. I suspect that this is Australia's only town with an
Arabic name. The US is also said to possess just a single town with an Arabic
name, that being Elkader, Iowa.
Anyway, I made my way back to the forest tracts near Mission Beach, once
again missing the Cassowaries. However, I did enjoy my one brief glimpse of a
Victoria's Riflebird here, albeit a female. Actually, on reflection, I think it
is appropriate that I saw a female Victoria's Riflebird. At O'Reilly's, I had
seen a male Albert's Lyrebird. Assuming that these two species were named after
the people I think they were, this seems like the way to go.
I decided to head for Etty Bay, which I was told was the easiest place to
see a Cassowary. On my way there, I spotted the only Pacific Bazas of the trip,
along Cassowary Drive. Once I reached Etty Bay, I got out of the Yaris and
stretched my legs. I could see a small crowd of people standing at the edge of
the parking lot, just up the road, and I knew that there was only one
explanation for such a group of people snapping pictures and staring--a
Southern Cassowary! This was an anticlimax, really. The mythical ratite with
the lethal, razor-sharp claws was scratching about in the picnic area, right
next to a parked Volkswagen, tourists of five nations just yards away. Oh well.
I had tried to see one the purist's way, but a birder on a two-week trip cannot
be choosy.
From Etty Bay, I raced off to get to the Atherton Tablelands. I picked
up a few new birds along the way, such as Peaceful Dove, Australian Swiftlet,
and Grey-headed Robin, the latter at Mount Hypipamee. A local fellow there at
"The Crater" told me that he often sees a Cassowary in the woods, just a
hundred metres' bushwhack from the parking lot. I decided not to risk it, and
moved on.
I managed to reach Kingfisher Park in Julatten shortly before nighfall,
and got to go on a spotlighting walk with Keith and Lindsay Fisher. We had good
looks at a Barn owl, or Eastern Barn Owl, Tyto javanica, depending upon one's
taxonomy.
6 August: Here at Kingfisher Park, I missed some Barred Cuckooshrikes
by a matter of minutes. An Englishman showed me the photos on his digital
camera. However, I saw my first Spotted Catbird, my first Yellow Honeyeaters,
and a Large-billed Gerygone building a nest. Nearby, at the Sides Road, I saw a
White-bellied Cuckooshrike and some Bridled Honeyeaters. The latter species was
only fitting, as I was lodging in the Bridled Honeyeater Room at Kingfisher
Park's bunkhouse. Unfortunately, neither on this visit to Sides Road, nor on my
second one the next day, would I lay eyes on the Blue-faced Parrotfinches,
which were said to be present. Over at the Abattoir Swamp, I was very lucky to
stumble onto a small flock of Brown Quail. These were the only gallinaceous
birds I saw on the trip,
excluding cooked chicken.
It has been suggested that I re-check my equipment, but this afternoon,
my trusty pocket thermometer registered 37 degrees Celsius on the causeway
extending out onto Lake Mitchell. Here I saw another Black-necked Stork, as
well as lots of waterfowl, including my first Green Pygmy Geese. I also
spotted my only Golden-headed Cisticola of the trip here.
It was still beastly hot as I drove the road into the Mareeba Wetlands.
The landscape, termitaria, and vegetation here reminded me very much of South
Africa. An Australian Bustard was a nice consolation for four Emus which, I
heard later, had come through earlier in the day. A local birder at the
observation area helped me identify a Satin Flycatcher that was taking a shade
break in a small tree. On the way out, I chanced upon a small flock of
Double-barred Finches, the second and last sighting of this species I was to
enjoy.
North of Mareeba, I saw a few Glossy Ibises, with 30 or so Wandering
Whistling-Ducks. In a small wadi nearby, a flock of 80 Chestnut-breasted Munias
burst out of their refuge in some dead, dry grass.
Now it was getting late, so I rushed back to Mount Molloy. There were
Great Bowerbirds right in town, as well as an obliging Bush Stone-Curlew. Two
very kind birders drove by and stopped to chat. Mark and John were also staying
at Kingfisher Park. They asked if I had seen the Little Eagle, and when I
replied that I had not, out stepped John! Mark drove me right to the spot in
the woods near the sports fields, and we got a good look at the bird. Back in
town after this good fortune, I was able to get a look at my first Blue-winged
Kookaburra, a species I'd somehow missed up to then.
7 August: Now my time in Australia was dwindling. I did not sleep well,
as some beast had been making a dreadful clamour in the night. The culprit
turned out to be another species I had inexplicably missed up to now: the
Orange-footed Scrubfowl. Two of them were scratching around where they had not
been the day before, pretending to know nothing of their nocturnal shenanigans.
At Sides Road, I managed to find some Lovely Fairy Wrens, while searching again
in vain for the Parrotfinch.
If I had had to name a most-wanted species for this trip, I am not sure if
I could have done so. Certainly the Cassowary, the Great Knot, and the Noisy
Pitta would be in the top five, if not top three. The reason for the Pitta's
high priority was my overall crumby success rate at finding pittas in various
places. I had dipped on them in Thailand and India, and managed one brief look
at a Banded Pitta on Bali. One time I had even engaged a guide whose business
card had a pitta on it, and he was no better at finding them than I was. So off
I went for the Daintree River ferry, having spoken to a young Dutch birder,
name of Ruben, who had seen the Pittas up there. Sure enough, right in the very
spot where he'd said to look first, Jindalba Boardwalk, a Noisy Pitta was
telling me how to commute. Hooray!
Daintree Village would be my second-to-last place on this trip. Arriving
there, I plumped for the inexpensive caravan park, as there seemed to be no
middle-ground between bare-bones tenting and costly lodgings. I choked down a
kangaroo burger at an eatery on the town square--an obligatory meal for a
tourist here, I'd say. Later I was told that there are better ways to serve
'roo than between two buns. I'd say my kangaroo burger tasted better than
raccoon stew, but not as good as roasted guillemot. After the meal, I idled out
to see if I could find any birds around town. Way up in a tree was a bird I
could not at first ID. I was looking at it, in between peeks at Morcombe, when
a friendly couple called me over. They turned out to be none other than Andrew
and Trish Forsyth, proprietors of Red Mill House. They clarified that the bird
was a Yellow Oriole. I prefer to call it Green Oriole, to avoid confusion with
a certain icterine back in my
hemisphere, but either way, it was a lifer for me.
Trish and Andrew suggested I walk down the Stewart Road. I found some
Lovely Fairy Wrens right where they told me to look. At the bridge I saw a
Mistletoebird, and some Rainbow Bee-eaters gave me some excellent views. Also
at the bridge was a friarbird I have left unidentified. It was a long ways off,
and I had left the scope locked in the car. I thought at the time that it was a
Noisy Friarbird. It seemed to be saying "Here I CO! Here I CO!" That seems to
jive with Morcombe's "Tobacco" or "Four O'Clock!" However, I was later told
that the Helmeted Friarbird is expected here this time of year, while the Noisy
is not.
After nightfall, I was sitting by my lonely self, enjoying a few
hard-earned XXXX Bitters in the restaurant. A bloke was wailing away on a
guitar, accompanied by some sort of synthesizer that stood in for the rest of
his band. In the middle of a Jimi Hendrix reverie, I was interrupted by the
sudden appearance of a familiar face. Trisha was beckoning to me from the
sidewalk. I must come quickly--there was a Rufous Owl at Red Mill House!
I shall to write to the Pope in Rome when I get a chance, to recommend
Trisha for beatification. Hers was both a miraculous and charitable act. That
she would seek me out and find me--and I wasn't even a paying customer of Red
Mill House! Within minutes, I was face to face with this big bad Ninox. The owl
was in the process of devouring a Green Oriole, with considerably more gusto
than had applied to my earlier, marsupial repast. What a way to end the day!
August: Today I took the boat trip with Chris Dahlberg, out of Daintree
Village. This involved merely tumbling out of bed and strolling down to the
boat launch from the caravan park. We saw lots of good birds, and Chris was a
fount of knowledge on just about every topic touched upon. Perhaps the
highlight for me was the pair of Papuan Frogmouths. We could have tapped their
sleepy heads with an oar if we had chosen so to do, and yet they never
flinched. It took a few minutes for some of us in the boat to see them, even as
close as we were to them, at eye-level. Remarkable camouflage indeed!
Perhaps more unusual was the sight of my one and only dingo. Two Masked
Lapwings did their best to drive him away, but he didn't seem to mind their
attacks. We were also treated to the sight of a very large cast-off skin from
an amethystine python, pointed out to us by the legendary “Sauce” Worcester,
whose boat was nearby. Nearby,
two
Double-eyed Fig Parrots and a couple of Wompoo Fruit Doves gave us very good
looks. On the cruise back in, Chris pointed out a saltwater crocodile, actually
just the top of its metre-long noggin.
Now it was time for me to race to Cairns. All along on this trip, I had
not stuck to an itinerary. The only appointments I had had were the one with
O'Reilly's, and the one with Roger. After that, the trip was all on the spur of
the moment. I had delayed Cairns until now, the very end. The Great Knot was
one of the most-wanted birds for me, the only Calidris sandpiper I had never
seen. Even so, I hated to pass by so many great birding spots along the way.
At Wonga Beach, I stopped for the second time, having visited here
briefly on the way to Daintree. This time, a Beach Stone-Curlew obliged. I gave
this bird a wide berth--they are such creatures of solitude that I hate to put
one to flight. Nearby was the first Striated Heron of the trip.
I put Cairns off for yet another hour and stopped at Daintree National
Park, Mossman Gorge Section. This being a weekend, the place was absolutely
swarming with recreationists, so I made my visit very short. Here I did see and
photograph a bird I couldn't ID. I took a few miserable shots with my
point-and-shoot. It was a gerygone-like bird in the forest, not far off the
roadside parking spots. Two adults were feeding this fledgling, which stayed
perched at eye-level. They were small, gerygone-sized birds. The fledgling was
pale, lemon-yellow below. Its bill was orange, but
with a black, U-shaped area on the lower mandible. Its face was grey. Wretched
description, but perhaps if I figure out how to work this digital camera
business, I can get the shot to where someone can look at it.
Just north of Cairns I finally encountered a few Varied Honeyeaters. When
I reached Cairns, I raced
to the Esplanade, but the tide was very, very low. The Centenary Lakes and the
Botanical Gardens were fairly quiet, but I did see the first Yellow-bellied (or
Olive-backed) Sunbird of the trip.
Returning to the Esplanade a few hours later, I could see the tide coming
in. The light was failing, but I did manage to identify a few Red-capped
Plovers and Grey-tailed Tattlers.
Now a bit of melodrama intrudeth. From the moment I had arrived in
Australia, for some odd reason, my right shoulder had begun to hurt. Soon the
entire arm, then the right hand itself grew more and more numb. I had had to
stop at a chemist to try to find something to stave off the pain, if not the
numbness. Just now, when I was so close to finding the Great Knot, my shoulder
started hurting so badly I could hardly raise my binoculars. Bah!
Just as I was getting ready to cave in to self-pity and go back to the
motel, a jolly Englishman happened along, We started chatting about waders, and
he asked if he could look through my scope, as he had left his in London. Pain
was quickly forgotten as I set the scope up on the boardwalk. Almost
immediately, the Brit spotted a bird that turned out to be a Great Knot!
Huzzah! Soon, a local birder happened along; he concurred with the ID. What a
great ending to that little episode!
Now I had to go get a good night's sleep. I would have only a half-day of
birding tomorrow, followed by the inevitable fatigue of the trip home.
9 August: I hit the Centenary Lakes at dawn. Try as I might, I could not
see a Red-necked Crake, although one was calling from the gloomy recesses of
the wetland along the boardwalk. However, as light improved, other birds awoke
to give me a rousing send-off. I managed to find a Fuscous Honeyeater, a
species I had missed earlier. Thanks to Roger McNeil for straightening me out
on how to say "fuscous," by the way. Besides this honeyeater, there were two
other birds at Centenary Lakes that I identified after long observation and
note-taking. These were a Leaden Flycatcher and a Bar-breasted Honeyeater. Also
at Centenary Lakes was the only Collared Kingfisher I saw on the trip, plus a
Bush Stone-Curlew.
I raced back to the Esplanade, which really was just about my favorite
birding spot of all the places I visited in Queensland--that's how much I like
shorebirding! Instead of one lonely Great Knot, there were 27 of them. Despite
warnings from several knowledgeable birders, I have to say that the light
wasn't really all that bad, even though Mr. Sun does indeed rise in the east
over the water here. I enjoyed cracking good looks at Black-fronted Dotterels,
Red-capped Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Terek Sandpipers, and so forth. A
Mangrove Robin hopped forth from the mangrove at the north
end of the Esplanade, right where I had stood and pished my lips off the
evening before.
The Mangrove Robin turned out to be my last lifer of the trip. At Redden
Island by Machan Beach, I saw another Great Knot, a few other shorebirds, and a
pair of Satin Flycatchers. I ended my birding on a visit to the Jack Barnes
Bicentennial Mangrove boardwalk. Unfortunately, the boardwalk that goes into
the more open areas was closed for repair. The one that sticks to the closed,
almost claustrophobic mangrove was open. I suspect that a man weighing a mere
stone or two more than I do would probably crash right through the rotting
planks of this walkway. In the midday heat I saw a sunbird, a Brown Honeyeater,
and a Common Mynah here, and that was it for the birding--although I did enjoy
seeing a large mudskipper doing its mucky thing.
After returning the hire car at Cairns Airport, how glad I was to be
done driving, after 14 days and 3735 kilometres! Better yet, I had not run over
a single marsupial.
At this airport, I had the only unpleasant encounter of the trip. I had
taken my backpacking stove with me. It had passed muster with the American
security goons, but their counterparts at Cairns seized it. This was not
without considerable finger wagging, saying they'd detected gasoline
vapors--although I had washed it out with water, had held an open flame over it
for fifteen minutes without incident, and had even offered to take a drink
directly from the fuel tank. I hope whoever glommed onto it realizes what a
fine cooker he's appropriated.
Easy come, easy go. I managed to see 227 species of birds in 14 days,
plus the unidentified sand plover, and plus two or three heard-only species.
187 species were new to me, as were 18 of the families. Probably, if I had
taken the advice of so many fellow birders, and flown up to Townsville from
Brisbane, I would have seen a few more species, but I would not have had the
opportunity to view the countryside all along the Bruce Highway, a stretch
which I found interesting, despite the many miles of sugarcane.
As to mammals, although I missed the monotremes, I saw a nice
cross-section of Australian critters. They included the following: some sort of
grey dolphin with a short dorsal fin (Inskip Point); grey kangaroo;
pretty-faced wallaby; some other sort of wallaby, I think; northern brown
bandicoot; long-nosed bandicoot; musky rat-kangaroo; brush-tailed possum;
striped possum; red-necked pademelon; red-legged pademelon; koala; black flying
fox; grey-headed flying fox; spectacled flying fox; European hare; brush rat;
fawn-footed melomys; dingo. Near Julatten, I also saw some wallabies that had
fawn-colored backs and black tails. Two live snakes crossed my path, no harm to
them or to me. There was a very large, dead snake on the trail at Licuala Day
Use Area near
Mission Beach. Lots of Cassowary excreta was in the area--I wonder whether a
cassowary pounded this snake to death? It had to be at least six feet long, but
was so smelly and full of flies that I did not stay close to it long enough to
take a photo.
What a great trip! Thanks again to the many Birding-Aus members who helped
make it such.
23 August 2010
Gary Bletsch Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA
birds identified by GB in QLD annotated.odt
Description: application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text
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