Latham's Snipe and Mating Fig-parrots. 12/08/11.

[Del Richards <>]

    On our full day birding last Friday 12th August our party flushed 
an early Latham's Snipe off a golf course in Port Douglas. Without 
perusing my past records I would imagine that on average it to be one of 
the first through on the way south.
    As springtime arrives so do the Metallic Starlings which are 
already setting up nesting positions. Also on Friday we watched a pair 
of Doube-eyed Fig-Parrots mating. This is the first time I have 
witnessed them in the act and it went on for more than four minutes.
    Along the way the recently returned Brown-backed Honeyeaters 
finshing off their nest. Later in the day we observed two 
Chestnut-breasted Cuckoos and one of the last Fantailed Cuckoos which 
are about to return south.
    Generally the weather in the Wet Tropics has been much cooler than 
average over the winter months. This has had the effect of slowing up 
the ripening of many palms and rainforest fruits leading to a shortage 
of food with a general dispersal of many species especially pigeons and 
honeyeaters. This also has applied to fruit bats which have been 
noteably absent, even on night tours on the Daintree River.
Del. Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman, North Queensland.





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