My brother Bill and I have just returned from a two week trip to Cape York
from Brisbane. We drove the whole trip because of a few birds we wanted to
target along the way. The itinerary I worked out proved very fruitful and
could potentially be of use to someone planning a similar trip. I have
prepared a gallery of photos at http://www.pbase.com/sjmurray/recent_images
if anyone is interested.
We set out on 26th August. The first day was mainly driving and getting all
the common birds for our trip list. The only real birding we did was along
the Alma Point Road just south of Rockhampton. There is a great little
lagoon after a few kms from the highway where we spotted a pair of Cotton
Pygmy Geese as well as a host of other water birds for the trip list. In
2007 I found a breeding pair of Yellow Chats just near the Cheetham salt
works so I was really keen to see them again. We were in luck and quickly
found a male chat in almost exactly the same location. The first tick for
Bill and I was happy to improve on the shots I took last time. We continued
on as far as Mackay on the first day.
The next day we headed towards Townsville and had lunch at the Palmetum
gardens, which can be worth a look. We had a quick search for Barking Owls
but failed to find any. We picked up a few for the trip list such as
White-gaped and Yellow Honeyeaters as well as an Azure Kingfisher and a
Sparrowhawk. I was happy to get a shot of a Cairns Birdwing. After lunch we
continued towards the beautiful Paluma Ranges National Park. The first stop
we made was at Little Crystal creek on the winding road up to Paluma. It's a
very birdy little spot and has some great little swimming holes. Here we
added Little Bronze Cuckoo, Macleay's honeyeater. Paluma itself, on top of
the range yielded Bower's Shrikethrush, Yellow-spotted HE and Grey-headed
Robin. We didn't have much time but this area can produce most of the wet
tropics rainforest specialties and is well worth a visit. That night we
camped at Jourama Falls, a fantastic camp site with all facilities (it can
get a bit crowded at times especially with day-trippers). Here I picked up
my first lifer of the trip: a Large-tailed Nightjar, which was hawking
around the camp site. Bill managed to get a torch on it and we were able to
pick out the four diagnostic white spots (two on the wing and two on the
tail). Other good birds were Graceful HE, White-browed Robin and
Rose-crowned Fruit Dove.
It was a bit rainy the next morning but we continued with our plan to visit
Tyto Wetlands, a large wetland area with a bird hide and a few observation
platforms. It's famous for Grass Owls but I don't see them reported from
there very often. I left my camera gear in the car and we headed out. I've
been there a few times but it was Bill's first visit and he picked up Green
Pygmy Goose, Crimson finch, Rufous-throated HE, and a bird I've always
missed here, a White-browed Crake poking around a little bridge. We managed
47 species in the rain without really trying. From here we called in briefly
at the euphemistically named Hinchinbrook Community Wetlands Reserve (read
'poo ponds'). Situated on the road out to Victoria Sugar Mill, it's a good
place for Crakes, although I didn't spot any this time. Then it was time to
hit the road again and drove up through Innisfail and headed west for the
Atherton Tablelands. We stopped for lunch at Mt Hypipamee (I always seem to
come through here in the middle of the day when there are few birds about).
Here we spotted our first Victoria's Riflebird of the trip, but very little
else. It's always crowded here, but in the past I've seen Golden Bowerbird,
Atherton Scrubwren and other good birds so I always stop. Another good place
nearby is Hasties Swamp, which is always worth a visit. There were a few
Sarus Cranes in the field next door.yet another lifer for Bill. I was
surprised to see a few White-cheeked HE's around the hide. I don't why, I
just was. Plenty of the usual waterbirds here, of course. The first time I
visited here it was virtually bone dry (2007). Then it was on to Kingfisher
Park where we would stop-over before heading up to the Cape. I think most
birders travelling through this area would stop here. Why wouldn't you?
There's reasonably priced accommodation in a small oasis of rainforest with
a bird list over 200. I've stayed here a few times but I do resent the
non-appearance of the Red-necked Crake every time I visit. Don't think I
haven't paid my dues, sitting on that log for hours getting eaten alive and
wondering what I'm missing on TV. We would have more time on the way back,
but a quick look around yielded some good birds such as Pied and Spectacled
Monarchs. Keith Fisher was kind enough to point out a roosting Papuan
Frogmouth. That evening there was a bit of excitement when a couple of
Barking Owls started calling across the road, well before dusk. We went over
and waited. Two birds flew into full view and then decided to fly into the
park where we, and several other excited birders, got great views of a
calling bird before the last light had faded.
End Part 1
Steve Murray
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