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Kuranda & Cairns area news

To: Birding Aus <>
Subject: Kuranda & Cairns area news
From: Phil & Sue Gregory <>
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:04:51 +1000
Our male Southern Cassowary finally reappeared in mid October with 3 chicks in 
tow, though the nest with 10 eggs came to nothing and pigs destroyed them 
eventually. A big relief as he was gone for so long.

Oct 25 Satin Flycatcher 1 f Mackenzie's Pocket Black Mountain Road, Kuranda, a 
migrant going through in the usual time frame here.

I reported a Black-winged Monarch a couple of weeks back from the same area. 
Today I was able to call in a similar bird and I can only report that it shows 
some features consistent with the canescens form of what is supposed to be 
Black-winged Monarch- very pale grey head and mantle, blackish wings, and a 
blackish spot on the bend of the wing. However today's bird was calling like 
Black-faced Monarch, but showed some interest in tapes of calls off canescens 
from Iron Range, which to my ears also sounds pretty much like Black-faced 
Monarch anyway. This is of interest as the PNG Black-winged Monarchs sound 
quite different, have a very different head pattern, and inhabit hill forest 
largely above 500m, all of which makes me wonder if these Australian birds are 
maybe better placed with Black-faced Monarch, which they so much resemble in 
face pattern and vocalizations...... I guess genetic work is required to see 
what these things really are, and how and if the two taxa intergrade
 , as would now appear to be the case.

Also of note today was an imm. plumage Eastern Yellow Wagtail on the mud at the 
northern end of the Esplanade, feeding adjacent to Bar-tailed Godwits! It was a 
very brown and white bird, which i heard call as I arrived and was then amazed 
to locate out on the mudflats.

Phil Gregory

Website 2: Http://www.cassowary-house.com.au

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