Birdline North Queensland Weekly Update

Birdline North Queensland

Published sightings for the week ending 22 Dec 2013.

Sat 21 Dec	Ashy-bellied White-eye, Australian Yellow White-eye Little Woody Island Cloudy, rain shower Ashy-bellied White-eye (17) And many others calling. One was collecting nesting material. Australian Yellow White-eye (1) Separate from the parties of Ashy-bellied white-eyes. Not calling. Unusual to see this far north. (Moderator Note:- Please refer to Lloyd Nielsen paper in latest "Sunbird" No43 p67-69 "Yellow White-eye on Little Woody Island, North Queensland - Extension of range.") Rob Reed
	Eastern Yellow Wagtail Mungalla Station (Forrest Beach, Queensland) Eastern Yellow Wagtail on drying mud beside Palm Creek today. Distant views of mostly plain light breast, midgreyish dark back, distinct light eyebrow. No sound. Bird flew off up creek and not sighted again. May not be related to two other Wagtails sighted lately. No pix Tony Ashton
Fri 20 Dec	Eastern Yellow Wagtail France Road Turf Farm, Edmonton Two Eastern Yellow Wagtail today, possibly subspecies tschutschensis. Rod Gardner`
Wed 18 Dec	Black Bittern Daintree River cruise Highlights included the Black Bittern, Great-billed Heron (thanks Ian 'Sauce' Worcester), Bernie OKeefe
	White-winged Chough Townsville 10' Cell Seen in Lavarack Barracks NW corner, on the boundary of old CSIRO site. Distinctive jizz of 3 birds together - unmistakable from 15 metres. Dry weather further south & west probably bringing them in. Ivor Preston & Gil Crabtree
Tue 17 Dec	Spotted Whistling-Duck Stewart Creek Road, Daintree Observed with telescope three ducks sitting on a low branch of a tree at 200m. Mainly back view silhouette when a pale line across rump area was visible. Occasionally saw a pale side to the face. the gizz was a longish neck but shorter than a Plumed Whistling Duck, and a small head . The bill was slightly dished. Finally one flew down to ground and the spotted flanks were visible. Spotted Whistling-Duck (3) Observed three ducks sitting on a low branch of a tree at 200m. Mainly back view silhouette when a pale line across rump area was visible. Occasionally saw a pale side to the face. the gizz was a longish neck but shorter than a Plumed Whistling Duck, and a small head . The bill was slightly dished. Finally one flew down to ground and the spotted flanks were visible. Observed through telescope. Graham Harrington
	Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo Bump Track at 16 33 60S 145 27 16E in Mowbray NP One calling and watched well for about fifteen minutes, with video footage, including call, which sounds to me slightly higher pitched than Fan-tailed. Known site, but well south of core range. Rod Gardner
Mon 16 Dec	Broad-billed Sandpiper Cairns Esplanade Bernie O'keefe
	Oriental Cuckoo Cattana Wetlands, Smithfield, Cairns A single bird flew off in typical fashion at the southern end of main lagoon near the hide, unfortunately too quickly to get a handle on it's age/sex. My first record of this species at this site & my first for the season in the region too. Cattana Wetlands is an absolute mecca for cuckoos, probably the best site for the family in Cairns. In recent years I've recorded there Horsefield's Bronze, Little Bronze (southern race barnardi wintering), Gould's Bronze, Shinig Bronze, Brush, Fan-tailed, & of cousre the expected Channel-billeds, Koels & Pheasant Coucal. The many young trees planted 2 or 3 years ago are at a perfect height for caterpillar-hawking cuckoos. Martin Cachard

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