The
start of some rain, reported in last weeks blog, continued through
the week culminating in a total of 119mm, considerably less than
other locations in our area. Cairns had around 400mm. Temperatures
were lower than they had been due to the cloud cover but did get up
to 30.7ºc at the beginning of the week however after that the top
temperature was down to 24.4ºc. The lowest was 19.3ºc but most
mornings were around 20ºc. Humidity was high, getting up to 96% and
down to 65%. Whilst it is not officially the start of our “Wet
Season” it certainly felt like it!
Not
quite as many birds this week due to the wet weather causing a drop
in birding effort but still a respectable 103 seen and 12 heard.
Highlights
around the Lodge grounds were seeing a Superb Fruit-Dove after weeks
of hearing them, also seeing a Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher
during the week, a rufous morph Tawny Frogmouth of the race Podargus
strigoides phalaenoides, which stayed around for 3 days and
another two sightings of a (Lesser) Sooty Owl which coincided with
two of our tour groups. The Tawny was first found roosting on the ground in a Ginger plant and later higher up on the edge of the rainforest.
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| Tawny Frogmouth - rufous morph, on ground |
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Tawny Frogmouth - rufous morph, edge of rainforest
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Late news just in from our neighbours is that whilst taking their dog out at 10.30 Saturday night for a call of nature a Noisy Pitta was heard calling, this triggered a Red-necked Crake to call - both these species have been absent for some time, the rail not heard or seen for about six weeks and the pitta not around since 22nd May 2011, lets hope they start showing.
Other
sightings:
Still a few birds in the
McDougall Road lagoons but numbers are down and several species left
once the rain set in. Pacific Black Duck, Hardhead, a lone Dusky
Moorhen and a pair of displaying Australasian Grebe were about all
that were present at the end of the week. Pigeons and doves were good
this week with seven species seen and one heard, they were Brown
Cuckoo-Dove, Emerald Dove, Peaceful-Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Superb
Fruit-Dove, Pied Imperial Pigeon and Topknot Pigeon. Our female
Papuan Frogmouth did not like the rain and was found perched in one
of her usual spots looking like a Vulture with all her head and neck
feathers soaked and flattened to her neck. She was still calling at
night and was joined by another frogmouth who was also calling with a
slightly different call. This was probably the aforementioned Tawny
Frogmouth. Again Great, Intermediate and Cattle Egret have been
around as well as a juvenile Nankeen Night-Heron which was for the
second week found along Bushy Creek. Pacific Baza also continue to be
around but are making slow progress on their nest with very little
construction over the week. Two White-belled Sea-Eagle with a
juvenile bird were around, circling over the Lodge grounds as was a
Brown Goshawk. Grey Goshawk and Nankeen Kestrel were also seen.
Rainbow and
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet have been feasting on the prolific flowers of
the Pink Mahogany and Bumpy Satinash drowning out most other bird
calls.
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| Rainbow Lorikeet - in Bumpy Satinash |
A pair of Rainbow Lorikeet had two juvenile birds in tow who
were begging food with their wings outstretched in one of the Bumpy
Satinash trees. Double-eyed Fig-Parrot were again only seen flying
over as were a pair of Channel-billed Cuckoo. Eastern Koel were again
in a fruiting fig along Bushy Creek and a very brave Pheasant Coucal
laboured to fly across the creek before flopping into a tree. They
are terrible flyers and spend most of their time climbing trees so
they can glide downwards rather than fly! Little (Gould's)
Bronze-Cuckoo was seen and Brush Cuckoo heard. At least three
individual Eastern Barn Owl were seen and an Azure Kingfisher flew
into a window of our neighbours house. It was stunned and put into a
box for the night to recover which it did as it flew off strongly in
the morning. Great Bowerbird and
Red-backed Fairy-wren were active along McDougall Road and Lovely
Fairy-wren were heard along Bushy Creek near the Platypus viewing
area. Lewin's Honeyeater were back in numbers with up to nine at the
feeder after being away for several weeks, one of them had a damaged
lower mandible with a piece missing. Note that the bird in this image has the distinctive blue-grey iris of the adult Lewin's and the normally crescent shape yellow ear patch is distorted out of shape by the bird turning it's head.
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| Lewin's Honeyeater |
A few Bridled Honeyeater were
around feeding on the flowers of the Black Bean tree and Brown-backed
Honeyeater continued to feed their nestlings. Noisy Friarbird turned
up in the orchard area feeding on the flowers of the Black Bean but
had to contend with noisy Rainbow Lorikeet who chased them off. At
least five Barred Cuckoo-shrike were around all week with plenty of
calling but not showing well. A male Cicadabird was foraging 4m off
the ground in one of our neighbours trees giving the occasional call
and a brown juvenile Black Butcherbird was hiding in trees in front
of the units being harassed by the Pale-yellow Robin. A Northern
Fantail returned to our neighbours garden after nearly a months
absence and Leaden Flycatcher seems to be established in the area.
Black-faced Monarch are calling well and probably looking for a place
to nest, they have not been too successful around the Lodge grounds
previously as they have a habit of singing on the nest – not a good
survival strategy! Lemon-bellied Flycatcher was heard once but not
seen; they have been gone from the area for nearly a month now. A few
Grey-headed Robin are still with us and finding food easier to get
after the rains softened the ground. Metallic Starling are also taking advantage of the flowering trees, this image shows one in the same Bumpy Satinash as the Rainbow Lorikeet.
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| Metallic Starling |
The rain triggered flying
termites to leave their nest in huge numbers and several bird species
suddenly became flycatchers including this Red-browed Finch who was
feasting on the high protein food supply.
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| Red-browed Finch - with termite |
Further afield a
White-necked Heron was seen along the Peninsular Road in Lake
Mitchell (between Mareeba and Mt. Molloy), they are not very common
in our region. Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo was seen in the Mowbray
National Park as was Lovely Fairy-wren. The Daintree River trips have
been turning up some good birds for our guests including Little
Kingfisher and two Black Bittern but the most unusual sighting was of
a Noisy Pitta in the mangroves dismembering a crab! Geoff Jones, who
some of you might know from his excellent bird images posted onto his
Barra Imaging website
called by one day and reported seeing some White-throated Needletail
outside Kuranda.
Mammals
and reptile numbers were again good this week with 26 species seen
and one heard. An increase in frog species due to the rains helped
this total, they were Striped Marsh Frog, Jungguy Frog, White-lipped
Tree Frog, Northern Dwarf Tree Frog, Roth's Tree Frog, Dessert Tree
Frog, Dainty Green Tree Frog – heard, Peter's Frog, Cogger's Frog
and Cane Toad. A Green Tree Snake was seen heading across the orchard
before it climbed effortlessly up a trunk of a Malabar or Guyana
Chestnut fruit tree. Several unidentified skink (Carlia sp.) and a
Boyd's Forest Dragon appeared at the same termite mound as the
Red-browed Finch to join in the feast.
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| Carlia sp. |
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| Boyd's Forest Dragon - at termite mound |
A Striped Possum was seen
three times in the same tree near the Crake Pool and a Platypus was
seen several times in Bushy Creek, once at 9.30 in the morning.
Several young Bush Rat have appeared at the feeder with their parents
as well as a Fawn-footed Melomys. The Northern Brown and Long-nosed
Bandicoot are enjoying the softened ground and have been busy
celebrating by aerating our grassy areas with their deep conical
holes. They have also been coming to the feeder most nights except
one when it was pouring with rain and they decided to stay indoors.
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