Weather
Report
Only
three rain events over the last two weeks, one of 1mm, another 1.5mm
and the best was a very welcome 12mm; apart from that it has been
dry and hot with temperatures up to 30ºC. Overnight temperatures
were quite pleasant dropping down to 18ºC. Humidity dropped to 55%
but went up into the low 90's.
Past
Two Weeks Bird Sightings:-
Bird
sightings for the first week were 103 seen and 6 heard, second week
sightings were 108 seen and 5 heard. The last two weeks bird lists can
be found on the Eremaea Birds Website:-
20th- 26th October
and 27th October - 2nd November.
Morning
walks were good with between 55 and 64 species for 2½hrs.
Birding
Highlights:-
A
small flock of at least six Varied Sitella were seen whilst on a
guide morning walk in a patch of woodland along the Rex Highway from
Geraghty Park, this was a first for a morning walk and one of a few
sightings within our 1.5km bird list area. Two Papuan Frogmouth, male
and female, were found roosting in the orchard and have been there
for nearly two weeks – lets hope they make a good pair and start
breeding. One of them was calling at mid-day on one occasion. An
Australian Owlet-nightjar has been seen emerging from its daytime
roost in the evening on a couple of occasions and also seen, whilst we were on a
morning walk, sitting in its hollow enjoying some sun. A juvenile Pacific Baza was
seen around the Lodge but only for a day, hopefully the adults have been
breeding nearby. One of our tour groups were sitting down to breakfast
one morning when a Red-necked Crake strolled by, this certainly woke
them up and breakfast was interrupted as they all had excellent views
of this bird as it moved about the rainforest – a lucky break for
them! We also saw Red-necked Crake in the rainforest near our water
pump on several occasions at the Platypus viewing area beside Bushy Creek. A Dollarbird was heard on
the 21st and then several have been seen since, this was
the first record for this season. A male Eastern Whipbird has been around
for a few weeks, mainly in the rainforest around the orchard – lets
hope this occasional visitor stays around for the summer wet season.
 |
| Eastern Whipbird |
No more sightings of Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher since the initial report of one at the Lodge from 16-18th October, must have passed through the area. Other
sightings included Wompoo Fruit-Dove who have been showing well
around the Lodge grounds and two Pied Imperial-Pigeon who landed in a
fruiting fig tree near the back entrance to the Lodge, the first for
a few weeks. Superb Fruit-Dove have only been heard yet again. A pair of
Pied Imperial-Pigeon flew into a neighbours fruiting fig tree one
morning, the first for a few weeks. A Large-tailed Nightjar was seen
flying over Geraghty Park whilst waiting for Barn Owl to appear, this
is the one and only sighting for several years although we have heard
them calling. A
male Black-necked Stork was in one of the McDougall Road wetlands for
a day before disappearing. A juvenile Pacific Baza was around the
Lodge for an afternoon but not seen again and a White-bellied
Sea-Eagle was on the ground beside a recently cut cane paddock. A Purple Swamphen was seen in one of the McDougall Road wetlands and our local pair of Bush Stone-curlew continue to
raise their chicks.
 |
| Purple Swamphen |
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo are still in their nest
hollow but no sign of any chicks yet. Channel-billed Cuckoo have been
calling and flying over most days and Brush Cuckoo have also been
calling. Barking Owl are still around but seem to be traveling
further afield in the evenings as they have not been seen in the
Lodge grounds very often. Azure Kingfisher are up and down Bushy
Creek and often perch near the Platypus viewing area. A pair of
Dollarbird have been in Geraghty Park, often together on an exposed
branch and calling, hopefully looking for a nesting site in one of
the tree hollows. At least two pairs of Noisy Pitta have been calling
at all hours of the day and night and are still spending a lot of
their time up in the trees where they do most of their calling. 16
species of honeyeater have been recorded over the two weeks; still
with us are the Bridled Honeyeater, lots of Scarlet Honeyeater and
the occasional Noisy and Little Friarbird. Barred Cuckoo-shrike are still
regularly seen around the Lodge as are Cicadabird. Rufous Whistler have been very vocal over the past few weeks in the adjacent drier woodland areas.
An immature brown coloured Black Butcherbird has been seen in the Lodge grounds along with an adult.
Spangled Drongo have been migrating through the area with some seen heading south. Northern Fantail has been back in the Lodges rainforest which must look like woodland to them as it is so dry. Black-faced Monarch, both typical birds and the ones with varying degrees of black in their primaries, have been calling but no nests sighted yet. Pale-yellow Robin have been the most prolific breeders so far this season with juveniles out of the nest being fed by parents, chicks in nests being fed, bird sitting and still nests being built. This bird had a nest between two hanging vines which were moving in the wind in a very precarious way, however it survived and the chicks fledged successfully.
Only one or two Grey-headed Robin left around the grounds with all the others migrating back up into the mountains behind the Lodge. Metallic Starling are still busily and noisily building nests as well as hatching chicks judging by the number of empty egg shells under their nests.
 |
| Rufous Whistler - male |
An immature brown coloured Black Butcherbird has been seen in the Lodge grounds along with an adult.
 |
| Black Butcherbird - immature |
Spangled Drongo have been migrating through the area with some seen heading south. Northern Fantail has been back in the Lodges rainforest which must look like woodland to them as it is so dry. Black-faced Monarch, both typical birds and the ones with varying degrees of black in their primaries, have been calling but no nests sighted yet. Pale-yellow Robin have been the most prolific breeders so far this season with juveniles out of the nest being fed by parents, chicks in nests being fed, bird sitting and still nests being built. This bird had a nest between two hanging vines which were moving in the wind in a very precarious way, however it survived and the chicks fledged successfully.
 |
| Pale-yellow Robin |
Only one or two Grey-headed Robin left around the grounds with all the others migrating back up into the mountains behind the Lodge. Metallic Starling are still busily and noisily building nests as well as hatching chicks judging by the number of empty egg shells under their nests.
Further
Afield:-
A
Grey Falcon was reported from Maryfarms between Mount Molloy and Mt.
Carbine along with a Little Eagle. Several other Grey Falcon
sightings have been made in the district over the last few years with
several of them very convincing, no images as yet however. Maryfarms
also turned up a couple of other unusual species for the area, a
Black-breasted Buzzard and Black-faced Woodswallow. A very unusual sighting was of a banded Honeyeater at 950m on Mt. Lewis, seen by David (Chook) Crawford from Close-Up Birding Adventures, this goes with the Budgerigar seen earlier in the year at the same location! A few Satin
Flycatcher have been reported, one a male on Mt. Lewis, another a
female along Pinnacle Road in the Mowbray National Park. A Peregrine
Falcon was just north of Mareeba at Lake Evan (Brady Swamp) where a pair of Nankeen Kestrel were nesting in a dead tree hollow. Also here was this Golden-headed Cisticola.
Lake Mitchell (between Mareeba and Mount Molloy has been regularly getting up to four Cotton Pygmy-goose and Abattoir Swamp has been good for crakes with White-browed, Spotless and Ballion's being seen near the hide.
Also here was this Tawny Grassbird which obligingly popped up out of the grass.
The boardwalk leading to the hide is dangerous as it is in a bad state of disrepair with one section collapsed and quite a few boards missing on the walkway. Nearby Mt. Lewis has turned up the 13 Wet Tropic endemics over the last two weeks plus a lot of other birds including a few sub-species. Black-chinned Honeyeater were near Sides Road in Julatten. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher have been seen in the Julatten area and one report had one in Cairns at the Barron Falls National Park at Rainforest Estate in Kamerunga. So they must be arriving at the Lodge any day now. A few White-throated Needletail sightings have been reported, two (1st for season) on Monday 28th October at McDougall Road and 100+ at Clacherty Road on 2nd November, both in Julatten.
 |
| Golden-headed Cisticola |
Lake Mitchell (between Mareeba and Mount Molloy has been regularly getting up to four Cotton Pygmy-goose and Abattoir Swamp has been good for crakes with White-browed, Spotless and Ballion's being seen near the hide.
 |
| Spotless Crake |
Also here was this Tawny Grassbird which obligingly popped up out of the grass.
 |
| Tawny Grassbird |
The boardwalk leading to the hide is dangerous as it is in a bad state of disrepair with one section collapsed and quite a few boards missing on the walkway. Nearby Mt. Lewis has turned up the 13 Wet Tropic endemics over the last two weeks plus a lot of other birds including a few sub-species. Black-chinned Honeyeater were near Sides Road in Julatten. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher have been seen in the Julatten area and one report had one in Cairns at the Barron Falls National Park at Rainforest Estate in Kamerunga. So they must be arriving at the Lodge any day now. A few White-throated Needletail sightings have been reported, two (1st for season) on Monday 28th October at McDougall Road and 100+ at Clacherty Road on 2nd November, both in Julatten.
Reptiles
and Mammals:-
After
recently being told about Australian Brush-turkey attacking Lace
Monitors on another property in which the turkeys pecked off the end
of the tail this behavior was witness on our only Lace Monitor. A
turkey was chasing and pecking the tail but luckily the Lace Monitor
managed to get up a tree before any serious damage was done – those
pesky turkeys! Here is the monitor heading up the tree, notice it is shedding its skin.
Both Red-legged Pademelon and Agile Wallaby have been around the Lodge with the pademelons mainly seen in the rainforest and the wallaby seen hopping past the reception area and up the main entrance road. Stripped Possum was seen in our neighbours garden and in the Lodge grounds where one was running up and down tree branches with its tail in the air, probably scent marking. We nearly ran over another one as it crossed the Rex Highway, it looked like a Meerkat (a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family and often the subject of wildlife films) with its tail held erect. The Platypus are still being regularly seen by those who get up early or watch until last light. Boyd's Forest Dragon, Eastern Water Dragon and Major Skink are all very active at the moment. The only snake for the two weeks was several sightings of Green Tree Snake.
Other Wildlife:-
After one rain event several of the terrestrial termite mounds released what seemed like millions of winged termites. This created a feast for the birds who quickly snapped up these high protein morsels.
 |
| Lace Monitor |
Both Red-legged Pademelon and Agile Wallaby have been around the Lodge with the pademelons mainly seen in the rainforest and the wallaby seen hopping past the reception area and up the main entrance road. Stripped Possum was seen in our neighbours garden and in the Lodge grounds where one was running up and down tree branches with its tail in the air, probably scent marking. We nearly ran over another one as it crossed the Rex Highway, it looked like a Meerkat (a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family and often the subject of wildlife films) with its tail held erect. The Platypus are still being regularly seen by those who get up early or watch until last light. Boyd's Forest Dragon, Eastern Water Dragon and Major Skink are all very active at the moment. The only snake for the two weeks was several sightings of Green Tree Snake.
Other Wildlife:-
After one rain event several of the terrestrial termite mounds released what seemed like millions of winged termites. This created a feast for the birds who quickly snapped up these high protein morsels.
 |
| Termite sp. |
How would you
like to own and operate Kingfisher Park
Birdwatchers Lodge and enjoy a fabulous
lifestyle?
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