16th December 2012 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Over the past two weeks the weather has been sunny with some patchy cloud and a light shower resulting in only 3mm.

The minimum temperature over the two weeks were relatively cool for this time of year with a minimum of 18.2ºC which was slightly less than the previous two weeks. The maximum temperature was a very warm 33.0ºC, which was higher than the previous two weeks and much hotter than normal. The humidity was still high, up to 91% and even lower than the previous two weeks 40% which was a record that did not stand for long, beaten by 37% for the last two weeks.

Bird sightings for the first week were 94 seen plus 10 heard. The second week had slightly more sightings, 99 seen plus 7 heard. Mammal and reptile species were 24 seen and 2 heard.

The last two weeks bird lists are on the Eremaea Birds Website for Week1 and Week2 plus morning walk lists can also be found at this link on Eremaea Birds

Birding Highlights:-

A Little Eagle was seen over the Rex Highway by our bird guiding neighbour Carol Iles within our 1.5km area; there are occasional sightings of this bird but only one every few years. They are more often seen in the Mt. Molloy area. Pale-vented Bush-hen have become quite regular at our neighbours, with sightings most days in their garden between the house and Bushy Creek. We have seen them several times from the Platypus viewing area along Bushy Creek and heard them at night along the edge of the adjacent cane field. A Papuan Frogmouth was heard calling from Mt. Kooyong Road one night and tracked down to an overhanging branch. It was not our regular (ex-regular!) female but a smaller, possibly male, frogmouth. We did spotlight our female Papuan Frogmouth in the orchard one night when she was seen hawking for insects. 

Papuan Frogmouth

Our Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher are always a highlight and this year even more so. With the extremely dry weather they have delayed any nesting activity and are flying around and perching out in the open for the many photographers to snap away. We've not found any sign of termite mounds being dug into, although our neighbours say one of their mounds have signs of digging. We did find one of the regular termite nest mounds had been broken into and destroyed by, presumably, a Short-beaked Echidna. There are a few adjacent mounds which they can use so hopefully they will choose one of them.

Birding Lowlights:-

Murder in Reception

A Spotted Catbird flew into the reception feeding area, chased and caught an unfortunate Red-browed Finch next to the reception desk where it killed it on the floor. It then flew out and proceeded to eat it. Another Spotted Catbird (maybe same one?) was also photographed in the orchard with a large nestling in its bill. Spotted Catbird are the greatest of predators around the Lodge for small birds.

Spotted Catbird

Also a Laughing Kookaburra was seen to fly into a clump of leaves on the edge of the orchard and emerge with a Dusky Honeyeater in its bill. Definitely a bird eat bird world especially if you are a small bird.

Other Sightings:-

Two pairs of Green Pygmy-goose have been regular in one of the McDougall Road lagoons along with a single Hardhead and several Australasian Grebe. Many species of pigeon and dove were again around feeding on a few fruiting trees, we have seen Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Emerald Dove Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Superb Fruit-Dove, Pied Imperial Pigeon and Topknot Pigeon over the last two weeks, quite impressive. Other waterbirds such as Australasian Darter, Little-Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, White-necked Heron, Eastern Great Egret and Intermediate Egret have only been around in ones or twos. A Great-billed Heron was once again seen in Bushy Creek and contrary to our theory of them coming down the creek systems from the Gulf of Carpentaria it maybe that they are present all year around in the Rifle – Bushy Creek system as there have been records for most times of the year. Cattle Egret are still colouring up into breeding condition with few numbers around each week. Raptor numbers have also decreased with a few Whistling Kite and Black Kite sightings along with the resident White-bellied Sea-Eagle family. A Brown Falcon was again seen and heard flying across Geraghty Park whilst we were going to see an Eastern Barn Owl one night. 

Brown Falcon

Red-necked Crake have again been heard without being seen but a Buff-banded Rail was seen foraging around the edge of one of the McDougall Road lagoons late one afternoon. A pair of Bush Stone-curlew with their chick, who were in and around the local nursing home, have moved up to the Lodge grounds. They have been seen and heard most nights coming around the units and working the camping area, the chick is very cute! The Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo reported as being heard last blog were seen for most of the past two weeks foraging in the eucalypt trees around the Lodge and Geraghty Park, at least 17 birds were present. Double-eyed Fig-parrot were also seen foraging in the camping area on some fruits for a few days before disappearing. Channel-billed Cuckoo are around but not calling, two were seen perched in Geraghty Park and several others flying over. Barking and (Lesser) Sooty Owl have only been heard but Eastern Barn Owl have been regularly seen. This one was roosting in the open, look who's in the background, our indicator bird - the Pale-yellow Robin!

Eastern Barn Owl

Blue-winged Kookaburra have been spasmodic with sightings and also calling as have been Noisy Pitta who don't seem to have started nesting yet. Red-backed Fairy-wren have been along McDougall Road while Lovely Fairy-wren have only been heard in our neighbours garden. Large-billed Scrubwren have been very active as food resources have become scarce with the dry weather. This one is very intent on finding something.

Large-billed Scrubwren

The regular honeyeaters have been joined by Helmeted and Noisy Friarbird over the last week as they search for flowering plants which are becoming scarce. Macleay's Honeyeater continue to feed their offspring banana at the feeder. Late in the second week McDougall Road put on a great display of honeyeaters, those present were:- Yellow-spotted, Graceful, Bridled, Yellow-faced, Dusky, Scarlet, Banded, Brown and Macleay's. Quite impressive to have nine honeyeater species in two trees, especially the banded which is rare this close to the Lodge.

Both Barred Cuckoo-shrike and Cicadabird are very vocal as well as being seen at the moment. Black-faced Monarch have been very quiet and maybe trying to breed like Spectacled Monarch who are sitting on a nest. Pied Monarch have come out of hiding and have been seen and heard around the grounds along with Yellow-breasted Boatbill. This image is of a female coming into land with a fly for it's youngster.

Yellow-breasted Boatbill - female

Lemon-belied Flycatcher are vocal in the eucalypt trees adjacent to the Lodge and in Geraghty Park while Pale-yellow Robin are feeding recently fledged young. A pair of Olive-backed Sunbird have started to build their third nest this season, pretty determined pair.

Further Afield:-

11 Spotted Whistling-Duck were reported from Wonga Beach and were easily seen from the road. Please view from road and don't trespass on private property. There have been problems with neighbours previously at this location in past years. A Red Goshawk was reported from the outskirts of Hopevale near Cooktown; they have been reported at Cooktown Airport previously – not sure which flight they were waiting for! At least five Sarus Crane were along Emerald Creek Falls Road, Mareeba mixed in with a flock of Brolga, this is quite a late sighting as most sarus have gone north-west at this time of year. Crested Pigeon were at Mareeba where they have become established. Their range extension has seen them move onto the Atherton Tableland area where they have been regularly seen.

Crested Pigeon

Mt. Lewis has been turning up most of the “Wet Tropic” endemic birds including a sighting of a male Golden Bowerbird. Also of interest was a Satin Bowerbird with a bower, something that used to be quite common in the 1990's but not seen in recent years as the bowerbirds have become scarce here. Also up to six Blue-faced Parrot-Finch have been seen on the mountain, on the lower slopes there have been sightings of (Lesser) Sooty Owl and Papuan Frogmouth. Banded Honeyeater have been turning up regularly in the area over the last few weeks from Hurricane Station to the north back to Mt. Molloy and into Julatten near the school and along McDougall Road. David Crawford (Chook) from Close-up Birding Adventures had one in his garden near Mt. Molloy for the first time.

Reptiles and Mammals:-

There were 24 sightings over the last two weeks which was slightly down on the previous two weeks. JCU students had around ten sightings of Australian Scrub Python over an eight day period, that's probably because they are up all night looking! Up to five Red-legged Pademelon (small rainforest kangaroo) were seen in the orchard at night along with two at the Crake Pool one morning. Good to know that this once common species in the Lodge grounds are hopefully making a come back.

Red-legged Pademelon

Possums have again proved elusive with only a couple of Stripped Possum sightings but Platypus have been performing well with two adults and a juvenile showing most days in Bushy Creek. Spectacled Flying-fox have been taking advantage of fruiting Lychee and Mango trees, knocking plenty of fruit to the ground where Australian Brush-turkey and Orange-footed Scrubfowl have also been taking advantage and mopping up the fallen fruit. Frogs have again been calling but to no avail as their predicted rain has never eventuated but a few individuals have come out of hiding to be seen at night including, Jungguy Frog, White-lipped Tree Frog and Roth's Tree Frog. Several Boyd's Forest Dragon have been making appearances, one was on hand outside reception to welcome a group of Japanese guests much to their delight. Major Skink have been around with one making forays to the feeder for banana before disappearing back under the eating area floorboards.

Mystery Bird:-

Not too difficult :-) it was a female Fairy Gerygone. 

Fairy Gerygone - female

This is the only gerygone with a mainly yellow underbody. The female could possibly get confused with a White-throated Gerygone but their habitat preferences are generally different, white-throated in open woodland and Fairy in rainforest. However there can be overlap especially in areas of woodland adjacent to rainforest, such as Geraghty Park across the road from the Lodge where we have seen both species. The female fairy has less white under the chin which merges into the rest of the underbody, white-throated has a much more prominent white patch covering the chin and all of the throat which is sharply demarcated from the mostly yellow underbody. The fairy also has a obvious narrow white eye-ring. One obvious problem with looking at images of birds is that you don't get much sense of size, this is especially noticeable when guests show us Graceful and Yellow-spotted Honeyeater images which makes identification even more difficult.

Bird Signs:-

Birds, in particular kingfishers, take advantage of man made structures such as road signs and others, probable because they are generally out in the open allowing the bird to have 360º vision. Around the Lodge it is mainly Laughing Kookaburra sitting on signs with the occasional Forest Kingfisher joining in. Here is a selection of kingfishers.

That's all for another two weeks by which time we hope you will have had a great Christmas break. Thank you to all our readers and guests who have visited us during the year. We have certainly enjoyed your company and making friends with you all. Here's to a happy new year and one that will bring you all many great birding highlights. If you have not visited why not?!

Keith & Lindsay.

4th November 2012 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Over the past two weeks we have once again had stunning weather with a couple of rainy days (getting monotonous as it is the same weather over the last six weeks!) amounting to 6mm.

The minimum temperature over the two weeks was 14.6ºC which was slightly less than the previous two weeks and very cool for October. The maximum temperature was 30.1ºC, which was slightly higher than the previous two weeks. The humidity was still high, up to 92% and again a very extreme low for us of 49%.

Bird sightings for the first week were 105 seen plus 4 heard. The second week had one less sighting but a high number of heard only, 104 seen plus 14 heard. Mammal and reptile species were not quite as good as the previous two weeks but still a respectable 26 seen and one heard. 
 

The last two weeks bird lists are on the Eremaea Birds Website for Week1 and Week2 plus morning walk lists can also be found at this link on Eremaea Birds

Birding Highlights:

Well there have been a few over the last two weeks starting with a Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher which had been calling just down Mt. Kooyong Road near the nursing home and Bushy Creek for three days before we saw one on a morning walk on the 2^nd November.  Prior to that they had been reported on the lower slopes of Mt. Lewis (at the back of the Lodge) on 25th October. We heard one calling before seeing it fly into some bamboo alongside the creek, it was a male in splendid plumage who sat and called for over five minutes giving great views. Still sitting and calling when we left. Two were finally seen in the Lodge grounds on Saturday 3rd November. Welcome back!

 

 

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher

 

Blue-faced Parrot-Finch was seen by our neighbours in their garden and flying into the Lodge grounds on several occasions, however it was not seen by anyone else! A Glossy Ibis appeared in a lagoon between Geraghty Park and McDougall Road, this is a very infrequent visitor to our 1.5km area around the Lodge. Two were also seen later in the week circling over the Rex Highway before heading in the direction of Mount Molloy. We only have two other records in November and December 2009. Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo were heard flying over one evening when we were looking for Eastern Barn Owl, this is the first record we have for October, most other records have been between November and February. McDougall Road has been turning up a few interesting birds including a Peregrine Falcon heading south, reported by Carol Iles our bird guiding neighbour, this is only the fifth record since 2004, several people reported a Latham's Snipe in one of the lagoons and Carol also reported three Varied Sittella, which is only the third record at this location, previous records were 2^nd January 2004 and 5^th February 2012.

Other sightings:

A few more waterbirds have been turning up in our Lodge reporting area (1.5Km radius), Magpie Geese were back, at least 35 Australian Wood Duck were on a lagoon between Geraghty Park and McDougall Road along with Pacific Black Duck, Little Black and Little Pied Cormorant, Eastern Great Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Egret and Royal Spoonbill. Cattle Egret continue to colour up into breeding plumage, this one was with a few cattle and allowed an unusually close approach for a photo; they usually fly off at the first sight of a camera lens!

Cattle Egret

Both Straw-necked and Australian White Ibis were seen flying over near Geraghty Park making all three Ibis occurring in Australia seen in our area. Emerald Dove have been calling in the rainforest and coming out onto the grassy areas to forage like this female in Geraghty Park.

Emerald Dove

Peaceful Dove used to come to our seed feeder in the Lodge, but have kept away for most of the year, probably because the larger Bar-shouldered Dove outnumber them and are quite aggressive. This one was sitting on the Geraghty Park oval railings enjoying the morning sun. Note the brown background which reflects the colour of the dry grass.
 

Peaceful Dove

One Superb Fruit-Dove was briefly seen flying off from the rainforest next to our orchard, but as usual several were heard everyday. Pied Imperial Pigeon are very vocal at the moment and maybe going to nest in the area; at least four have been seen. Four White-throated Needletail were seen, over the adjacent cane paddock, on the 31^st October late one afternoon heading south before circling around and heading north. Raptors have been getting scarcer over the two weeks with the majority of Black Kites and some Whistling Kites disappearing since the cane harvesting has finished. A Brown Falcon did fly low over the Lodge one evening calling as it zoomed by at great pace. Pacific Baza have been coming and going with only a couple of sightings but the White-bellied Sea-Eagle have been regulars with one adult majestically soaring over the tree tops of the Lodge one morning. Red-necked Crake have been heard but not seen as they skulk around in the rainforest. Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet numbers continue to decline as the eucalypts finish flowering and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot continue to make brief fly-overs a few times a week with only a few visiting a fruiting fig tree in the camp ground on one occasion. A Shining Bronze-Cuckoo was heard behind the Geraghty Park hall one morning, the first for quite a while, also here was a female Pheasant Coucal. Channel-billed Cuckoo have started to call again after going silent for a few weeks as have Little Bronze-Cuckoo. Brush Cuckoo have been around calling for the last few days of the second week, they have been making the “referees whistle” call. Barking Owl is still moving around the area and have made a few appearances in the Lodge grounds, but have been heard more than seen.  (Lesser) Sooty Owl have been calling, but not seen despite a few searches. Blue-winged Kookaburra have been keeping a low profile, silent for the first week and only heard once in the second week. At least two pair of Dollarbird are around Geraghty Park calling and looking for nesting hollows in the Queensland Blue Gum. Noisy Pitta continue to call all hours of day and night with at least four birds calling, generally 10-20m up in the rainforest trees making observations difficult. This one however decided to sit out on a branch at a height of about 10m behind our self-contained units and wake us up one morning! 

Noisy Pitta

Red-backed Fairy-wren were along the Rex Highway sitting on a fence whilst we were on a morning walk, there were a male and four female/juvenile birds showing well. Lovely Fairy-wren were again in a gully behind our neighbours house calling most evenings. The Large-billed Gerygone nest over Bushy Creek at the Platypus viewing area is still getting plenty of attention with the adult feeding chicks at the moment. 14 honeyeaters for each of the last two weeks around the Lodge with Helmeted Friarbird still around with at least two birds present. Yellow-faced Honeyeater are resident at the Lodge and tend to keep high up in the canopy except when they come down to bath in the creek or one of the bird baths around the Lodge, this one was feeding unusually low down.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Barred Cuckoo-shrike have been calling and showing most days with one pair carrying nesting material to our neighbours garden. Cicadabird have started to call in earnest with at least six individuals one morning trying to out do each other. One male showed in a Raintree where it had nested last year and a female was seen foraging at the entrance to the Lodge. Grey Whistler continues to be the dominant species in the dawn chorus and is usually found after some hard work tracking then down, usually high in the rainforest canopy. Olive-backed Oriole have been calling and hiding, but this one popped up in the open in front of a blue sky calling.

Olive-backed Oriole

There is at least one Rufous Fantail still around the Lodge, all the others have moved south off to higher ground. Northern Fantail are calling and now moved to Geraghty Park which is more normal open woodland habitat for them rather than our rainforest. Black-faced Monarch is another species calling and chasing each other around, but Pied Monarch have fallen silent and have mainly been seen coming in to bathe at Bushy Creek late afternoons. There was still at least one Grey-headed Robin in the Lodge ground mid-way through the second week. We have quite a few record of birds still here in November, fewer in December and only one in January. They return here as early as March which means they are not absent for much or the year. Golden-headed Cisticola have returned after being away for a few months, maybe they avoid part of the cane harvesting season and return when it is finished. Quite a few juvenile Metallic Starling getting around with the adult birds collecting nesting material, they don't waste any time helping with the second clutch of the season. Olive-backed Sunbird have made a second nest in the Lodge grounds after abandoning their refurbishment of last years nest, we will keep an eye on progress.

Further Afield:-

A Spotless Crake was seen and photographed from the hide at Abattoir Swamp by one of our guests, a difficult bird to spot! A Golden Bowerbird male was chanced upon on Mt. Lewis for a couple of lucky guests; most of the other “Wet Tropic” endemics have been regularly seen on the mountain including nesting Fernwren. A much sought after bird the White-eared Monarch have been seen twice in Mowbray National Park, one along Pinnacle Road and another along the “Bump Track” off Black Mountain Road, Julatten. Banded Honeyeater continue to be seen in the woodland areas north of Mt. Molloy. Del Richards from Fine Feather Tours reported a few interesting sightings from Port Douglas; A single Pied Heron, 3 Latham's Snipe on the golf course and 20+ Golden Plover. The first record of Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher in our region was along Stewart Creek Road, Daintree Village, reported by Trish and Andrew from Red Mill House on the 22^nd October. On the downside Phil Gregory from Cassowary House reported a European Starling just north of Marreba on the northern edge of the Atherton Tableland. The very occasional one pops up in our region from time to time, probably assisted. We've seen one in Cairns and another on the western side of Cape York at Pormpuraaw in the past.

Reptiles and Mammals:-

Highlight was probably an Echidna seen during the day in the rainforest behind the units. A Striped Possum was out on an open branch in a Lychee Tree on a night walk for great views and again in the same area on a different night. A Red-legged Pademelon has bee see in the orchard on several occasions, once during the day. A Yellow-footed Antichinus was caught visiting the feeder to get some banana which it is lapping up.

Yellow-footed Antichinus

Also seen at the feeder eating banana were a Major Skink and a Boyd's Forest Dragon. Good job we have a banana farm down the road! Whilst on a nightwalk we found at least four Northern Broad-nosed Bat Scotorepens sanborni clustered under window frame of the reception building. Their fur was bicoloured brown with a light reddish tinge on their back differentiating them from the other common bat at the Lodge the Little Bentwing Bat Miniopterus australis which has uniform dark brown fur on its back. Platypus are still being regularly seen along Bushy Creek most evenings and early morning. A brown snake has been seen swimming in the creek on several occasions and is probably a Keelback (Freshwater Snake) Tropidonophis mairii. This non-venomous snake can tolerate the poison of small cane toads.A Macleay's Water Snake Enhydris polylepis was seen eating a very large fish in Bushy Creek late Saturday afternoon.

Insects:-

Despite the dry weather a few dragonflies have at last started to appear, this Painted Grasshawk was one,

Painted Grasshawk

another was a Grey Duskhawker who was trying to bash itself to death on our laundry window one evening, it was rescued and flew off apparently none the worse for its ordeal. Butterflies have also started to appear including this Union Jack (Red-banded Jezebel) Delias mysis.

Union Jack (Red-banded Jezebel)

 

Total Eclipse Update:-

The 14^th of November is getting closer and many of you are already on your way to stay at the Lodge to view this spectacular phenomenon. The units, bunk house and campground will be full with almost all our guests being birdwatchers as well as Eclipse watchers.

A short walk to our entrance sign on the main road gives a clear view to the east with a convenient dip in the hills. We watched the rise sun this morning (3^rd November) in a clear sky and just hope the weather is the same on the 14^th!

Some of you will opt for traveling west onto the Peninsular Development Road to get a better chance of clear skies. The latest estimate is that 60,00 people will be visiting the area for the Eclipse, so the traffic is likely to be very heavy that morning as people attempt to find the best vantage points.

The Queensland Government has issued the following advice on how to safely view the eclipse.

1. Even if wearing Eclipse Glasses do not look directly through binoculars, telescopes or camera optical viewfinders. It is not safe to use regular sunglasses, exposed film or x-ray film to view a solar eclipse.

2. Never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection. It is possible to suffer serious and permanent eye damage by looking at a solar eclipse the wrong way, even for a very short time.

3. Always use solar eclipse glasses, or filters that have been made specifically to attach to hand-held glasses, telescopes or binoculars for safe solar eclipse viewing. Eclipse glasses are for sale at the Lodge - $4 each.

4. Look for filters that have been appropriately certified against the European Standard for personal eye equipment (EN 1836:2005+A1:2007) or the Australian Standard for welding shields and goggles with a lens category higher than 12 (AS/NZS 1338.2:1992 & AS/NZS 1338.1:1992).

5. Before using solar eclipse glasses or filters, check to see if they are scratched or damaged. If so, do not use them as they will not fully protect your eyes.

6.Do not use solar eclipse glasses or filters that do not show compliance with the Standards listed above - they may do you more harm than good.

Please be aware that Julatten has limited mobile phone coverage with Optus and Vodaphone having reception, but Telstra is limited to Mount Molloy and the top of the Rex Range coming from Mossman. The Lodge offers Wi-Fi for $5 per stay.

If you are planning to eat out, reservations at The Highlander (4094 1210) or Mount Molloy pub (4094 1133) are recommended.

26th August 2012 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Over the past two weeks we have been getting some drizzle and overcast days but towards the end of the second week the sunshine returned. The minimum temperatures at the beginning of the first week were a chilly 7.9ºC but by the end of the second week they had risen to 20ºC. The maximum temperatures also rose from 18.6ºC to 24.8ºC.The humidity was high, up to 97% and again a very low for us of 53%. Rainfall was 11mm on four rain days over the two weeks.

Birding Highlights:

One of our guests saw an Orange-footed Scrubfowl bashing a frog onto the ground before eating it. Not a behaviour we have seen before and not one recorded in the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds Vol 2 (Marchant and Higgins 1993). They have been recorded eating snails, gastropods and worms. 

Orange-footed Scrubfowl

A Grey Goshawk swooped into the feeding area one afternoon scattering the Bar-shouldered Dove but failing to catch one. Subsequently two Grey Goshawk turned up in Carol our neighbours garden. A Latham's Snipe was in a drainage area in the adjacent cane paddock one evening and its appearance coincided with other reports of the species in the area. Lovely Fairy-wren were in the orchard high up in a Star Apple tree, at least one male and several females. Whilst these birds are around the area and are probably roosting in some bamboo alongside Bushy Creek we have only had 22 records in the Lodge grounds in seven years. A male and female Satin Flycatcher were foraging on the edge of Geraghty Park on 23^rd August whilst we were on a morning walk. The male had a very dark iridescent black plumage in contrast to the Leaden Flycatchers grey/blue plumage. The female had a lot darker orange upper breast plumage than female Leaden. Also in the same area was our first sighting of a White-throated Treecreeper at this location; we have had them in the rainforest of the Lodge grounds occasionally but not in the open woodland area of Geraghty Park. A female Victoria's Riflebird was seen picking bark of a tree near the Crake Pool looking for insects and subsequently found a few days later near Bushy Creek in the same patch of rainforest. On 15^th August we recorded our first Bassian Thrush which is over 3 months later than last year when they arrived at the beginning of May with up to five birds present. By the second week our neighbours had kidnapped the thrush for their garden!

Other sightings:

A single female Green Pygmy-goose continues to be on one of the lagoons along McDougalls Road along with a few Hardhead and plenty of Pacific Black Duck. Brown Cuckoo-Dove are taking advantage of fruiting bleeding heart trees and Superb Fruit-Dove are still proving to be elusive, plenty of calling but only one sighting. Topknot Pigeon are mainly flying over and not taking advantage of fruiting Blue Quandong trees which they normally do. Usually see two topknots flying over high up but did see at least six low over the orchard one afternoon. Australian Owlet-nightjar have been heard in the Lodge grounds on 3-4 nights but not seen at regular daytime roost. A single Black-necked Stork has been making appearances at the local Barramundi Farm but is usually chased out. Cane harvesting in the area has attracted White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling and Black Kite, Brown Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Australian Hobby. 

Black Kite

 
Purple Swamphen and Buff-banded Rail have been around the cane but will have to move as the stands of cane are harvested. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo have taken up residence in the Nankeen Kestrel nest hollow in a Queensland Blue Gum in Geraghty Park and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet are also nesting in the same tree. Barking Owl are still around calling most evenings and seen several times in the Lodge grounds both in the evening and pre-dawn. Sooty Owl have come to life and were calling one morning for over an hour, mainly their whistle calls but then their insect clicks to each other right behind our self-contained units, this was between 4.45 and 6.00am. By the time we had stirred and got out of bed they had stopped calling so we did not get to see them. Here is a reminder of what they look like!

(Lesser) Sooty Owl

A Little Kingfisher was seen along McDougall Road at a creek crossing as it zipped across the road but luckily it stopped and perched obligingly for our guests to get a good look along with video and images. Our lone Noisy Pitta had been coming to the feeder for banana but the rains during the second week tempted it back into the rainforest as worms moved to the surface, so it has not been seen for at least five days although it has been heard calling in the evening. Spotted Catbird have been coming to the feeder and calling in the rainforest during the day. Brown and Fairy Gerygone have been very active in the rainforest around the orchard and Large-billed Gerygone have paired up and seen chasing each other around Bushy Creek, hopefully going to nest. Thirteen species of honeyeater were seen and one heard over the last two weeks. Bridled Honeyeater returned to feed in the grevilleas and our South American Sapote fruit tree in the orchard which is covered in flowers along all its branches. A Yellow-faced Honeyeater was sitting on a nest in Geraghty Park about 4m off the ground in the lower branches of a Queensland Blue Gum Eucalyptus tereticornis. 

Yellow-faced Honeyeater - sitting on nest

A Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike was seen near the Julatten School, just within our 1.5km Lodge bird area, which is unusual this close to the Lodge. They are more common in the dryer woodland towards Abattoir Swamp which is only 6km from the Lodge. The male Golden Whistler reported in previous blogs is still around and calling well as are the Grey and the Rufous Whistler. Bowers Shrike-thrush has been heard and at least one seen and Olive-backed Oriole have replaced the Yellow Oriole in the area. Grey and Rufous Fantail are still with us and they have been joined by several Northern Fantail. Both the light grey plumaged migratory Grey Fantail and the darker race keasti from the mountains behind have been around the Lodge grounds. It is possible to get confused with the keasti and Northern Fantail but as you can see from these images they are quite different!

Northern Fantail

Grey Fantail - keasti

  

Grey Fantail

Pied Monarch have been calling and showing well, one was even going up and down the trunks of a Golden Cane Palm which is very open, ideal for viewing. Lemon-bellied Flycatcher sightings have been patchy lately with them turning up for a few days when up to eight have been seen then they disappear again for a few weeks. This one was taking a rest on the railings around Geraghty Park.

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher

Metallic Starling numbers are still building up and they are busy building nests. At least one immature bird with its white breast streaked with black lines was with the adults. The pair of Olive-backed Sunbird, one of whom was locked in the library room in Geraghty Park overnight, have started to investigate the nest again and look like they are going to try nesting again – good news.

The last two weeks bird lists are on the Eremaea Birds Website for Week1 and Week2 plus morning walk lists can also be found at this link on Eremaea Birds.

Further Afield:-

Red-backed and Sacred Kingfisher plus a single Diamond Dove was reported by our guide Carol from Maryfarms between Mount Molloy and Mt. Carbine. 6+ Black-throated Finch were in vegetation opposite the pull off for Lake Mitchell between Mount Molloy and Mareeba, thanks to Alan Morris for this record. Del Richards from Fine Feather Tours reported a Topknot Pigeon sitting on a nest and all the indications were that there was a newly hatched chick present, normally nesting occurs around November in this part of Australia. He also found a female Chowchilla lining a nest with sticks which is about 3 months earlier than normal. A Brown Honeyeater was seen feeding juveniles at Abattoir Swamp, again early breeding. Both Spotless and White-browed Crake have been heard at Abbatoir Swamp over the last few weeks.  Black-breasted Buzzard have been reported from the Mareeba area, mainly towards Mount Molloy near Biboorah. 

Reptiles and Mammals:-

With cut cane paddocks in the area scavengers such as Dingo have come down off the mountains behind the Lodge. A Dingo was seen trying to catch one of the many Black Kite scavenging in the fields, whilst on a morning bird walk but was unsuccessful. Night walks have been successful in finding Striped Possum and Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko over the last week plus frogs such as Cogger's Frog and Jungguy Frog who have appeared due to the wet weather. The last spotlighting tour for the week turned up a Short-beaked Echidna (a monotreme – egg laying mammal covered in spikes), which was only the second time we can remember seeing one during a tour. We also saw Green Ringtail Possum to add to the weekly list. Platypus have been at the viewing area along Bushy Creek most days, either in the evening or early morning, one was seen on a night walk. 

Platypus

At the moment there are two adults and a smaller juvenile swimming up and down. Boyd's Forest Dragon have re-appeared after a few weeks absence with two being seen late in the second week, one of which was our regular who likes banana. An immature Australian Scrub Python (about 1m long) was draped over the window sill of the reception area one morning trying to get some sunlight.