28th July 2013 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

The weather did improve over the last two weeks with cooler nights, sunny days and some great birding as the sun bought out the flowers and birds. Rainfall was 11.5mm for the first week and no rain recorded during the second week although we did have a trace. Temperatures were down to 13.7ºC and up to 24ºC with some days failing to make 20ºC.

Past Two Weeks Bird Sightings:-

Bird sightings for the first week were 117, 112 seen and 5 heard, second week sightings were 114, 110 seen and 4 heard. The last two weeks bird lists can be found on the Eremaea Birds Website:- 14th July - 20th July and 21^st July - 27^th July. Morning walks were good with between 53 and 60 species seen and heard.

Birding Highlights:-

Two species were added to our 1.5km area bird list both waterbirds along McDougall Road. The first was Black Swan, two were heard flying over the Lodge in the dark around 5.50am and located in one of the lagoons later that day, then three days later a Pink-eared Duck was seen in the same location. This brings the total bird species seen in a radius of 1.5km from the Lodge to 223. A few Topknot Pigeons have been flying over in pairs, usually in the morning and a Wompoo Fruit-Dove has been around the Lodge grounds over the second week. Papuan Frogmouth has been calling regularly behind the units in the rainforest and three were located near the Lodge on a morning walk. 
 

Papuan Frogmouth - mum, dad and juvenile

A pair of Black-necked Stork have been in a lagoon at the rear of Geraghty Park on several occasions and one was seen flying low over Geraghty Park whilst on a morning walk, spectacular bird. Both White-necked and White-faced Heron have been seen along McDougall Road, White-necked is not very common here. Raptors have been good with Black-shouldered Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling and Black Kite, Brown Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk, Grey Goshawk (2), Spotted and Swamp Harrier, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon and Australian Hobby making an impressive 13 species. Red-necked Crake was again heard but not seen but the noisy Bush Stone-curlew were seen. Double-eyed Fig-Parrot were only seen during the first week but not in the second week due to the fruiting fig, mentioned in the last blog, being stripped of fruit by a whole posse of birds. A group of four Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo were in the camping area high in the eucalypts calling and displaying one morning; they were chasing each other around fanning their tails and outstretching their wings whilst rocking from side to side in what we call their aeroplane display. Barking Owl continue to call and be seen as do the Barn Owl, one pair of which have a nest and were seen bringing a rat in whilst we were on a night walk. An Azure Kingfisher was seen along Bushy Creek before heading into the Crake Pool on the edge of the orchard, this was a first sighting for many weeks. Blue-winged Kookaburra have been very vocal and foraging around in Geraghty Park where we have seen them on morning walks, one was perched low down on a rail around the oval for great views. Spotted Catbird has been coming into the feeder from time to time but not regularly and a juvenile/female Satin Bowerbird was hanging around our neighbours house defending a fruiting Alexander Palm for nearly a week. Red-backed Fairy-wren was to be found along McDougall Road most days. 14 honeyeater species were seen plus one, Black-chinned was heard, the most unusual sighting was a Helmeted Friarbird feeding in the introduced African Tulip Tree in Geraghty Park, this is a common species along the coastal areas but rare in our area. Macleay's Honeyeater were taking advantage of a flowering banana tree along with other honeyeaters including Blue-faced Honeyeater.

Macleay's Honeyeater

A few Barred Cuckoo-Shrike lingered on in the area once the aforementioned fruiting fig tree ran out of fruit with at least one in our orchard at the end of the second week. The Golden Whistler, male, mentioned in previous blogs is still with us and is heard calling most days if not seen. At least one Bower's Shrike-thrush has been seen around the Lodge grounds but they are only winter visitors from the mountains behind us and will leave any time in the next few months. Both Yellow and Olive-backed Oriole have been around calling as has Black Butcherbird. Rufous Fantail are around in low numbers but Grey Fantail numbers have increased in the last week, maybe on their way south? 
 

Rufous Fantail

A male Shining Flycatcher was heard along Bushy Creek and seen flying away, this is an occasional visitor for us. Pied Monarch are still regular at Bushy Creek having a bathe in the afternoon and have been active in the Lodge grounds calling. The female Victoria's Riflebird which has been with us for several months has been making a few trips to the reception area feeder to get some banana to supplement the food it has been getting around the Lodge grounds. Lemon-bellied Flycatcher have been calling and foraging on the edge of the Lodge grounds as well as in Geraghty Park where up to eight have been seen. A Blue-faced Parrot-Finch was heard calling from the edge of Bushy Creek from the Mt. Kooyong Road early one morning but not located.

Further Afield:-

The odd Blue-faced Parrot-Finch has been seen in the area but only 1-2 at a time so they are not easy at the moment. A few guests were lucky enough to see a Golden Bowerbird on Mt. Lewis when one flew in front of them. Square-tailed Kite and Varied Sittella were reported from Mt. Molloy. A Radjah Shelduck was seen along Mt. Perseverance Road (just outside our 1.5km Lodge area), on a dam at an old fish farm by Del Richards from Fine Feather Tours. Budgerigar were still along the Hurricane Station Road (1hr. North of the Lodge) and a flock of 2000 was reported on Cape York Peninsula near Hann River. Red-backed Kingfisher, Diamond Dove and displaying Australian Bustard were at Maryfarms between Mt. Molloy and Mt. Carbine. 

Australian Bustard

A trip to Cairns and the Esplanade to look for reported Spotted Redshank and Laughing Gull failed to find either. Nobody has confirmed these sightings and the original observers have failed to supply any further requested information so both these sightings are doubtful as there was no supporting evidence. The Cairns Esplanade is always good for viewing waders (Shorebirds) and rarely disappoints, of note were seven Black-fronted Dotterel on the mudflats. The full list of species we saw is available on the Eremaea Birds website. We also called into the Cattana Wetlands but were met with strong winds which kept most of the small birds hidden away but there were plenty of Comb-crested Jacana and Green Pygmy-goose close into the banks for excellent views. Again the full list is on the Eremaea Birds website.

Comb-crested Jacana

Reptiles and Mammals:

Some good sightings over the past two weeks with 22 species of reptiles and mammals. A Leaf-tailed Gecko on a night walk was the first seen for some months. 

 

Leaf-tailed Gecko

 
Good views were had of Northern Blossom Bat feasting on a flowering South American Sapote in our orchard. A Striped Possum was seen in the same tree and a Green Ringtail Possum was seen on a night walk. Red-legged Pademelon have been around the Lodge grounds with several sightings of at least two and Agile Wallaby have been around the edges of cut cane paddocks. A male Yellow-footed Antichinus has been coming to the feeder for banana and also checking out our accommodation in the units! A Boyd's Forest Dragon was seen on two consecutive days and then disappeared, this was the first for a month. Frogs are hiding with the cooler weather but we did see Jungguy Frog, White-lipped Tree Frog, Cogger's Frog and a Cane Toad. Only one snake was seen and this was in our neighbours garden, an Australian Scrub Python.

Birdwatchers Lodge in Far North Queensland 19th February 2012

Only 9mm of rain fell at the end of the week continuing this very strange dry “Wet Season” weather. So once again sunny warm days with the minimum temperature again much the same as last week, down to 22.0ºc and the maximum was a few degrees cooler, down to 31.6ºc.

Birds recorded were 96 seen and 8 heard. 15 mammal and reptile species were seen and two frogs heard. The weeks bird list is on the Eremaea Birds website and morning walk lists can also be found at this link on Eremaea Birds

Highlights:

Continued sightings of Red-necked Crakes, two adults and three half grown juveniles who have been seen in the rainforest behind the units and out front of the units heading across the road by the reception area. Five of the seven confirmed Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher nests have fledged with youngsters seen and heard in the rainforest. The other two nests with chicks in are not far off from fledging, judging by the noise coming from them and the parents perched nearby trilling.

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher - juvenile

Three Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo flew over Mt. Kooyong Road which were the first for a few weeks. One Lewin's Honeyeater was seen at the entrance to the Lodge grounds and was the first since one was heard at the beginning of January.

Other sightings:

Wetlands along McDougall Road continue to hold low numbers of waterbirds with only Magpie Goose, two Wandering Whistling-Duck, about 12 Pacific Black Duck, Hardhead, two Little Black Cormorant and two Masked Lapwing. Emerald Doves started calling this week which maybe a sign that they are interested in breeding.

Emerald Dove - male

Two Pied Imperial Pigeon in Geraghty Park are still behaving like they are going to nest but no sign of nesting material yet. No sightings of Papuan Frogmouth in the orchard this week or any calling at night but we did hear an Australian Owlet-nightjar calling one evening. About 12 White-throated Needletail flew over the adjacent cane paddock on Friday 17^th and One Fork-tailed Swift was flying over the same paddock paddock late on Wednesday 15^th. Several Black Bittern sightings were along McDougall road in seasonal ponding beyond the Bushy Creek bridge, one took off and followed the creek towards the Lodge. Four raptor species this week, Black-shouldered Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle plus Whistling and Black Kite. One Buff-banded Rail scooted across Mt. Kooyong Road and into the Lodge grounds whist on a morning walk, did not stop to let us know if it was “Katie” or not! A White-browed Crake was in one of the lagoons along McDougall Road and was seen rather than has been the case, only heard. Pale-vented Bush-hen have again been vocal but shy on showing themselves, not enough rain to draw them out of the long grass. A Pheasant Coucal was seen along Mt. Kooyong Road and a male Eastern Koel was in our neighbours garden. 
 

Eastern Koel - male

A few Channel-billed Cuckoo have been calling as they have flown over but not it's not like previous years when flocks of birds passed through heading north on migration at this time of year. We have had up to 60 juvenile birds stop over for 2-3 weeks in February to feast on fruiting figs in the past, maybe they are just late this year. Little (Gould's) Bronze-Cuckoo and Brush Cuckoo are still around and calling. Several Forest Kingfisher pairs have a few juveniles/immatures they are feeding including this one in Geraghty Park. Some of our guests unfamiliar with Australian Kingfishers have mistaken them for Sacred Kingfisher because of the juveniles buffy parts, but of course sacred are green on the upper body parts and forest are blue. 
 

Forest Kingfisher - juvenile

A few Rainbow Bee-Eater were feeding in Geraghty Park and one adult Dollarbird was calling at the beginning of the week after we said that we thought they had left, fatal making those statements! Noisy Pitta made a few calls over the week but did not show, maybe because the grass in the orchard is long and needs mowing again after only a week, it is growing faster than Bamboo. A female Lovely Fairy-wren was seen in two different places, once in Geraghty Park and another time alongside the adjacent cane paddock at the end of Mt. Kooyong Road. Thirteen honeyeater species seen during the week with both Macleay's and Blue-faced Honeyeater coming to the sugar water feeder. Our neighbours have started to get Dusky Honeyeater come to their feeder which is something they never do at our feeder. Also a Bridled Honeyeater was down McDougall Road. Cicadabird are still with us and calling well as are Grey Whistler who have been quiet for a few months. Black Butcherbird has been seen regularly on most days, lurking around in the rainforest. The Leaden Flycatcher nest in Geraghty Park has three chicks in it and they are growing well with the parents bringing a constant stream of insects to them. The Magpie-lark chick, mentioned last week in a nest in Geraghty Park, successfully fledged. Both Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill have been calling and seen. Lemon-bellied Flycatcher have again been along Mt. Kooyong Road and in Geraghty Park with at least four pairs seen. 
 

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher

Horsfield's Bushlark is still along McDougall Road which is the only location they have been seen this year in our area. Egg shells are still appearing under the Metallic Starling nests in Geraghty Park but there is definitely less birds present than has been in previous weeks. Our pair of Olive-backed Sunbird who were nesting have been seen with two juvenile birds which is good news as they have a high predation rate.

Further Afield:-

Another trip to Cairns allowed us to spend a pleasant hour eating lunch and watching the shorebirds in action as the tide came in. Nothing spectacular here but good to have a refresher course on the waders. A pair of Australian Pied Oystercatcher were loafing on their own whilst the other birds were either feeding on the decreasing mud or running along with the tide. 
 

Australian Pied Oystercatcher

Smaller birds were Red-necked Stint, Lesser Sand Plover and Greater Sand Plover, medium size birds were Great Knot, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler and Masked Lapwing whilst the larger birds were Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit. There was also one Crested Tern and many Silver Gull. Along the area between the shoreline and the road were Varied Honeyeater, Magpie-lark, Willie Wagtail, House Sparrow and Common Myna. Notably absent were Pied Imperial Pigeon who were very obvious a few week previously, maybe they have headed north. Full list on Eremaea Birds site.

On the way back from Cairns we called into to see Sue at Cassowary House in Kuranda and afterwards returned to Julatten via the alternative route along the unsealed Black Mountain Road. It is a four wheel drive/high clearance vehicle road as there are some high whooboys (high piles of dirt across the road to direct water flows to the side) and is quite narrow once it enters the Mowbray National Park section. It is an interesting alternative route with good opportunities to stop for birding. We did not stop as it was getting late in the afternoon but we did see a mixed flock of Sulphur-crested and Black-tailed Cockatoo in one of the pine plantations before we got back into the rainforest. It took us an hour and twenty minutes to get back to the Lodge this way, which is probably around 20 minutes longer in time but a shorter distance in kilometres than the sealed route via Mareeba. Normally this road would be impassable at this time of year if we had been having a “normal” wet season.

Two juvenile Great Bowerbirds were accidentally disturbed on a property along Euluma Creek Road, Julatten, whilst they were roosting 2m off the ground on a vine overhanging a driveway. Also spotlighted here was a roosting Azure Kingfisher and a 2.5-3m Amethystine Python who was hanging around a small lagoon what for one of the many frogs calling to hop past.

Other Wildlife:-

This bee was walking around on the ground in the rainforest and looks like similar ones we have had before which were identified as Italian Honey Bee, not sure if this is the same.

Bee sp.

Also at the beginning of last year (2011) we had a cluster of pupae on a tree which were identified as a species of Oil Beetle, we have revisited this ID and had a beetle expert look at the images and have now found out they are not Oil Beetles but Acerogria oriuda from the big beetle family Tenebrionidae, sorry no common name. Here are two images to remind you of what they looked like.

Acerogria oriuda -  pupae

 

Acerogria oriuda -  Hatching beetles

29th January 2012 Report

A shortened week due to having to go into Cairns for a knee operation for two days. Knee appears to be coming along OK but it will curtail most birding activity for a few more days.

70mm of rain over the week and a big thunderstorm, which we missed being in Cairns, knocked the power out for six hours one night. Temperatures were much the same as last week 22.5ºc to 29.4ºc with the humidity 77% to 95%.

Birds recorded were less due to the reduced effort on our part, but our neighbours Carol and Andrew were out and about recording the birds in our area which kept the numbers up to a respectable 84 seen and a high 14 heard. 21 mammal and reptile species were seen and one heard, thanks to James Cook University (JCU) students who were camped here for boosting this number. The weeks bird list is on the Eremaea Birds website and morning walk lists can also be found at this link on Eremaea Birds

Highlights:

Two Red-necked Crake with three chicks bathing in a pool beside the orchard, they were very flighty and took cover at the slightest movement. Great to see three chicks again this year, hope they all survive. Olive-backed Sunbird at our neighbours fledged two chicks at the end of the week and they seem to have survived longer than the last two they tried raising. Our sunbirds are still sitting on their nest.

Other sightings:

Waterbird numbers were again down this week with birds spread out over the permanent and temporary wetlands formed by the “wet season” rains. Only a few Magpie Goose, Pacific black Duck, Hardhead, an Australasian Darter, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorant, Eastern Great, Intermediate and Little Egret plus a White-faced Heron and a couple of Australian White Ibis. 

Pacific Black Duck

Topknot Pigeon were back with at least 50 foraging around the edge of the orchard at the end of the week. A few Pied Imperial-Pigeon were seen and both Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove heard. No sighting of our female Papuan Frogmouth for the week, she had been roosting in one of our fruit trees as this image shows, trying to look like one of the dead leaves.  
 

Papuan Frogmouth

and only one raptor sighting, a Whistling Kite. Several Buff-banded Rail were seen but not “Katie” who seems to have found new pastures. Spotless Crake was heard along McDougall Road where a dead one was found on a barbed wire fence a few weeks ago. Pale-vented Bush-hen are certainly getting excited with the rain and are calling a lot and even showing themselves along Mt. Kooyong Road on rare occasions. Pheasant Coucal have also been calling and sitting on fence posts but all the other cuckoos have only been heard, Eastern Koel, Channel-billed, Little (Gould's)-Bronze and Brush Cuckoo. 

Pheasant Coucal

Azure Kingfisher was along Bushy Creek and our Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher now have six confirmed nests with chicks in. Another nest with chicks is in our neighbours garden. Several Rainbow Bee-eater passed over the Lodge late in the week and Dollarbird have started to call again. Noisy Pitta have been seen in the orchard collecting food and flying into the rainforest, so it would appear they are feeding chicks in a nest. Unfortunately we found a dead Noisy Pitta outside one of our two bedroom units. It had been picked clean with only a few primary feathers showing the green edging and white wing marking plus a few loose turquoise feathers allowing the skeleton to be identified. It was probably one of the juveniles from this year. Spotted Catbird have been perching in the rainforest and calling intensely, mainly early morning but often throughout the day, they really put a lot of effort into their calls. They have also been coming to the water bowls as this one is.

Spotted Catbird

Fairy Gerygone are calling and flitting around high up in the trees but this female came down low before fleeing to the higher rainforest canopy.

Fairy Gerygone - female

Scarlet Honeyeater were heard for the first time in three weeks and Blue-faced plus Macleay's Honeyeater have returned to the nectar feeders. 

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Also coming to the water bowls are Yellow-faced Honeyeater. It really is worth putting out a few water bowls as birds will come in even if it is pouring with rain!

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Male Cicadabird has been calling and flying around the Lodge grounds for brief glimpses. White-breasted Woodswallow are still perching on fences along McDougall Road along with Australian Pipit and a few Metallic Starling, all appear to be feeding on the road but could not see anything resembling suitable food. Black-faced Monarch are still calling from several locations around the grounds and must be sitting on nests as they have been calling from the same spot for several weeks. The Spectacled Monarch reported last week nesting alongside Bushy Creek is still sitting but has chicks in the nest now. Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill have both been showing and calling. Metallic Starling are still collecting nesting material and building more nests as they have been doing since early August last year. There are more starlings around this year than any of the previous six years and they show no sign of letting up with their breeding; probably trying to make up for last year when Cyclone Yasi cut short their breeding season. Still plenty of Blue-faced Parrot-Finch on Mt Lewis.

Further Afield:-

We managed to fit in some birding during our trip to Cairns and visited Yorkey's Knob Lagoon, Cattana Wetlands, Centenary Lakes (Cairns Botanic Gardens) and of course the Cairns Esplanade. Yorkey's Knob Lagoon was full to almost overflowing with very few birds in the area, the highlight was a Crimson Finch who came to investigate us and sat outside our car looking in. The only waterbird was an Australasian Darter.

Australasian Darter

Cattana Wetlands was a bit more productive with a few more waterbirds and some bush birds. Green Pygmy-goose, Magpie Goose, Little Pied Cormorant and Australian Grebe were on the water whilst the most prominent bush bird was Black Butcherbird lurking around in the mangroves along the board walk. The presence of so many butcherbirds was probably the reason we saw fewer numbers of smaller birds. Cattana Wetland is well worth a visit whilst in Cairns, a brochure with species list can be downloaded from the BirdLife Australia NQ website http://www.birdsaustralianq.org/pdfs/Cattana_Wetlands_No_33.pdf. Centenary Lakes was as good as ever with Black Bittern, Rajah Shelduck, Comb-crested Jacana and Bush Stone-curlew amongst the 27 species we saw in just over an hour. The visit to the Cairns Esplanade was cut short by a rain storm but it made little difference as the tide was extremely high (highest for the year) with few birds visible. Another visit had the tide way out which also did not help finding waders. We did manage to see Eastern Reef Egret, Lesser Sand Plover, Masked Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler, Great Knot and Red-necked Stint. 

Great Knot

There were many more birds we could have seen but we did not have the scope. On land there was the reliable Varied Honeyeater, lots of Pied Imperial Pigeon plus Rainbow Lorriket and Metallic Starling coming in to roost in trees along the Esplanade. The complete species list from our visits can be viewed on the Eremaea Birds site. Another search for Buff-breasted Button-quail south of Mt. Molloy, by one of our guests, failed to find any birds; the habitat here is becoming unsuitable with the grass becoming taller with the rains.

Reptiles and Mammals:-

A few interesting reptiles and mammals this week, JCU students heard Marbled Frog Limnodynastes convexiusculus a species we have not knowingly heard before, certainly not recorded one here in six years. Maybe we have been overlooking them as they have been recorded in the past. Queensland Tube-nosed Bat with their distinctive whistling call were heard by our neighbours, not one we have heard very often. Yellow-footed Antichinus have been active during the day with one coming to the feeder to enjoy some mango. Striped Possum was heard and seen once and a Platypus was seen whizzing along under the Bushy Creek bridge on the Mt. Kooyong Road. On nearby Mt. Lewis the JCU students spotlighted a Daintree River Ringtail  possum which usually occurs at higher altitudes than the Lodge. They are said to come down to 420m (we are 450m) but normally they are found on Mt. Lewis above 800m and are found in greater densities at higher altitudes (above 1000m). Information from "The Mammals of Australia" 3rd Edition. Steve Van Dyck and Ronald Strahan.

Daintree River Ringtail

13th March 2011 Report

Thanks to Kath & Dave for keeping the bird and weather records for most of the week whilst we went exploring. 235mm of rain this week which was quite wet but not as wet as some places on the coast south of Cairns who had nearly 800mm! Just what they did not need as they recover from Cyclone Yasi. We have just about cleaned up but are a little soggy underfoot. Temperatures ranged from 21.7ºC to a cooler 26.6ºC due to the cloud cover. Bird species recorded were 106 seen and 3 heard, reptiles and mammals were 21 seen. The increase in bird numbers this week was due to increased effort and numbers of observers.

This weeks bird list is here.

Highlight for the week was probably a pair of Lovely Fairy-wren seen high up in the canopy near our water pump along Bushy Creek. This part of the canopy is quite open since the cyclone went through and is easier to see birds and also easier for the birds to forage around in. This is only the third sighting within the Lodge grounds over the last five years. Also a Great Bowerbird was foraging around on the edge of the grounds which is a first as they normally keep to the more open woodland around Geraghty Park although we have seen them in our neighbours garden across Mt. Kooyong Road. 

Great Bowerbird  - inspecting bower

  
Another highlight was seeing two Papuan Frogmouth together in the orchard at the end of the week. This is the first time they have been in the orchard for several months and the first we have seen two together since before Christmas. Lets hope they pair up and breed this year after two years in which they have not bred in the Lodge grounds.

Pacific Black Duck were in a seasonal wetland opposite the Geraghty Park tennis courts with three ducklings. Both Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove were seen during the week. Australian Swiftlet were in a mixed flock with Tree Martin and Welcome Swallow hawking for insects over the Lodge grounds. A Great-billed Heron was seen flying over the fields opposite Geraghty Park. The Pacific Baza seen last week was still around along with a few other raptors – White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling Kite and Brown Falcon. An adult Red-necked Crake was seen crossing the bridge near the units and was the only sighting despite extensive searches. Buff-banded Rail and Pale-vented Bush-hen were along McDougall Road which has been turning up some good sightings over the last few weeks. Three Bush Stone-curlew have been regularly seen at the back of the Mt. Kooyong Road Nursing Home. 

Bush Stone-curlew

  
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot were around after an absence of five weeks and both male and female Eastern Koel continue to hang around the fruiting palm seeds. A juvenile Fan-tailed Cuckoo was seen foraging with a Little Bronze-Cuckoo but not interacting with it, this is a first sighting this year for a fan-tail. A Oriental Cuckoo was reported from McDougall Road by our neighbours Carol and Andrew. Sooty Owl was again heard and an Eastern Barn Owl seen. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher are progressing well with the juveniles fending for themselves, one even picked up a centipede and flew onto one of the outdoor tables by the units where it proceeded to eat it, table trained already! One sighting of a Dollarbird perched on the powerlines along the Rex Highway, we are definitely getting fewer each week. Noisy Pitta has started to call again but has not been seen and Spotted Catbird are also calling and coming into the feeder. A Brown Gerygone was seen down by our water pump which is unusual as they are seen very rarely around the Lodge. 13 species of honeyeater this week being attracted to the flowering eucalypts with Bridled and Noisy Friarbird seen along McDougall Road. 

Bridled Honeyeater

At least two Barred Cuckoo-shrike were along the edge of the Lodge grounds calling and seen as were a pair of Cicadabird. Grey Whistler has burst into frequent calling throughout the day. Both Yellow and Olive-backed Oriole have been around and calling - Yellow is the more uncommon one here. Two Rufous Fantail have been around but no Grey Fantail yet. Other good sightings were Pied Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Victoria's Riflebird (Female), Golden-headed Cisticola carrying nesting material, Olive-backed Sunbird, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin carrying nesting material and Australian Pipit which was along McDougall Road.

Snakes appear to be more active this week with Amethystine Python, Green Tree Snake and Brown Tree Snake all seen. The Brown Tree Snake was pursuing a frog along the driveway into the Lodge before the frog took to the trees with the snake hot on it's heels, the outcome of this encounter was not known. Boyd's Forest Dragon have been around outside the units again, this time seen chasing off an Australian Brush-turkey. Seven species of frog were still enjoying the wet weather, including Jungguy Frog, White-lipped Green Tree Frog, Northern Dwarf Tree Frog and Cogger's Frog.

Further afield our travels took us onto the southern Atherton Tableland into the Malanda area . We called into see Terry (Eyebrowed Thrush fame) to thank him for letting all the birdos onto his flower farm property to see the thrush. The last sighting was on 20th February by Glen Holmes who was also the last one to see the Isabelline Wheatear at Mt. Carbine a few years ago  - Hmm something going on there! 

We had good sightings of Victoria's Riflebird on the tablelands including this sub-adult male shown resting as it digested a full crop. 

Victoria's Riflebird

Also in this area we found a party of Silvereye feeding on the purple fruit of Callicarpa pedunculata which is a small shrub or tree 3-4m tall.

Silvereye

 

Eastern Spinebill were also seen at the higher altitudes around Malanda and Atherton, we rarely get them at the Lodge but they are nearby on Mt. Lewis.

Eastern Spinebill

  
A dragonfly was seen which looked like a female Painted Grasshawk but had no colouring in the wings, not sure if the ID is correct.

Painted Grasshawk - female (?)

The rain halted some of our birding plans but we did manage a walk around the Wongabel State Forest which is situated 8 kilometres south of Atherton on the Kennedy Highway. Here two walking tracks wind through a remnant forest, known as mabi forest. The tracks have been cleared since Cyclone Yasi and allow easy walking with a few wet and muddy patches to negotiate. The birding was pretty quiet but we did manage 18 species including a male Victoria's Riflebird, White-headed Pigeon and a trio of Scrubwrens, Large-billed, Atherton and Yellow-throated.

Victoria's Riflebird -  adult male

 
Bird species for visit can be found here . Also seen was this mass of hairy caterpillar on the underside of a leaf.

Hairy Caterpillar

A quick check of the Cairns Esplanade revealed a range of wader species in small numbers. The most numerous were Great Knot with lesser numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Tattler, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel and a few Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Red-necked Stint plus only three Terek Sandpiper. There were also some Little, Crested and Gull-billed Tern on the mudflats. Bird list for visit here

Bar-tailed Godwit

 

13th February 2011 Report

The clean up from the cyclone continues and gradually the Lodge is getting back to normal but heavy rainfalls are slowing us down. We did get three dry days but still had 206mm for the week with the orchard area going under water again but not for long. We have now had over 1000mm for the year so far. Temperatures ranged from 21ºC to 28.7ºC. Bird species recorded were 77 seen and 4 heard, reptiles and mammals were 18 seen and 1 heard.

This weeks bird list can be found here

A Pacific Black Duck was seen flying over one morning in company with a Channel-billed Cuckoo! An odd combination. Two Brown Cuckoo-Dove were in the orchard looking a bit lost and wondering why one of their feed trees was lying down. A Wompoo Fruit-Dove was feeding low down in the Golden Cane Palm behind the units late one afternoon. Pied Imperial Pigeon are also regulars in this palm along with a male Eastern Koel and a few Metallic Starling which have not returned to their nesting colony in Geraghty Park. 

Eastern Koel - male

 
A Papuan Frogmouth is still roosting outside the reception area in the rainforest patch and has to put up with Pale Yellow Robin visiting throughout the day and scalding it, the family of three are still roosting in the nursing home grounds but have less vegetation to hide themselves in. Two Black Bittern were seen along McDougall Road in a flooded paddock, obviously enjoying the heavy rain. Comb-crested Jacana are still in the McDougall Road swamp. 

Comb-crested Jacana

Whistling Kite are still around and a Black Kite was attracted to a road kill along the Rex Highway. Two Pale-vented Bush-hen were calling in long grass beside Geraghty Park and the Rex Highway when two chicks flew out and disappeared into a patch of grass further along the road, nice to know they are breeding in the area. A pair of Scaly-breasted Lorikeet flew over Geraghty Park, these were the first we have seen for a few weeks. A male Little Bronze-Cuckoo was foraging in Geraghty Park and several Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo were calling high up in the remaining rainforest canopy. A Juvenile Brush Cuckoo obligingly posed for a few photos when it hopped up onto a fallen branch after foraging on the ground. 

Brush Cuckoo - juvenile

 

Brush Cuckoo - juvenile

 

Brush Cuckoo - juvenile

 Rainbow Bee-eater have been around in Geraghty Park perching on the exposed eucalypt branches.

(Lesser) Sooty Owl continued to call evening and early morning and we actually saw one flying over whilst another was calling nearby, great to have two around, hopefully a pair. Eastern Barn Owl was heard most evenings and seen once. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher continue to be seen foraging on the ground and feeding juveniles when they are not dive bombing Noisy Pitta and a juvenile Orange-footed Scrubfowl. One juvenile Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher took shelter on our veranda when it got waterlogged and could not fly very well. We put it back into the forest near its nest and the adult bird came down to feed it. A few days later we saw one which could have been the same bird perching on the nearby washing line.

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher - juvenile

The adult Noisy Pitta (female) and two juveniles in tow has been spending more time around the deck eating area and adjacent rainforest patch in front of the units this week. Rather nice to sit down to breakfast and watch them fossick around, the juveniles are starting to gather food for themselves rather than rely on parents. Spotted Catbird have fired up and are calling each morning with occasional forays to the feeder. Numbers of honeyeater are beginning to build up at the feeder as they are finding it hard to get natural food with all the rain and the aftermath of the cyclone. Macleay's Honeyeater are most numerous with many juveniles being fed, then Lewin's, Yellow-spotted, Graceful and Blue-faced. Cicadabird are still around and calling well and Black Butcherbird is also calling well. Leaden Flycatcher are still feeding young and the female Victoria's Riflebird which flew into our neighbours window last week did the same trick this week but no harm done. A pot plant has now been put in front of the window and hopefully stopped this happening again.

Whilst watching the (Lesser) Sooty Owl fly over, a crashing in the trees revealed a Striped Possum leaping from one side of the road to the other near our water tank. Great to see they are still around after the cyclone; it's five weeks since we last saw one. 

Striped Possum

  
A rather wet Long-nosed Bandicoot was in our neighbours garden during the day and had probably been forced out of its daytime den by the flooding. Once again the frogs are in their element with the Cogger's Frog and Dainty Green Tree Frog competing to see who can make the most noise, the Striped Marsh Frog has no chance! A Major Skink made a rare appearance at the feeder near reception but quickly disappeared under the deck eating area.

Further afield the main interest was around Malanda on the Atherton Tableland where an Eyebrowed Thrush was found, this got the “twitchers” excited. We were flooded in and did not fancy the long trip through Cairns beside we had too much work here getting our water supply fixed after the pump went under water. This is now up and running again. The image below shows the pump with the Orange-footed Scrubfowl mound in the background. This went under water and is now a bit smaller than it was.

Water Pump beside Bushy Creek.

The closest distribution, for the Eyebrowed Thrush, to Australia is the Greater Sundas (including islands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Sulawesi ). Have not heard any reports for a few days as to whether it is still there or moved on. An overnight trip to Cairns earlier in the week to replenish supplies (before we heard about the thrush), allowed us to visit the Cairns Esplanade. Apart from a little sand erosion you would never know there had been a cyclone pass by. The city was looking back to normal apart from the odd branch hanging up in a tree. Not much in the way of birds to report on the mudflats, small numbers of the following:- Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Gull-billed Tern, Eastern Reef Egret (grey phase), Silver Gull and Masked Lapwing. A few Varied Honeyeater were foraging in the trees along with Pied Imperial Pigeon and Common Myna were hopping along the footpath. A few Barred Cuckoo-Shrike were foraging at the beginning of the Mt. Lewis Road (no reports about access along this road yet but suspect it is impassable).

This Shield Bug was sheltering from the rain on our kitchen wall. 
 

Shield Bug sp.

And this Dragonfly, which we have yet to identify was perched on a wet grass head.

Dragonfly sp.