1st December 2013 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Weather Report

Over the last two weeks rainfall has been quite heavy as the monsoonal trough arrived about a month earlier than normal dumping 239mm over the two weeks. Temperatures went up to an extremely hot 33.1ºC one day but this was an exception. Overnight temperatures were only dropping down to low 20's. Humidity was high into the 85-95% range.

Past Two Weeks Bird Sightings:-

Bird sightings for the first week were 106, 102 seen and 4 heard, second week sightings were restricted by the rain which cut down on observation time with 89 recorded, 78 seen and 11 heard. The last two weeks bird lists can be found on the Eremaea Birds Website:- 17th - 23rd November and 24th - 30th November.

A morning walk turned up 55 species.

Birding Highlights:-

Papuan Frogmouth have been found in the area sitting on a nest with a fluffy white chick and Pacific Baza have been seen carrying sticks into a Blue Quandong tree, hopefully they will successfully build a nest. One Papuan Frogmouth, female, was spotlighted one evening whilst on an organised walk.

Papuan Frogmouth - mum and fluffy white baby

Pale-vented Bush-hen returned over the last few days of the second week when we heard them calling but have not seen any yet. Red-necked Crake are still calling and making a few appearances, this one was running across our neighbours garden.

Red-necked Crake

The local pair of Bush Stone-curlew continue to care for their two growing chicks who are now about ¾ adult size and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot have been making appearances in a couple of local fruiting fig trees. Cuckoos have been particularly vocal with the onset of the wet weather, Pheasant Coucal, Eastern Koel, Channel-billed, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and most vocal are the Brush Cuckoo. 

Brush Cuckoo

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo are still in their nest hollow and this one, which looks like a scruffy juvenile, was checking us out.

 

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Barking Owl are still around but not being heard every night and not seen for over a week but the Barn Owl are calling and being seen. Azure Kingfisher have been along Bushy Creek and the Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher are flying around all over the lodge grounds and calling a lot with a few starting to build their nests in the termite mounds. We will not know how many pairs we have until they all start building when we can look at how many of our nearly 50 termite mounds are occupied. Blue-winged Kookaburra have been quiet and not showing so we think they are nesting. Noisy Pitta have also gone quiet so they may also be nesting, they are still showing in the orchard as they search for food. Lovely Fairy-wren were seen one afternoon along the edge of our orchard and heard again the next day in the same area but they are not regular here although our neighbours hear them frequently moving through the back of their garden. Some honeyeaters have been seen feeding recently fledged birds, mainly Graceful and Macleay's Honeyeater. In all 11 species were seen and Black-chinned Honeyeater heard over the last two weeks. Barred Cuckoo-shrike and Cicadabird have been around most days as have Spangled Drongo whose numbers have increased over the past weeks. Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Pied Monarch have again been vocal and showing. Metallic Starling are also continuing to build nests and fledge chicks at a rapid rate. Olive-backed Sunbird are also building nests, one pair on their second nest for the season. We also had the return of a few Chestnut-breasted Mannikin to the area after being absent for several months.

Further Afield:-

A small wetland on the edge of Port Douglas has been turning up some good birds over the past few months and a recent visit found interesting birds such as this Pink-eared Duck which had almost finished preening and showing the pink ear very well.

Pink-eared Duck

This Pied Heron (heavily cropped image below) was also at the wetland. A full list can be found on the Eremaea Birds site.

Pied Heron

Also on the same day a morning visit to the Cattana Wetlands at Cairns in less than favourable weather conditions found a White-browed Crake walking out on the water lilies

White-browed Crake

along with this nice adult Comb-crested Jacana, which you would expect on the lilies. A full list can be found on the Eremaea Birds site.

Comb-crested Jacana

An Elegant Imperial Pigeon was reported from Thornton Beach, Cape Tribulation, Daintree on the 19^th November. This species can be overlooked in amongst the Pied Imperial Pigeon so be aware and keep looking. Murray Hunt from Daintree Boatman Nature Tours had a Spotted Whistling-Duck on his early morning Daintree River birding tour on the 27^th November. This was the first sighting since January 2013. The Rufous Owl in Cairns on the corner of Florence and Abbott street in the mango trees was still there on the 27^th November as it has been for several weeks now. Mt. Lewis has had up to six Blue-faced-Parrot Finch at the clearing with several sightings, mainly early morning.

Reptiles and Mammals:-

The welcome rain has got the frogs calling with at least eight species calling, most of which were seen. The most vocal have been White-lipped Tree Frog, Dainty Green Tree Frog and Cogger's Frog. A Slaty-grey Snake appeared in our neighbours garden which is a very uncommon species around the Lodge. A guided nightwalk had a Short-beaked Echidna climbing on a log by the Crake Pool, in our orchard, before dropping into the water and climbing up the bank and into the rainforest. This was followed a few minutes later by a Duck-billed Platypus in Bushy Creek, two monotremes within five minutes, this has only happened once before for us. Red-legged Pademelon with a joey has been seen in the orchard on several nights as has been a large male Agile Wallaby.

Other Wildlife:-

The rain has also drawn out many butterflies including Ulysses, Cairns Birdwing and this wet season form female Orange Bush-brown.

 

Orange Bush-brown - female

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7th November 2010 Report

The big news this week was that we were presented with a Wet Tropics Management Authority Cassowary Award for Nature Based Tourism! Hence the late appearance of the blog as we had a day off to receive the award which was presented at Wildlife Habitat at Port Douglas. The awards recognise individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the conservation and presentation of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

The only Cassowary you are likely to see at the Lodge!

The weather was not quite as good as last week as we had 4mm of rain, but most of the week was dry and sunny with similar temperatures to last week 19.2ºC – 29.2ºC. Bird sightings were good with 78 seen and 4 heard, mammals and reptiles were 18 seen.

A full species list for the week can be found Here

Highlight for the week was a Noisy Pitta feeding a juvenile bird which is very early in the season to have young. Last season they were still feeding young in the nest in January and fledglings in February, so fledglings in November is very early. The pittas are searching for food in the orchard and showing well with everyone getting good views. Spectacled Monarch were feeding fledglings in February and now there have been some seen being fed last week which is very early, so maybe they will nest a second time. Pacific Baza have started feeding their young in the nest and also bringing in new nest material to spruce up their untidy nest. 

 Pacific Baza with nest material

The baza's are having to run the gauntlet of up to six White-breasted Woodswallow which are harassing them and keeping them away from the nest for long periods.

A flock of Magpie Goose were heard flying over one night honking away. Brown Cuckoo-Dove are feeding in Tobacco Bush with at least five birds present one morning. Papuan Frogmouth have only been at their usual roost twice this week with both the male and female birds sitting within 2m of each other. They are still calling most nights and no sign of any nesting activity has been seen. Cattle Egret numbers have increased with at least 300 gathering in a paddock opposite KFP one evening, most in breeding plumage. White-bellied Sea-Eagle have been active, soaring overhead and calling a lot. Red-necked Crake was briefly seen hurrying through the rainforest near the track to Bushy Creek from the orchard late one afternoon and has also been heard calling every night. 


Scaly-breasted Lorikeet numbers have been building up as more trees are starting to flower and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot were seen at least once. An Eastern Koel, female, was showing well one morning perched high up in a tree behind the accommodation units, but no sign of the males despite hearing them calling. Channel-billed Cuckoo have started to call more frequently after keeping quiet for a few weeks, maybe they have laid their eggs. Azure Kingfisher has been zipping up and down Bushy Creek most days and perching well for good looks. Dollarbird has been calling and displaying in Geraghty Park with at least six individuals soaring around. Also in the park were three adult male Rufous Whistler displaying to one female. The males were chasing each other around, perching then head bobbing and arching with their tails cocked up. Needless to say the female was taking no obvious notice. 

Rufous Whistler - female

Spotted Catbird was seen feeding a very recently fledged bird who was having trouble maintaining balance on a branch. Lewin's Honeyeaters are still hanging around and a few Bridled Honeyeaters have been calling and showing on the grevillea flowers. White-throated Honeyeater are more visible, calling and feeding on flowering eucalypts as well as looking for lerps (small sugary insects).

 White-throated Honeyeater

A male Cicadabird has been calling and spending a lot of time chasing off Australasian Figbird, not sure if they are nesting yet. 

 Australasian Figbird - male

A single Rufous Fantail was foraging high in the rainforest canopy and was the first sighting for several weeks. An Olive-backed Oriole showed itself after many weeks of calling and hiding from us, it was mimicking several other bird species calls as it went about feeding on some small fruits. Golden-headed Cisticola have been calling and showing in the neighboring cane fields and Mistletoebird has been tending his mistletoe which is now coming into full flower and attracting the honeyeaters as well.

Fawn-footed Melomys are coming to the feeder more often lately, better they eat our seed than our car radiator hoses! 

 Fawn-footed Melomys

A Green Ringtail Possum was seen roosting in a tree over the bunkhouse one afternoon but not located since. Northern Brown Bandicoot females are carrying very large babies in their pouches 

 Northern Brown Bandicoot

Two juvenile Platypus have been swimming past the viewing area as well as two adults most mornings and afternoons. They are bad time keepers and are not turning up at any set time in the evening and early morning, you just have to be patient to see them. Spectacled Flying-Fox numbers have increased in the orchard at night feeding on a few fruits including the Blue Quondong. Several Boyd's Forest Dragon are still showing well around the grounds and an Amethystine Python was on the ground beside the track to Bushy Creek from the orchard one evening.

Further afield a Great-billed Heron was reported from Bushy Creek at the beginning of the Mt. Lewis Road; we have records of them along Bushy Creek in August and October. A male Golden Bowerbird was seen flying across the track beyond the tin miners dam on Mt. Lewis. Squatter Pigeon was along the Emerald Creek Falls Road east of Mareeba, also at Emerald Creek was a Rufous Owl and the White-browed Robin that was reported from here a few weeks ago is still feeding a juvenile. A pair of Spotted Harrier were along the Malanda to Atherton Road and can be expected in this area at this time of year.