20th April 2014 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Weather Report

Cyclone Ita was the big news, the effects of it arriving at the Lodge on Friday night (11^th April) with wind and dumping 296mm of rain over two days. Ita came via the Solomon Islands where it had wreaked havoc, but as it moved on passing Papua New Guinea it increased in strength until it hit landfall on the Queensland coast north of Cooktown as a Category 5 cyclone, the highest rating for cyclones. Once it was on the mainland it lost strength quickly and changed direction to go south slowly causing a lot of damage to banana and sugar cane crops and both the human and natural environment. By the time it passed over us it was a category 1 cyclone, but this still bought winds of 110 -130kmh which was more than enough to topple at least 10 of our trees and take the tops out of at least another 15. It was mainly the effects of the big rainfall which caused damage bringing floods which swept through our orchard and reach at least 2m in depth. Our camp ground was underwater and is still drying out. Access to the Lodge was cut for nearly two days with power and phones/internet going down. Power came back on Monday afternoon after two days off but phones and internet not until the next day. Anyway it could have been a lot worse, the water quickly receded leaving us to clean up. The birds did not seem to be affected much by the cyclone and have been more obvious and call a lot since the event.

Camp Ground Flooding

View from units with large tree limb on roof

Water flowing from our orchard across Mt. Kooyong Road, looking towards nursing home

Cattle sheltering in flooded paddock along Mt. Kooyong Road

Bushy Creek debris at Platypus viewing area where our water pump is normally (removed  before the cyclone)

We ended up with a total rainfall over the three weeks of 328mm. Temperatures were between 19ºC to 26.6ºC. 

Last Three Weeks Bird Sightings:-

Sightings are on the Eremaea eBird site. 30th March - 5th April, 6th - 12th April and 13th - 19th April

Birding Highlights:-

A Black-breasted Buzzard flew over the Lodge grounds heading towards the coast on the 10^th April. As it flew over the orchard it put up a flock of over 100 Metallic Starling who were noisily feeding in the adjacent rainforest. This is the first sighting of a buzzard over the Lodge in the nine years we have been here (one was seen in nearby McDougall Road back in 2012). The other exciting bird to be seen also on the same day was a roosting Southern Boobook Owl (sub species lurida Little Red Boobook, thanks to Lloyd Nielsen for identifying this one) in our neighbours Carol and Andrew IIles (Local Bird guides) garden. This was the first seen since 19/11/2006 in and around the Lodge. A rather poor shot was taken of the bird roosting high up in the dark of the rainforest.

Southern Boobook- sub species lurida Little Red Boobook

Both Red-necked Crake and Noisy Pitta have been seen with chicks over the past three weeks, the crakes have three while the pitta has two. Both these species had already bred late last year in December. Migrants that are still with us include Channel-billed Cuckoo (seen on the 17^th April), Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (seen on the 17^th April), Adult and juvenile Dollarbird (seen on the 18^th April) and Black-faced Monarch. Waterbird species have been spread out over the district with not many in our immediate area, the usual Pacific Black Duck, one Australasian Grebe, one Australasian Darter, one Little Black Cormorant and one White-necked Heron along McDougall Road. The local Barramundi Farm had a Purple Swamphen, several Eurasian Coot and a couple of Dusky Moorhen on their overflow pond. Raptor sightings were light on as well with one Black Kite, one Whistling Kite plus a pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagle heard. The Pale-vented Bush-hen chicks from our neighbours garden are now down to four from six, they seem to be dispersing away from their breeding area. A female Common Koel has been hanging around a fruiting palm tree, also in our neighbours Carol and Andrew IIles (Local Bird guides) garden, for the last two weeks.

Common Koel - female

Barking Owl have been heard a couple of times, so they are still hanging around the area. Laughing Kookaburra have been around our orchard with up to five at any one time, this one was perched on a vine along the edge of the rainforest.

Laughing Kookaburra

Small flocks of Rainbow Bee-eater (6-18) have been around over the two weeks. Lewin's and Bridled Honeyeater have been in and around the Lodge after returning from higher altitudes up in the mountains behind us. Cicadabird have been calling and were still with us on the 20^th April. Black Butcherbird have been heard calling but only a brown immature bird has been seen. A Northern Fantail was foraging in Geraghty Park one morning, this was a first for several months. Pied Monarch have been around along with Yellow-breasted Boatbill who have started calling a lot, four were seen on a morning walk. A female Victoria's Riflebird has been coming to our neighbours bird feeder and seen once in the Lodge grounds. Grey-headed Robin numbers continue to increase as more come down from the mountains to spend the winter in the Lodge grounds. Olive-backed Sunbird have been seen nesting again in a nest which has been previously used.

Further Afield:-

 A White Tern found exhausted at Hasties Swamp after Cyclone Ita was the most unusual bird for our region, also many reports of both Lesser and Greater Frigatebird along and just inland for the coast between Cairns and Port Douglas, all a result of the cyclone. Six Grey Teal were at the Ferraro Road wetland Craglie, near Port Douglas, an uncommon species in this area. Our roaming neighbours Carol and Andrew had a few interesting birds in the third week along Euluma Creek Road, Julatten, Spotted Harrier, two Brown Falcon, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Pale-headed Rosella, Australian King-Parrot, Tawny Grassbird and Eastern Whipbird. Blue-faced Parrot-Finch have been seen on Mt. Lewis between 1-2km along the road from the Bushy Creek bridge along with White-eared Monarch. At least 3 Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo were also heard calling in the same area and another along Euluma Creek Road. Female Golden Bowerbird have also been seen on Mt. Lewis several times. Eastern Yellow Robin sub-species Eopsaltria australis chrysorrhoa were seen near Abattoir Swamp, not a common species near the Lodge. Eastern Yellow Robin do not occur in the rainforest here unlike the ones around the Border Ranges of Queensland and New South Wales who co-exist with the Pale-yellow Robin. In our region the Eastern Yellow Robin occur in more open sclerophyllous forests and not rainforests. They are excluded by the Grey-headed Robin who occupy this same niche in the "Wet Tropic" rainforests. ["Directory of Australian Birds" (Passerines) - Schodde and Mason - 1999].

Eastern Yellow Robin - sub-species Eopsaltria australis chrysorrhoa

The Birdlife Australia monthly meeting was held at the Lodge Saturday 5th April where we gave a PowerPoint presentation on the birds and wildlife of Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge, this was followed on the next day by a visit to a private property in Mt. Molloy. The Birdlife Australia group had visited here on the Australia Day long weekend at the end of January and plan to make this venue a regular atlas site visited at three monthly intervals. Interesting birds here were a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagle, which are not common in the area, a pair of Double-eyed Fig-Parrot which flew over and a male and female Lovely Fairy-wren. We ended up with a species list of 35 birds. 

Birding highlights from around the gulf country, Normanton and Karumba area can be found on the Eremaea Birds site posted by Roger Jaensch. Some of the highlights include a possible hybrid between a Pied Heron and Little Egret (photo), Zitting Cisticola possibly nesting (photo) and Great Crested Grebe, north of normal range.

Reptiles and Mammals:-

The highlight over the two weeks was finding an Australian Scrub Python eating a Red-legged Pademelon, which is a small rainforest kangaroo, (not a highlight for the poor unfortunate pademelon!). When we found it on the edge of our orchard it only had the leg sticking out to identify the prey item. The python was probably 3-3.5m. 

Australian Scrub Python - with pademelon inside

 

Australian Scrub Python - just finished swallowing the pademelon

Whilst clearing leaves off the roof we came across another slightly smaller Australian Scrub Python curled up trying to have an undisturbed daytime sleep. Another good sighting made by one of our guests was a Green Ringtail Possum hanging by its tail in a tree along Mt. Kooyong Road in our rainforest, then seen again in our neighbours garden. Green Ringtail Possum are becoming increasingly hard to find around the Lodge so it was good to know at least one is still here. A pair of Striped Possum were heard early one evening grunting to each other, possibly a territorial dispute, and then we heard a thump as one fell to the ground. We then located it at eye level clinging to a bunch of vines which were hanging from a tree. A few frogs have been around, mainly Cogger's and Jungguy Frog but when the rain bought on by Cyclone Ita arrived the Dainty Green Tree Frog started calling in unison. A Platypus was seen, whilst on a morning walk, sitting on an overhanging tree trunk at the side of Bushy Creek having a scratch.

Insects:-

When we were doing our bird survey in Mount Molloy we came across this moth larva of Syntherata janetta, a moth which is found across northern Australia and as far south as Sydney.

Syntherata janetta - lava

Also here we had a few Painted Grasshawk Neurothemis stigmatizans stigmatizans dragonfly.

Painted Grasshawk

Around the Lodge we had these two interesting Katydid species. Thanks to David Rentz for confirming the identifications.

Spiny Katydid, Phricta spinosa

Serrated Bush Katydid Paracaedicia serrata - Yellow morph

This Ulysses Swallowtail was sunning in the orchard one morning with its wings outstretched, something they don't do very often.

Ulysses Swallowtail Papillio ulysses

Fungi:-

This fungi was also seen on the Birdlife bird survey in Mount Molloy.

Fungi sp.

Thanks to Carol and Andrew Iles for their bird sighting input to this weeks blog, they can  be contacted for bird guiding here .

30th June 2013 Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Two weeks without any rain with some cloudy days, but mostly great weather with cool nights and warm sunny days – ideal! Temperatures ranged from 13ºC to 27ºC.

Past Two Weeks Bird Sightings:-

Bird sightings for the first week were 102, 98 seen and 4 heard, second week sightings were 103 seen and 2  heard. The last two weeks bird lists can be found on the Eremaea Birds Website:- 16th June - 22nd June and 23rd June - 29th June

Birding Highlights:-

Australian Owlet-nightjar was heard and then seen at the entrance to a roost hollow on the edge of Geraghty Park whilst on a guided morning walk and presumably the same bird was spotlighted the same evening in the vicinity of the day roost. White-faced and White-necked Heron returned to the lagoons along McDougall Road and up to three Eurasian Coot are still present here as well. Raptors have been good with sightings of Black-shouldered Kite, Pacific Baza, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling, Brahminy and Black Kite, Grey Goshawk, Spotted and Swamp Harrier, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon and Australian Hobby. This image shows the distinctive "W" pattern on the wings and rounded tail of the Whistling Kite.

Whistling Kite

A Red-necked Crake was seen walking along path to Bushy Creek from the orchard at 5.45 one afternoon but no other sightings. At least 20 Double-eyed Fig-Parrot have been feasting on a fruiting fig tree at the end of Mt. Kooyong Road along with many honeyeaters, Barred Cuckoo-Shrike, Australian Figbird and Silvereye. Barking Owl have been calling and seen several times, mainly at the entrance to the Lodge and often on our Lodge sign, but not when we had the camera with us! Eastern Barn Owl have been seen in their nest hollow and are possibly starting to nest as it is the right time of year. Little Kingfisher has been fishing in the Crake Pool on several occasions late in the afternoon. Spotted Catbird has started to come to the feeder by reception and a Great Bowerbird was foraging on fruits in Geraghty Park. Lovely Fairy-wren have been seen along McDougall and Mt. Kooyong Roads. Large-billed Scrubwren do not appear to have returned to the nest reported in the last blog, but they maybe sitting. Plenty of honeyeaters around including three Black-chinned (Golden-backed form) foraging and calling in a Queensland Blue Gum at the entrance to the Lodge grounds. A pair of Macleay's Honeyeater were found on the ground locked together having a fight for over 20 minutes, they ended up exhausting each other and lay prone on the ground recovering, still locked together. One was playing dead in the first image but soon came alive when disturbed and flew off looking none the worse for the ordeal!

Macleay's Honeyeater

Macleay's Honeyeater

Both Yellow and Olive-backed Oriole have been calling and seen in the area. A Northern Fantail was foraging around the Bushy Creek bridge one morning whilst on a guided morning walk. Pied Monarch have been seen around the grounds and at Bushy Creek late afternoon bathing. Yellow-breasted Boatbill have been calling and see around the Lodge grounds along with a female Victoria's Riflebird who came into the reception area feeder one morning. Lemon-bellied Flycatcher were taking advantage of freshly mown grass in Geraghty Park with six of them pouncing onto the ground to pick up exposed insects. 

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher

Tawny Grassbird have been heard in the adjacent cane paddocks but are likely to get moved on soon as the cane is being harvested.

Further Afield:-

A trip to Cairns afforded us the opportunity to call into the Cattana Wetlands to look for the reported Cotton Pygmy-goose which we did not see.

Cattana Wetland

There were plenty of other birds found here in a great little wetland area, the full list can be found here: http://www.eremaea.com/Lists.aspx?List=183541

 

Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo seen near Bushy Creek at the bottom of the Mt. Lewis Road, Blue-faced Parrot-Finch was heard at the same location. Fan-tailed Cuckoo were along Sides Road, Julatten, a Pacific Baza showed at the Mt. Lewis clearing 10km up from Bushy Creek and a Red-backed Kingfisher was at Maryfarms, south of Mt. Carbine. Flocks of several hundred Budgerigar were along the Kondaparinga Road north of Mt. Carbine. The budgies were resting in the heat of the day in the shade.

Budgerigar

Also here were at least eight Black-throated Finch. These ones were preening after having a bathe in the dam.

Black-throated Finch

In the same trees were Diamond Dove and many Brown Treecreeper. The Brown Treecreeper occurring here is in a broad intergrade zone between the Cape York sub-species melanotus and the nominotypical picumnus, which occurs in much of Queensland (except South-East), inland New South Wales and Victoria west of the Great Divide. This intergrade zone extends across the Burdekin-Lynd divide from about Cooktown and Croydon further north - west and about Hughenden and Townsville further south.

Brown Treecreeper

Also in the dam were these water lillies.

Water Lillies

Four Australian Shoveller were reported at Hasties Swamp by several observers. A Diamond Dove was seen in Mt. Molloy, another unusual sighting. A Radjah Shelduck was standing beside the Mulligan Highway (Peninsula Road) opposite Lake Mitchell between Mareeba and Mt. Molloy on the afternoon of the 29^th, which was not the place we expect to see one. Also on the 29^th at Port Douglas on a cut cane paddock there was a Peregrine Falcon and an Australian Hobby standing on the ground 5m apart before they took off and went their separate ways. It was a good opportunity to view these two species and compare the obvious differences, don't think we'll see that again! Researchers on Mt. Lewis came across a Southern Boobook owl race lurida which is not often seen. Thanks to Eridani Mulder who kindly let us use her image of the S. Boobook.

Southern Boobook -  Race lurida

Reptiles and Mammals:-

Quite a few sightings of Platypus, especially in the second week. One sighting at about 7.45am had the Platypus swimming to the bank of Bushy Creek and climbing up onto a log where it started to preen and scratch itself. A Tree Mouse Pygonomys sp. was another good sighting as this elusive mammal is not often seen, it was only first recorded in Australia in 1974. Striped Possum have been seen infrequently and both Long-nosed and Northern Brown Bandicoot have been in short supply with only one or two of each species seen. A Water Rat was seen whilst on a night walk poking its head out of the rock wall at the Platypus viewing area along Bushy Creek. Frog sightings were well down with only one sighting of a Jungguy Frog, White-lipped Tree Frog, Desert Tree Frog and a couple of Cane Toad.

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.