13th December 2009 Report

16mm of rain during the week over 2 days with temperatures ranging from 18ºC to 29ºC, slightly cooler than the previous week. Bird numbers were slightly up on last week, 85 bird species seen and 9 heard - mammals and reptiles were 17 seen and 2 heard.

Highlights for the week included an Oriental Cuckoo seen near Bushy Creek by Jack and Bill Moorhead, who some of you might know. An Oriental Cuckoo was also seen later that same morning when it was found on the ground outside the office after having flown into a window and stunned itself. A few hours in the dark inside a box allowed it to recover and then fly off strongly with just a headache! There has been 4 previous records of Oriental Cuckoo’s at the Lodge; end of December, January and April with the last sighting in 2007. A Yellow Wagtail was seen at Lake Mitchell by Alistair and Gary, two guests from England who are very familiar with this species. It was in the drainage ditch alongside the causeway.

The Pacific Baza chicks continue to grow at a rapid rate with their fluffy white plumage changing into more adult like plumage with barring occurring across the breast and their crest appearing on the back of the head. The adults have been kept busy bringing in food, mainly frogs and as the photo below shows they are looking a bit worse for wear! Here the adult was taking a rest from feeding duties.

Pacific Baza

Striated Pardalote was seen for the first time since 13^th September, prior to that they have been seen in every month this year. Interestingly in previous years they have been absent around this period. In 2005 they were absent from 16^th October until 29^th January 2006, then absent from 22^nd October 2006 until 18^th February 2007 with one sighting on 24^th December, again absent from 7^th October until 21^st January 2008. In 2008/09 they were present throughout this period. So do they migrate away from here between October-February or do they stop calling and get overlooked? The sub-species which occurs here is melanocephalus and according to the handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds they are resident or present throughout the year but there is evidence of local movements around Paluma (north of Townsville) with only one record in December from 50 visits over 6 years. So much more to learn about our birds.

What else happened over the week?

A Northern Fantail was heard calling from Geraghty Park before being seen, this species is more common in the drier country from Abattoir Swamp to Mt. Molloy than around here – we have 6 previous records from 2003 onwards. A few Topknot Pigeon appeared for a day as in the previous week and 2 different Papuan Frogmouth were seen during the week.

Another frogmouth was calling nearly every night and when tracked down it was a very small looking bird with hardly any tail. We checked the eye shine which looked dark red (not yellow to orange as in Tawny Frogmouth) and the plumage looked like a Papuan Frogmouth. The main bird with which it could be confused is the rufous-morph of the Tawny Frogmouth, but the two sightings of this bird we have had here showed a distinct orange eye however this was during the day and not by spotlight. We will try and track it down to confirm ID.

A single Glossy Ibis was found in nearby McDougall Road Swamp. Red-necked Crake was again heard on several occasions giving a single call which maybe a sign that they have chicks with them. Channel-billed Cuckoo numbers have dropped during the week with little calling towards the end. Sooty Owl was heard on several nights, but despite searching not seen. The local family of Blue-winged Kookaburra moved to the edge of the Lodge grounds one morning and this upset the local Laughing Kookaburra family who tried to see them off, eventually succeeding in moving them back to Geraghty Park after a noisy interchange. The Noisy Pitta has been noisy mainly early morning moving around its territory both on the ground and 20m+ up in the tree canopy with most guests seeing it eventually. A few Barred Cuckoo-shrike are still around and the female Cicadabird continues to sit on her nest (only females incubate), the male is not far away calling and defending the nest. A pair of Spangled Drongo continues to build a nest and defend it from a third bird who insists on hanging around.

Spangled Drongo

Black-faced Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill have started to become more vocal during the week.

Yellow-breasted Boatbill (male)

Further afield a White-headed Pigeon was seen on Mt. Lewis and both Barn Swallow and Red-rumped Swallow was reported from Somerset Drive, just north of Newell Beach on the way to Daintree Village from Mossman, by one of our guests. A couple of our guests had seen two Asian Dowitcher on the Cairns Esplanade which is good as they appeared to disappear for several weeks. Up to 10 Oriental Cuckoo was present in the Cairns Central Swamp next to the Cairns Cemetery alongside Anderson Road.

Spotlighting turned up the afore mentioned frogmouth, a brief look at a Feathertail Glider, one Long-nosed Bandicoot after a few weeks without sighting one, Striped Possum was heard but not seen. Reptiles and amphibians were fairly quiet apart from two Boyd’s Forest Dragon who were squaring up to each other – probably the same two who were at it the previous week. Several Easter Water Dragon were along Bushy Creek.

20th September Report

Another dry week with a bit of drizzle amounting to 3mm with temperatures down to 16ºC and up to 28ºC during the day. It was another good week for bird numbers with 85 species seen and 11 heard. 19 mammal/reptile/amphibian species were recorded.

Highlight for the week has to be an amazing sighting of a Mangrove Robin up at 450m inland and away from coastal mangroves (300th sighting for the area Mareeba, Mt. Carbine and Julatten). The sighting was just down the road from the Lodge at the back of Mt. Kooyong Nursing Home along the edge of a cane field and within 50m of Bushy Creek. It was perched on a fence post and pouncing down onto the ground picking up insects. It moved along the fence and allowed us to take several photos, one below. The white tail panels were noticeable when the bird flew back into a bamboo thicket on the edge of Bushy Creek. This species is sedentary and resident along mangrove fringed coastal areas, the closest population we know about is along Cooya Beach near Mossman which is approx 18km NE, we can find no records of this species away from coastal areas. Please let us know if you have records away from the coast.

Mangrove Robin at Julatten

What else happened over the week? The first Brush Cuckoo was seen in the grounds and a lone Lewin's Honeyeater was spotted coming into a feeder, this after we thought they had all gone at the end of August. A Pied Imperial Pigeon was still calling during the week as was a Superb Fruit-Dove but neither was seen. Still appears to be only one Channel-billed Cuckoo in the area, heard giving its melodious call on several mornings! Bridled Honeyeater were seen on a flowering tree in the orchard area along with 9 other honeyeater species. Red-necked Crake has again been heard but not seen, not very cooperative this year. A Shining Flycatcher (male) was seen flying along Bushy Creek from the Platypus viewing area, occasional records from here, probably felt at home with the Mangrove Robin!

Spotlighting turned up a Leaf-tailed Gecko high up on a tree for poor looks but a few nights later it was seen quite well through a scope. Two adult Green Ringtail Possum were seen together feeding on some fruit outside the office and a Striped Possum was seen digging its way into a decaying tree. A Platypus performed one night swimming past us before climbing onto a sandbank and digging around for excellent views. Plenty of Spectacled Flying Fox taking advantage of the fruiting Blue Quandong, some low down for good views. An unidentified stick insect was seen on a vine which was unusual as we do not often see these nocturnal insects. Agile Wallaby was seen in Geraghty Park and in the orchard area of the Lodge grounds.

Further afield a roosting Barking Owl was found just before Hunters Creek, 4km away, along the road to Mount Molloy. This is a species we have not seen around the lodge grounds since 5^th August 2007.

Barking Owl

Black-throated Finch and Squatter Pigeon were seen north of Mt. Carbine coming in to drink at a dam. The Bump Track in Mowbray National Park turned up Superb, Rose-crowned and Wompoo-Fruit Dove. A Southern Cassowary was seen about 3km up the Mt. Lewis road and an adult male Golden Bowerbird was seen a few hundred meters along the track to the dam from the parking area on Brooklyn Station. A Little Eagle was on a dingo carcase near Maryfarms on the way to Mt. Carbine.

Mammals and reptiles seen apart from those on night walks were a Short-beaked Echidna who was climbing the rock retention wall at the Platypus viewing area one evening, this is the first sighting since 12 August 2007, hope it stays around. A odd Major Skink has been showing but his mates seem to have gone into hiding again.

The spectacular Cairns Birdwing butterfly is out in force at the moment flitting around the various blossoms and looking like small birds.

A report that the causeway gate onto Lake Mitchell was locked was unfounded, this area down to a second gate, which is locked, is a stock and camping reserve. You are allowed to drive/walk along the causeway to view the water birds. Unfortunately the area around the nearby Big Mitchell Creek has been badly burnt, even into the creek bed itself and the resident White-browed Robin have been difficult to find.

2nd August 2009 Report

Not much rain again with only 3.5mm during the week but quite a few cloudy days. 84 species of birds were seen and 3 more heard plus 22 Mammal/Reptile/Amphibians during the week.

Highlights for the week were a pair of Blue-faced Parrot-Finch drinking from Bushy Creek at the end of the orchard, which means they must be feeding nearby. Pacific Baza was back foraging in the tree tops around the camping area as was a pair of Chestnut-breasted Mannikin who turned up at the seed feeder. A few waterfowl were in the swamp along McDougall Road near the lodge, Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy-goose, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Hardhead, Australasian Grebe plus Little Pied Cormorant and Intermediate Egret, this made a welcome change to the lack of water birds in the area for the first half of the year. Whistling Kite still continue to refurbish the old Brahminy Kites nest and a Cattle Egret was flying over with a big stick in its claws heading towards McDougall Road. Have to check this out as they have not bred in our area before. An Australian Hobby swooped us during a morning walk whilst we were in Geraghty Park before heading across the Rex Highway and out of sight. Pied Monarch and Yellow-breasted Boatbill were regularly seen around the grounds.

An interesting sighting was a pair of Yellow Honeyeater refurbishing an old Magpie-lark nest, they were bringing in small twigs and sitting in the nest, shuffling around to make it comfortable. They were only seen once but we will keep checking to see if they continue with it. We have not found any reference to this behaviour being reported before.

Spotlighting was quite good during the week with 7 species of frog recorded including a Striped Marsh Frog Limnodynasties peronii which is not seen often around the lodge,

Striped Marsh Frog

only one sighting of a Striped Possum but several sightings of the Platypus. Reptiles started to become more active with Boyd's Forest Dragon, Eastern Water Monitor and Major Skink seen.

Further afield up to 11 Australian Bustard were seen in the Maryfarms area north of Mt. Molloy, and along the McLeod River north of Mt. Carbine several Black-chinned Honeyeater were seen. Even further north along the Kondparinga Road a lone Black-throated Finch was seen along with two Squatter Pigeons.

A quick spotlighting trip to Mt. Lewis revealed a Long-tailed Pygmy Possum, a Daintree River Ringtail and a Green Ringtail Possum with a very tiny baby on its back.

Daintree River Ringtail Possum

Presently there is only access to the birding area 10km along the road with the gate across the road locked beyond here. The section (15km) beyond the gate is permanently restricted access and requires a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Mossman; the gate closure is due to roadworks. For birders this section of the road does not contain any extra birds than those that can be seen around the 10km area.