Recently back from driving/birding holiday to North Queensland, away for 20 days.First extended trip that didn’t produce a lifer, despite trying hard for Zitting Cisticola I couldn’t convince myself I saw it (many thanks to Ivor Preston and Tony Ashton for excellent sites, and tips on identification—-obviously easier to confidently ID in breeding season for visiting non-locals). Nevertheless we saw some great birds and I did manage to add three to my Qld list. Birding highlights were: Southern Cassowary —- 30/9, pair, Tam O’Shanter NP, Mission Beach Radjah Shelduck —- 8/10, Centenary Lakes, Cairns Green Pygmy-geese — 4/10, 40+ Lake Mitchell Great-billed Heron—– 6/10, Daintree River Black Bittern—— 6/10, Daintree River Grey Goshawk——- 6/10, Mount Alexandra lookout, Daintree NP Sarus Crane ——- 2/10, 70+, Hasties Swamp, Atherton Bustard —— 4/10, road into Mareeba Wetlands 5/10, 2 on Eastern Maryfarms Rd, Mt. Carbine Terek Sandpiper—-8/10, Esplanade, Cairns Common Sandpiper—-5/10, Newell Beach boat ramp (crocodile as well) Beach Stone-curlew—-9/10, mouth of Barron River Double-eyed Fig-Parrot—-1/10, Eubenangee Swamp, heard elsewhere Barking Owl——- 26/9, pair, Townsville Common Papuan Frogmouth—— 6/10, on nest, Daintree River Little Kingfisher——-29/9, Trebonne Creek, cnr Orient & Kirkwoods Rds, S of Ingham Lovely Fairy-wren—5/10, Vixies Rd, Wonga Beach White-gaped Honeyeater—28/9, Palmetum,Townsville Rufous-throated Honeyeater—26/9, Townsville Common Bower’s Shrike-thrush—–2/10, Wongabel SF, Atherton Pied Monarch——2/10, Wongabel SF, Atherton 4/10, Kingfisher Park, Julatten Barred Cuckoo-shrike—-2/10, Woodlands caravan park, Atherton
Best birding sites included: Mullers Lagoon, Bowen—-Large-tailed Nightjar Townsville Common—— best I’ve ever seen it, lots of waterbirds incl. Jabiru, Brolga, Magpie Geese, Glossy Ibis Reed Beds Rd, Cromarty——great car-based birding, varied habitats, 5 finch species (Zebra,Crimson, Nutmeg, Double-barred, Chestnut-breasted) Tyto Wetlands,Ingham—- 35+ species, Amethystine Python Eubenangee Swamp,Innisfail—Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Topknot Pigeon Hasties Swamp, Atherton—- 35+ species Wongabel SF, Atherton—- Macleays H/E, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Spectacled & Pied Monarch, Bower’s Shrike-thrush Lake Mitchell—- 25 species in 40 mins Kingfisher Park, Julatten—- as always, plenty of birds, but also great sightings of Bush Rat, Giant White- tailed Rat, Northern Brown Bandicoot, Hercules Moth Daintree River—– took early morning Daintree River Experience cruise, terrific birds, 37+ over 2 hours incl pair Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, nesting Papuan Frogmouth, Shining Flycatcher, Graceful H/E Cattana Wetlands, Cairns— new birding spot, well created wetlands, will develop Centenary Lakes, Cairns– Radjah Shelduck,Helmeted Friarbird, nesting Bush Stone- Curlew, Whimbrel Esplanade,Cairns—visited couple of times. Terek, Curlew, Sharp-tailed S’pipers, Mangrove Robin, Varied H/E, Greater Sand Plover, Pacific Golden Plover,Collared K’fisher Total of 217 species for trip.
Russ Lamb, Maleny,SEQ
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