Showing other birding and parrot enthusiasts around Cairns and surrounds
By donaldgkimball, on June 14th, 2014
I have been hoping to take some birders and parrot affectionados to the Cairns region in the future. I was looking for accomodation that is close to rainforest and gives a scenic representation of what QLD has to offer for those that love Aussie parrots and birds. Fig Parrots would be one of the stars for example. I was thinking about staying at Chambers Lodge near Lake Eacham. After a long flight to Cairns from the USA I thought this might be a restful place and a good place to see and film Fig Parrots and other native Aussie birds. Any feedback from local Aussies? Thanks! Don K _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
David, You are right about Fig-Parrots being difficult to see. Sometimes one can be within two metres of the bird and are still searching for it. Though at that distance one can usually hear the seeds cracking (or strictly the one seeded fruits as the fig is really a synconium). Good advice also about looking in low fruiting trees. On the Tablelands at the moment they must be fairly hungry as they are tucking into figs still green. Regards, Alan Alan’s Wildlife Tours 2 Mather Road Yungaburra 4884 Phone 07 4095 3784 Mobile 0408 953 786 http://www.alanswildlifetours.com.au/ —–Original Message—– Sent: Monday, June 23, 2014 11:02 AM around Cairns and surrounds Sorry to answer so late…something reminded me about Cairns and Fig Parrots recently and I thought I’d add a couple of notes. I live in far southern NSW where we don’t have Fig Parrots. I visit Cairns whenever possible and the birding in and around town is great. In fact, I’ve found Fig Parrots there in different years surprisingly easily to find. I don’t mean out in the hinterland, I mean in Cairns itself, right at that big plaza by the Woolies and the bus depot and over in Century Lakes Park. I have no idea if they’ll be around when you’re there, but it’s worth keeping an ear open. (Like many of the parrots in my area, I assume that you could see them every day for weeks and then not again for months…but I don’t really know as I only visit the area.) I don’t know about their life history in detail, but would figure that Fig Parrots are nomadic, like so many Aussie parrots and birds. The key to finding them (as anyone on the ground will say) is to know their flight call instantly. They coming buzzing overhead with a zzzzzt-zzzzt and disappear into a tree. I normally find call transcriptions a waste of space but “zzzzzt-zzzzzt” really does hit the mark in this case. I don’t know if it’s just me, but there can be flock of them in a tree just meters from you and they’re still hard to find. Tiny, ever-clambering, green birds in dark green foliage. Up high, naturally 😉 I suspect that the Cairns environment doesn’t have more Fig Parrots it’s just that they’re may be easier to see. Lower, more spread-out trees make tiny, green canopy lovers a whole lot easier to spot. They are just so small! In proper rainforest, they zip overhead and good luck. Even if you’re at the margin, you can hear them coming over and then they’re Somewhere In One of Those Trees. Grrr! [Later] I’ve just checked both the Pizzey and Morcombe apps and am not in love with the flight calls for Fig Parrots in either. I’d assume it’s really hard to get it right. I don’t know the bird’s other calls so I can’t comment. If someone that lives around Fig Parrots and hears them regularly could suggest a representative recording of a Fig Parrot flight call, that would be great. (If that turns out to be one of the ones I didn’t find entirely right, I’ll happily defer to those more experienced.) Bonus: I don’t know if they’re still there, but for that past couple of years running there have been huge numbers of Bush Stone-curlews on the Anderson St. (southern) side of the Cemetery resting during the day. If your friends are from the USA, Stone-curlews (Thick-knees to our friends on other continents) should be pretty satisfying. The first time I stumbled across a pair I had absolutely no idea what they were….I said “It looks like a plover crossed with an owl.” I’ll stand by that 😉 if your friends are coming from a part of the USA with Burrowing Owls, the comparison makes more sense…Anyway, it’s a great photo opportunity, if they’re there. At night, you can normally find them calling and in numbers around the Esplanade…which is also great for close views of Spoonbills. Another crowd-pleaser for USA visitors since their only Spoonbill, while spectacular, is pretty darn hard to see in the political USA. _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org —– No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG – http://www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4592 / Virus Database: 3972/7724 – Release Date: 06/22/14 _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Sorry to answer so late…something reminded me about Cairns and Fig Parrots recently and I thought I’d add a couple of notes. I live in far southern NSW where we don’t have Fig Parrots. I visit Cairns whenever possible and the birding in and around town is great. In fact, I’ve found Fig Parrots there in different years surprisingly easily to find. I don’t mean out in the hinterland, I mean in Cairns itself, right at that big plaza by the Woolies and the bus depot and over in Century Lakes Park. I have no idea if they’ll be around when you’re there, but it’s worth keeping an ear open. (Like many of the parrots in my area, I assume that you could see them every day for weeks and then not again for months…but I don’t really know as I only visit the area.) I don’t know about their life history in detail, but would figure that Fig Parrots are nomadic, like so many Aussie parrots and birds. The key to finding them (as anyone on the ground will say) is to know their flight call instantly. They coming buzzing overhead with a zzzzzt-zzzzt and disappear into a tree. I normally find call transcriptions a waste of space but “zzzzzt-zzzzzt” really does hit the mark in this case. I don’t know if it’s just me, but there can be flock of them in a tree just meters from you and they’re still hard to find. Tiny, ever-clambering, green birds in dark green foliage. Up high, naturally 😉 I suspect that the Cairns environment doesn’t have more Fig Parrots it’s just that they’re may be easier to see. Lower, more spread-out trees make tiny, green canopy lovers a whole lot easier to spot. They are just so small! In proper rainforest, they zip overhead and good luck. Even if you’re at the margin, you can hear them coming over and then they’re Somewhere In One of Those Trees. Grrr! [Later] I’ve just checked both the Pizzey and Morcombe apps and am not in love with the flight calls for Fig Parrots in either. I’d assume it’s really hard to get it right. I don’t know the bird’s other calls so I can’t comment. If someone that lives around Fig Parrots and hears them regularly could suggest a representative recording of a Fig Parrot flight call, that would be great. (If that turns out to be one of the ones I didn’t find entirely right, I’ll happily defer to those more experienced.) Bonus: I don’t know if they’re still there, but for that past couple of years running there have been huge numbers of Bush Stone-curlews on the Anderson St. (southern) side of the Cemetery resting during the day. If your friends are from the USA, Stone-curlews (Thick-knees to our friends on other continents) should be pretty satisfying. The first time I stumbled across a pair I had absolutely no idea what they were….I said “It looks like a plover crossed with an owl.” I’ll stand by that 😉 if your friends are coming from a part of the USA with Burrowing Owls, the comparison makes more sense…Anyway, it’s a great photo opportunity, if they’re there. At night, you can normally find them calling and in numbers around the Esplanade…which is also great for close views of Spoonbills. Another crowd-pleaser for USA visitors since their only Spoonbill, while spectacular, is pretty darn hard to see in the political USA. _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org