McIvor River, Cooktown

I had my first visit to the McIvor River off Battle Camp Road north of Cooktown on Sept 27 following our rock art tour that morning with Willie Gordon from what was Guurrbi Tours (but is now Adventure North Australia), an interesting cultural perspective with some unique insights into the history of some of the paintings, well worth doing if you are around Cooktown. Anyway, McIvor River was well worth a look even in the heat of the early afternoon, with the 24km gravel road section in good condition. White-browed Robin was vocal and easy to see, they seem to have either gone or become very hard at the former classic site at Big Mitchell Creek no doubt due to the ridiculous amount of burning there that is turning the country into a desert. I had brief views of Spectacled Monarch and suspect they may be the white-bellied taxon albiventris, but the best sighting for me was Tropical Scrubwren of that odd race dubius that is very like Large-billed Scrubwren but has narrow white wingbars. Sadly I did not hear them call, I know the northern birds sound nothing like Large-billed and would have liked to have heard these southern ones. Fairy Gerygone was common here, as was Graceful Honeyeater. No sign yet of those odd monarchs that the guide books all call Black-winged Monarch- all I can say is why do they sound like Black-faced, and how come New Guinea Black-winged are hill forest birds and sound nothing like these? Sure a lot to be learned about them, and I’d love to know if anyone has actually seen this Australian taxon in New Guinea. I am unable to trace any records……Martin Cachard is the guru here with the McIvor River birds of course. Good birding Phil Gregory Website 1: Http://www.sicklebillsafaris.com Website 2: Http://www.cassowary-house.com.au