Go North -- 11 -- Daintree

Eventually the birding adventure had to finish but there was a last hurrah for Ethan and me. We did an early morning birding cruise on the Daintree River with Sauce Worcester. Highly recommended. It was fantastic. His knowledge of birds is terrific as is his knowledge of all things local be it floral or faunal.

We saw ....

Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana

This bird is a known resident to Sauce. We pulled up near a creek junction,
Sauce played the call once and he appeared out of the bush letting us know
in no uncertain terms that THIS was HIS territory. An impressive bird.

Striated Heron Butorides striatus

Little Bronze-cuckoo Chalcites minutillus

Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azurea

Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum

Rainbow Bee-eaters Merops ornatus

Shining Flycatcher, female Myiagra alecto

Mr S Flycatcher

On our way back to Mossman we observed a whole heap of sticks atop an electricity pole.

Heap of sticks

The Resident, an Eastern Osprey Pandion cristatus

The final bird of the trip to Cape York
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonhcura castaneothorax

So, the number of birds for the 21-day trip was 190.

Magic. f8 and be there!

Go South 06 -- Tyto Wetlands, Ingham

This is a great spot just to the south of Ingham township. Saw about 40 species of birds here on a walk around most of the wetlands freshly overfull after a LOT of rain in the previous two days. Tyto Tony blogs about this place; always well worth a read. John Young [of Night Parrot fame] had a major role in the design.

 Here is a selection of birds seen.

Rainbow Bee-eaters Merops ornatus
These birds were fresh in from southern climes
on their northward migration

Yellow Honeyeater
Lichenostomus flavus

Rufous-throated Honeyeater Conopophila albogularis

White-browed Robin
Poecilodryas superciliosa

Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leugophrys with a LARGE meal

White-Breasted Woodswallows Artamus leucorynchus

Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax

Go South 05 -- north to Mt Lewis

I drove to the end of the road that goes to the top of Mt Lewis between Mossman and Mt Molloy, home to the Blue-faced Parrot-finch. This is the easiest place to observe this uncommon and possibly rare bird.

A gravel road snakes up from the valley through rainforest for 12km or so before topping out onto a relatively flat area where the trees have been cleared and rank grass is growing in an area, say, three hundred metres by one hundred metres. I slowed down and stopped and there, without even having had time to switch the engine off, were some Blue-faced Parrot-finches in full view eating seeds on the top of long grass stems just a few yards from the car. Wow. Not that often you see a target bird so quickly, easily and predictably. Job done.

The alternatives now were ...
1) turn around and drive off to the next target, or
2) camp.

I decided the latter. Next morning I walked further along the track past the locked gate and saw Yellow-throated Scrubwrens in the company of both Bassian and Russett-tailed Thrushes, all to the accompaniment of Spotted Catbirds, Grey-headed Robins and no camera!

Blue-faced Parrot-finch Erythrura trichora

In company with BFPFs were lots of other finch-type birds.

Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis

Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulata

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax

Grey-headed Robin
Heteromyias cinereifrons

Yellow-throated Scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis

Dutchman flies home

Finally, the last instalment of the trip of Robert, the vogel-meister. After leaving Heath and Robert on the Sunshine Coast, I drove back home and several weeks later, flew to Cairns to retrieve my vehicle and drive it back home.

Heath had already departed for his new job tour-guiding folk from Broome to Darwin. Robert picked me up at the airport, we chatted and slept at the YHA and arose early for a last blast of birding before his departure at noon. We checked out the Centenary Lakes, the Botanic Gardens, the cafe in the CBG for a most excellent breakfast - it can't be all work and no play - and an area to the north of the Esplanade on the foreshore.

At Centenary Lakes species included ...

Radjah Shelduck, Magpie Geese, Yellow Honeyeater, Brushturkey and Scrub-fowl, Olive-backed Sunbird, Baza, Black Butcherbird, Little Kingfisher, Bush Stone-curlew and Papuan Frogmouth.

Black Butcherbird Cracticus quoyi

Bush Stone-curlew
Burhinus grallarius

Little Kingfisher Ceyx pusilla

Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah

Papuan Frogmouth  Podgarus papuensis

There is always something to see on the Esplanade. Our highlights included Grey-tailed Tattler, Bar-tailed Godwits colouring up, Great Knots, Varied Honeyeater, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.. We dipped on the Mangrove Robin.

Bar-tailed Godwit Mimosa lapponica

Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris

Varied Honeyeater Lichenostomus versicolor

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Coracina papuensis

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax

So, a successful birding trip for both Robert and myself. The exact figure for Robert is over 400 species seen! A pretty good effort. He IS a good birder. Next trip will be the west coast! Will just have to wait.

Magic. f8 and be there.