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 North -- 07 -- Iron Range

Other beauties seen in Iron Range included ....

Starting with the shorebirds.

Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Torresian Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris

Eastern Reef Egret Egret sacra light and dark morph

Next the bush birds.

Brown-backed Honeyeater Ramsayornis modestus

Brown-backed Honeyeater Ramsayornis modestus

Spectacled Monarch  Symposiarchus trivirgatus

Shining Flycatcher, male Myiagra alecto

Varied Triller Lalage leucomela

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater Meliphaga notata

And best to last ... Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus. The female is the colourful one or though I think the bloke is pretty good too. There is a tree in Iron Range that has had a nesting pair forever It is visible from the road and an easy tick, if they show themselves. 10/10 to Erica for spotting the male on the branch as we were driving past. Additionally, Ethan and I spotted a pair of Double-eyed Fig-Parrots at Portlands Road which were the local race, Marshall's Double-eyed Fig-Parrot.

Eclectus Parrot, female Eclectus roratus

Eclectus Parrot, male

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, female Cyclospitta diophthalma marshalli