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

Bird Nerds in Queensland 12

It was a toss up between Lake Macdonald and Maroochy Wetlands as to my favourite site until our last visit to the wetlands. Another early start and it was going to be a good day when Ethan spotted an Azure Kingfisher as we were driving along and then we had 24 species in the carpark without moving more than 5 metres! We could have just gone home at 5.15am but decided to stay on.

Just some of the birds included ...

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina. It was about 5.15am shot against a bright sky and about 2 stops over exposed and played with in Photoshop. I think a male of the eastern form.

Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris which I believe is now called the Torresian Kingfisher. It is a large bird. There were a pair.

Third bird of the day was the Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster again. I think this is a delightful little bird. 

There were plenty of wattlebirds about, mostly Brush Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera. This one allowed a considered photographic approach in a timely fashion thus razor sharp focus. 

However, the star of the show this particular morning was the next bird. We were almost back at the carpark and deviated just a few metres down a short side path in the rain forest section. We had heard a Monarch again and I was keen to a) see it again and b) see if I could get better photos. Well, there was one flitting about near and on a small tree maybe 3-4 cm wide and suddenly we noticed the reason for the interest. Two Spectacled Monarchs Symposiarchus trivirgatus were in the last stages of completing the building of their nest. Wow. Magic. With a bit of luck I shall be back there in mid-Feb and there should be some young'uns to see. Magic.