Interlude: Warning Signs

Australia can be a dangerous place for both man & beast:

I found the use of the word "frosty" charming. Cradle Mountain in Tasmania

So even if you have four wheel drive...
Mt. Lewis Road

Don't go there
Duck Creek Road, Lamington National Forest

And if you don't want to get hit by a tree
Don't go there

Black Currawong, a possible source of contamination

Cassowary crossing, Cape Tribulation

And if the first sign didn't get the point across...

Mt Hypipamee National Park

Platypus crossing, Wilmot, Tasmania

And if all these signs have scared the crap out of you, here's the proper way to relieve yourself.

Tablelands 10/14-10/18--59 Life Birds

VICTORIA'S RIFLEBIRD, Chambers Rainforest Lodge

We made our way south from Daintree and a little west to higher ground on the Tablelands, where it was dry below and rain forest again once you went up into the mountains. Our first lifer was yet another honeyeater, BRIDLED HONEYEATER at a little park sponsored by the Lions in Mossman and our last life bird there, 4 days later, at the Cathedral Fig Tree, a BOWER'S SHRIKETHRUSH.

In between, there were 57 other lifers, including the glorious VICTORIA'S RIFLEBIRD which came to eat banana on our railing at Chambers Rainforest Lodge, two species of crane--SARUS & BROLGA, and displaying AUSTRALIAN BUSTARD in the fields around Maryfarms. While the photos are not great (or even good) they're worth looking at:

SARUS, adult and juvenile

BROLGA
(the difference between the cranes is the amount of red on the face & neck: Brolga only has red wrapping around
the top of the head, while on Sarus, the red extends down to the neck)

AUSTRALIAN BUSTARD displaying

AUSTRALIAN BUSTARD (hen)

We also got our first looks at a bower of a bowerbird on a suburban street in Julatten built by a GREAT BOWERBIRD. This species is only interested in white objects, so there were lots of white stones, shells, and plastic in it. Later, in Mt Molloy, we found a couple of others which were in better light to photograph:

GREAT BOWERBIRD

It was also in Mount Molloy that we found a SQUATTER PIGEON, which are apparently hard to find since Andrew (the owner of Kingfisher Lodge) insisted that we all go back to see it after Lon, who was lagging behind, showed him a photo of it.


Mount Molloy itself, a rather dry and dusty country town, is a cartographic misnomer as there is no "Mount" anywhere near it; the "Mt" originally stood for "Mining Town" on the early maps and later map makers, not knowing the history or nomenclature, assumed it stood for the non-existent geographic feature. The residents all refer to the town simply as "Molloy"

Our time in the tablelands was split between two lodges, Kingfisher and Chambers, the first which featured many honeyeaters coming into their feeders, as well as RED-BROWED FIRETAILS and Chestnut-breasted Munias, with Orange-footed Scrubfowls and brushturkeys running rampant. Chambers was the place to have riflebirds on the railing outside your room, as wells as Lewin's Honeyeater, Spotted Catbird (which are 10 times more annoying than our Gray Catbirds) and Black Butcherbird.

                            Spotted Catbird                                                                        Black Butcherbird
While botany is not my favorite science, two gigantic strangler figs were the centerpieces of a couple of birding spots we went to. The Curtain Fig is aptly named, the Cathedral Fig perhaps a bit grand, but still impressive. (Curtain fig on the left, with Peg & Shari for scale, Cathedral on the right)

Curtain/Cathedral

Instead of me attempting to explain the process to you

After our four days on the Tablelands, we drove down to Cairns (where we picked up TEREK SANDPIPER on the esplanade) and flew to Brisbane.

Species                 First Sighting

Magpie Goose   Julatten

PLUMED WHISTLING-DUCK   Hasties Swamp National Park

Freckled Duck   Hasties Swamp National Park

Black Swan   Lake Mitchell

GREEN PYGMY-GOOSE   Lake Mitchell

Pacific Black Duck   Julatten

Gray Teal   Julatten

PINK-EARED DUCK   Hasties Swamp National Park

Hardhead   Julatten

Australian Brushturkey   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Orange-footed Scrubfowl   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Helmeted Guineafowl   Granite Gorge Nature Park

Australasian Grebe   Julatten

Great Crested Grebe   Lake Eacham

Brown Cuckoo-Dove   Julatten

Pacific Emerald Dove   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

SQUATTER PIGEON   Mount Molloy

Peaceful Dove   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Bar-shouldered Dove   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

WOMPOO FRUIT-DOVE   Mossman

AUSTRALIAN BUSTARD   Maryfarms

Pacific Koel   Mount Molloy

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo   Mt Lewis Rd

Little Bronze-Cuckoo   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

Fan-tailed Cuckoo   Hasties Swamp National Park

Australian Swiftlet   Bromfield Swamp Viewing Platform

Eurasian Coot   Lake Mitchell

Australasian Swamphen   Hasties Swamp National Park

SARUS CRANE   Gillies Highway, East Barron

BROLGA   Gillies Highway, East Barron

PIED STILT   Hasties Swamp National Park

Masked Lapwing   Julatten

ORIENTAL PLOVER   Maryfarms

RED-KNEED DOTTEREL   Hasties Swamp National Park

BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL   Hasties Swamp National Park

COMB-CRESTED JACANA   Julatten

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper   Hasties Swamp National Park

LATHAM'S SNIPE   Hasties Swamp National Park

Common Sandpiper   Hasties Swamp National Park

AUSTRALIAN PRATINCOLE   Maryfarms

Silver Gull   Bromfield Swamp Viewing Platform

Gull-billed Tern   Hasties Swamp National Park

Whiskered Tern   Bromfield Swamp Viewing Platform

Australasian Darter   Julatten

Little Pied Cormorant   Lake Eacham, top carpark

Little Black Cormorant   Hasties Swamp National Park

Australian Pelican   Julatten

Pacific Heron   Hasties Swamp National Park

Great Egret   Julatten

Intermediate Egret   Lake Mitchell

White-faced Heron   Julatten

Cattle Egret   Julatten

Glossy Ibis   Julatten

Australian Ibis   Julatten

Straw-necked Ibis   Julatten

Royal Spoonbill   Julatten

BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE   Bromfield Swamp Viewing Platform

BLACK-BREASTED KITE   Maryfarms

SQUARE-TAILED KITE   Maryfarms

SPOTTED HARRIER   Maryfarms

RED GOSHAWK   Lake Mitchell

Black Kite   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Whistling Kite   Hasties Swamp National Park

SOOTY OWL   Crater Lakes National Park

Laughing Kookaburra   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

BLUE-WINGED KOOKABURRA   Julatten

Forest Kingfisher   Julatten

Australian Kestrel   Maryfarms

RED-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOO   Maryfarms

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo   Bromfield Swamp Viewing Platform

Rainbow Lorikeet   Julatten

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Spotted Catbird   Mossman - Mt Molloy Rd

TOOTH-BILLED BOWERBIRD   Mt Lewis Rd

GOLDEN BOWERBIRD   Mount Hypipamee National Park

GREAT BOWERBIRD   Julatten

White-throated Treecreeper   Mt Lewis Rd

Lewin's Honeyeater   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

GRACEFUL HONEYEATER   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

YELLOW HONEYEATER   Granite Gorge Nature Park

YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

BRIDLED HONEYEATER   Mount Hypipamee National Park

DUSKY MYZOMELA   Julatten

SCARLET MYZOMELA   Curtain Fig Tree

WHITE-CHEEKED HONEYEATER   Julatten

BLUE-FACED HONEYEATER   Julatten

BLACK-CHINNED HONEYEATER   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

MACLEAY'S HONEYEATER   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

LITTLE FRIARBIRD   Maryfarms

SILVER-CROWNED FRIARBIRD   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

NOISY FRIARBIRD   Mount Molloy

FERNWREN   Mt Lewis Rd

YELLOW-THROATED SCRUBWREN   Mt Lewis Rd

ATHERTON SCRUBWREN   Mt Lewis Rd

MOUNTAIN THORNBILL   Mt Lewis Rd

Brown Gerygone   Mossman

GRAY-CROWNED BABBLER   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

CHOWCHILLA   Mt Lewis Rd

Eastern Whipbird   Mt Lewis Rd

YELLOW-BREASTED BOATBILL   Mossman

White-breasted Woodswallow   Julatten

Pied Butcherbird   Maryfarms Black Butcherbird Crater Lakes National Park

Pied Currawong   Mount Hypipamee National Park

Barred Cuckooshrike   Mt Lewis Rd

Black-faced Cuckooshrike   Bromfield Swamp Viewing Platform

White-bellied Cuckooshrike   Julatten

WHITE-WINGED TRILLER   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

BOWER'S SHRIKETHRUSH   Lake Eacham

LITTLE SHRIKETHRUSH   Mossman

GOLDEN WHISTLER   Mt Lewis

GRAY WHISTLER   Julatten

Australasian Figbird   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Spangled Drongo   Mossman

Northern Fantail   Mossman

Willie-wagtail   Julatten

Gray Fantail   Mt Lewis Rd

Black-faced Monarch   Mossman

SPECTACLED MONARCH   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

PIED MONARCH   Curtain Fig Tree

Magpie-lark   Mount Molloy

Leaden Flycatcher   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

Torresian Crow   Maryfarms

VICTORIA'S RIFLEBIRD   Crater Lakes National Park

LEMON-BELLIED FLYCATCHER   Big Mitchell Creek Reserve

PALE-YELLOW ROBIN   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Gray-headed Robin   Mossman

GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLA   Lake Mitchell

Metallic Starling   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

MISTLETOEBIRD   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Australasian Pipit   Maryfarms

RED-BROWED FIRETAIL   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Chestnut-Breasted Munia   Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

Lady Elliot Island 10/20--BUFF-BANDED RAIL, WANDERING TATTLER, BROWN NODDY, BLACK NODDY, BRIDLED TERN, SOOTY TERN, BLACK-NAPED TERN, RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD

BLACK NODDY on nest

The Port Hervey (pronounced "Harvey") airport, at 7 AM, is the emptiest airport on the planet. No one was there--no agents, no car rental booth open, no vendors, no maintenance men, no custodians--no one in sight until we walked the length of the terminal and found the small departure gate for the Lady Elliot Island airplane service. Where a small, very small plane, awaited us. 13 passengers (one up front with the pilot) piled into the little plane, its seats inexplicably upholstered in beige plush. 3 seats across with an aisle that I measured as the length of my iPhone 6S (the small version).

35 minutes later we were on Lady Elliot Island, a a link in the chain of islands that pop up from the Great Barrier Reef. Before we were even out of the plane we had life birds, as BROWN NODDIES nest at the ends of the grass runway and hope for the best. Descending the rickety little ladder I saw my 2nd lifer pecking for food on the runway, a BUFF-BANDED RAIL, a bird I'd seen listed for the island, but so focused on noddies and other terns was I that I'd forgotten about it.

BUFF-BANDED RAIL

A young woman met our flight and began an orientation, but I was completely distracted by the birds, especially since everywhere I looked, in all the trees, bushes, and shrubbery, there were BLACK NODDIES nesting. Just walking from the runway to the cafeteria we passed literally hundreds of them.

BROWN NODDY

Then there were the terns (though noddies are also in the tern family)--in quick succession we added BRIDLED TERN, SOOTY TERN, and BLACK-NAPED TERN. Bridled Terns were the most numerous by far. Like most terns, their nests are rudimentary at best--a few scratches to to make a hollow in the shingle, and they nest wherever they won't get stepped on, including the space between two benches at the departure area:

BRIDLED TERN on nest

SOOTY TERN

We took a little walk toward the coral beach and soon found, nesting beneath some low trees, RED-TAILED TROPICBIRDS. So within about a half hour we 6 amazing life birds. 

RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD with chick

We all dispersed at this point--some to go snorkeling, others to ride in the glass bottom boat, and Mike & I to continue exploring. We got one more life bird--a WANDERING TATTLER on the beach. Fortunately, Mike took a photo so Kim could confirm the i.d. later because they look, from a distance, similar to Grey-tailed Tattler, which we already "had." Along the way we also found birds like Pacific Reef Heron (both color morphs), White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Sooty Oystercatcher (I made sure Shari saw that one), and even our first Ruddy Turnstones of the trip, foraging along the very busy airstrip. 

Pacific Reef Herons, white and dark morphs

We were on the island for about 8 hours. The quantity of birds seen was rather small for the time, but the quality of those seen was very high. 

17 species (+1 other taxa)
BUFF-BANDED RAIL 100 rough count
Sooty Oystercatcher 2
Pacific Golden-Plover 1 lawn near reception
Ruddy Turnstone 3
WANDERING TATTLER 2
Gray-tailed/Wandering Tattler 1
Silver Gull 100
BROWN NODDY 500 nesting
BLACK NODDY 5000 nesting
SOOTY TERN 3
BRIDLED TERN 200 nesting
BLACK-NAPED TERN 5
Great Crested Tern 350
RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD 6 nesting beneath trees
Pacific Reef-Heron 10
White-bellied Sea-Eagle 1
Silver-eye 5
House Sparrow 20

Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve 10/21--CRESTED PIGEON, BRUSH CUCKOO, TORRESIAN KINGFISHER, PALE-HEADED ROSELLA, RED-BACKED FAIRYWREN, MANGROVE HONEYEATER, MANGROVE GERYGONE, RUFOUS WHISTLER, RUFOUS FANTAIL

RED-BACKED FAIRYWREN

MANGROVE HONEYEATER

On our way to O'Reilly's we had to go back through Brisbane, so Kim stopped at the Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve just outside the city so the whole day wouldn't be spent just traveling. Yet another honeyeater was our target here and following Zirlin's 2nd law of birding, it didn't look like we'd get it, but after having given up, Kim found a MANGROVE HONEYEATER in, where else, a mangrove along the river.

But the highlight bird for me was the RED-BACKED FAIRYWREN pictured above. It was our 3rd fairywren of the trip. Fairywrens were one the cohort of birds that captured my imagination when I was looking through the field guides to Australia, so I was happy to get great looks at these little beauties.

We also cleared up a nomenclature problem. We found a large kingfisher which Kim identified as a Collared Kingfisher. However, nowhere on eBird was this name available. By process of elimination, it seemed to be a TORRESIAN KINGFISHER, but it wasn't until I got on Google and found that the species had been recently split that the mystery was solved. "Torresian" is a very big adjective for birds in Australia, referring to the narrow Torres Strait which separates Papua New Guinea from the York Peninsula and is a favored migratory route.

PALE-HEADED ROSELLA

Two other life birds sandwiched our time at Tinchi Tamba: before we got there we stopped for a PALE-HEADED ROSELLA that Kim espied on the highway, though we got a much better look at the wetlands itself. Then, just outside Brisbane's city center in a section called Bald Hills we pulled off to the side of busy road to get some quick looks at CRESTED PIGEONS, another bird that caught my eye in the field guide. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any decent pictures in the brief time we had to stop because the birds were behind a wire fence and my camera insisted on focusing on the fence instead of the pigeons.
28 species
Australian Brushturkey 1
Bar-shouldered Dove 1
BRUSH CUCKOO 1
Gull-billed Tern (Australian) 1
Little Black Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
White-faced Heron 1
Little Egret (Australasian) 1
Striated Heron 1
Straw-necked Ibis 1
Royal Spoonbill 1
Whistling Kite 1
Forest Kingfisher 1
TORRESIAN KINGFISHER 1 near hide
Sacred Kingfisher 1
PALE-HEADED ROSELLA 1 near hide
RED-BACKED FAIRYWREN 2
Yellow-faced Honeyeater 2
Noisy Miner 2
MANGROVE HONEYEATER 1 mangrove
MANGROVE GERYGONE 1
Australian Magpie (Black-backed) 3
Gray Shrikethrush 1
RUFOUS WHISTLER 3
Olive-backed Oriole 1 at crossroads of trails
RUFOUS FANTAIL 1
Magpie-lark 1
Torresian Crow 3