Black Mountain Road to Granite Gorge

Another action-packed day began along Black Mountain Road at first light. At first we could only hear lots of birds and we weren't actually seeing anything. But a random bit of tape playing resulted in several Noisy Pittas calling back from several spots. All were a little distant and there was no way of getting 'inside' so we had to stay on the road but eventually one inquisitive bird came in a lot closer. We did find somewhere to view the forest floor from the road and after a thirty minute battle we had a couple brief views. However, on the opposite side of the road we got excellent views of a bird that circled us several times - didn't get any photos but was so happy just to nail this bird. it was one of my most wanted species for the trip, so I didn't care. We also saw a Pied Monarch and a pair of Bar-shouldered Doves as well. 

After breakfast we drove to Tinaroo Creek Road. It wasn't that far away and the habitat was much drier and arid than at Cassowary House. First new bird was our only Blue-winged Kookaburra of the trip....

Blue-winged Kookaburra

I saw a Great Bowerbird fly across the road and into the dry creek bed next to us. We walked in and discovered a bunch of new birds resting in the shade of the huge trees. Here we had White-winged Triller, Pale-headed Rosella, Rufous Whistler, White-throated Honeyeater and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher. Other goodies included Grey Shrike-Thrush, Australian Figbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Red-browed Finch and Shining Flycatcher amongst others....

Olive-backed Oriole

Further exploration along the road began to get a little harder as it was really hot, but we saw Weebill, Whistling Kite, and finally a good view of Great Bowerbird. So with the temperature soaring we drove to Mareeba Wetlands, which proved to be a bit disappointing. But the drive did turn up Brown Falcon and a close Australian Bustard....

Brown Falcon

Australian Bustard

At Mareeba we had a coffee in the Visitor Centre overlooking the lake. The water levels were way too high and the Emus were plastic! But our first Red-backed Fairywren was stunning in the Eucalyptus forest and we also scored with Barred Lorikeet, and a White-necked Heron was cool. A flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos flew over the road as we drove to granite Gorge for our date with the endemic Mareeba Rock Wallaby. Sure enough the wallabies were easy but I was more impressed seeing Squatter Pigeon and Grey-crowned Babbler....

Mareeba Rock Wallaby

The wallabies were quite confiding....

The Grey-crowned Babblers were rather frisky.....

The evening light was superb and we found Granite Gorge a great place to spend an hour. 
But there was still one more lifer to be had, although I didn't expect to tick Bush Thick-Knee walking around the pubs patio this evening.......

Bush Thick-Knee taken by my iPhone

Cassowary House - Cattana Wetlands - Centenary Lakes

Our first full day at the wonderful Cassowary House started with a Little Shrike-Thrush in the gardens, followed by our first Rufous Fantail and Fairy Gerygone. All of a sudden we heard the shout of "cassowary" form Sue and we legged it onto the verandah where a male Southern Cassowary and his 3 young were feeding below us. What a strange looking bird, almost prehistoric in fact. So we ate an awesome breakfast on the verandah overlooking the Cassowary family and also enjoying our first Macleay's Honeyeater and a very obliging Black Butcherbird coming on to the feeders. With Dusky Rat Kangaroo and Orange-footed Scrubfowl feeding below us.

Southern Cassowary

Phil Gregory told us that the high street in Kuranda was full of fruiting trees and we should try there for fig-parrot, so off we went straight after breakfast. The small 'touristy' town was alive with birds, with hundreds of Australian Figbirds, many Barred Cuckooshrikes, stonking Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Mistletoebird and our only Double-eyed Fig-Parrots of the whole trip. We had to wait quite a while before the fig-parrots came in but the wait was definitely worthwhile - what a bird. A flyover Grey Goshawk was a real bonus here too.

Australian Figbird (female)

Australian Figbird (male)

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot

Grey Goshawk

From here we visited the Cattana Wetlands, a series of lagoons surrounded by some decent habitat. One of the main prizes here is Crimson Finch and a small group were seen here, but not by me! But we did get Comb-crested Jacana, Azure Kingfisher, Green Pygmy-Goose, Leaden Flycatcher, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Straw-necked Ibis, Little Eagle, Magpie Goose, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Black-necked Stork and White-faced Heron. 

Azure Kingfisher

Nearby, a small pond beside a golf course at Yorkey's Knob was pretty quiet although an Eastern Osprey, White-bellied Cuckooshrike and Brown Honeyeater were seen.

White-bellied Cuckooshrike

Our last stop of the day was at Centenary Lakes in Cairns and this was one of our favourite places. It was something of a surprise to find such a bird-filled place in the middle of the city. Upon arrival we noted lots of Torresian Imperial-Pigeons flying around and some Rainbow Bee-eaters perched in the trees overhanging the lake. A pair of Radjah Shelducks looked stunning in the late afternoon light, whilst Australian Swiftlet, Common Cicadabird and Large-billed Gerygone were all new. We also got lucky bumping into a local birder who gave us a tipoff about a spot for Little Kingfisher, which showed nicely albeit distantly.

Bird of the day was this Little Kingfisher - the only one of the trip

Pacific Black Duck is very common

Radjah Shelduck

Straw-necked and Australian White Ibis

We stayed until after dark in the vain hope of some nightbirds before returning to Cassowary House.

Queensland Here We Come!

Flew to Cairns this morning and after picking up the hire car drove just a few minutes away to the famous esplanade. Parking along the seafront we walked across the road and it was apparent that the tide was out, so not ideal conditions. However, we picked up numerous trip ticks: Great Knot, Terek Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Grey-tailed Tattler, Curlew Sandpiper, Eastern Curlew, Red-capped Plover, Gull-billed Tern, Silver Gull, Sacred Kingfisher, and other more familiar species. We then picked up some provisions in a nearby supermarket and sat outside enjoying ice-creams and our first Yellow Honeyeater as well, before driving to the far side of the esplanade and set out to find Mangrove Robin in the mangroves. Well, it didn't take long to find the robin and we enjoyed cracking views before getting out of there and heading off to our next destination of Cassowary House. 

Australian Pelican

Mangrove Robin

We followed a winding road up into the hills and eventually reached Cassowary House in the late afternoon. Our host, Sue Gregory, was there to meet us and we checked into our nice rooms before birding along the approach road. Dusky Honeyeater was very common here, and we also enjoyed fine looks at Australian Brush Turkey, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Spotted Catbird, Pale-yellow Robin, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Wompoo Fruit-Dove and Forest Kingfisher. An Eastern Whipbird wasn't new but gave us much better looks than the one in Royal NP, and we also saw Spectacled Monarch, Orange-footed Scrubfowl and Metallic Starling.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove

Spectacled Monarch

Spotted Catbird

Forest Kingfisher

Eastern Whipbird

Royal National Park

With continuing high winds that were going to plague our time in Australia, our pelagic out of Sydney was cancelled yesterday. So we headed into Royal National Park for the day instead. This turned out to be quite a good day as we spent our time in excellent habitat notching up plenty of lifers along the way. We began around a lake with Australian White Ibis, Australasian Darter, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Wattlebird, Azure Kingfisher and a cracking group of Variegated Fairywrens, before heading along Lady Carrington Drive seeing Lewin's Honeyeater, Topknot Pigeon, Brown Gerygone and, best of all, Superb Lyrebird. 

Rainbow Lorikeet

Topknot Pigeon

Variegated Fairywren

Lewin's Honeyeater

Superb Lyrebird

Another location across the park proved interesting as our walk across the heathland gave us excellent looks at numerous New Holland Honeyeaters and the striking Southern Emu-Wren. And we ended the day trying in vain for Green Catbird, but did get Red-browed Treecreeper and Eastern Whipbird. 

Red-browed Treecreeper

We returned to Sydney for the night and made our preparations for tomorrow's flight to Cairns in tropical Queensland.

Capertee Valley

Just over an hour away from Lithgow was the Capertee Valley, which is one of those iconic birding sites you just have to visit if your in the area....

Capertee Valley

After picking up some food in a nearby gas station we drove into the valley and quickly began nailing plenty of new birds just along the road. A line of trees and fence posts in one small area gave us White-plumed Honeyeater, Jacky Winter, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Speckled Warbler, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Little Friarbird, Yellow Thornbill, Silver-eye, a flyover Wedge-tailed Eagle, and White-throated Gerygone. Wow!

Buff-rumped Thornbill

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Yellow Thornbill

We drove further along and stopped on the road again when we saw some movement, which actually turned out to be a large flock of stunning White-browed Woodswallows. There were probably 50 - 100 present and I tried really hard to get a decent photo but they were not confiding at all. Also at the same spot was Fuscous Honeyeater, a flock of Plum-headed Finches, and a Turquoise Parrot flew through (but I missed that).

White-browed Woodswallow

Fuscous Honeyeater

Along this route we also saw Red-necked Wallaby and Eastern Grey Kangaroos as well. Surreal! Oh, and also a flock of White-winged Chough, Noisy Miner and Common Bronzewing. The rest of the day was spent stopping anywhere we saw a bird or to check out some pools, or just to take a stroll. We were constantly hampered by a really strong wind that no doubt cost us any chance of Regent Honeyeater and a few other birds, but on the whole we did quite well. 

Notable goodies included Chestnut Teal, Black-fronted Dotterel, Latham's Snipe, Diamond Firetail, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Australian Pipit, Pallid Cuckoo, Dusky Woodswallow, Little Corella, flocks of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crested Pigeon, Red-browed Finch, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, White-naped Honeyeater, Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo, Double-barred Finch and a Wombat!

Australian Pipit

Pallid Cuckoo

Crested Pigeon

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo

Little Corella 

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

We ended the day at Genowlan Bridge ticking Hooded Robin, Restless Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, and Pied and Grey Butcherbird on the drive out. And from here it took over 3 hours to drive back to our hotel in Sydney. 

Restless Flycatcher