The birding tour to the Tablelands ended this afternoon and Klaus was a great guide and the American birding couple from New Mexico were fun to travel with.
Besides the Cassowary this morning we had some other birding highlights on our travels to Cairns on this hot humid day. We had the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin at Eubenengee Swamp and then the Rainbow Bee-eater at the Cemetery here in Cairns. Our group also stopped at the Esplanade to look for shorebirds this afternoon and we got good looks at the Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tatler, March Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper. The tide was coming in quickly and the Australian Pelicans ended up on a grassy spot right in front of us.
After parting from the tour group, I hustled down to the 4 o'clock Esplanade birders to let John Seale know what I saw on the tour and some of the locations and to say good-bye to the group. While there we saw the Grey Plover which I had not seen before. Birding in the Cairns area was great and the local birders were very helpful. Tomorrow it is Sidney....
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Wednesday October 30, 2013 - Cassowary !!!! YES1
It is not even 9:00 am yet today but we did get our target bird for the day already. We were out the door by 6:00 am to go to the trails to look for the Cassowary out there and we did look but did not find any recent droppings. Going down the road to another trail, we had a female Cassowary just wandering along the roadway. It took its time, a car stopped for it and we had time to look at ti and I even took some photos of it. This non-flying bird is magnificent and looks regal with the casque on its head and the unbelievable colours on its nect. It was totally oblivious of humans and cars and moved slowly along. At this time of year, there are young chicks around but they are plane brown, so we were really lucky to have seen a mature bird. This is a lovely bird. Cassowarys eat anything but they love fruit and this was heading to the banana plantation.
gtg
gtg
Tuesday October 29, 2013
Today was a hot hot day and we spent it looking for the Cassowary. We went down several trails and paths in two different places. Then we saw signs saying "slow down - Cassowary Chicks around" but did not see them anywhere. It was almost hot enough to feel my brain boil. We did have a good start at Eacham Lake at 6:00 am finding the Spinebill and the Rifle Bird and the King Parrots. We had the Rufous Honeyeater at the motel, along with a lone House Sparrow. Tonight we are in the lowlands and the extreme heat and humidity and near the Coral Sea. We drove along the coast and the tides was high and the waves were wild. Right now I can hear the crickets and little Cane Toads making rustling noises in the brush near by along with the Geckcos making their kissing noises.. Also I can hear the Flying Foxes (you know what these are - those rodents that I don't like are also around and this is the time when the snakes come out and start looking for food so I am looking out for a smooth rustling noise also. We already found one python in the dark the other night and don't need that again.
I did have something like fire ants on me today and you should have seen me dance!! I guess I walked by a nest which had been disturbed.
Actually there are now too many noises in the dark here now and it is creeping me out, so will cut this short. I could not get a signal in my room so had to come out to outside the motel office and everything is dark and no one is around. My American friend just left me. The internet access in Australia is so far in the dark ages and most places charge $5 for 1/2 hour, this place was for a change free.
Tomorrow is our last day of the tour and I will be back in Cannes for the night to leave for Sidney the next morning. This Bowerbird Tour has been great and I was with very nice people.
gtg, too many jungle sounds!
I did have something like fire ants on me today and you should have seen me dance!! I guess I walked by a nest which had been disturbed.
Actually there are now too many noises in the dark here now and it is creeping me out, so will cut this short. I could not get a signal in my room so had to come out to outside the motel office and everything is dark and no one is around. My American friend just left me. The internet access in Australia is so far in the dark ages and most places charge $5 for 1/2 hour, this place was for a change free.
Tomorrow is our last day of the tour and I will be back in Cannes for the night to leave for Sidney the next morning. This Bowerbird Tour has been great and I was with very nice people.
gtg, too many jungle sounds!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Whacked by a shower head no worries
Last night we stayed in Yougaburra, In the very nice motel bathroom I stepped into the shower with the Rainforest Shower head that was showering down on me and it very quickly fell off and the metal shower head whacked me badly on my right cheek (not the buttock but the face!!!) and it hurt enough but did not think It would show....today I have a bruise on my cheek but nothing like when I fell in May but it is there and it is tender at least it is on the other cheek
We are just taking a break and I found an Internet
Birds seem today include Golden Bowerbird and Golden Whistler and Victoria's Rifle Bird ready to displaying
A hot hot day again
Gtg battery on phone is less than 10%
We are just taking a break and I found an Internet
Birds seem today include Golden Bowerbird and Golden Whistler and Victoria's Rifle Bird ready to displaying
A hot hot day again
Gtg battery on phone is less than 10%
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Day 7 Saturday October 26, 2013 - Kingfisher Lodge Jullaten
Another hot day here in the rainforest area. We took a flat boat birding trip on the Daintree River with Murray. The water was pretty good and we went quickly down the river to a small channel where we went slowly down and then back to look at birds, some of them on nests, saw the Azure Kingfisher, the Shining Flycatcher (the female is very pretty in her own way), Papuan Frogmouth, Wampoo, Dollar Bird, and a Water Dragon. This was in the Mangrove channels where it is mainly brackish water. There were the aggressive Crocodiles also in this river. The birds were really special.
In the afternoon we went up to Mount Lewis, which is at about 1000 meters and did a long trail up there looking for specialty birds up at the higher elevations. The ones we had good looks at were the Atherton Scrub Wren, Bridled Honeyeater, Fern Wren, Victoria's Rifle Bird, White-headed Pigeon and a Chowchilla family.
I guess my favourite of the day was the Wampoo on the nest and it's call is exactly the same sound as its name WAM POO!
At dusk or nearly dark we went looking for owls and found the Australian Owlet Nightjar, and an Eastern Barn Owl. The Brush Curlews call at night here and their call is bone chilling, sounding like the screams of a child or a young person.
The jungle is full of insect sounds, gecko calls, owls and curlew wails. It is quite hair raising if one listens to it. I slather on the sunscreen each day but today forgot my knees and so they got burned sitting on the boat for two hours this morning. it wasn't really sunny but the sun is strong here as the equator is not that far away.
That's it for today, a full day of birding.
In the afternoon we went up to Mount Lewis, which is at about 1000 meters and did a long trail up there looking for specialty birds up at the higher elevations. The ones we had good looks at were the Atherton Scrub Wren, Bridled Honeyeater, Fern Wren, Victoria's Rifle Bird, White-headed Pigeon and a Chowchilla family.
I guess my favourite of the day was the Wampoo on the nest and it's call is exactly the same sound as its name WAM POO!
At dusk or nearly dark we went looking for owls and found the Australian Owlet Nightjar, and an Eastern Barn Owl. The Brush Curlews call at night here and their call is bone chilling, sounding like the screams of a child or a young person.
The jungle is full of insect sounds, gecko calls, owls and curlew wails. It is quite hair raising if one listens to it. I slather on the sunscreen each day but today forgot my knees and so they got burned sitting on the boat for two hours this morning. it wasn't really sunny but the sun is strong here as the equator is not that far away.
That's it for today, a full day of birding.
Friday, October 25, 2013
October 25, 2013 - Lots of lifers today!!
Finally I have a keyboard and internet in my room for the first time. All week I have been standing outside the hotel (a decent place) and using the Cairns Community internet (available on the Main Street, the Esplanade and typing the posts in on my iphone late each evening and so could not say how the "same" as home everything was but at the same time it was very different. This place feels al lot like Key West and is very pretty also. But the internet is not available in the hotel rooms.
Tonight I am with a group birding outing/tour of six days and am staying at Kingfisher Lodge for tonight and tomorrow night. This place is in the Atherton Tablelands about 120 km from Cairns and it is about 700 meters above sea level. It is very nice and it has internet in the rooms YIPEE!! So out in the middle of no where, there is technology which I guess is par for the course.
We just returned from supper at the Highlands in Julaten and it is similar to the open air places we ate in Ecuador, very nice with lots of jungle sounds coming from the darkness.
I wish I could send a photo and maybe tomorrow if I have time I will try to figure it out. I have a lovely photo of a Laughing Kookaburra I took today.
Today we had higher elevation birds, all lifers such as the Koel, the Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Pitta, Little Shrike Thrush (very pretty), Cicada Bird, Scaley-breatsted Lorakeets, Pheasant Couchal, Crested Pigeon, Australian Bustard, Varied Triller etc. So many new birds and some are very pretty in a restrained way and others are just spectacular in every way. We also saw Agile Wallaby and Giant Skink. The Skink was quite large and tonight we had some type of domestic gopher/guinea pig that were fat and big.
It was an extremely hot day and since we are high, the evening cooled off enough for a light sweater on top, since we ate outside.
Right now I can hear the sounds of the jungle and every few minutes it is a different call, cry or sound . Thank goodness there are no Howler Monkeys or else there would be no sleep for me.
Today, like all the other days, has been great and we have breakfast tomorrow at 6 am so we can go birding. Pretty sweet.
Tonight I am with a group birding outing/tour of six days and am staying at Kingfisher Lodge for tonight and tomorrow night. This place is in the Atherton Tablelands about 120 km from Cairns and it is about 700 meters above sea level. It is very nice and it has internet in the rooms YIPEE!! So out in the middle of no where, there is technology which I guess is par for the course.
We just returned from supper at the Highlands in Julaten and it is similar to the open air places we ate in Ecuador, very nice with lots of jungle sounds coming from the darkness.
I wish I could send a photo and maybe tomorrow if I have time I will try to figure it out. I have a lovely photo of a Laughing Kookaburra I took today.
Today we had higher elevation birds, all lifers such as the Koel, the Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Pitta, Little Shrike Thrush (very pretty), Cicada Bird, Scaley-breatsted Lorakeets, Pheasant Couchal, Crested Pigeon, Australian Bustard, Varied Triller etc. So many new birds and some are very pretty in a restrained way and others are just spectacular in every way. We also saw Agile Wallaby and Giant Skink. The Skink was quite large and tonight we had some type of domestic gopher/guinea pig that were fat and big.
It was an extremely hot day and since we are high, the evening cooled off enough for a light sweater on top, since we ate outside.
Right now I can hear the sounds of the jungle and every few minutes it is a different call, cry or sound . Thank goodness there are no Howler Monkeys or else there would be no sleep for me.
Today, like all the other days, has been great and we have breakfast tomorrow at 6 am so we can go birding. Pretty sweet.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
I went up to the nearby rainforest with John - birding pal
John was to meet two more birders from the US already up there
We left early and drov e up1000 meters to the rainforest
While it is not quite like it was in Ecuador it is a rainforest climate
We had the King Parrot and the Superbe Fruit Dove and the Tooth bill Bowerbird
It was hot and muggy up the and we did a trail and saw the bower of fresh leaves laid out by the bird and heard him calling for a. Sweetie
We sawtwotypes of cranes Bolga and saurous and we saw the Wedgetail Eagle ,
We travelled to a lower elevation and had the Sacred Kingfisher
All pretty spectacular
Another day filled with birds
Imet up with Kathy for supper to discuss birds and packing and luggage etc
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wednesday October 23 Cairns
Today we we to see birds in a wildlife Preserve just in case we did not see them in the real outdoors
I had great looks at a Cassowary, Jabaroo and had many close ups of parrots
Kathy and I had a nice lunch with the birds at this preserve in Port Douglas about an hour north of Cairns and it was so hot there
Weal digit to see several types of Kangaroos and wallabies and a couple of snakes
It was really interesting
We ended the day with the usual group of birders on the Esplanade watching for newly arriving shorebirds, along with the Curlews,Godwits, and plovers
Tomorrow morning I am being picked up at 6:30 am to go to the highlands to bird
Got to go! This gets hard typing on the iPhone out Here on the street each night
I had great looks at a Cassowary, Jabaroo and had many close ups of parrots
Kathy and I had a nice lunch with the birds at this preserve in Port Douglas about an hour north of Cairns and it was so hot there
Weal digit to see several types of Kangaroos and wallabies and a couple of snakes
It was really interesting
We ended the day with the usual group of birders on the Esplanade watching for newly arriving shorebirds, along with the Curlews,Godwits, and plovers
Tomorrow morning I am being picked up at 6:30 am to go to the highlands to bird
Got to go! This gets hard typing on the iPhone out Here on the street each night
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Cairns Botanic Gardens & Centenary Lakes October 22
Another sweet day
Birding with John Seale's TuesdayBirding outing at the gardens and more lifers
Reef heron
Red capped plover
Striated heron
CurlewSandpiper
Olive backed sunbird
Great knot
Red necked stint
Lesser sandpiper
I have typed the posts on my iPhone so not the easiest
Tomorrow going with Kathy theAmericam birder I met at the Cairns airport are going to PortDouglas to have Breakfast with the Birds at this preserve
Birding with John Seale's TuesdayBirding outing at the gardens and more lifers
Reef heron
Red capped plover
Striated heron
CurlewSandpiper
Olive backed sunbird
Great knot
Red necked stint
Lesser sandpiper
I have typed the posts on my iPhone so not the easiest
Tomorrow going with Kathy theAmericam birder I met at the Cairns airport are going to PortDouglas to have Breakfast with the Birds at this preserve
Monday, October 21, 2013
October 21 Cairns area birding with Doug
I got about 75 lifers today birding the coast and inland areas of Cairns
We had Jacana, Tatler, honeyeaters, Herons, Curlews and great Bowerbirddoudsaid the bird of the day was the Beach Stone Curlew and we also had the Brush StoneCurlew
We spectacular finches and Honeyeaters also
White face Heron and White Neck Heron and Silvereye
We ended the day with 83 species AND no snakes and one iffy spider
I met up with the American birding gal for some birding when I got back and we found the Nankeen Herons roosting along the esplanade and then we had dinner
Now off back to the hotel for a good hot shower to wash off the bug spray which I used tons of today
We had some pretty sweet birds
A wonderful day
We had Jacana, Tatler, honeyeaters, Herons, Curlews and great Bowerbirddoudsaid the bird of the day was the Beach Stone Curlew and we also had the Brush StoneCurlew
We spectacular finches and Honeyeaters also
White face Heron and White Neck Heron and Silvereye
We ended the day with 83 species AND no snakes and one iffy spider
I met up with the American birding gal for some birding when I got back and we found the Nankeen Herons roosting along the esplanade and then we had dinner
Now off back to the hotel for a good hot shower to wash off the bug spray which I used tons of today
We had some pretty sweet birds
A wonderful day
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Masked Lapwing
I spent a lovely afternoon with birding pal John Seale at the mudflats of TrinityBay and had several lifers including the spectacular masked lapwing
Eastern Curlew, Terek Sandpiper, Gull Billed Tern, Willie Wagtail, Pied Imperial Pigeon to names few
It was great and there were several local birders with us
I had supper with Kathy a birder from Mass. US whom I met at the airport yesterday
We bumped into each other when I heard her calling my name while I was walking to meet up with John
Right I can hear the. Myna birds still talking away
More birds tomorrow
Eastern Curlew, Terek Sandpiper, Gull Billed Tern, Willie Wagtail, Pied Imperial Pigeon to names few
It was great and there were several local birders with us
I had supper with Kathy a birder from Mass. US whom I met at the airport yesterday
We bumped into each other when I heard her calling my name while I was walking to meet up with John
Right I can hear the. Myna birds still talking away
More birds tomorrow
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Finally Cairns October 19
It is a full moonlight now overlooking the ocean at Cairns justgorgeoui have been busy with getting organized and trying to stay awake the trip to get here was 25 hours of just flying in the plane
It was good trip in
At the airport I metamAmerican birders saga and I are meeting up tortow with the Cairns birding pal
I have seen two, one of the sitting Ina nest with a pale blue bil and a blacked faced crane
I really bushed so going to hit the sack soon with a couple of Gravol pills
First sleep in Australia and it is steamy hot here
It was good trip in
At the airport I metamAmerican birders saga and I are meeting up tortow with the Cairns birding pal
I have seen two, one of the sitting Ina nest with a pale blue bil and a blacked faced crane
I really bushed so going to hit the sack soon with a couple of Gravol pills
First sleep in Australia and it is steamy hot here
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
One more sleep and everything is ready
Just one more night to sleep and then the adventure starts.
Passport and other documents are ready, along with credit cards and binocs and scope and clothes for hot and cooler weather. I just packed a pair of gloves as you never know.
Teddy has been patrolling me the last two days since he saw the luggage. He kept trying to lie down inside the suitcase or taking my packed items out. That is what prompted me to pack on Monday night. Teddy looks like one of those 70's velvet paintings of dogs with big sad eyes right now. He is not a happy dog right now. But he will adjust. I know he can be fickle, and within a day, he is Norm's best buddy, although Norm says he doesn't need a buddy! They both sit on the couch and watch TV together in the evenings.
I am sending the link to this blog to all my birding friends and non-birding friends as I will not send a daily email but will use the Blog to communicate often about the birds and my travel experiences. This is if I have WIFI access in Australia. Most places I have traveled have free WIFI, except for Vegas. In Australia, one is charged for the internet and it is expensive. So it will all depend on the WIFI availability. I have found some accommodations with free WIFI but these are the exception.
So check my blog if you want some news of this trip. Colleen has stayed behind, although she is in Edmonton right now and is starting this trip later as her daughter and son in law are expecting their first baby tomorrow and Colleen is there to share in the excitement of the new baby, support her daughter in the early days and then will join me in Australia in early November for the Sydney, Tasmania, Melbourne and New Zealand part of the birding trip.
Barb
Passport and other documents are ready, along with credit cards and binocs and scope and clothes for hot and cooler weather. I just packed a pair of gloves as you never know.
Teddy has been patrolling me the last two days since he saw the luggage. He kept trying to lie down inside the suitcase or taking my packed items out. That is what prompted me to pack on Monday night. Teddy looks like one of those 70's velvet paintings of dogs with big sad eyes right now. He is not a happy dog right now. But he will adjust. I know he can be fickle, and within a day, he is Norm's best buddy, although Norm says he doesn't need a buddy! They both sit on the couch and watch TV together in the evenings.
I am sending the link to this blog to all my birding friends and non-birding friends as I will not send a daily email but will use the Blog to communicate often about the birds and my travel experiences. This is if I have WIFI access in Australia. Most places I have traveled have free WIFI, except for Vegas. In Australia, one is charged for the internet and it is expensive. So it will all depend on the WIFI availability. I have found some accommodations with free WIFI but these are the exception.
So check my blog if you want some news of this trip. Colleen has stayed behind, although she is in Edmonton right now and is starting this trip later as her daughter and son in law are expecting their first baby tomorrow and Colleen is there to share in the excitement of the new baby, support her daughter in the early days and then will join me in Australia in early November for the Sydney, Tasmania, Melbourne and New Zealand part of the birding trip.
Barb
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