Xavier's Bird Lists

Short work trip to Cairns, with a bonus day for birds.

Jen from Bellbird guided me through the Atherton Tablelands on Sunday. We started at Lake Barrine, immediately spotting a Chowchilla family. Apparently usually a difficult get? Not for us: birders extraordinaire. And out-and back around the lake also yielded some presenting juvenile Victoria’s Rifebirds. A Yellow-breasted Boatbill teased us the whole walk, but we finally spotted it right at the end. I was delighted at all the new sounds: Spotted Catbirds and Wompoo Pigeons in particular.

From there we travelled to the other crater lake in the area, Lake Eacham. Here we found Tooth-billed Bowerbirds singing their hearts out, including one over its display court. I started getting my head around what was to become a dizzying number of honey eaters over the course of the trip, learning to identify Lewin’s and Macleay’s. No sign of the solitary croc that apparently calls the lake home.

Stopped at The Gillies cafe for lunch, where I found a surprisingly excellent vegan pizza wrap.

The Curtain Fig Tree was an incredible specimen, though a sole Orange-footed Megapode its sole avian inhabitant. We also saw a Tree Kangaroo high up in the canopy - I have no idea how anyone spotted it in the first place, but word was being passed from group to group.

A thousand-strong flock of Magpie Geese at Gallo’s Farm caused a last-second pull over on the highway to investigate. We also picked up Sarus Crane and Fairy Martin for our trouble. At another highway stop we pulled out the scope to see Comb-crested Jacana and Plumed Egret on a faraway lake, I couldn’t quite make them out though so decided not to tick them.

Mount Hypipamee was next, where we mostly stayed around the carpark. Jen flexed her birding mastery, staking out a Golden Bowerbird bower for nearly half an hour until it returned, then spotting a Bridled Honeyeater from way downtown when we went to see the crater. We also found a male Victoria’s Riflebird - we only found females and juveniles at Lake Barrine. Just as we got back in the car a Yellow-throated Scrubwren appeared, netting me a cheeky extra lifer.

Final stop was Allumbah Pocket in Yungaburra, where the main attraction was a platypus in the river! Several actually. And a turtle. And fruit bats in the trees. Not a lot on the bird front, until of course we got back to the car where Jen spotted Forest Kingfisher, Varied Triller, and a Brown Honeyeater!

After she dropped me back at my hotel in Cairns, I hustled down to the esplanade just as the sun was setting. I had just enough light to tick Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and a Bush Stone-curlew, but the silhouette of what I presumed to be a Varied Honeyeater I didn’t deem sufficient.

I returned the next morning and in the light of day confirmed the honeyeater, along with a fantastic menagerie of shorebirds including Far Eastern Curlew and Whimbrel. It’s incredible the city is right on a mudflat!

Final morning I joined the free botanic garden walking tour where I rounded out a number of common birds I was missing including Helmeted Friarbird, Black Butcherbird, and a Spangled Drongo.