No rain, but plenty of birds!!

While January can often be humid and rainy here in Daintree, this isn't the case this year (to date). Clear, cloudless days, cooler nights, few mosquitoes, but lots of frogs calling at night and birds at dawn.

A favourite bird for all at this time of year is the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, which come from New Guinea each October/November to nest in the small ground termite mounds of this part of the Wet Tropics and also a little further south. Jindalba Boardwalk, north of the Daintree River, and Stewart Creek Rd at Daintree Village are good places to find the nesting birds.

Other summer migrants include Metallic Starling, Pied Imperial Pigeon and Black Bittern - all of which can be seen in, or around, Daintree Village.

Daintree Village Heritage Walk now available on I Tunes

Just out on the Australian Short Walks App.
The Daintree Village Heritage Walk, free after downloading the Australian Short Walks App from the App Store $1.99

Other Daintree area walks include Mossman Gorge, Mossman Historic Walk, Port Douglas Coastcare Walk and Port Douglas Historic Walk.

All walks are FREE after initial download of short walks app.

Download here

Smart Card enables Cairns locals to free ferry travel

Read the council press release

Pick up your application form for a Daintree Smart Card now from the CRC offices.

As an Early Bird Incentive Cairns residents who make application for their Smart card before 1st December and who use their smart card at least once during the trial period will be in the running to win a Panasonic Blue ray Home Theatre System valued at $1,099 kindly donated by Tourism Tropical North Queensland.TTNQ

whales on the fringing reef

Close to the beach, migrating whales are scratching themselves on the reef,to remove their barnacles. Kayakers were treated to a great view of the whales swimming underneath the boats. Walkers on Myall Beach had a ringside seat to the whales spouting and cavorting.

Kingfishers in the Daintree

Everyone's favourite 'the Kingfisher'.
Colourful, with huge bills and full of character, ranging in size from the Little Kingfisher at 12cm, to the Laughing Kookaburra at 48cm.
 We are so fortunate here in Daintree, as seven out of Australia's ten kingfishers are either residents or visitors to the Daintree.
Over the cooler winter months, the Sacred Kingfisher is a regular, feeding in the fields of the Daintree Valley. Often seen on fence posts or power lines, they feed on insects and small reptiles. More turquoise in colour than the dark blue of the Forest Kingfisher, which also feeds in a similar manner and is more common.

A favourite with birdwatchers is the Little Kingfisher - tiny, elusive and a difficult bird for international birders to see in other parts of Australia. The Daintree River and it's creeks and even local still ponds are well known spots for this gem. Being 'true' kingfishers they only eat fish and other small aquatic animals.
At low tide on the Daintree River, you may be lucky enough to see one of these gems.

Fruit-Doves in the Rainforest

The tropical lowland Daintree Rainforest has three brightly coloured fruit-doves, Superb, Rose-crowned and Wompoo, all of which are eagerly sought after by birdwatchers. Surprisingly difficult to see, they feed on fruit, usually high in the rainforest canopy.
This beautiful male Superb Fruit-Dove was lucky to survive, and make a good recovery, after hitting the window of a farmhouse in the Daintree Valley. It is normally difficult to see those beautiful colours in the rainforest. While reasonably common, good views are often just be chance.
Thanks to Donna Davis for the images.

Have an Eco Easter

Showcasing the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest in the world, tourism operators in the Daintree fittingly offer some of the most environmentally friendly experiences in the country. Not only are many attractions and accommodations in the Daintree ECO-certified, signifying their commitment to sustainable practices and high quality nature-based tourism experiences, but in many cases Daintree businesses use solar and hydro sustainable power. In fact, the Daintree Coast north of the river is home to Australia’s largest sustainable energy community. So if the only guilt you need this Easter is for all the chocolate you eat, then the Daintree’s the place to go. The internationally acclaimed Daintree Discovery Centre has been acknowledged as an Ecotourism leader for many years, with carbon offset programs and award-winning operations, but other local businesses are now joining them at the forefront of sustainable tourism. Following an independent audit by Cairns environmental consultants The Missing Link, Jungle Surfing is now proudly carbon neutral, with their tiny carbon footprint requiring just 140 trees to be planted annually to offset emissions. Jungle Surfing staff and friends last month planted the trees themselves in Cape Tribulation as part of the company’s Community Revegetation Project. Having last year established a nursery of native plants, many of which are endemic to the Daintree, this year the project literally came to fruition with more than 2000 free seedlings provided to local individuals and businesses along with expertise, advice and some essential elbow grease to plant the trees. For more information on Jungle Surfing’s environmental initiatives, or for free trees to plant to give yourself a carbon neutral holiday, please contact environment@junglesurfing.com.au For more information on ECO certified products in the Daintree, please go to http://www.destinationdaintree.com/daintree-ecotourism