Keatings Lagoon in Spring and Summer

A 4WD drive from Cape Tribulation takes you past Keatings Lagoon near Cooktown.
Visitors have been seeing lots of birds in September and October and the whole show should continue well through November as the waters dry up and leave increasingly scarce pickings and fewer places to hide for hungry water birds.
Last week, we saw Australian Pelicans, magpie geese, royal spoonbills and cormorants across the waterlilies from the Bird Hide. They're spending daytime hours just hanging around until a cooler part of the day.

Closer to the Hide were two busy groups of Pacific Black Duck and Hardhead Duck. During our last visit, the Pacific Blacks were attracted by some underwater food source, and gradually swelled in numbers. Then, like a mob to a hanging (or drinkers to a shout!), the Hardheads progressively departed their own area, and came swooping and milling together, squawking, diving , splashing and creating a real feeding frenzy.
The Hardhead, incidentally are Australia's only true deep diving duck. Other duck are shallow divers, unlike everyday Australians, who are much deeper animals.

Red-combed Jacana (or "Jesus" birds) walk, usually in pairs across the lily pads, occasionally hopping with barely a wing beat.





Very occasionally, a visiting family of brolgas can drop in to check out the neighbourhood. Last week, this family of three, the juvenile obvious with its lack of colouring, landed near the entrance of Keatings. It's too late in the season for its wonderfully intricate and graceful mating dance, although they can do it all year around. The dance is often reflected in Indigenous dances.











Magpie geese are unlike European geese, in that they have half-webbed feet, which enables them to sit on branches and in trees. Weird, but true.









 The Keatings  Bird Hide is an interesting 700 metre (12 minute) walk from the carpark, just 5 minutes drive from Cooktown on the Mulligan Highway.

D'Arcy of Daintree 4WD Tours visits the Lagoon on our Cooktown one day trips from Cow Bay, Diwan and Cape Tribulation.

Cuckoos and other cheats

Spring and summer are the seasons for cuckoos in the Wet Tropics and Daintree, many of which are known to call incessantly, and most of which parasitise other birds nests.

The smallest, the Little Bronze-Cuckoo, breeds in this region and often uses the hanging nests of the Large-billed Gerygone or Fairy Gerygone to lay their eggs. The newly hatched chick disposes of the birds own eggs, allowing the poor, hapless (much smaller) 'parents' to feed it and it alone.

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (S.Isoe)

Other cuckoos in the Daintree region over the season include Brush Cuckoo (which calls incessantly), Channel-billed Cuckoo (Australia's largest cuckoo)and Australian Koel. Closely related, but not a brood parasite, is the rather clumsy but beautiful Pheasant Coucal.

Pheasant Coucal (Fred Forsell)

Large numbers of very noisy Channel-billed Cuckoos are about at present, which plenty of rainforest figs providing their necessary food.
The "wet season" is a fabulous time to be doing some Daintree birdwatching!

Welcome to Breeding Season in Daintree

After a long absence, the Daintree News blog is up and running again!

Queensland's Wet Tropics are, without doubt, Australia's best wildlife-watching locations with the rich biodiversity that is unique to the tropics. Ranging from sea-level to 900m, there is a diverse range of habitats.

Daintree, on the coastal lowlands and ranges, has some of the oldest and richest rainforest in the world and is home to a great variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.
Birds and birdwatching are a major focus of the region with birders from around the world visiting to see a huge diversity of species in convenient and comfortable conditions.

As the 'Wet Season' approaches many local birds are finishing their breeding season, nesting at a time when flowers, fruit and insects are plentiful in the rainforest, and before rainy conditions make it difficult to raise a family. Black Bittern, Shining Flycatcher and Papuan Frogmouth chicks have mostly fledged. These all nest in trees on the banks of the Daintree River and it's best to be gone before the river floods.

Papuan Fogmouth (S.Isoe)

Others, like the Wompoo Fruit-Dove, are more likely to breed outside their main nesting season. This pair have been building their somewhat-flimsy nest in the past week. They appear to have chosen a sheltered spot, so should be successful.

Wompoo Fruit-Dove (A.Forsyth)

One of the great breeding success stories are the Metallic Starlings who migrate from New Guinea in huge numbers in August each year to breed. Their nesting colonies are massed in often-huge trees and are used year after year. They are communal nesters and can raise two, or sometimes three, broods in a season..

Adapting well to urban life, the following photo is of nesting colony in one of several palms in the carpark at Smithfield Shopping Centre.

Metallic Starling (T.Forsyth)

Fungi in the Forest

Fungi play an important role in the tropical rainforests of the Daintree as they help to break down plant matter on the forest floor. They are a hugely diverse kingdom and large numbers of species are found locally.

These few were found in just a short walk around a rainforest garden in Daintree Village, and include Woody Shelf Fungi which will grow on trees and probably contribute to their death. They will then live off the rotting timber for years, each year adding new layers with fresh colours.

Smaller, softer, more delicate and shorter-lived 'gilled' fungi like these examples below also grow on timber and add wonderful colours and textures to the rainforest floor.

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.

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.

The 'wet' season - best for birds and birding!

February was the wettest on record in Daintree Village with 1640ml of rain, bringing the year's (2 months!) total to 2117ml by the end of the month. 

March has arrived though and the weather has improved and visitors are coming. The 'wet' season is always best for birding, despite the sometimes-rainy conditions. The summer migrants are all still here, including the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. The Little Kingfisher and Azure Kingfisher are also more visible as the breeding season come to an end. Both have been seen on the pond at Red Mill House in recent days. Also in the garden is Australasian Koel, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Yellow Oriole and others. A short, late afternoon walk with guests along Stewart Creek Rd from Daintree Village was very productive with Channel-billed Cuckoo, Little Bronze Cuckoo and female Australian Koel, plus a range of birds foraging for insects in the afternoon sun - Grey Whistler, Spectacled Monarch, Leaden Flycatcher, Fairy Gerygone, Graceful, Macleay's and Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Mistletoebird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Spangled Drongo, and Varied Triller. Others, chasing fruit, included Brown-Cuckoo Dove, Figbird and Wompoo Fruit-Dove. A lovely walk and a great introduction to the UK birders who had just arrived.

Colour and movement

Fast flying and extremely colourful, the Rainbow Lorikeet is a favourite bird for locals and visitors alike.
One of the more vocal birds, Rainbow Lorikeets are well known for the array of colours seemingly splashed over their bodies. 

The Rainbow Lorikeet has a wide distribution; found in various parts of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Not restricted to rainforest areas, the Rainbow Lorikeet enjoys parks and gardens as well. The Rainbow Lorikeet possesses two toes facing forward and two backward for balance and ease of grasping, and grow to over 30 cm in length.Whilst mainly nectar feeders, these birds are extremely adaptable, eating fruit, berries, seeds, and even insect and their larvae if required. At this time of year, when blossom is hard to find, the fruit from the Umbrella Tree is a favourite.

Garden Predators

Nature can be cruel and whilst our favourite creatures may be green frogs and tiny birds, they also make great prey for some of the larger, more aggressive birds who share their habitat.
This week, we had a beautiful Olive-backed Sunbird nest, complete with two babies and with mum doing a fabulous job feeding and tending to them, just outside the busy lounge window. Safe as can be, we thought.
It only takes a second and the nest is raided and the babies gone - - the parents don't stand a chance. Unfortunately Black Butcherbirds also have babies to feed.

 Check out the size of the bill and the hook on the end - - no wonder they are such successful predators.
The other common garden predator is the Laughing Kookaburra, Australia's iconic symbol. Specialising in skinks, frogs, lizards and small rodents, they too are successful predators.

Birds on the Daintree River

 The Daintree River is famous for its' wildlife, particularly crocodiles and a large variety of birds. The summer migrants include Black Bittern, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Metallic Starling and Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, most of which can be seen from the river.

This is also the time of year for the Papuan Frogmouth to be nesting, often high above the the water's edge, making it easy to see from the river. 'Easy' isn't really the right word - the colours and patterns of the plumage enable the bird to disguise itself beautifully as it sits quietly and perfectly still next to the trunk or branch of a tree. The nest consists of just a few sticks, but they are great parents and usually breed successfully.

The Papuan Frogmouth feeds at night, just after dusk, mostly on insects, frogs and lizards.

Only found in southern Asia, New Guinea and Australia, Australia's Frogmouths are a real treat for international birdwatchers - there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. The Papuan Frogmouth has a very small Australian range of distribution.

Gaudy and Gorgeous!

The big news in the birding world is that the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher have returned from New Guinea for their breeding season. A spectacular bird - almost gaudy, with a bright red/orange bill, bright red feet, blue back and head, and orange breast. The long white tail, which is often seen first, flicks up and down as the bird sits and calls from perches in the mid-level of rainforest.

These birds arrive every year in late October/early November to nest in the small termite mounds on the forest floor. They are at least two weeks early this year and have arrived 'en masse' - some of which will continue further south as far as Mackay, while others will stay to settle in find a mate. The conditions are perfect this year with the termite mounds being moist and easy to excavate.

We look forward to a productive season for these very special birds.

Farming , pastures and birds

Daintree is famous for it's rainforest but, for birdwatching, a range of habitat is important. Part of that mix here in the tropical lowlands are the paddocks and pastures of local farmland.
The cattle that graze the pastures are followed by large numbers of Cattle Egrets, waiting expectantly for insects to be disturbed in the grass. Farm dams and waterways are homes to ducks, lapwings and plovers as well as egrets and kingfishers.
Various grasses in the fields, when the seeds mature, provide feed for a range of seed-eaters, including the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, that can be seen in large flocks feeding on the grasses.

Golden-headed Cisticola are often seen, during their breeding season, singing madly from the top of grasses or on the wires of fences. They enjoy wet, swampy areas and degraded paddocks and slopes.

Other birds often seen on fence wires include Red-backed Fairy-Wren, White Breasted Woodswallow and occasionally a treat like Australia's smallest cuckoo, the Little Bronze Cuckoo.

Don't underestimate a drive along one of the beautiful valleys of the Daintree River and it's creeks, if birdwatching in the area. You will almost always see Rainbow Bee-eater, Forest Kingfisher, Australian Pipit, Masked Lapwing, Cattle Egret and many more interesting species.

Vines, nectar and Honeyeaters

While not a native plant, the commonly-grown Flame of the Forest (or New Guinea creeper) and Jade Vine both flower profusely at this time of year and the Honeyeaters love them.
A rampant climber, the Jade vine originates from The Philipines and has long racemes of up to 1/2 meter of stunning blue and green pea-shaped flowers.

These flowers are full of nectar and are extremely popular with green ants and also with Macleay's Honeyeater (pictured), Dusky Honeyeater, Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Graceful Honeyeater and also the Olive-backed Sunbird.

The New Guinea Vine, also from the Leguminosae family, has vivid red flowers and similarly attracts the honeyeaters. Down at Scommazons, opposite the Mossman Golf Course, several Blue-faced Honeyeaters are also enjoying the nectar from the flowers. These are normally a dry-country bird, but are often seen at that part of the lowlands.They are a lovely bird.