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.

Birding Updates

July is a busy month for visitors, but unfortunately the weather wasn't so great for the school holidays this year. It is still warm though, so everyone is happy.
Winter is often best for viewing raptors here in the lowlands, particularly throughout the cane harvesting season. The kites are the most common with Whistling Kite, Black Kite and Brahminy Kite often being seen circling the cane fields between Daintree and Mossman at this time of year..
A beautiful chestnut and white bird, the Brahminy Kite is also often seen along the Daintree River and it's associated creeks. It feeds on fish, crustaceans, insects, reptiles and sometimes small rodents.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Most common is the Black Kite, with it's distinctive shallow fork at the end. Often seen in groups, the Black Kite will eat carrion or live rodents, insects and small reptiles and can be seen perching out in the open.

Thanks to Dan Irby for the photos.

Birding Updates

A busy month for Daintree with Australian school holidays and summer holidays in the northern hemisphere, so lots of visitors to the area. The weather hasn't been so favourable for the Reef over the last week or so, so many people are having a day or two  in the Daintree instead.
Winter is an interesting time for birds in the Daintree - not so many species, but some of the more difficult birds can be easier to see. Spotted Catbird and Victoria's Riflebird are great examples of that. The winter wake-up call is often the Spotted Catbird.
The Cattle Egret numbers are high over the winter and the classic sight of them flying down the Daintree River in large flocks in the evening and in the early morning is fabulous.

Cattle Egrets feed in the fields alongside the cows, waiting to pick up grasshoppers and other insects that have been disturbed from the grass. They are an extremely successful species and the numbers worldwide are increasing. At night they roost communally in one of two trees, usually beside the river.

A great reason to do an evening, late afternoon or early morning river cruise on the Daintree River.
Thanks to Dan Irby for the photos.

Birding Updates

The sugar cane harvesting season (The Crush) runs from mid June until completion, which can be as late as December. Much of the coastal lowlands is under sugar cane, so it is a significantly busy time for the farmers, the Sugar Mill at Mossman and everyone else involved. This year the conditions have been favourable and the season has got off to a good start.
Interestingly for birdwatchers, the 'Crush' means an increase in birds of prey locally as they follow the harvesters searching for any rodents, snakes and other creatures that have been disturbed. Black Kite, Whistling Kite, Brahminy Kite and even Wedge-tailed Eagle (not a usual resident of the wet lowlands) descend on the cane fields, and you can see quite large flocks of Kites feeding on the ground after the harvester has been through.

Some other great winter birds include the Victoria's Riflebird ( an endemic to the Wet Tropics and one of the Birds of Paradise) and the Spotted Catbird. The Catbird's name is derived from it's call - not meow, but like someone is strangling a cat! A beautiful bird which is difficult to see because of it's colourings, but is more visible in winter as it comes out of the forest a little more to find fruit. They are happy with pawpaw and fallen citrus if there are no rainforest fruits about.

Over the last month, Mason's Tours have been using our spare time designing a new 1/2 Day Walk. A small hill at the back of our property looked like it might yield a view, and we actually found two of them!

We have now found a workable track down off the ridge, and the next step is to plan the rest of the walk!