trip report: eastern australia, top to bottom dates: … · were preparing to call it a day, we...

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TRIP REPORT: EASTERN AUSTRALIA, TOP TO BOTTOM

DATES: 25 OCTOBER – 12 NOVEMBER 2014

GUIDE AND PHOTOS: NICK LESEBERG

When Australia separated from the ancient supercontinent Gondwanaland about 50 million

years ago and started drifting north towards the equator, this once wet and cool landmass

began the slow process of drying out. The flora and fauna now cut adrift on their continental

life raft began the process of evolution in isolation from much of the world’s other plants

and animals. This has resulted in one of the most unique bioregions on earth. Kangaroos,

echidnas, lyrebirds, fairywrens, bowerbirds and honeyeaters are just a few of the families

found in Australasia and nowhere else, and they are also the reason most birders rank

Australia high on their list of places to visit.

If they were rare, birders would flock from everywhere to see the beautiful Galah, a

delightfully common cockatoo found right throughout Australia.

As Australia drifted northwards and into warmer latitudes, the climate slowly became drier.

Australia is now best-known as the ‘wide brown land’ dominated by arid deserts and

rangelands, and the unique fauna have adapted to this. Many of Australia’s birds in

particular have adopted a nomadic lifestyle, moving around the continent in response to the


unpredictable rainfall, searching out good conditions wherever they may be. Accordingly,

what birds we see on a trip like our Eastern Australia set departure is driven by these

prevailing conditions. As the good conditions in eastern Australia following rain in 2012 have

slowly changed, so have the birds we see on the trip; this year species like Budgerigar,

Crimson Chat, Pied and Black Honeyeaters were noticeably absent from inland New South

Wales. The tradeoff is that many of the parrots and honeyeaters do rely on what little water

is around, making an afternoon at a waterhole in places like Binya State Forest very

profitable. The conditions have less impact on the birds in coastal Queensland, and we had

another good year at O’Reilly’s near Brisbane and also in the Wet Tropics, finding all the

endemics from the lush rainforests of the Atherton Tableland. Tasmania was similarly

successful, with all the Tasmanian endemics plus a few extras.

So, as with all bird trips, we missed a few and picked up a few, ending up with an impressive

trip list given the conditions, of 439 species of bird and 42 species of mammal. Bird-of-the-

trip went to Little Penguin; watching a party of 20 birds emerge from the surf after dusk and

toddle up the beach together was one of the tour highlights. Runner-up for bird-of-the-trip

was the impressive Southern Cassowary, with a male and chick plus the immense female all

paying a visit during our time at Cassowary House. Honorable mentions went to a displaying

Musk Duck, stunning male Turquoise Parrot, multicolored Noisy Pitta, dashing Regent

Bowerbird and a randy male Victoria’s Riflebird. Our mammal-of-the-trip was a very cute

mother Koala piggy-backing her tiny cub high in a eucalypt, with the runner up a male

Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo spotted in the middle of the day. Other highlights included great

views of Platypus, Short-beaked Echidna and Common Wombat.

The stunning Rainbow Lorikeet, just one of the 20 species of parrot seen on the trip.


3 points 2 points 1 point

Jim Musk Duck Tawny Frogmouth Little Penguin

Holly Southern Cassowary Little Penguin Rose Robin

Brent Southern Cassowary Little Penguin Glossy Black-Cockatoo

Mary Noisy Pitta Turquoise Parrot Inland Dotterel

Bernie Victoria’s Riflebird Little Penguin Southern Cassowary

Martha Regent Bowerbird Little Penguin Turquoise Parrot

Dennis Little Penguin Southern Cassowary Plains-wanderer

Little Penguin was the winner of bird-of-the-trip with 12 votes, followed by Southern

Cassowary on 9 votes.

Day 1: Saturday, 25th

October 2014 – Sydney to Lithgow.

Our usual itinerary for this trip has us starting in Cairns, but due to some shuffling around to

accommodate our Plains-wanderer search, this year saw us starting with the New South

Wales leg of the tour, kicking off in Sydney. This section of the tour is one of the busiest,

with long distances to travel and long days in the field. Our first afternoon was no different

as we immediately hit the road, travelling west from Sydney and climbing over the Blue

Mountains towards Lithgow. We did have time for a couple of birding stops, the first at the

scenic Evan’s Lookout where we enjoyed extensive views across the sandstone canyons and

plateaus typical of the Blue Mountains; it was easy to see why it took the first European

settlers 25 years to find a way across these rugged mountains.

There were plenty of birds around too, and our list got off to a great start when a couple of

Superb Lyrebirds were spotted scratching around in the undergrowth. This was followed by

a cracking Beautiful Firetail which fed close by in a Casuarina, allowing us to admire the fine

vermiculations, blue eye-ring and crimson rump. Also in the area we managed good views of

the canopy-dwelling Spotted Pardalote and a party of Striated Thornbills, while a Peregrine

Falcon passed briefly overhead. After admiring a couple of deep-red Waratahs, the state

flower of New South Wales, we loaded up the bus but didn’t get far before we were piling

out again and trying to track down a Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo we could hear calling.

Eventually we all had great views as this huge cockatoo flushed from our feet where it had

been feeding low down on a fruiting Hakea. We also saw our first Red Wattlebird and that

iconic Australian species, Laughing Kookaburra, before moving on to Lithgow. We arrived in

time to make a trip to Hassan’s Walls above Lithgow where unfortunately a heavy

downpour prevented us from doing any birding. It was already late, so we had to head off to

our motel in time for dinner, although we did score our first Eastern Gray Kangaroos on the

way, a nice end to the day.

Bird of the Day: Superb Lyrebird


Day 2: Sunday, 26th

October 2014 – Capertee Valley to Forbes.

Our first full day of birding saw us up and on our way to the Capertee Valley at 5:00am.

Situated in the western foothills of the Blue Mountains, where sandstone escarpments

tower over mixed woodland and farmland, the valley is a great place to spend a morning

birding. Mammals were a focus on the way in as we spotted more Eastern Gray Kangaroos,

a few smaller Red-necked Wallabies and a couple of Euros, a species of stocky kangaroo. A

couple of people were also lucky to glimpse a Common Wombat as it scurried off into a

gully. Pushing through the valley we hit a patch of roadside activity, and jumped out to find

a couple of gorgeous Diamond Firetails, a pair of Zebra Finches and some vocal Brown

Treecreepers. Our next stop was Glen Alice, where we found Striped Honeyeaters, a few

Musk Lorikeets and our first of several cute Double-barred Finches for the trip. While we

had breakfast the birding continued, with Black-faced and White-bellied Cuckooshrikes,

Superb Fairywrens and a Pallid Cuckoo all finding their way onto the list.

After being continually harassed by Noisy Miners and White-plumed Honeyeaters, we

finally managed to get this Pallid Cuckoo to sit up nearby and give us great views.

After breakfast we moved on to Genowlan Bridge, stopping for Hooded Robin on the way.

At the bridge things were relatively quiet, although we did spot a Painted Honeyeater, a few

Noisy Friarbirds and some flocks of White-browed Woodswallows. Moving on to Bogee we

couldn’t find the hoped for Plum-headed Finches, although we did get great views of a pair

of Striated Pardalotes. With things warming up quickly and the wind picking up we started

to head out of the valley, stopping for Fuscous Honeyeater, then trying unsuccessfully for

Yellow-tufted and Black-chinned Honeyeaters at Coco Creek. We back-tracked a little for


another shot at the honeyeaters, making a chance stop when we passed the other Tropical

Birding group touring in parallel with us. It was a fortuitous stop, as we flushed a trio of

Glossy Black-Cockatoos from some fruiting roadside Casuarinas. We jumped out and

enjoyed extended views of this unobtrusive and rare cockatoo, a bird which I’d like to claim

credit for finding, but which I have to admit was plain dumb luck!

We had no luck with the honeyeaters so made our way out of the valley, stopping in

Wallerawang for lunch before heading to Lake Wallace. Waterbirds were the focus here,

and we soon picked up several of the hoped for Great-crested Grebes. We also spotted a

distant Musk Duck, having a typically frustrating time trying to get everyone on it, while it

was continually diving for food. We were about to get lucky though, as we discovered a

female closer by with a well-grown chick in tow. As we watched her a male emerged from

the nearby reeds, complete with large lobe dangling below his bill, and began working

himself up for a display session. We looked on enthralled as he eventually folded his tail up

over his body and continually splashed water about while giving his high-pitched whistle. He

did get a bit of interest from a passing female, but soon grew weary, retreating to the reeds

and leaving us to get on our way to Forbes.

Watching this bizarre male Musk Duck perform his full display was one of the trip

highlights.

The drive to Forbes took a few hours, with the only birds of note on the way a small party of

Superb Parrots. As we neared Forbes we decided to pay an early visit to Back Yamma State

Forest, where we were hoping the hot day might result in a bit of activity at some of the

waterholes scattered throughout the forest. On the way in we spotted a Black (Swamp)

Wallaby that gave nice views, while a pair of dapper Restless Flycatchers and a couple of

hawking Dusky Woodswallows were good finds. We then pulled up at our first waterhole


and settled in for a fantastic hour or so. Activity at the water’s edge was constant, with

White-plumed Honeyeaters the most common visitor. We also picked up a few Galahs,

more Diamond Firetails and Double-barred Finches, while Black-chinned and Brown-

headed Honeyeaters also stopped by. Later in the afternoon a handful of beautiful

Common Bronzewings came through along with a few Peaceful Doves, but the piece de

resistance was definitely the stunning male Turquoise Parrot that dropped in. Finally, as we

were preparing to call it a day, we heard the unmistakable ‘woof-woof’ of a Barking Owl. It

took us a little while to stalk it down, but our efforts were rewarded with point blank views

of the bird low down in a Callitris and calling back at us. A great end to a great day.

Bird of the Day: Turquoise Parrot

Day 3: Monday, 27th

October 2014 – Back Yamma State Forest to Lake Cargelligo.

We kicked off early again, returning to Back Yamma State Forest for our morning turn. We

started birding a large grassy clearing, working our way through some of the LBJs, or ‘little

brown jobs’, with both Yellow and Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Southern Whiteface and

Western Gerygone all around and about. We had nice views of a pair of dazzling Eastern

Rosellas, one of Australia’s most beautiful parrots, while a pair of Bluebonnets were seen,

but not well. We moved on to the same dam we had visited yesterday, where most of the

same species were in attendance, including a couple more Turquoise Parrots. A turn

through the surrounding woodland was productive, with Buff-rumped Thornbill a good find,

along with our first nuthatch-like Varied Sitellas. The distinctive, descending ‘peeeew-

peeeew’ of a Black-eared Cuckoo alerted us to one of these tough cuckoos nearby, and this

was followed by good views of the curious Crested Shrike-tit. On that note we decided to

head off after a successful morning, picking up a flock of graceful Cockatiels feeding by the

roadside as we returned to Forbes.

The stunning male Turquoise Parrot is one of Australia’s most beautiful birds.


Our second stop for the morning was at Gum Swamp, just outside Forbes. It is a great spot

for the rare Freckled Duck, and we spotted a pair as soon as we pulled up in the bus. After

jumping out we scanned the wetland which was packed with waterfowl, quickly ticking off

White-eyed Duck, Gray Teal and Pacific Black Duck. We also spotted quite a few Pink-eared

Ducks, an unusual species that is high on the wish list for most visiting birders. It took a bit

more effort to find our other two targets, but we eventually picked up a couple of

Australian Shovelers and a striking male Blue-billed Duck. While ducks were the stars of the

show, there were plenty of other waterbirds around, including Australasian Darters,

Yellow-billed Spoonbills and a pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagles.

From Gum Swamp we started the drive to our overnight stop, Lake Cargelligo. We arrived in

time for lunch then a short break, before we were off to the local sewage ponds. No birding

trip is complete without a visit to a sewage treatment plant, and so we ticked off this

requirement with a quick stop at this fantastic birding spot. Unfortunately it was quite

windy and not especially pleasant on the open berms of the sewage ponds, but there were

still plenty of good birds around. Some very confiding Baillon’s Crakes were among the

highlights, but we also picked up Purple Swamphens, Red-kneed Dotterels, Black-fronted

Dotterels and a few Australian Shelducks resting at the water’s edge. A large open area of

the ponds had plenty of exposed mud and was a haven for waders, with Marsh and Sharp-

tailed Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints and a Common Greenshank in attendance, along with

several dainty Red-capped Plovers, plenty of Red-necked Avocets and large numbers of

Whiskered Terns.

Common at many wetlands on the trip, the Purple Swamphen is a beautiful bird.


Having seen most of what we were after at the ponds we pressed on to Round Hill Nature

Reserve, north of Lake Cargelligo. We made a couple of stops on the way out, scoring a

loose flock of Banded Lapwings, and trying unsuccessfully to improve on our views of

Bluebonnet. Once we arrived at Round Hill we headed for the quarry where it was still quite

windy, and very dry. The success of this section of the tour is very dependent on the recent

weather conditions, and with a couple of years of below average rainfall, bird numbers were

low. Still, with some effort we still managed to locate most of the usual species, and over an

hour or two we found Inland and Chestnut-rumped Thornbills, White-fronted, Yellow-

plumed and White-eared Honeyeaters, a pair of gorgeous Mallee Ringnecks and our first

Rainbow Bee-eaters. As dusk settled we had dinner from the back of the bus before trying

for a few nightbirds. We had no luck with the hoped for Spotted Nightjar, but after moving

to another spot we heard an Australian Owlet-Nightjar. Unfortunately it was vocal but not

especially cooperative, and after a bit of effort only a couple of people managed fleeting

views before we called it a night and headed home.

Bird of the Day: Cockatiel

Day 4: Tuesday, 28th

October 2014 – Nombinnie Nature Reserve to Hay.

We were up very early to get out to

Nombinnie Nature Reserve, and our first

proper crack at the ‘mallee’. Mallee is an

unusual habitat found on poor soils across

southern Australia. The infertile soils mean

the eucalypts assume a strange, stunted

growth form, with a very sparse

understory. There is a handful of species

which call the mallee home, and some are

found nowhere else. Because it is an open

habitat, it warms up very quickly, making

an early start crucial. We arrived just as the

first birds were calling in the crisp morning

air, and had a quick breakfast before

charging off to see what we could find. We

got off to a fantastic start, with close views

of a beautiful male Chestnut Quail-thrush,

a skulking species that can be difficult to see, let alone see well. We followed this up with a

nice Gray-fronted Honeyeater and a small party of White-browed Babblers. Gilbert’s

Whistlers were calling around us, but it took a while before we spotted a male who

unfortunately didn’t hang around. A Southern Scrub-Robin was its typically shy self, and it

took us a few attempts before everyone had reasonable views. It was hard to concentrate

Splendid Fairywren is indeed splendid, and

one of the main targets at Nombinnie NR.


on the scrub-robin while a party of Variegated Fairywrens foraged around us, but we were

eventually able to take our time and admire the male’s striking plumage. Just as we

returned to the bus a stunning male Splendid Fairywren started calling, and we had great

views of this bluest of birds as he sat up in a bush and trilled away. Next cab off the rank was

a couple of particularly friendly Shy Heathwrens, our last mallee specialty.

Leaving Nombinnie Nature Reserve and the mallee, we crossed back into the nearby Round

Hill Nature Reserve and an area of mixed open woodland. We found a few flowering

Eremophila shrubs, a favorite with the honeyeaters, but the only species we hadn’t seen

already was Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. We did find a nice White-backed Swallow

including a trio of recently fledged young, and after a bit of effort finally came across a shy

Spotted Bowerbird which refused to show itself well, remaining partially hidden in the

crown of a tree. That was our last bird for the morning, as we decided to move on to

Hillston for lunch, finding a few nice reptiles on the way including the curious Shingleback, a

Common Blue-tongue and a huge Lace Monitor. We also picked up a nice pair of immense

Wedge-tailed Eagles soaring low over the road.

One of a pair of majestic Wedge-tailed Eagles we found soaring low over the road as we

left Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

After lunch in Hillston, we continued on to Hay where we had a short break before it was off

to Wanganella to meet our local guide Phil Maher in preparation for our expedition in

search of the endemic Plains-wanderer. A Black Falcon was the only notable species on the

way down, but Phil had a couple of nice birds for us once we arrived, showing us another

White-backed Swallow then a couple of Black-tailed Native-hens on a nearby wetland. As


dusk approached we headed for our dinner stop, picking up a trio of cracking male White-

winged Fairywrens on the way, and an Australian Hobby while we ate dinner.

Once it was dark we set out on our Plains-wanderer search, a peculiar expedition as we all

piled into four-wheel-drives before heading out onto the wide open Hay plains like some

sort of German blitzkrieg, in search of one of Australia’s most enigmatic species. There are

plenty of other birds that can be found out on the plains and we soon found a ghostly Barn

Owl, and a family group of adorable Tawny Frogmouths. Moving on, we crisscrossed the

endless grassland searching for our quarry, picking up quite a few Banded Lapwings, and a

few enormous Red Kangaroos, including one female with a joey peering from her pouch.

Finally the hoped for call of ‘wanderer!’ crackled over the radio, and we rushed over to

where another vehicle had a diminutive male Plains-wanderer lined up in the spotlight. He

wasn’t a cooperative bird, continually scurrying away from the light, although we still

managed good looks before we left him be. It wasn’t long before we’d found another one,

this time a much more placid female, adorned with black-and-white collar and chestnut

breast. She sat still and gave us extended views, even calling at one point. Our night wasn’t

over though, and we had a short detour to another paddock to search for Inland Dotterel.

We weren’t hopeful as they had been scarce of late, but it wasn’t long before we found one

of these unusual ‘waders’, a cryptically patterened species at home on the arid plains of

inland Australia. That would be our last bird of the night as we returned to our buses after a

successful evening, saying farewell to Phil before the long drive back to Hay.

Bird of the Day: Plains-wanderer

One of Australia’s most difficult birds to find, we saw both male and female Plains-

wanderers on the Hay plains. This bird is a male – the female has a black-and-white collar.


Day 5: Wednesday, 29th

October 2014 – Hay to Griffith.

After our late night plains-wandering we enjoyed a sleep in before strolling down to a cafe

for a late breakfast. Fed, watered and ready to go, we packed up the bus, spotting a nice

pair of ‘Yellow’ Rosellas in the motel garden before we left. This curious straw-colored

parrot is currently considered a subspecies of the much different Crimson Rosella of eastern

Australia. Leaving Hay, we set off for our first stop at Darlington Point where we soon found

our target species, with a mixed flock of Long-billed and Little Corellas feeding by the

roadside. From there it was on to Leeton where we had a break for lunch before stopping in

at Fivebough Swamp.

Long-billed Corella is the rarer of the two corellas we see on this itinerary. We saw this one

in a mixed flock with Little Corellas at Darlington Point in southern New South Wales.

Like many of the swamps in inland Australia, the water levels at Fivebough fluctuate wildly.

Last year it was bone dry, but this year some environmental flows had been diverted to the

swamp, filling it up and bringing back the birds. We spent a fantastic few hours wandering

the trails and picking up a range of great waterbirds including Purple Swamphens, Glossy

Ibis, Yellow-billed Spoonbills and Pied Stilts. Baillon’s Crakes were common and with a bit

of effort we all picked up nice views of Australian Crake. Unfortunately a Spotless Crake

was less confiding and most of us only managed the briefest of glimpses as it skulked

through the reeds. One section of the swamp with some deeper water held a small flock of

ducks, with a nice male Chestnut Teal and a Plumed Whistling-Duck new for the list. We

also had nice views of a beautiful Black Swan, while a shy Brown Quail was flushed from


some long grass. Raptors were also well-represented, and we saw both Swamp Harriers and

Whistling Kites soaring over the wetland.

We left Fivebough in time to get across to Binya State Forest for the late afternoon, scoring

a nice Spotted Harrier coursing over some grassland on the way. Arriving at Binya we made

our way to Wattle Dam and settled in to see what birds might come in for a drink. We saw

many of the same species we had seen at Back Yamma a couple of days before, with

Common Bronzewing, Peaceful Dove and another gorgeous male Turquoise Parrot all

coming to drink, while an Eastern Gray Kangaroo and her joey watched on. Finally our

hoped for target, a pair of stunning Mulga Parrots stopped by. They seemed quite

unconcerned at our presence, and we were able to spend a good few minutes admiring the

bright green male with his yellow shoulder patches and red nape, before calling it a day and

heading to Griffith for dinner.

Bird of the Day: Brown Quail

This Eastern Gray Kangaroo along with her well-grown joey came past the waterhole at

Binya State Forest looking for a drink.

Day 6: Thursday, 30th

October 2014 – Griffith to Barren Grounds.

Today was primarily a travel day as we made our way from central southern New South

Wales all the way back to the east coast. Before we left though, we had one major hole to

fill in our list, so it was off to the Griffith golf course for our early morning session. We had

barely jumped out of the bus before we spotted our target, a beautiful Pink Cockatoo.


Unfortunately it flushed before everyone saw it, and so began a frustrating 20 minutes as

the bird would briefly appear, then disappear before we could all get on it. Finally our

persistence paid off, and we found three birds sitting quietly and preening in a dead tree,

allowing us to get the ‘scope on them and soak up extended views of this beautiful bird

including the red and yellow crest. With no more targets for the morning we returned to

Binya for breakfast, taking one last turn through the woodland there before we were back

on the bus and starting the long drive east.

After five hours in the bus and a few brief stops for lunch, the world famous Big Merino and

the slightly less famous Big Potato, we finally arrived at Barren Grounds. Situated high on

the Budderoo Plateau, Barren Grounds is swathed in heath, a low shrubby habitat that

grows on poor soils, and is home to a suite of species that live only in this habitat. We only

had time for a quick walk, not finding much, although we did pick up a nice Pilotbird in the

forest at the entrance to the reserve. We continued down the hill to Jamberoo, our

stopover for the night, having a quick dinner before heading back to Barren Grounds for

some late afternoon birding and a spotlighting adventure.

As we made our way back up the steep road to Barren Grounds we crossed paths with a

Common Wombat shuffling across the road, giving great views of this badger-like marsupial.

After arriving, we made our way out onto the heath, home to the very special Ground

Parrot. A rare species with very specific habitat preferences, Barren Grounds is one of the

few remaining strongholds for this shy parrot on mainland Australia. Unfortunately they live

deep in the heath making them very difficult to see, but they are quite vocal right at dusk,

and as we strained our ears we could hear a few birds giving their distinctive rising whistle

as dusk settled. Once it was dark we set off spotlighting, getting off to a slow start before

things improved. After hearing several Southern Boobooks calling nearby we finally spotted

an individual that sat still in the canopy and called away, allowing us to get the ‘scope on it.

Next up, we were lucky to catch some movement in the canopy which turned out to be a

very cute little Sugar Glider, a species of small flying possum. Being so small and so high up

it took some time before everyone had good views as it scurried effortlessly along branches

and through the leaves before disappearing. Moving down into the taller forests on the

slopes of the plateau we spotted another glider, this time the much larger Greater Glider,

and we had great views of an animal which sat still in the spotlight, showing off its super

long tail and fluffy ears. That would be our last ‘tick’ for the night as we returned to

Jamberoo and headed to bed after another massive day.

Bird of the Day: Pink Cockatoo


Day 7: Friday, 31st

October 2014 – Barren Grounds to Sydney.

It was another early start (is there any other kind on a bird tour?) as we returned to the

heaths of the Budderoo Plateau. As we climbed up onto the plateau from Jamberoo we

spotted a couple of Superb Lyrebirds feeding by the roadside, although they were quite shy

and didn’t allow good views. Passing Barren Grounds we pushed on to another area of

heath in Budderoo National Park, where we started our search for the handful of heath

specialties we were after. It wasn’t long before we heard an Eastern Bristlebird, a shy

skulker that stays deep in the heath. We had no success trying to see one, although in the

process we found a very cute Southern Emuwren and a party of smart Red-browed

Firetails. Finally, as we trudged through some low heath trying to track down another

bristlebird, a flurry of bright green feathers exploded from our feet and streaked away, with

those of us lucky enough to get onto it treated to reasonable views of a Ground Parrot!

The Southern Emuwren gets its name from its wispy tail feathers which are similar to the

feathers of the much larger Emu.

Moving on from Budderoo National Park we returned to Barren Grounds briefly, where we

had better luck with Eastern Bristlebird, finally getting everyone onto a bird we found along

the entrance road. Wandering the trails produced a nice Fan-tailed Cuckoo and White-

throated Treecreeper, and we also enjoyed stunning views from the plateau out over the

nearby coastline, being able to see almost all the way to Sydney. Back down at the park

entrance we picked up our first Black-faced Monarch of the trip, before moving on to our


final stop for the morning, Carrington Falls. Here we picked up two new species for the list,

the first a pair of Red-browed Treecreepers which alerted us with their distinctive buzzing

calls. After enjoying the spectacular views of the falls, we also heard the sweet, lilting song

of a Rose Robin, and soon enough we had the beautiful male sitting above us, showing off

his rose breast and calling away.

A common migrant in forests along the east coast, we saw our first Black-faced Monarch

for the trip at Barren Grounds.

Having finished on the plateau, we moved down to the coast, and what better way to enjoy

the sea air than with fish and chips for lunch, while resting on the grass looking out over the

ocean. While enjoying our lunch we watched a strange shape out in the water, before finally

realizing it was a mother Humpback Whale lolling on the surface, with her small calf nearby.

As we continued to watch we saw the young one do a few breaches, leaping out of the

water before slapping back to the surface. After lunch we moved on to Bass Point where we

spent some time sea-watching. Conditions weren’t ideal, but we did pick up Wedge-tailed,

Short-tailed and Fluttering Shearwaters, along with Australasian Gannets and an

Australian Fur-Seal. We also spotted our first and last Pied Cormorants for the trip. Leaving

Bass Point we made our way north to Sydney for our final night of the New South Wales leg

of the tour. We had time for a short stop at Wattamolla in Royal National Park, and although

there weren’t many birds about we enjoyed the spectacular view from the seaside cliffs. We

did find a nice Tawny-crowned Honeyeater for our efforts, but the highlight was certainly


the Short-beaked Echidna that shuffled across the trail in front of us as we returned to the

bus.

Bird of the Day: Ground Parrot

Day 8: Saturday, 1st

November 2014 – Royal National Park to Hobart.

Early morning saw us back at the cliffs of Wattamolla, hoping to catch Rockwarbler, the only

bird species endemic to the state of New South Wales. While searching we enjoyed nice

views of the plentiful New Holland Honeyeaters, and we also picked up brief glimpses of a

shy Chestnut-rumped Heathwren that refused to come into the open. After worrying we

might dip again we finally spotted our quarry, with a pair of Rockwarblers foraging on the

sandstone cliff face in the morning sun and giving great views. From Wattamolla we headed

for Lady Carrington Drive where we shared our breakfast with a party of inquisitive Sulphur-

crested Cockatoos, and also picked up a few new birds for the list, including Olive-backed

Oriole, Topknot Pigeon and a dashing male Satin Bowerbird. We then went for a walk along

the drive itself, but with our list looking pretty healthy there wasn’t much we needed to see.

We did get nice views of Golden Whistler, along with improved views of several other

species including Sacred Kingfisher and Eastern Spinebill. That would effectively be the end

of our New South Wales sojourn. We had time for a quick visit to the Sydney Botanic

Gardens, but the hoped for Powerful Owl was not in residence, so it was on to the airport

where we caught our afternoon flights to Hobart in Tasmania, and our next leg of the trip.

Bird of the Day: Rockwarbler

We had a few Sulphur-crested Cockatoos join us for breakfast in Royal National Park.


Day 9: Sunday, 2nd

November 2014 – Hobart to Eaglehawk Neck.

Tasmania, and Hobart in particular, is a place well known for its fickle weather, and as we

rose to head out for our first morning the forecast sunshine had already turned to patchy

rain. Undaunted, we headed for Truganini Reserve south of Hobart, our first stop for the

morning. We had breakfast under a shelter there as we watched the rain subside, and after

a couple of false starts were able to get out birding. It didn’t take long to score our first

Tasmanian endemics, with Yellow Wattlebird, Black-headed and Yellow-throated

Honeyeaters all found fairly easily. Moving up the trail we eventually managed to track

down the low ‘oom’ing of a Brush Bronzewing, followed by a pair of Strong-billed

Honeyeaters and a smart Shining Bronze-Cuckoo.

One of our first Tasmanian endemics was this Yellow Wattlebird, a common and noisy bird

in the forests of the island state.

Leaving Truganini we pushed on to Peter Murrell Reserve, where it only took us a few

minutes to find our main target, the very rare and range-restricted Forty-spotted Pardalote.

We were treated to great views of a pair preparing a nest hollow, and feeding in the canopy.

We were also reminded of the perilous life these birds live, as we watched a Gray Shrike-

thrush extract two nestlings from the nearby nest hole of a Striated Pardalote while the

agitated parents looked on, unable to do anything. As we returned to the bus we spotted

another endemic, this time one of Australia’s three flightless birds, the Tasmanian Native-

hen, and while driving out we also picked up a nice pair of little Blue-winged Parrots.

After a break back at the motel followed by lunch, we headed out for our afternoon session,

first heading up Mount Wellington behind Hobart. The fickle weather was at it again, and

incredibly the road to the top was closed due to snow! So, we turned around, making a


short stop on the way down where we scored Tasmanian Thornbill, before pressing on to

Orford on Tasmania’s east coast. Here we spent some time searching the estuary foreshore

for Fairy Tern, and although we couldn’t find any, we did get a couple of nice consolation

prizes with several pairs of Hooded Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers. Moving on from

Orford we headed south through the Wielangta Forest towards Dunalley, picking up a few

good birds on the way. We had nice views of Black Currawong, another Tasmanian

endemic, and we also saw our first Crescent Honeyeater and a very fine male Flame Robin.

We also spotted a couple more Short-beaked Echidnas of the very different, more thickly

furred Tasmanian race. We then made one final stop before arriving at Eaglehawk Neck,

finding a few charming White-fronted Chats at Marion Bay.

One of Australia’s rarest and most range-restricted birds, we had great views of the tiny

Forty-spotted Pardalote at Peter Murrell Reserve in Hobart.

After arriving at Eaglehawk Neck we headed straight for Taranna, where our hoped for Cape

Barren Geese were waiting for us. We then stopped for dinner before heading to The

Blowhole for some seawatching. The main target here was White-capped Albatross, and we

didn’t wait long before one of these graceful argonauts cruised by, allowing us all to get

great views. The ‘scope also revealed thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters and the

occasional Sooty Shearwater pouring by just off the coast, while Black-faced Cormorants

and Australasian Gannets were also regular passers-by. With dusk approaching we left the

Blowhole and made a quick stop at the scenic Devil’s Kitchen before heading down to the


beach, taking our positions to wait for the star of the show. As darkness settled we were

straining our eyes searching for any movement at the water’s edge, when suddenly they

appeared. A blob of movement rose from the water, pausing apprehensively, then trundling

up the beach – a group of 20 Little Penguins returning to their burrows after a day’s fishing.

We sat quietly and watched them pass right by us in the dim red torchlight, leaving

everyone elated at one of the experiences of the trip; a great way finish to a long day.

Bird of the Day: Little Penguin

Day 10: Monday, 3rd

November 2014 – Bruny Island.

After a good day yesterday we still had a few Tasmanian endemics and specialties to knock

off on our second and final day in the island state, and there is probably no better place to

do this than Bruny Island. We took an early ferry across to the island then made our way

straight towards Adventure Bay on the southeastern part of the island. As we neared the

bay a flash of red from the roadside had us pulling over, and shortly after we were gazing at

a stunning male Scarlet Robin. A little further down the road we called in a typically shy

Olive Whistler, and a little further on again we picked up a Dusky Robin. Moving into

Adventure Bay itself we were on the lookout for flowering eucalypts, but this appeared to

be a bad year for flowering. Eventually we found one, and sure enough there were a couple

of bright green Swift Parrots clambering about in the canopy feeding on the nectar and

allowing great ‘scope views of this cracking bird. There were a few gulls about on the beach

nearby as well, allowing close comparison of both Kelp and Pacific Gulls.

Moving on from Adventure Bay we headed into the wet forests of Bruny’s interior, to search

for our last Tasmanian endemic. On the way in we spotted a couple of Red-necked

Wallabies close to the road, the race here being much longer-furred than mainland animals,

and sometimes called Bennett’s Wallaby. At our first stop we heard a singing Pink Robin,

but were disappointed to call it in and find it was only a drab young male. Still, as a

consolation prize we did pick up an early arriving migrant, a gorgeous male Satin Flycatcher.

Moving on to Mavista we didn’t have to search for long before we had found our final

endemic, the fairly nondescript Scrubtit. Soon after some movement caught our eye, and

sure enough, an exquisite male Pink Robin had come in, giving us great views as he sat close

by and showed off his soft pink breast. That was our final target bird for the island, so we

pushed over to the western side, with an unplanned stop to practice our vehicle recovery

skills! With threatening rain clouds deterring us from a visit to the southern tip of the island

we decided on a break for lunch. We then started the trip back to Hobart, making one last

stop to enjoy the view from The Neck, were we also spotted another Little Penguin

sheltering in its burrow, the first one I’ve seen there by day in about 8 visits!


A glowing light in the dim forest, the gorgeous male Pink Robin is a stunning bird.

Back on the mainland we made a detour to a potential spot for Striated Fieldwren, but after

pushing the limits of our buses off-road ability we decided to bail out and return to Orford

for one last crack at the Fairy Tern. We were unsuccessful, but did see all the same species

we had found yesterday, including Pied Oystercatchers and Hooded Plovers, along with a

few Red-capped Plovers and Red-necked Stints. After dinner we returned to Hobart, with a

few hardy souls heading out for one last spotlighting trip. Tasmania has thankfully avoided

the scourge of the introduced Red Fox, and has retained much of its small mammal fauna,

making it a great place to look for many of the small marsupials which were once common

on the mainland but are now extinct. We quickly found Rufous-bellied (Tasmanian)

Pademelons and Common Brushtail Possums, but it took a bit more effort to get good

views of an Eastern Barred Bandicoot. We also had fleeting glimpses of a Southern Bettong,

a small kangaroo-like marsupial, before finally getting nice views of one that sat up for us in

the spotlight. That would be our last new species for this leg of the trip as we returned to

our accommodation to pack and prepare for an early morning departure to the warmer

climes of Queensland.

Bird of the Day: Pink Robin



November 2014 – Hobart to Lamington National Park.

We had a very early start as we made our way to the airport for our flight from Hobart to

Brisbane. The benefit of the early start was arriving in Brisbane with enough time to do

some birding before lunch. First up we headed for some mangroves near the airport where

we had two main targets, Mangrove Gerygone and Mangrove Honeyeater, knocking them

both off without too much trouble. From there we headed to a Square-tailed Kite nest on

Mount Coot-tha, west of the city. This uncommon raptor can be difficult to nail down, so

having them staked out at a nest was an added bonus this year. Luckily when we arrived the

adult and chick, which was very close to fledging, were both on the nest. We had magical

views of the parent jostling with the youngster for space, while both of them peered over

the edge at the commotion below.

We left the kites behind and headed south of Brisbane to Canungra, where we stopped for

lunch before hitting a couple more spots at the base of the Lamington Plateau. We stopped

off at a huge mixed colony of Gray-headed and Black Flying-foxes, with many females

having tiny babies clinging to their chests. We stopped at another colony, this time of Bell

Miners, a bird with a very interesting biology. A species of honeyeater, they are extremely

aggressive, and colonies exclude most other insectivorous birds from the confines of their

territories, often followed by a decline in the health of the forest as insect infestations

result. Having had good views of the miners we finally began the long climb up to the lush

rainforests of Lamington National Park and O’Reilly’s.

We watched the antics of a huge mixed colony of Black and Gray-headed Flying-foxes near

Canungra in southeastern Queensland.


We arrived late in the afternoon, but still with enough time to get out for a short walk. The

great attraction of O’Reilly’s is how easy most of the birds are to find. Before we’d even

started down a trail we had seen Crimson Rosellas, Australian King-Parrots, stunning male

Regent Bowerbirds and several Satin Bowerbirds. Moving onto the trail we soon found a

pair of active Australian Logrunners foraging in the leaf litter, while Yellow-throated and

White-browed Scrubwrens were also common. As the light faded birding in the rainforest

became difficult, but there was no mistaking the large pheasant-like shape of an Albert’s

Lyrebird as it slowly crossed the trail and scratched its way through the leaf litter.

Satin Bowerbirds are common in the gardens at O’Reilly’s, and we saw several beautiful

blue males like this one.

We had a break for dinner, but with only a couple of nights in the park and several targets, it

was important to get out spotlighting. The unusual gobbling call of the Marbled Frogmouth

is one of my favorite bird calls, and it wasn’t long before we had a pair calling close by. Try

as we might though we couldn’t find them in the thick forest, then suddenly they went quiet

altogether. Thinking that perhaps they had flown in we searched the surrounding forest

with the spotlight, not finding the frogmouths, but instead a menacing Sooty Owl glaring

right at us! We had brilliant views of this rare forest owl as it stared back at us for several

minutes before disappearing silently into the dark forest. Buzzing from our owl encounter,

our next stop was at a more open area of forest where things got better. After a short

search we turned up perhaps Australia’s most iconic mammal, a very cute Koala. Looking

closely we realized it was a mother, with a tiny cub clinging to her back – awwwww – so

cute! Also around were a couple of Common Ringtail Possums and a Tawny Frogmouth. It


was not the frogmouth we were after though, so we were back on the hunt. At our final

stop we found another pair of Marbled Frogmouths, and this time after calling back to us

one bird finally popped up on a snag, allowing us brief views through a gap in the forest

before it flew off, a fitting end to a great night out.

Bird of the Day: Albert’s Lyrebird


November 2014 – O’Reilly’s.

We had a relative sleep-in, not getting out and about on the trails until 6:00am, with the sun

well and truly up. We headed off into the rainforest where our plan was to mop up the

handful of target species we were yet to see. A few more ‘LBJs’ were on the agenda, with

Brown Gerygone and Large-billed Scrubwren being found fairly easily, along with a very

confiding Eastern Yellow Robin. We found a couple of Green Catbirds, and after a few of us

had seen it yesterday we all managed to add it to our list. We returned to the lodge for a

sumptuous breakfast, then it was back out onto the trails until lunchtime. We had two

target species left and we soon found the first, with a female Paradise Riflebird showing

well; the first member of the bird-of-paradise family for the entire group. This was followed

by a brief encounter with the jet-black male a little later. Our next target was slightly more

difficult, and we spent the rest of the morning dueling with several Noisy Pittas, who all

refused to show themselves. Most of us got ‘bit’ views – a wing here and a head there – but

this was a most unsatisfying way to experience a beautiful bird. Eventually we admitted

defeat and returned to the lodge where we enjoyed lunch followed by a well-earned rest for

a couple of hours.

The tiny Eastern Spinebill is common in the gardens at O’Reilly’s.


We gathered again mid-afternoon, and decided to spend the afternoon on Duck Creek Road,

a site on the outskirts of Lamington National Park where the rainforest gives way to more

open sclerophyll forest. This different habitat holds a few species we were after, but

unfortunately the windy conditions were making life difficult. It turned out to be very quiet,

with few birds seen on the way down. A Yellow-faced Honeyeater broke the boredom, but

otherwise there was nothing else to report. Arriving at Shepherd’s Lookout we enjoyed the

expansive views to the west of the plateau before making our way back. We picked up a

nice male Cicadabird on the way, then stopped in at the same area we had seen the Koala

last night, and sure enough found the same mother and cub, not far from where we’d seen

them previously. We also found the hoped for White-naped Honeyeater before returning to

the lodge for dinner. Having seen all of the nocturnal specialties last night there was no

need to head out spotlighting tonight, although a couple of people were keen. We made a

short foray into the rainforest, finding an Australian Owlet-Nightjar that gave nice views

and several Common Ringtail Possums before we headed to bed for a welcome early night.

Bird of the Day: Koala

The stunning male Regent Bowerbird is one of Australia’s most beautiful birds, and

thankfully they are common in the gardens of O’Reilly’s.


Day 13: Thursday, 6th

November 2014 – O’Reilly’s to Cairns.

Noisy Pitta was the only bird we were yet to see well, so we decided to head out this

morning and try and improve on our efforts from yesterday. It turned out to be a good

decision, as we soon had a bird calling back at the easily-whistled imitation of its call.

Positioning ourselves on the trail yet again, more in hope than expectation, we heard the

bird coming closer before it was spotted briefly through a hole in the undergrowth. Thinking

we would repeat yesterday’s experience, we were stunned to see this jewel of the forest

hop right out into the open, up onto a log, give a few calls, then dive back into the

undergrowth. It was a cracking start to the morning and put us all in good spirits! We

headed back towards the lodge, finding a family group of Albert’s Lyrebirds scratching

around the cabins on the way, before deciding we had time to duck down Duck Creek Road

before breakfast. It was much birdier than yesterday, and we ran into Leaden Flycatcher,

Variegated Fairywren and a Wonga Pigeon feeding on the track.

That wrapped up our birding at O’Reilly’s, and we returned to the lodge for breakfast before

loading up the bus and starting the drive back to Brisbane. We did pick up a new macropod

on the way down off the plateau, with several Whiptail Wallabies seen feeding on the

grassy verges. With a lunchtime flight, we had time to fit in one more stop near the airport,

so headed for Dowse Lagoon, one of the best wetlands in Brisbane. It didn’t disappoint, with

plenty of birds feeding on the exposed mud and pools at the edges of the lagoon. Many

were species we had already seen, such as Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Pied Stilt

and Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterels, but there were a couple of species new for the

list, with a single White-winged Tern coursing back and front over the water’s edge and a

couple of Latham’s Snipe spotted probing the soft mud. With our departure time

approaching though, we couldn’t stay any longer, leaving the lagoon and making our way to

the airport for our flight to Cairns.

We arrived in hot and steamy Cairns with time to get out for a couple of hours birding,

paying a quick visit to the esplanade where the tide was too far out for wader-watching.

Instead we visited Centenary Lakes, an area of parkland which is a great place to start any

birding trip to the Wet Tropics. Our first bird was probably the same pair of Bush Thick-

knees I’ve seen here in the same spot for the past three years! They are always a great bird

to watch, with their spindly legs, goggly eyes and cryptic coloration. We followed this up

with a menacing Black Butcherbird, a Collared Kingfisher and an unexpected pair of Gray

Goshawks. Moving on to the freshwater lake we found some new waterbirds, with Radjah

Shelduck and Magpie Goose the ‘ticks’ among a few other species we had already seen. As

we wandered back to the van we spotted a Striated Heron sitting quietly in some

mangroves, before heading back down to the esplanade. Unfortunately we’d mucked up our

timings, with the tide now too high, so we called curtains on a long day and returned to our

accommodation for dinner.

Bird of the Day: Noisy Pitta


We spotted this circumspect Striated Heron sitting quietly in the mangroves at Centenary

Lakes on our first afternoon in the tropical city of Cairns.

Day 14: Friday, 7th

November 2014 – Michaelmas Cay to Daintree Village.

Today would be one of the trip highlights as we took a boat ride out to the Great Barrier

Reef, but before our appointment with the Seastar at 7:30am, we had time to catch a few

birds in the mangroves at the esplanade. We arrived shortly after 6:30am and soon found

our primary target, a nice little Mangrove Robin. We followed this up with Varied

Honeyeater and Little Bronze-Cuckoo, before finishing with a handful of waders that were

still foraging on the rising tide, including Great Knot, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits,

Far Eastern Curlew and Terek Sandpiper. We then hustled down to the marina where our

boat was waiting for us. It was all aboard the Seastar and full steam for Michaelmas Cay.

Michaelmas Cay is a low sandy island, about 25 miles off Cairns; it is a haven for breeding

seabirds and a mandatory stop for the visiting birder. We arrived at the cay around

10:00am, anchoring the Seastar before transferring to a glass-bottomed boat that would

take us closer to shore. A few small tenders that remain permanently moored near the cay

act as convenient resting posts for the birds, and a quick search of these revealed Brown

and Black Noddies, Sooty and Bridled Terns and a Red-footed Booby. Moving closer to

shore we were able to get a better idea of the shear numbers of birds on the island, with

thousands of Brown Noddies and Sooty Terns, and smaller numbers of Brown Boobies,

Greater Crested and Lesser Crested Terns. Cruising around the island we spotted several

ghostly Black-naped Terns, a few Ruddy Turnstones and a lone Great Frigatebird sitting


sentinel-like on a snag. Our boat then dropped us off on the island itself, and from the

restricted access area we were able to get up close and personal with the birds, many which

were incubating eggs or caring for recently hatched chicks.

While most of the Sooty Terns had well-developed chicks, the Brown Noddies were still

sitting on eggs, or had only very young chicks like this one.

After enjoying our fill on the island we were back in our boat and returning to the Seastar

for the delicious buffet lunch, before we pulled anchor and continued east to Hastings Reef.

Perhaps the non-birding highlight of the trip, we spent the next couple of hours snorkeling

on the outer reef, the calm blue ocean surface disguising the kaleidoscope of color heaving

below. Tuskfish, triggerfish, parrotfish and angelfish all danced across the multitude of

corals that covered the ocean floor, and it always seems like the two hours passes far too

quickly. Unfortunately our time was up though, so we pulled anchor for the last time and set

off on the return trip to Cairns.

We arrived around 4:00pm and loaded up the van, with a fair drive in front of us. We were

heading north to Daintree Village and with a dinner date at Red Mill House waiting for us

only made a couple of stops on the way, one for a Pheasant Coucal, and another for a

flyover Black-necked Stork. Arriving at Red Mill we were greeted by Andrew and Trish, and

it wasn’t long before we were set up on their balcony enjoying a delicious barbecue dinner

and a few beers and wines, while a couple of Northern Brown Bandicoots foraged on the

lawn below. After dinner we said our goodnights, and headed to bed, usually a fair

indication that birding for the day is over. Not tonight though. In one of the more unusual


and unexpected episodes of the trip, reports of a stalker, a ‘guy’, and things going bump in

the night soon had most of us out in the garden either in our pyjamas or various states of

undress, watching a fantastic Rufous Owl calling from the top of a tree in Andrew and

Trish’s garden!

Bird of the Day: Black-naped Tern

Northern Brown Bandicoots are regular visitors to the back lawn after dark at Red Mill

House.

Day 15: Saturday, 8th

November 2013 – Daintree to Kuranda.

We gathered at 5:30am and had a laugh about the curious events of last night, before

heading off to squeeze in some birding before our morning cruise on the Daintree River. Our

main target was Lovely Fairywren, and although we heard a couple of birds and managed

brief glimpses, they weren’t really ‘tickable’. We made our way down to the jetty and met

our guide for the morning, the Daintree Boatman, Murray Hunt. The few hours we spend on

the river with Murray, whose knowledge of this area is unparalleled, is always one of the

highlights of the trip. We kicked off with a Brown-backed Honeyeater nesting by the

riverbank, followed by a fruiting tree that held both Metallic Starlings and several

Australian Koels. A Buff-banded Rail was spotted skulking along the water’s edge, before

Murray’s eagle-eyes picked up one of the morning’s primary targets, a Black Bittern sitting

quietly on the riverbank. It was only a few minutes later that we came across one the


Daintree’s specialties, an impressive Great-billed Heron that gave us simply stunning views

as it fed in the shallows then flew up into a riverside tree. After getting our fill of the heron

we continued downstream, only to come across another Great-billed Heron, this time in

company with an Estuarine Crocodile that was cruising the shallows. This bird also allowed

close approach, with this normally shy species seemingly unconcerned at our presence.

Both rare and very shy, we were very lucky to score brilliant views of this Great-billed

Heron during our morning cruise on the Daintree River.

We moved off the Daintree River onto Barratt Creek, a narrow tributary with the gallery

forest much closer on either side. We passed a couple of noisy Spectacled Flying-fox

colonies, and eventually had good views of both Large-billed Gerygone and Shining

Flycatchers. A couple of colorful Wompoo Fruit-Doves were seen feeding over the river,

and we also had nice views of several Green Orioles. Unfortunately our hoped for

kingfishers proved elusive, and although we eventually had good views of a smart Azure

Kingfisher, the Little Kingfisher was only seen as a blue streak whizzing up the side of the

boat. Still, it had been a successful morning with a great guide, and we were very happy

when we arrived back at the jetty. We said farewell to Murray and were returning to Red

Mill for breakfast, but the birding wasn’t finished. Just as we came through the gate we

spotted a very smart Superb Fruit-Dove feeding in one of Trish and Andrew’s fruiting trees,

and with a bit of persistence all managed nice views of this small, multicolored pigeon.


The hospitality alone at Red Mill House is worth visiting for, and while we would happily

have sat on the balcony with Trish and Andrew tucking into the delicious homemade bread,

tropical fruit, bacon and eggs for the rest of the morning, unfortunately we had more birds

to see. We headed out Stewart Creek Road, making another more successful stop for the

Lovely Fairywrens, before continuing out to a patch of rainforest that proved to be very

birdy. In only a few minutes we picked up Pied Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill and Gray

Whistler, but there the easy birding would end. Our next target was the exquisite Buff-

breasted Paradise-Kingfisher and we soon had one calling from the canopy, but try as we

might we couldn’t get clear views of the bird. It flew back-and-forth above us a couple of

times, and eventually we found it perched, but it was always at least partially obscured and

difficult to see. Eventually we admitted defeat and returned to Daintree Village for lunch,

before saying farewell to Trish, Andrew and Red Mill House, then getting on our way back

south.

The always active Pied Monarch is one of several species endemic to the Wet Tropics.

On the way back towards Cairns we made a couple of stops to search unsuccessfully for

Beach Thick-knee, although we had some success picking up an Osprey and a mob of Agile

Wallabies in transit. As we neared Cairns we turned west and climbed up onto the Atherton

Tableland, heading for Kuranda and Cassowary House. We arrived and met our host Sue,

who quickly rushed us through to her balcony where the area’s most famous resident was in

attendance; after missing Southern Cassowary here last year, I was relieved to have this


mega-tick in the bag! This time it was the male bird with one stripey chick in tow and we

watched on enthralled as this prehistoric, reptilian-looking bird fed quietly, while the

youngster played around, occasionally chasing the resident Australian Brush-Turkeys

through the forest. The two birds eventually wandered off, leaving us with only an hour or

so of light. We decided to make the short trip down to Cairns and see if we could pick up

some waders on the rising tide. The light got close to beating us, but we still arrived in time

to catch a few waders we needed for the list, with good opportunities to compare Greater

and Lesser Sand-Plovers, Whimbrels and finally, a Gray-tailed Tattler by torchlight! That

would be our last bird for the day as we returned to Kuranda for dinner then bed.

Bird of the Day: Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher

The stunning Southern Cassowary, always one of the highlights of the trip.


Day 16: Sunday, 9th

November 2014 – Cassowary House to Kuranda.

We started early at Cassowary House, wandering down Black Mountain Road and getting a

start on some of the rainforest species that bring most birders to this part of Australia.

Things appeared to be getting off to a good start when we heard a White-eared Monarch

calling, but unhappily it wouldn’t show itself, remaining hidden in the canopy with only one

of us getting a glimpse. The activity was slow initially, so we picked our way through some of

the common species, including Yellow-spotted, Graceful, Dusky and Macleay’s

Honeyeaters and a pair of Forest Kingfishers. Continuing along the road we found a couple

of fruiting trees and a few more birds. Some Wompoo Fruit-Doves and a single Superb

Fruit-Dove were seen well, while a dashing Barred Cuckooshrike also popped up, giving

extended ‘scope views. Perhaps the highlight though was a jet-black male Victoria’s

Riflebird, complete with turquoise throat and tail, who even started his wing-waving display

sequence as a female passed close by.

Macleay’s Honeyeaters are regular visitors to the feeders at Cassowary House.

After a couple of hours we returned to begin the epic experience that is the Cassowary

House breakfast smorgasbord. Sue kept the food coming, with home-baked muffins, fresh

toast, local fruit jams, eggs, muesli, tea and coffee, and although there were no crepes,

there were crakes, as we all managed to spot a couple of Red-necked Crakes foraging in the

garden in between gorging ourselves. We were also treated to point blank views of Spotted

Catbird, another randy male Victoria’s Riflebird and a friendly Black Butcherbird coming to


Sue’s feeders. As we finished up breakfast the stars of the show made an encore

appearance, with the male Southern Cassowary and his chick ambling out of the forest,

followed this time by the female. We watched the three of them feeding below us for much

of the morning, shooting hundreds and maybe thousands of photos between us before they

eventually disappeared back into the forest.

After dragging ourselves away from Cassowary House we headed for Mareeba, our base for

the next few nights, checking into our motel and catching a short break and lunch before we

were out birding again. We had a big afternoon planned, starting with a visit to Tarzali Lakes

where our target was that most intriguing mammal, the Platypus. We walked down to a

small secluded lake, and didn’t have to wait long before spotting our first animal, a small

female who spent the next half hour repeatedly submerging, then returning to the surface

for short rests before diving again. Some pauses on the surface were longer than others,

and we all had good views of this iconic animal. Leaving Tarzali Lakes we made our way to

the Curtain Fig where we not only admired the spectacular fig tree, but also spotted a few

birds, with Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Pied Monarch, our first Pale-yellow Robin for the trip

and for a lucky few, Scarlet Myzomela. Possibly the highlight though was a Green Ringtail

Possum, a nocturnal mammal that we chanced upon resting low in the forest.

We spent half-an-hour watching this Platypus continually diving for food on a secluded

pond at Tarzali Lakes on the Atherton Tableland.

After finishing up at the Curtain Fig we drove to nearby Yungaburra to get dinner before

heading out spotlighting with local guide Alan Gillanders. I doubt there is anyone who knows

more about the natural history of the Atherton Tableland than Alan, but his particular

specialty is the nocturnal mammals of the tableland, and he would be taking us out into the

rainforest to see what we could find. We made our first stop at a bridge on the outskirts of

Yungaburra, where Alan showed us some roosting Large-footyed Myotis, a species of


microbat that specializes in catching fish. We then returned to the Curtain Fig, finding a

‘Coppery’ Brushtail, a race of the Common Brushtail Possum only found in northeastern

Queensland. Moving on to Mount Hypipamee (and scoring a Barn Owl on the way), we

spent an hour or so moving through the rainforest, racking up some of the special mammals

endemic to the Wet Tropics. First up was a young male Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo, who was

quite shy, but still allowed us reasonable views before he clambered off through the canopy.

We found several pairs of Lemuroid Ringtail Possums, a species restricted to highland

rainforests, but perhaps the highlight was a cracking Herbert River Ringtail Possum, a

beautiful black-and-white possum and a lifer for me! After a successful night we returned to

Yungaburra and said farewell to Alan before heading back to Mareeba for some well-earned

and welcome sleep.

Bird of the Day: Southern Cassowary

This strikingly patterned Herbert River Ringtail was one of the highlights of our night

spotlighting on the Atherton Tableland with Alan Gillanders.

Day 17: Monday, 10th

November 2014 – Mount Lewis to Mount Hypipamee.

After our late night spotlighting we had a relatively late start – 6:00am is late for a bird tour

isn’t it? This morning we would be heading to Mount Lewis at the northern end of the

Atherton Tableland to try and knock off the last few Wet Tropics endemics we hadn’t seen.

We made a couple of sort stops on the way, at Big Mitchell Creek and Abbatoir Swamp,


scoring a handful of new birds for the list including Yellow, White-throated and White-

cheeked Honeyeaters. We turned onto Mount Lewis Road and began the steady ascent

through the lush highland rainforest, continuing all the way to the famous ‘clearing’. We

hadn’t been out of the car for more than a minute when we spotted a small flock of Red-

browed Firetails feeding on seeding grasses, with a larger, bright green finch in their midst –

Blue-faced Parrot-Finch! A tough species at this time of year, this was obviously an early

returning bird that we were very lucky to see. We had a quick breakfast before wandering

along the road, slowly working our way through our target species. Mountain Thornbill and

Bridled Honeyeater were found easily, but a bit more effort was required to see the

skulking Fernwren and a shy Bower’s Shrike-thrush. Heading off onto a trail soon produced

the hoped for Chowchillas, as we stumbled on a family group of these charismatic birds

scratching their way through the leaf litter. Returning to the road a short walk produced a

female Golden Bowerbird, while we completed our set of Wet Tropics endemics with a pair

of Gray-headed Robins on the trip back down the mountain.

Not a great photo but a fantastic bird, this Blue-faced Parrot-Finch was undoubtedly the

highlight of our morning birding the highland rainforests of Mount Lewis.

After a successful start to the morning, our next stop was near Mount Molloy, and produced

a drab Lemon-bellied Flycatcher and fleeting glimpses of a Pacific Baza drifting through the

canopy. Thinking this striking raptor had passed us by, we were excited to find it again,

perched quietly overhead and giving great views of the barred breast and curious crest. We

moved on to our final stop before lunch, the causeway at Lake Mitchell. A vast, shallow lake


packed with waterbirds, we had great views of a pair of dashing Green Pygmy-geese, while

a family group of graceful Brolgas were found wading in the shallows. There were also

plenty of more common birds around including Magpie Geese, Black Swans, Great and

Intermediate Egrets and Comb-crested Jacanas. Finally, just as we were preparing to leave,

we got lucky as a quartet of Cotton Pygmy-geese whizzed by, landing in the open water and

giving us nice views of this rare and beautiful bird.

One of Australia’s most beautiful raptors is the delicately patterned Spotted Harrier. More

common in the inland, they are occasionally seen in the farmland of the Atherton

Tableland.

After a break for lunch we returned to the southern end of the tableland for the afternoon.

One bird we had missed on our Daintree Cruise was Papuan Frogmouth, which usually nest

in trees overhanging the river, but this year they were late breeding and Murray had been

unable to find any for us. We had a backup though, and on a tip off from Alan we visited

Lake Barrine, easily finding a nesting bird with a small chick that stared down at us from the

flimsy nest. From there we returned to Mount Hypipamee where we had been spotlighting

last night, scoring point blank views of a stunning adult Spotted Harrier on the way. Our

target at Mount Hypipamee was Golden Bowerbird, and although we had seen a female

this morning, this time we were hoping to catch the glistening-golden male. We trekked into

the forest and soon found his elaborate bower, two poles piled up with small sticks and

twigs, with a central perch adorned with lichen. We sat and waited patiently for the male to

show, before he was eventually spied sitting quietly about 20 yards away. With a bit of

maneuvering we got the ‘scope on him, and were all able to enjoy extended views of this


fabulous bird. We returned to Mareeba for dinner, with most of us calling it a day, although

some of us who had missed Australian Owlet-Nightjar at O’Reilly’s went on a quick

nocturnal expedition, finding a pair of these very cute little nightbirds before heading to

bed.

Bird of the Day: Pacific Baza


November 2014 – Mount Carbine to Granite Gorge.

Although the rainforest is what most birders imagine when they think about the Wet

Tropics, there is also a suite of birds found in the drier areas on the western edge of the

Atherton Tableland. This morning we left very early, making our way to the northwestern

limits of the tableland to try and track down some of these dry country specialties. The birds

began ticking over soon after our arrival, with Banded Honeyeater and White-throated

Gerygone the first birds we found. Our next stop was very exciting, as we discovered a flock

of at least 20 gorgeous Black-throated Finches foraging and nest-building close to the road.

A rare dry-country specialist, they are one of my favorite Australian birds and I was very

happy to spend a few minutes admiring their pale apricot chests, soft gray hoods and jet

black throats. The birds continued to flow thick and fast as we ate breakfast, with Pale-

headed Rosellas, a stately Blue-winged Kookaburra, and several enormous Channel-billed

Cuckoos passing by. Unfortunately the open nature of these dry savanna woodlands means

the temperature and winds pick up quickly, so we were lucky to have most of our targets in

the bag early. We did move on, but the activity quickly died down, with our only additions to

the list a Brown Goshawk, and at a nearby river crossing, a White-gaped Honeyeater.

The stately Australian Bustard is regularly seen in the dry open woodlands and grassy

paddocks of the Atherton Tableland, particularly around Mount Carbine.


We moved on to Mount Carbine, where a quick stop at the local caravan park was very

productive. The owner pointed us to a Tawny Frogmouth sitting on a nest which we were

admiring until we realized its mate was sitting just above eye level within a few yards of our

heads! There was a dripping tap which was bringing in quite a few birds, and we waited and

watched while Noisy and Little Friarbirds, Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Apostlebirds all

squabbled with a party of Rainbow Lorikeets for access to the water. We also paid a visit to

the bower of the resident Great Bowerbird, admiring his elaborate studio and collection of

green and white trinkets. He even stopped by as we were watching, bringing in a new

decoration which he placed carefully before flying off. We left Mount Carbine and made one

last stop for the morning at nearby Maryfarms, where we quickly found the hoped for

Australian Bustards, with several birds resting in the shade of the scattered trees. They

were our last bird for the morning as we returned to Mareeba for lunch.

We found this cryptically patterned Tawny Frogmouth sitting at eye level right beside us.


We had a little mopping up to do for our afternoon expedition, heading back to the

southern end of the tableland. On a tip off from Alan, we paid a visit to a location I’d never

visited before, the Nerada Tea Center, a small tourist attraction with a small patch of

rainforest nearby. There had recently been a Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo in residence that

was easily seen during the day, and sure enough we found this primarily nocturnal animal

sitting right out in the open and feeding, undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip. From

there we pushed on to Hasties Swamp, getting nice views of a few Sarus Cranes feeding in

recently ploughed paddocks on the way. The swamp was packed with birds, including

thousands of Plumed Whistling-Ducks, a handful of Wandering Whistling-Ducks, Magpie

Geese, Royal Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis, Black-fronted Dotterels and Latham’s Snipe.

Unfortunately with time ticking and a couple of species still to find, we couldn’t hang around

and had to move on. Our next stop was Granite Gorge where the hoped for Squatter

Pigeons showed well, along with the resident Mareeba Rock-Wallabies, a species of small

rock-inhabiting macropod. To finish the day we tried to chase down a few groups of Red-

tailed Black-Cockatoos, and although we saw half-a-dozen birds, they were always flying

past at a distance and not giving us the sort of views we were after.

Bird of the Day: Tawny Frogmouth

The attractively patterned Squatter Pigeon is found in the open grassy woodlands of the

Atherton Tableland.



November 2014 – Mareeba to Cairns.

The final day of this leg of our trip is always disjointed, as we usually end up with a short list

of birds we haven’t seen, none of which can be found at the same place! This day was no

different, and dawn saw us heading for Davies Creek where we were hoping to catch up

with the neat little White-browed Robin. Found in heavily vegetated creeklines, our first

few attempts drew a blank, but we finally met success finding a very friendly bird that

perched up nearby and gave us great views. Moving on, we were passing a patch of heavily

flowering eucalypts with plenty of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in attendance, when the

distinctive high-pitched ‘zit-zit’ of a Little Lorikeet caught our attention. We had seen this

bird near Brisbane, but only poor views of birds in flight, so we quickly stopped and

searched the nearby trees, eventually finding a pair of these adorable little parrots perched

together and preening. Our next stop was Abbatoir Swamp near Mount Molloy, where we

had breakfast and finally called out a Northern Fantail, before finally descending off the

tableland and down to the coast. Our final target for the morning was Beach Thick-knee

which we had tried for unsuccessfully a couple of times during our visit to Daintree, but this

time we were in luck as we spotted a bird sitting quietly under the shade at the back of the

beach. It was shy and wouldn’t allow close approach, but we still had nice views as it moved

down to forage at the water’s edge. With our first three targets in the bag, we had time for

a lazy morning tea before returning to Cairns for lunch.

We found this dapper little White-browed Robin on our final attempt at Davies Creek,

after missing it a couple of times earlier in the trip.


Double-eyed Fig-Parrot was a bird we hadn’t seen well, with only a few glimpses of birds

whizzing past; I was even facing accusations of falsifying their existence! We decided to

make them a focus of our afternoon, so returned to Centenary Lakes where they can often

be found. Of course a couple more were seen flying by, but we couldn’t get them perched.

There were still plenty of other birds around to keep us interested, with Orange-footed

Scrubfowls, Radjah Shelducks and a surprise Pied Heron the highlights. We also tried the

nearby cemetery where a fruiting fig held a number of other frugivores, but frustratingly no

fig-parrots.

There were quite a few Radjah Shelducks hanging around the ponds at Centenary Lakes.

With a few other birds still wanted, we left the cemetery and headed for Cattana Wetlands,

soon finding the hoped for White-browed Crakes, although our other target, Crimson Finch,

took a bit more effort. We did eventually find a pair though, and had nice views of the

blood-red male feeding in some long grass. We left the wetland and made a short stop in

Yorkey’s Knob without finding anything new, before getting a call that a Broad-billed

Sandpiper was showing at the esplanade. We high-tailed it back to Cairns and arrived in

time to pick up the sandpiper, and of course, in one of the figs lining the esplanade we

found a quite charming Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, sitting nice and still and giving us ‘scope

views as proof of its existence. We spent a while longer sifting through the waders, adding

Red Knot to the trip list, but otherwise they were species we had already seen, so with the

light fading, we called curtains on a hectic 19 days.


To celebrate the end of the trip we

headed out for a Balinese feast and a few

drinks. We discussed our bird-of-the-trip

votes, giving us an opportunity to

reminisce about some of the fantastic

birds we had seen. Little Penguin was the

clear winner of bird-of-the-trip, with

everyone agreeing that watching them

trundle up out of the surf and pass

within a few yards was one of the trip

highlights. Our close encounters with the

Southern Cassowary at Cassowary House

saw it come home in second place, while

some of the other creatures that rated a

mention were the stunning male

Turquoise Parrots, a randy male

Victoria’s Riflebird, the adorable Koala

piggy-backing her cub and the brazen

Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo feeding in

broad daylight. We ended up with a very

respectable list of 439 species of bird,

well above average considering the dry

conditions we had encountered in New South Wales, and we also broke the Tropical Birding

record for mammals on an Eastern Australia trip, with an incredible 42 species recorded!

Bird of the Day: Double-eyed Fig-Parrot

BIRD LIST

This list includes all the bird species that were recorded by at least one member of the

group. Taxonomy and nomenclature closely follow the latest Clements updates.

Parentheses in the common name denote an alternate name used by some checklists.

Parentheses after the scientific name denote the Clements ‘group’ the taxa belongs to.

Total: 439 species, including two heard only (H) and one guide only (G).

CASSOWARIES: Casuariidae

1. Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius

We had great views of both a female and a male chaperoning his tiny stripey chick at the

aptly named Cassowary House near Kuranda.

One of the mammal highlights of the trip was

watching this normally nocturnal Lumholtz’s

Tree-Kangaroo feeding in broad daylight.


EMU: Dromaiidae

2. Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae

This iconic bird was seen several times on the plains of central New South Wales.

MAGPIE GOOSE: Anseranatidae

3. Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata

Common on wetlands in north-eastern Queensland.

DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS: Anatidae

4. Plumed Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna eytoni

Seen at several wetlands on the Atherton Tableland, with thousands at Hasties Swamp.

5. Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata

We only found this bird once this year, with about half-a-dozen birds seen at Hasties Swamp

near Atherton.

6. Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae

A party of six geese was seen in a paddock near Taranna in Tasmania.

7. Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa

Normally a rare species that guides sweat on, we saw them twice this year, with several

birds at Gum Swamp near Forbes, and a single bird seen as part of a large flock of ducks at

Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds.

8. Black Swan Cygnus atratus

Common and widespread, small numbers of this stately swan were seen on several

wetlands throughout the trip.

9. Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides

This large duck was seen a couple of times, with several birds at the Lake Cargelligo sewage

ponds and more seen at Fivebough Swamp.

10. Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah

Seen a couple of times in north Queensland, there were about a dozen birds on the

freshwater lake at Centenary Lakes in Cairns, with a few more seen at the fish farm near

Wonga Beach south of Daintree Village.

11. Green Pygmy-goose Nettapus pulchellus

Quite a few seen on Lake Mitchell, with a few more at Cattana Wetlands in north

Queensland.


12. Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus

We were lucky to find a quartet of these beautiful small geese at Lake Mitchell.

13. Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata

A common bird, particularly in south-eastern Australia.

14. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (platyrhynchos)

This introduced species was seen at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island in Tasmania.

15. Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa

Perhaps the most common waterfowl in Australia, seen on most days of the trip.

16. Australian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis

A few birds were seen at Gum Swamp.

17. Gray Teal Anas gracilis

Another common bird, seen at many wetlands throughout the trip.

18. Chestnut Teal Anas castanea

We came across this bird several times, with one bird seen at Fivebough Swamp, and

several seen in Tasmania where it is more common.

19. Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus

An unusual species, we saw large numbers at Gum Swamp near Forbes, with a few more

seen at the Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds.

20. White-eyed Duck Aythya australis

Quite a few were seen at Gum Swamp near Forbes, with more seen at Lake Cargelligo and

also Hasties Swamp in north Queensland.

21. Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis

We managed to find a cracking male of this very pretty duck at Gum Swamp.

22. Musk Duck Biziura lobata

One of the trip’s great experiences was watching a male of this bizarre species go through

his complete display routine at Lake Wallace near Lithgow.

MEGAPODES: Megapodiidae

23. Australian Brush-Turkey Alectura lathami

A common species seen most days of the trip in Queensland.

24. Orange-footed Scrubfowl Megapodius reinwardt

Fairly common in north Queensland, we saw this species several times, with our best views

at Centenary Lakes in Cairns.


PHEASANTS, GROUSE AND ALLIES: Phasianidae

25. Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora

After hearing it a few times, we finally got reasonable views of a bird at Fivebough Swamp.

GREBES: Podicipedidae

26. Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

A common bird, seen on several wetlands throughout the trip.

27. Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus

This species was seen on several wetlands during the New South Wales leg of the trip.

28. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

There were quite a few birds on Lake Wallace near Lithgow, with more seen on Lake Barrine

on the Atherton Tableland.

PENGUINS: Spheniscidae

29. Little (Fairy) Penguin Eudyptula minor

Voted as bird-of-the-trip, after waiting patiently on the beach until just after dusk, we were

rewarded when a gang of about 20 penguins emerged from the surf and waddled up the

beach to their burrows.

ALBATROSSES: Diomedeidae

30. White-capped (Shy) Albatross Thalassarche cauta

We had good views of a couple of these graceful seabirds during our seawatch at Eaglehawk

Neck.

SHEARWATERS AND PETRELS: Procellariidae

31. Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus

We had good views of this species from Bass Point in New South Wales.

32. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus

A few birds were seen far offshore from The Blowhole at Eaglehawk Neck, accompanied by

thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters.

33. Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris

As with the previous species, we had great views of quite a few from Bass Point, with

several coming very close to our viewing point on the rocky shore. We also saw thousands

more pouring past on their southerly migration during our seawatch at Eaglehawk Neck.


34. Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavial

With their distinctive flight pattern, we spotted a few of these during our seawatch at Bass

Point.

STORKS: Ciconiidae

35. Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

After a brief flyover near Daintree Village, we had much better views of a stately adult male

foraging along the edge of the Daintree River during our cruise with Murray Hunt.

FRIGATEBIRDS: Fregatidae

36. Great Frigatebird Fregata minor

Only one bird was seen at Michaelmas Cay this year.

BOOBIES AND GANNETS: Sulidae

37. Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

Several were seen at Michaelmas Cay, including a couple of adults with well-grown

nestlings.

38. Red-footed Booby Sula sula

Not a bird we see every year, we were lucky to see a couple resting on the boats moored off

Michaelmas Cay.

39. Australasian Gannet Morus serrator

After spotting a few distant birds from Bass Point, we had better views of a bird fishing in

the estuary at Orford.

CORMORANTS AND SHAGS: Phalacrocoracidae

40. Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

A common species found at many wetlands throughout the trip.

41. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (novaehollandiae)

We saw a few along the coast in New South Wales, with another seen at Adventure Bay on

Bruny Island.

42. Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius

Although widespread in Australia, this is the most difficult cormorant to see on this

itinerary. We only saw them during our seawatch at Bass Point.


43. Black-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscescens

A common coastal species in Tasmania that we saw several times.

44. Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

Very common, with a few birds at most wetlands we stopped at.

ANHINGAS: Anhingidae

45. Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae

Particularly common in northern Queensland, we also saw this bird at a few wetlands in

New South Wales.

PELICANS: Pelecanidae

46. Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus

Always a popular species, we saw this bird at most large wetlands visited during the trip.

HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS: Ardeidae

47. Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis

An easy species to miss, we had nice views of a couple of these shy birds during our

Daintree River cruise.

48. Pacific Heron Ardea pacifica

Not as common as in previous years, we saw them on a few wetlands in New South Wales,

with a couple more on Lake Mitchell and Hasties Swamp in north Queensland.

49. Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana

Usually quite a difficult species, we had great luck on our Daintree cruise with Murray Hunt,

seeing two birds incredibly well.

50. Great Egret Ardea alba (modesta)

Very common at wetlands in north Queensland, and also seen a few times in New South

Wales and a couple of times in Tasmania.

51. Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia

Also common in northern Queensland where it was found at most wetlands.

52. White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae

Widespread, and particularly common in New South Wales and Tasmania where they were

seen in large numbers.

53. Little Egret Egretta garzetta (garzetta)

We spotted this egret at several wetlands in northeastern Queensland.


54. Pacific Reef-Heron Egretta sacra

After poor views of a bird far below us from the cliffs at Wattamolla, we had better views of

one on the mudflats at Cairns Esplanade.

55. Pied Heron Egretta picata

Not commonly found in northeastern Queensland, we found a single bird at Centenary

Lakes in Cairns on our second visit to that site.

56. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (coromandus)

Very common in northeastern Queensland, we also saw them a couple of times in New

South Wales.

57. Striated Heron Butorides striata (atricapilla)

We had nice views of one of these small herons at Centenary Lakes in Cairns.

58. Rufous (Nankeen) Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus

A striking adult was seen well during our Daintree River cruise.

IBIS AND SPOONBILLS: Threskiornithidae

59. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Seen on a few occasions, with our best views of several groups at Fivebough Swamp.

60. Australian Ibis Threskiornis molucca

A common bird seen throughout the trip.

61. Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis

A common bird, particularly in rural areas throughout the trip.

62. Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia

Seen at several wetlands in northeastern Queensland, with nice views of a bird at Centenary

Lakes in Cairns.

63. Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes

Sometimes a difficult bird to find, we saw them on a few occasions during our time in New

South Wales.

OSPREY: Pandionidae

64. Osprey Pandion haliaetus (cristatus)

Already split by the IOC, the Australian birds are a potential split as Eastern Osprey by

Clements. It was seen on a few occasions near Daintree Village in north Queensland.


HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES: Accipitridae

65. Australian Kite Elanus axillaris

A fairly common raptor in rural areas throughout the trip.

66. Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata

We had excellent views of this sometimes tricky raptor near Mount Molloy in northeastern

Queensland.

67. Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura

We had excellent views of this rare raptor at Mount Coot-tha in Brisbane, including a nearly-

fledged youngster on the nest.

68. Little Eagle Aquila morphnoides

Our best views of this species were of a bird soaring overhead at Coco Creek in the Capertee

Valley.

69. Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax

This immense eagle was first seen soaring low over the road as we left Nombinnie Nature

Reserve, and we subsequently saw them several more times throughout the trip.

70. Swamp Harrier Circus approximans

We first saw this species at Fivebough Swamp, with another seen at Marion Bay in

Tasmania.

71. Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis

We ran into this beautiful raptor a couple of times in New South Wales, but our best views

were of a bird perched on a post beside the road near Atherton in northeastern

Queensland.

72. Gray Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae

We only saw this bird once, with a pair seen briefly at Centenary Lakes in Cairns.

73. Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus

We saw a couple of birds in the dry savannas near Mount Carbine in northeastern

Queensland.

74. Black Kite Milvus migrans (migrans)

Quite common on the Atherton Tableland this year, with quite a few birds also seen in

inland New South Wales.

75. Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus

A fairly common raptor throughout the trip, particularly around large wetlands such as Lake

Mitchell and Fivebough Swamp.


76. White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster

Seen at several sites during the trip, including Gum Swamp in New South Wales and Lake

Mitchell in northeastern Queensland.

RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS: Rallidae

77. Red-necked Crake Rallina tricolor

After a few attempts we all had good views of a pair in the garden at Cassowary House.

78. Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus phillippensis

We had nice views of a bird at the water’s edge during our Daintree River cruise, with

another seen at Tarzali Lakes.

79. Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla (palustris)

We had great views of this species on a couple of occasions, with several birds seen at the

Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, and more seen at Fivebough Swamp.

80. Australian Crake Porzana fluminea

We spotted a couple of these shy crakes at Fivebough Swamp.

81. Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis

A few of us managed brief glimpses of this very shy crake at Fivebough Swamp.

82. White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea

Cattana Wetlands near Cairns is a very reliable spot for this species, and we saw a few there

this year.

83. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyria (melanotus)

A common species on wetlands throughout the trip.

84. Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa

We saw this bird a few times on wetlands throughout the trip.

85. Black-tailed Native-hen Tribonyx ventralis

We were surprised to see a single bird at Lake Wallace near Lithgow, well east of its normal

range. A couple more were seen near Wanganella with Phil Maher, and also at Fivebough

Swamp.

86. Tasmanian Native-hen Tribonyx mortierii

A common species in Tasmania, we saw it several times in roadside fields and on small

wetlands.

87. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

Common on wetlands throughout the trip, particularly in New South Wales.


BUSTARDS: Otididae

88. Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis

We had good views of a couple of birds at Maryfarms near Mount Carbine in northeastern

Queensland.

CRANES: Gruidae

89. Sarus Crane Grus antigone

Seen several times on the Atherton Tableland, foraging in ploughed fields.

90. Brolga Grus rubicunda

Only recorded once this year, with a family group of two adults and two younger birds seen

at Lake Mitchell on the Atherton Tableland.

THICK-KNEES: Burhinidae

91. Bush Thick-knee Burhinus grallarius

We found a few pairs around Cairns and also Kuranda, including nice views of a couple of

birds at Centenary Lakes.

92. Beach Thick-knee Burhinus magnirostris

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, we finally found a single bird at Wonga Beach,

sitting quietly in the shade of some trees at the back of the beach.

STILTS AND AVOCETS: Recurvirostridae

93. Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus

A fairly common bird found on several wetlands throughout the trip.

94. Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae

Only seen once this year, with a couple of flocks found at the Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds.

OYSTERCATCHERS: Haematopodidae

95. Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris

Seen a few times in Tasmania, including a couple of pairs with youngsters at Orford.

96. Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus

A couple of birds were seen at Shellharbour, with a couple more seen at Adventure Bay on

Bruny Island.


PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS: Charadriidae

97. Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor

We spotted a couple of birds on the way from Lake Cargelligo to Nombinnie Nature Reserve,

but had great views of several birds on the plains near Wanganella while spotlighting with

Phil Maher.

98. Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles

A common species seen on most days of the trip.

99. Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus (mongolus)

A couple of birds were seen on the mudflats at Cairns Esplanade.

100. Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultia

Fairly common on the mudflats at Cairns Esplanade.

101. Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus

Several birds seen on the muddy edges at Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, with more birds

seen in Tasmania at Orford, and also on Cairns Esplanade.

102. Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus

A couple of birds were seen at Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, with a few more seen at

Fivebough Swamp, and another at Dowse Lagoon in Brisbane.

103. Hooded Plover Thinornis cucullatus

Seen a couple of times in Tasmania, we found several pairs at Orford including a couple of

fluffy little chicks, with another seen at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island.

104. Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops

This petite little plover was seen at Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, Dowse Lagoon and also

on Cairns Esplanade.

105. Inland Dotterel Peltohyas australis

Phil Maher told us they had been quite unreliable lately, so we were lucky to find a single

bird while spotlighting for Plains-wanderer on the Hay plains.

PLAINS-WANDERER: Pedionomidae

106. Plains-wanderer Pedionomus torquatus

Always a trip highlight, we found a male and female of these enigmatic little birds while

spotlighting on the Hay plains with Phil Maher. The beautiful female allowed extended and

very close views.


JACANAS: Jacanidae

107. Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacean

First seen at Dowse Lagoon in Brisbane, we also saw them at Cattana Wetlands and Lake

Mitchell in north Queensland.

SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES: Scolopacidae

108. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus

There were a few of these dinky little waders on the mudflats in Cairns.

109. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

A single bird was seen at the fish farm near Wonga Beach in north Queensland.

110. Gray-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes

We only saw a couple of birds on the mudflats at Cairns.

111. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

First seen at the Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, with a couple more seen on the mudflats in

Cairns.

112. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

Seen on a couple of occasions, first at Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, and again at Dowse

Lagoon in Brisbane.

113. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

A single bird was seen at Fivebough Swamp.

114. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus (variegatus)

A few seen on the mudflats in Cairns.

115. Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis

A few seen on the mudflats in Cairns.

116. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa (melanuroides)

A few were picked out among the Bar-tailed Godwits on the Cairns Esplanade.

117. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica (baueri)

Common on the mudflats at Cairns.

118. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

As usual there were a few birds on Michaelmas Cay.

119. Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris

A common wader on the mudflats in Cairns.


120. Red Knot Calidris canutus

A single bird seen on the mudflats in Cairns.

121. Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus

A rare wader in Australia, one of these sandpipers was seen on the last afternoon of the trip

at Cairns Esplanade.

122. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminate

The most common wader of the trip, with several seen at the Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds,

a few more at Dowse Lagoon in Brisbane and the fish farm near Wonga Beach, and plenty

on the mudflats in Cairns.

123. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

A couple of birds were seen at the Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, with more on the Cairns

Esplanade.

124. Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis

A couple of birds were seen at the Lake Cargelligo sewage ponds, with more at Marion Bay

and Orford in Tasmania, and plenty on the Cairns Esplanade.

125. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

One bird was seen at the fish farm near Wonga Beach in north Queensland.

126. Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii

A couple were seen at Dowse Lagoon in Brisbane, with a few more at Tarzali Lakes and

Hasties Swamp in north Queensland.

PRATINCOLES AND COURSERS: Glareolidae

127. Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella

A few people were lucky to catch a single bird from the car, just north of Hay.

GULLS, TERNS AND SKIMMERS: Laridae

128. Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae

A common bird on the coast, large wetlands and urban areas throughout Australia.

129. Pacific Gull Larus pacificus

This endemic gull was fairly common along the coast in Tasmania.

130. Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus (dominicanus)

A common species around the coasts of Tasmania.


131. Brown Noddy Anous stolidus

We enjoyed the amazing sight of probably thousands of nesting Brown Noddies on

Michaelmas Cay.

132. Black Noddy Anous minutus (minutus)

Smaller and slightly darker than the much more common Brown Noddy, we eventually

spotted a couple of these birds resting on one of the boats moored off Michaelmas Cay.

133. Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus

Along with Brown Noddy, the most common bird on Michaelmas Cay.

134. Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus

We saw a handful of these terns among the more common Sooty Terns at Michaelmas Cay.

135. Little Tern Sternula albifrons

A single bird was seen by a few people who weren’t snorkelling at Hastings Reef on our

Great Barrier Reef trip.

136. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

Seen on a few occasions in north Queensland including Cairns Esplanade, and the fish farm

near Wonga Beach.

137. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

Seen a couple of times on the trip, first at Orford in Tasmania, again on the Cairns

Esplanade, with another seen on the Daintree River, which our guide Murray was quite

excited about.

138. White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus

The first time I have recorded it on this tour, we saw a single bird at Dowse Lagoon in

Brisbane.

139. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrid

A few birds were seen at Lake Wallace, with large numbers at Lake Cargelligo and Fivebough

Swamp. A few were also seen at Dowse Lagoon in Brisbane, and Wonga Beach in north

Queensland.

140. Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana

We found small numbers of this beautiful tern on Michaelmas Cay.

141. Common Tern Sterna hirundo (longipennis)

A couple of birds were seen on Michaelmas Cay.

142. Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii

Fairly common around the coasts of Australia, we saw them at most coastal sites we visited,

with quite a few on Michaelmas Cay.


143. Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis

Fairly common at Michaelmas Cay where we found a few birds as usual.

PIGEONS AND DOVES: Columbidae

144. Rock Pigeon Columba livia

An introduced species seen in most urban areas.

145. White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela

Scarce this year, with only a single bird seen by most of the group at O’Reilly’s.

146. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis

An introduced species seen a few times in urban areas.

147. Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella

First seen along Duck Creek Road near O’Reilly’s, they were common in the rainforests of

north Queensland. Also heard near Barren Grounds.

148. Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica (chrysocholora)

We had great views of a bird feeding on someone’s lawn in Atherton in north Queensland.

149. Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera

Common throughout inland New South Wales with our best views at Back Yamma and Binya

State Forests.

150. Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans

We had good views of a perched bird we found at Truganini Reserve in Hobart.

151. Crested Pigeon Geophaps lophotes

A common bird throughout Australia that was seen most days in New South Wales.

152. Squatter Pigeon Geophaps scripta

We had good views of a small party of birds at Granite Gorge in north Queensland.

153. Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca

Fairly common around the lodge at O’Reilly’s, most of us ended up with good views of this

plump pigeon.

154. Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida

Common in north Queensland and also seen a few times in New South Wales.

155. Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis

Another fairly common species that we saw regularly in New South Wales and also north

Queensland.


156. Wompoo Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus magnificus

This spectacular pigeon was first seen on our Daintree cruise, but our best views were along

Black Mountain Road near Cassowary House.

157. Superb Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus superbus

Often a frustrating species to get good views of, we had two good looks on this trip, the first

of a male feeding in a fruiting tree at Red Mill House, with another seen briefly but well

along Black Mountain Road near Cassowary House.

158. Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina

We had good views of a beautiful male at the Curtain Fig near Yungaburra, the only time we

saw this bird on the trip.

159. Torresian Imperial-Pigeon Ducula spilorrhoa (spilorrhoa)

Common around Cairns, where we saw them most days.

160. Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus

After seeing a few flying high overhead at Barren Grounds, we had good views of several

birds along Lady Carrington Drive in Royal National Park. A few more were seen at O’Reilly’s

and also on Mount Lewis in north Queensland.

CUCKOOS: Cuculidae

161. Pallid Cuckoo Cuculus pallidus

Good views of a single bird at Glen Alice in the Capertee Valley.

162. Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus (variolosus)

Heard a few times, we had good views of a bird at Bass Point.

163. Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis

Our best views of this species were at Barren Grounds where we saw several birds.

164. Black-eared Cuckoo Chrysococcyx osculans

The distinctive descending call of this uncommon cuckoo alerted us to our only one of the

trip at Back Yamma State Forest.

165. Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis

Usually an easy bird, we only saw it once this year at Fivebough Swamp.

166. Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus (plagosus)

Seen well at Truganini Reserve in Hobart, we heard it a few times at O’Reilly’s and also on

Mount Lewis.

167. Little Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx minutillus

Seen a few times in north Queensland, our best views were of a bird in the mangroves at

Cairns Esplanade.


168. Australian Koel Eudynamys cyanocephalus

First seen at the Sydney Botanic Gardens while looking for Powerful Owl, we had our best

views of several birds feeding in a fruiting tree along the Daintree River.

169. Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae

We had great views of a couple of these immense cuckoos flying over in the dry woodland

north of Mount Carbine.

170. Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus

We saw this scruffy cuckoo several times in grassland and canefields in north Queensland.

BARN-OWLS: Tytonidae

171. Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa (tenebricosa)

We had absolutely brilliant views of the ‘Greater’ subspecies of one of these rare forest owls

as it sat and stared at us for several minutes while spotlighting in the rainforest at O’Reilly’s.

172. Barn Owl Tyto alba (delicatula)

We had nice views of one bird on the Hay Plains with Phil Maher, and another as we drove

from Yungaburra to Mount Hypipamee on our spotlighting expedition in north Queensland.

OWLS: Strigidae

173. Rufous Owl Ninox rufa

In one of the more unusual incidents on tour, some of the group were roused from their

slumber to see one of these rare forest owls calling from a large tree in the garden at Red

Mill House.

174. Barking Owl Ninox connivens

We had fantastic and unexpected views of this large owl late in the afternoon at Back

Yamma State Forest.

175. Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae (boobook)

After hearing a few birds while spotlighting at Barren Grounds, we finally had good views of

one calling high in the canopy.

OWLET-NIGHTJARS: Aegothelidae

176. Australian Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles cristatus

After a couple of people had glimpses of a bird in the mallee at Nombinnie Nature Reserve,

a few of us saw another in the rainforest at O’Reilly’s which showed well. Another we found

near Davies Creek in north Queensland saw everyone finally add it to their list.


FROGMOUTHS: Podargidae

177. Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides

Seen a few times during the trip, our best views were of a family group of two adults and

two fledglings while spotlighting with Phil Maher, and a bird on the nest at Mount Carbine in

north Queensland.

178. Marbled Frogmouth Podargus ocellatus (plumiferus)

After hearing a few pairs giving their weird gobbling call, we finally had glimpses of one bird

in the rainforest at O’Reilly’s.

179. Papuan Frogmouth Podargus papuensis

After missing them on the Daintree River, we caught up with them at Lake Barrine on the

Atherton Tableland, finding a bird on a nest thanks to a tip from Alan Gillanders.

SWIFTS: Apodidae

180. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus

We spotted several small flocks of this migratory swift in north Queensland.

181. Australian Swiftlet Aerodramus terraereginae

A common bird around Cairns that was seen most days.

KINGFISHERS: Alcedinidae

182. Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea

We had great views of one of these gorgeous little kingfishers along the Daintree River

during our cruise.

183. Little Kingfisher Alcedo pusilla

We had poor views of this tiny little kingfisher as it whizzed by the boat during our Daintree

River cruise.

184. Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae

A common bird throughout Australia that we saw most days of the trip.

185. Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii

A very attractive kingfisher, we saw a couple of pairs in dry woodland north of Mount

Carbine.

186. Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii

This very pretty ultramarine kingfisher is common in north Queensland and was seen most

days on that section of the trip.


187. Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris (sordidus)

After hearing a bird in the mangroves in Brisbane, we finally caught up with one at

Centenary Lakes in Cairns, with another seen in mangroves on the Cairns Esplanade.

188. Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus (sanctus)

Our best views of this kingfisher were of a bird along Lady Carrington Drive in Royal National

Park.

189. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera sylvia (sylvia)

We chased one of these stunning kingfishers for an age along Stewart Creek Road near Red

Mill House, eventually seeing it, but not well.

BEE-EATERS: Meropidae

190. Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus

Common in New South Wales and north Queensland, we saw this beautiful bird on several

days of the trip.

ROLLERS: Coraciidae

191. Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis

A common migrant that was first seen along Lady Carrington Drive in Royal National Park,

we saw them most days in north Queensland.

FALCONS AND CARACARAS: Falconidae

192. Australian Kestrel Falco cenchroides

This small falcon is common throughout Australia and we saw it most days while driving

through inland New South Wales.

193. Australian Hobby Falco longipennis

Sometimes a difficult species, we saw this bird several times in New South Wales.

194. Brown Falcon Falco berigora

Like the kestrel, this bird is common in farmland throughout Australia. We saw several on

the New South Wales section of the trip.

195. Black Falcon Falco subniger

We had good views of a bird in flight near Booroorban, south of Hay, on our way to meet

Phil Maher for our Plains-wanderer search.

196. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (macropus)

An uncommon bird in Australia it was only seen once during the trip, flying overhead at

Evan’s Lookout in the Blue Mountains.


COCKATOOS: Cacatuidae

197. Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii

We saw a couple of small groups near Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland, but never really

got good views.

198. Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami

One of the good luck stories of the trip, a random stop in the Capertee Valley flushed three

of these birds feeding in some roadside Casuarinas that subsequently allowed us great

views of this rare cockatoo.

199. Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus

We had good views of a lone bird at Evan’s Lookout on the first day of the trip, with a few

more seen in Tasmania.

200. Pink (Major Mitchell’s) Cockatoo Cacatua leadbeateri

After a nervous search we finally had good views of this beautiful cockatoo at the Griffith

golf course in New South Wales.

201. Galah Eolophus roseicapilla

This cockatoo is very common throughout Australia and was seen most days of the trip in

New South Wales, and a few times in north Queensland.

202. Long-billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris

We had good views of a mixed flock of this species and Little Corellas at Darlington Point

south of Griffith. Here it is at the northern edge of its natural range.

203. Little Corella Cacatua sanguine

Best views were in a mixed flock with Long-billed Corellas at Darlington Point, but also seen

on a couple of other occasions in central New South Wales.

204. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita

A common and noisy bird throughout Australia that was seen nearly every day.

205. Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus

We saw a small flock of this very graceful small cockatoo feeding by the roadside near

Forbes in New South Wales.

OLD WORLD PARROTS: Psittaculidae

206. Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii

We found a small party of these beautiful parrots by the roadside between Forbes and

Orange in New South Wales, but had better views the next day at Back Yamma State Forest.


207. Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis

The dazzling red males are hard to miss at O’Reilly’s, where they will come and sit on your

shoulder in the hope of a hand out. We also spotted them in the Capertee Valley, along Lady

Carrington Drive in Royal National Park, and at Lake Barrine on the Atherton Tableland.

208. Red-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus

We saw a few of these inland parrots in the drier areas of the Atherton Tableland.

209. Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus (wallicus)

We heard several birds calling from the heath right on dusk at Barren Grounds, then were

lucky to flush one the following day in Budderoo National Park.

210. Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma

We saw a pair of these gorgeous little parrots at Peter Murrell Reserve near Hobart.

211. Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella

One of Australia’s most beautiful parrots, we had great views of a male coming down to

drink at a small dam in Back Yamma State Forest, with more seen a couple of days later at

Binya State Forest.

212. Swift Parrot Lathamus discolour

Sometimes a difficult species to find, this year that proved to be the case, and we only saw

two birds feeding in a flowering eucalypt in Adventure Bay on Bruny Island.

213. Mallee Ringneck Barnardius barnardi (barnardi)

Seen a few times in New South Wales, our best views of this large parrot were at Binya State

Forest.

214. Green Rosella Platycercus caledonicus

A Tasmanian endemic that was seen well on several occasions, with our best views at Peter

Murrell Reserve.

215. (a) Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans (elegans)

Best views of this bird as always were at O’Reilly’s, where they will come and sit on your

shoulder expecting a handout. We also saw them a few times around the coast and ranges

in New South Wales.

215. (b) Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans (flaveolus)

This distinctive straw-colored race of the Crimson Rosella is usually called ‘Yellow’ Rosella,

and is restricted to woodlands along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers. We saw a pair in

the garden of our motel in Hay, with a couple more birds in Darlington Point.

216. Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius

This multi-colored rosella is beautiful, and quite common in rural areas of New South Wales.


217. Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus

We saw the blue-breasted northern subspecies a few times on the Atherton Tableland, with

our best views in the dry woodland north of Mount Carbine.

218. Bluebonnet Northiella haematogaster (haematogaster)

An understated but beautiful parrot that is also exceedingly shy, we spotted several pairs

during our time in inland New South Wales, before finally getting good views near the golf

course in Griffith, while searching for Pink Cockatoo.

219. Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus

Probably the most common parrot in inland New South Wales this bird was seen most days

on that leg of the trip.

220. Mulga Parrot Psephotus varius

We had good views of this gorgeous parrot coming to drink at a waterhole in Binya State

Forest.

221. Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma

For our first six days in north Queensland, this species was only seen fleetingly as it flew

past, and I was facing accusations of falsifying its existence! Finally, as the second-to-last

bird of the trip, we had good views of a perched bird along the Cairns Esplanade.

222. Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna

We spotted a couple of birds at Glen Alice in the Capertee Valley.

223. Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla

After poor views of a few birds in flight near Canungra, we had great views of a pair of these

charming little parrots near Davies Creek on the last day of the trip.

224. Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus (moluccanus)

A common and beautiful parrot that was seen most days in Queensland, and a few times

around Sydney.

225. Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus

Not as common as the previous species, but still seen regularly in north Queensland and

once near Brisbane.

PITTAS: Pittidae

226. Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolour

After a couple of close calls we had fantastic views of this stunning bird along the Wishing

Tree Track at O’Reilly’s, with a bird sitting up and calling from a log only yards in front of us.


LYREBIRDS: Menuridae

227. Albert's Lyrebird Menura alberti

Restricted to the high altitude rainforests near Brisbane, and often a tough bird to see, we

were lucky to find one on our first afternoon at O’Reilly’s, with another couple seen foraging

around the cabins on our final morning.

228. Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae

We had great views of a pair, as one of the first birds of the trip at Evan’s Lookout in the

Blue Mountains. A couple more were seen by the roadside near Barren Grounds.

BOWERBIRDS: Ptilonorhynchidae

229. Spotted Catbird Ailuroedus melanotis

Fairly common in the Wet Tropics we had good views of this bird at Cassowary House, and

heard them at several other rainforest sites.

230. Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris

Sometimes tricky to get good views of, we had no problems this year with several birds seen

along the Border Track at O’Reilly’s.

231. Tooth-billed Catbird Ailuroedus dentirostris

After some effort we had good views of this species on Mount Lewis.

232. Golden Bowerbird Prionodura newtoniana

We saw a female on Mount Lewis, before finding the male that afternoon near his huge

maypole bower at Mount Hypipamee.

233. Regent Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus

Males of this species are one of Australia’s most dazzling birds, and thankfully they are

common and easily seen at O’Reilly’s where they are sometimes hand fed.

234. Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus

First seen along Lady Carrington Dive in Royal National Park, they are most common at

O’Reilly’s.

235. Spotted Bowerbird Chlamydera maculata

A scarce bird in the areas we visit on this itinerary, we did well to find one bird at Round Hill

Nature Reserve.

236. Great Bowerbird Chlamydera nuchalis

Seen a few times in the drier areas of the Atherton Tableland, our best views were of a male

and his impressive bower at the Mount Carbine caravan park.


AUSTRALASIAN TREECREEPERS: Climacteridae

237. (a) White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea (minor)

We saw the small northern subspecies of White-throated Treecreeper, sometimes called

‘Little’ Treecreeper, at the Curtain Fig near Yungaburra.

237. (b) White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea (leucophaea)

Fairly common in woodlands throughout eastern Australia, we saw this species at several

sites in New South Wales and at O’Reilly’s.

238. Red-browed Treecreeper Climacteris erythrops

We found a pair of these treecreepers near Carrington Falls in New South Wales.

239. Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus

Seen at a few sites in inland New South Wales, we had our best views at Glen Alice in the

Capertee Valley.

FAIRYWRENS: Maluridae

240. Southern Emuwren Stipiturus malachurus

We had nice views of one of these fantastic little birds with its long wispy tail in the heath at

Budderoo National Park.

241. (a) Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti (assimilis)

The distinctive ‘Purple-backed’ race of this gorgeous bird is found throughout inland

Australia, and we had nice views of them in the mallee at Nombinnie Nature Reserve and at

Fivebough Swamp.

241. (b) Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti (lamberti)

We saw the coastal race of this fairywren at Barren Grounds and also along Lady Carrington

Drive in Royal National Park.

242. Lovely Fairywren Malurus amabilis

Often a difficult bird to find, we had cracking views of a pair near Red Mill House in Daintree

Village after a couple of attempts.

243. Splendid Fairywren Malurus splendens

We had great views of an exquisite male in Nombinnie Nature Reserve, with a few more

seen at Binya State Forest.

244. Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus

A common garden bird in south-eastern Australia we saw this species several times

throughout New South Wales and Tasmania, and also at O’Reilly’s.


245. White-winged Fairywren Malurus leucopterus (leuconotus)

We had great views of at least three bright blue males while birding with Phil Maher on the

plains near Wanganella.

246. Red-backed Fairywren Malurus melanocephalus

We saw this beautiful little fairywren a couple of times near Brisbane, and again in the

woodlands north of Mount Carbine.

HONEYEATERS: Meliphagidae

247. Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris

This little honeyeater was seen on several occasions, from New South Wales to north

Queensland, with our best views along Lady Carrington Drive in Royal National Park.

248. Graceful Honeyeater Meliphaga gracilis

We first spotted this species around Red Mill House, and saw them again near Cassowary

House.

249. Yellow-spotted Honeyeater Meliphaga notate

Fairly common in the Wet Tropics, particularly around both Red Mill House and Cassowary

House.

250. Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii

Seen at a few sites on the trip, including Lady Carrington Drive, O’Reilly’s, and on the

Atherton Tableland where it is restricted to higher elevations.

251. Bridled Honeyeater Lichenostomus frenatus

A Wet Tropics endemic, we saw this species at Mount Lewis and also at Mount Hypipamee.

252. Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops

Fairly common in eastern Australia, we saw this species a few times in New South Wales,

along Duck Creek Road near O’Reilly’s and also in north Queensland.

253. Varied Honeyeater Lichenostomus versicolour

As usual, the best place to see this bird was the Cairns Esplanade where it is quite common.

254. Mangrove Honeyeater Lichenostomus fasciogularis

After a bit of a search we had reasonable views of a trio of flighty birds in the mangroves

around Nudgee in Brisbane.

255. Singing Honeyeater Lichenostomus virescens

Seen a few times in New South Wales, our best views were in flowering Eremophila at

Round Hill Nature Reserve.

256. Yellow Honeyeater Lichenostomus flavus

Fairly common in north Queensland, we saw this species on a few occasions.


257. White-gaped Honeyeater Lichenostomus unicolour

More common in the Northern Territory, there is an isolated population of these

honeyeaters on the McLeod River north of Mount Carbine where we found a single bird

after a bit of searching.

258. White-eared Honeyeater Lichenostomus leucotis

We ran into this bird at a few sites, including Back Yamma State Forest, Round Hill Nature

Reserve and Binya State Forest.

259. Yellow-throated Honeyeater Lichenostomus flavicollis

A Tasmanian endemic which was seen several times, with our best views at Truganini

Reserve.

260. Fuscous Honeyeater Lichenostomus fuscus

A fairly drab bird that we saw at Crown Creek in the Capertee Valley, and also at Back

Yamma State Forest.

261. Gray-fronted Honeyeater Lichenostomus plumulus

Another nomadic inland species that is not seen every year, we were lucky to find a couple

of birds in the mallee at Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

262. Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus ornatus

Usually quite common in the mallee at Nombinnie and Round Hill Nature Reserves, as with

other honeyeaters, numbers were down this year. We still saw a few at Round Hill.

263. White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus

Common in inland New South Wales, we saw it at several sites.

264. White-fronted Honeyeater Purnella albifrons

Another honeyeater whose numbers were down this year, we only saw a couple of birds at

the quarry in Round Hill Nature Reserve.

265. Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys

Quite an attractive species, we found a large colony giving their persistent ‘tink’ call near

Canungra south of Brisbane.

266. Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala

A common honeyeater, we saw them most days in New South Wales and also around

Brisbane, often in urban areas.

267. Yellow-throated Miner Manorina flavigula

This species replaces the Noisy Miner inland, and it was seen several times during the inland

New South Wales leg of the trip.

268. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis

Not as common as previous years, we still had good views of this species at Round Hill

Nature Reserve and also coming to drink at a waterhole in Binya State Forest.


269. Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata

Seen a few times on the New South Wales leg of the trip, we first saw it at Evan’s Lookout

on the first day of the trip, with such good views we could even make out the namesake

small red wattles.

270. Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera

We saw this bird well in the heaths south of Sydney and also on Tasmania where they are

quite common.

271. Yellow Wattlebird Anthochaera paradoxa

A Tasmanian endemic, this huge honeyeater is quite common and we saw it often around

Hobart, with our best views at Truganini Reserve.

272. Brown-backed Honeyeater Ramsayornis modestus

We had fantastic views of this migratory honeyeater at the nest on our Daintree River

cruise.

273. White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons

We had nice views of these very smart birds at Marion Bay in Tasmania.

274. Dusky Myzomela Myzomela obscura

Seen on a few occasions in northern Queensland, first near Cassowary House, and again at

Abbatoir Swamp.

275. Scarlet Myzomela Myzomela sanguinolenta

After hearing it a few times we finally had good views of this bird at the Curtain Fig in north

Queensland.

276. Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Phylidonyris melanops

We had good views of this species at Wattamolla in Royal National Park.

277. Banded Honeyeater Cissomela pectoralis

We saw good numbers of this smart honeyeater in the dry woodlands north of Mount

Carbine.

278. Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta

A common bird in northern Queensland that was seen at several sites.

279. Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus

Fairly common in Tasmania, this very attractive honeyeater was seen well in the Wielangta

Forest south of Orford.

280. New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

Very common in Tasmania where it was seen at many sites, and also common in Barren

Grounds and at Royal National Park, particularly at Wattamolla.


281. White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger

Some flowering Melaleucas at Abbatoir Swamp near Julatten on the Atherton Tableland had

a few birds in attendance.

282. White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus (lunatus)

Seen once in eucalypt forest on the road up to O’Reilly’s.

283. Black-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus affinis

A Tasmanian endemic that we saw on our first morning at Truganini Reserve, and

subsequently at a few other sites.

284. White-throated Honeyeater Melithreptus albogularis

Fairly common in woodland in north Queensland, we saw this bird at several sites.

285. Black-chinned Honeyeater Melithreptus gularis (gularis)

After missing it in the Capertee Valley, we picked up a single bird coming to drink at a

waterhole in Back Yamma State Forest.

286. Strong-billed Honeyeater Melithreptus validirostris

A Tasmanian endemic that can take some searching, we saw this bird at Truganini Reserve,

and again near Adventure Bay on Bruny Island.

287. Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris

A few birds were seen coming to drink at Back Yamma State Forest, with others seen in

Binya State Forest.

288. Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis

A very attractive honeyeater, this species was seen well at Mount Carbine in north

Queensland.

289. Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis

Seen on a few occasions throughout the trip, in the drier areas of north Queensland and

also inland New South Wales.

290. Helmeted Friarbird Philemon buceroides (yorki)

Seen most days on the north Queensland leg of the trip, with the best views as always

during breakfast at Cassowary House.

291. Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus

Not as common this year as previous years, we still saw it a few times, with birds seen in the

Capertee Valley and also at Mount Carbine in north Queensland.

292. Macleay's Honeyeater Xanthotis macleayanus

Breakfast at Cassowary House is the best time to see these honeyeaters and this year there

were several hanging around.


293. Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata

First seen at Glen Alice in the Capertee Valley, we also saw a couple at Binya State Forest.

294. Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta

This unpredictable species was seen only once, at Genowlan Bridge in the Capertee Valley.

BRISTLEBIRDS: Dasyornithidae

295. Eastern Bristlebird Dasyornis brachypterus

This very shy species was very difficult to see this year, but after some persistence we all

managed reasonable views at Barren Grounds.

PARDALOTES: Pardalotidae

296. Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus

A fairly common bird that is heard more often than seen. As a canopy dweller it can be

difficult to get good looks at, but we had good views on the first day of the trip at Evan’s

Lookout.

297. Forty-spotted Pardalote Pardalotus quadragintus

One of Australia’s rarest and most range-restricted birds, we had fantastic views of a pair

tending a nest hole in a eucalypt at Peter Murrell Reserve near Hobart.

298. (a) Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus (melanocephalus)

The ‘Black-headed’ race of this smart looking bird was seen in the dry woodlands north of

Mount Carbine.

298. (b) Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus (ornatus)

We saw the ‘Eastern’ race of this bird poorly near Canungra in southeastern Queensland.

298. (c) Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus (striatus)

The ‘Yellow-tipped’ race was common in Tasmania, with quite a few seen at Peter Murrell

Reserve, including a pair whose nest was being raided by a Gray Shrike-thrush.

298. (d) Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus (substriatus)

The ‘Striated’ race was seen well on the first morning of the trip at Bogee in the Capertee

Valley.

THORNBILLS AND ALLIES: Acanthizidae

299. Pilotbird Pycnoptilus floccosus

We all managed reasonable views of this species in wet forest at Barren Grounds.


300. Rockwarbler Origma solitaria

The only bird endemic to the state of New South Wales, we had great looks at an adult and

fledgling on the sandstone cliffs at Wattamolla in Royal National Park.

301. Fernwren Oreoscopus gutturalis

After a bit of effort we had good views of this shy species at Mount Lewis.

302. Yellow-throated Scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis

This sharp little bird, sometimes called ‘Devilbird’ for its preference for dark places, was

quite common along the trails at O’Reilly’s.

303. White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis (frontalis)

Very common at O’Reilly’s like the previous species, this species was also found at several

sites in New South Wales.

304. Tasmanian Scrubwren Sericornis humilis

A Tasmanian endemic, this species was a little tricky this year, but we eventually had good

views of one on Bruny Island.

305. Atherton Scrubwren Sericornis keri

We saw this bird a couple of times at Mount Lewis and also at Lake Barrine in north

Queensland.

306. Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostra

Several small parties of this fairly plain scrubwren were seen at O’Reilly’s.

307. Scrubtit Acanthornis magna

One of the more difficult Tasmanian endemics, we had good views of this bird at Mavista on

Bruny Island.

308. Speckled Warbler Pyrrholaemus sagittatus

Perhaps more correctly called ‘Streaked’ Warbler, we first saw this bird in the Capertee

Valley, with better views subsequently at Binya State Forest.

309. Chestnut-rumped Heathwren Hylacola pyrrhopygia

We had glimpses of one of these shy birds in dense heath at Wattamolla in Royal National

Park.

310. Shy Heathwren Hylacola cauta

As the name suggests, this species is quite shy, but we had unusually good views of a couple

of birds in the mallee at Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

311. Buff-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza reguloides

After poor views in the Capertee Valley, we had better views of this species at Back Yamma

State Forest.


312. Mountain Thornbill Acanthiza katherina

After a bit of effort we finally got reasonable views of this tiny Wet Tropics endemic on

Mount Lewis.

313. Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla

A fairly common species around O’Reilly’s, we also saw them at Barren Grounds and at a

few sites in Tasmania.

314. Tasmanian Thornbill Acanthiza ewingii

A Tasmanian endemic, care must be taken when separating this species from Brown

Thornbill which also occurs there. We had good views of this species at Mavista on Bruny

Island and also on Mount Wellington.

315. Inland Thornbill Acanthiza apicalis

We saw this species a few times in the mallee at Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

316. Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa

Delightfully common in southeastern Australia, we first saw this species in the Capertee

Valley, with more seen at Back Yamma State Forest and Round Hill Nature Reserve.

317. Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza uropygialis

Quite common in inland New South Wales, we saw this species a few times in Round Hill

Nature Reserve, and also in Binya State Forest.

318. Yellow Thornbill Acanthiza nana

We found a few of these unobtrusive little birds at Back Yamma State Forest.

319. Striated Thornbill Acanthiza lineata

Sometimes a tough bird to see as it spends most of its time in the canopy, we had good

views on the first day of the trip at Evan’s Lookout.

320. Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris

Australia’s smallest bird, we saw this species several times in the drier areas of inland New

South Wales including Round Hill and Nombinnie Nature Reserves.

321. Fairy Gerygone Gerygone palpebrosa (flavida)

We had nice views of this species near Cassowary House.

322. White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivacea

The beautiful ‘falling leaf’ melody of these birds alerted us to a couple in grassy woodland

north of Mount Carbine, where we had good views of this snappy little guy.

323. Large-billed Gerygone Gerygone magnirostris

As usual we picked up a few of these fairly drab little birds along the edges of the Daintree

River during our cruise, including a couple of nests hanging low over the water.


324. Brown Gerygone Gerygone mouki

Common in the rainforests around O’Reilly’s, we saw several along the Border Track, with a

few more seen in the rainforests of north Queensland.

325. Western Gerygone Gerygone fusca

We saw this bird at Back Yamma State Forest, and heard several more at a few other sites in

inland New South Wales.

326. Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster

We found this mangrove specialist fairly easily near the airport in Brisbane.

327. Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis

Sometimes a difficult bird, we had good views of this species at Back Yamma State Forest,

seeing them again at Round Hill Nature Reserve and Binya State Forest.

PSEUDO-BABBLERS: Pomatostomidae

328. Gray-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis

We only saw this bird once on the trip, with a couple of birds at Back Yamma State Forest.

329. White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus

This charismatic bird lives in small groups and always seems to be in a state of hyperactivity.

We saw a couple of groups in the Capertee Valley, with others at Nombinnie Nature Reserve

and Binya State Forest.

LOGRUNNERS: Orthonychidae

330. Australian Logrunner Orthonyx temminckii

Common at O’Reilly’s, where we came across several pairs along the Border Track.

331. Chowchilla Orthonyx spaldingii

Sometimes tough to find as they quietly scratch around on the forest floor, we found this

species easily this year, with a group of five birds foraging by the trail on Mount Lewis.

WHIPBIRDS AND WEDGEBILLS: Psophodidae

332. Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus

With one of the most distinctive calls in the Australian bush, this bird is common in wet

forests along the east coast. We heard and saw this species at several sites from New South

Wales to north Queensland.


QUAIL-THRUSHES AND JEWEL-BABBLERS: Cinclosomatidae

333. Chestnut Quail-thrush Cinclosoma castanotum

We had great views of this striking but shy species in the mallee at Nombinnie Nature

Reserve.

BOATBILLS: Machaerirhynchidae

334. Yellow-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus flaviventer

This very cute little flycatcher with its enormous bill was seen a couple of times, with best

views in rainforest along Stewart Creek Road near Daintree Village.

WOODSWALLOWS: Artamidae

335. White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus

A common bird in eastern and northern Australia, we saw it most days of the trip in north

Queensland.

336. Masked Woodswallow (G) Artamus personatus

Usually seen in mixed flocks with the next species, only one was seen fleetingly this year in

the Capertee Valley, but unfortunately none of the group got onto it.

337. White-browed Woodswallow Artamus superciliosus

This species was not as common as previous years, with a few birds in the Capertee Valley,

and more seen near Carrington Falls.

338. Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus (normani)

We saw a handful of these woodswallows in dry woodland north of Mount Carbine in north

Queensland.

339. Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus

We saw a couple of birds in the Capertee Valley and also at Back Yamma State Forest.

BELLMAGPIES AND ALLIES: Cracticidae

340. Gray Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus

Quite a common species in southeastern Australia, we saw them at several sites in New

South Wales.

341. Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis

Quite common throughout Australia, particularly in drier areas, we saw it several times

throughout inland New South Wales, and again in north Queensland.


342. Black Butcherbird Cracticus quoyi

We first saw this bird at Centenary Lakes on our first afternoon in Cairns. There was also a

bird that came in to be fed at Cassowary House, allowing close looks at the large, powerful

bill.

343. (a) Australasian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (tibicen)

The ‘Black-backed’ race of this species is a common bird in rural areas throughout eastern

Australia, and we saw it every day in New South Wales, and a few other times in

Queensland.

343. (b) Australasian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (hypoleuca)

We saw the ‘Tasmanian’ race of this species a few times in Tasmania, where it is quite

common.

344. Pied Currawong Strepera graculina

Quite common in eastern Australia, we saw this species most days in New South Wales, and

it was also common at O’Reilly’s.

345. Black Currawong Strepera fuliginosa

A Tasmanian endemic with a curiously melodic yet raucous call, we had our best views in

the Wielangta Forest south of Orford.

346. Gray Currawong Strepera versicolor (arguta)

We saw a bird on a nest at Truganini Reserve in Hobart.

CUCKOO-SHRIKES: Campephagidae

347. Barred Cuckooshrike Coracina lineata

This delicately patterned species was seen a couple of times around Cassowary House.

348. Black-faced Cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae

A common bird throughout Australia that we saw most days of the trip.

349. White-bellied Cuckooshrike Coracina papuensis

This small cuckooshrike is quite common in northern Queensland where its ‘ki-ssek’ call is

often heard in the background. We also saw it in the Capertee Valley.

350. White-winged Triller Lalage tricolor

Quite common throughout inland New South Wales where we saw it at several sites.

351. Varied Triller Lalage leucomela

A fairly common species in northern Queensland we saw them at several sites.

352. Common Cicadabird Edolisoma tenuirostre (tenuirostre)

First seen along Duck Creek Road near O’Reilly’s, it was common by voice in north

Queensland but only seen a few times.


SITELLAS: Neosittidae

353. Varied Sittella Neositta chrysoptera (chrysoptera)

We first saw this species at Back Yamma State Forest, and again in Round Hill Nature

Reserve.

WHISTLERS AND ALLIES: Pachycephalidae

354. Crested Shrike-tit Falcunculus frontatus (frontatus)

We only saw this curious species once, at Back Yamma State Forest.

355. Rufous Shrike-Thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha (megarhyncha)

This fairly nondescript species was seen a few times in northern Queensland.

356. Gray Shrike-Thrush Colluricincla harmonica

A beautiful songster that isn’t much to look at, this bird is quite common throughout

Australia, particularly in the southeast. We saw it at several sites in New South Wales,

Tasmania and at O’Reilly’s.

357. Bower's Shrike-Thrush Colluricincla boweri

A Wet Tropics endemic, after a bit of effort we all ended up having good views of this

species on Mount Lewis.

358. Olive Whistler Pachycephala olivacea

The best place to see this bird is Tasmania, and on Bruny Island we found one in wet forest

near Adventure Bay.

359. Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata

Fairly common by voice in Nombinnie Nature Reserve, after a bit of effort most of us had

good views of a nice male before he flew off.

360. Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis (pectoralis)

A very pretty bird that is fairly common in the wet forests of eastern Australia, they are

particularly common around O’Reilly’s, and we also saw them at Barren Grounds, Lady

Carrington Drive, and on Mount Lewis in north Queensland.

361. Gray Whistler Pachycephala simplex (griseiceps)

A fairly nondescript bird, we saw it well in the rainforest along Stewart Creek Road near

Daintree Village.

362. Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris

In the dry woodlands of Australia this species is very common, with its beautiful song a

constant part of the soundtrack. We saw it well on several occasions.


AUSTRALO-PAPUAN BELLBIRDS: Oreoicidae

363. Crested Bellbird (H) Oreoica gutturalis

Every year at Nombinnie Nature Reserve we hear the haunting, ventriloquial song of this

bird, but it is very shy and can be difficult to see. Unfortunately this year we got very close

to a bird, but couldn’t see it.

OLD WORLD ORIOLES: Oriolidae

364. Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus

Not as common this year as previous years, we did see them along Lady Carrington Drive,

and also in the dry woodlands north of Mount Carbine in north Queensland.

365. Green (Yellow) Oriole Oriolus flavocinctus

In the gallery forests of northern Queensland, the bubbling call of this bird is commonly

heard. Although common they can be difficult to spot in the canopy, but we managed good

views on several occasions, with our best from the boat on our Daintree cruise.

366. Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti

The yellow-breasted northern race is quite common in northern Queensland and we saw it

every day on that leg of the trip. The southern race is also quite common and we saw it once

at Shellharbour and again near Brisbane airport.

DRONGOS: Dicruridae

367. Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus

Quite common in northern Queensland where we saw it most days.

FANTAILS: Rhipiduridae

368. Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris (rufiventris)

This bird looks like the other fantails but behaves very differently, always seeming like it just

got out of bed. After a couple of attempts, we finally saw one at Abbatoir Swamp near

Julatten.

369. Willie-wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys

One of the few birds that can be seen on just about every day of the trip.

370. Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons (rufifrons)

Fairly common in the rainforests of eastern Australia during spring and summer, we had

good views of this bird along the Border Track at O’Reilly’s.


371. Gray Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa (albiscapa)

Quite a common bird, throughout New South Wales we saw it most days. We also saw the

distinctive northern race on Mount Lewis.

MONARCH-FLYCATCHERS: Monarchidae

372. White-eared Monarch Carterornis leucotis

We heard a bird calling along Black Mountain Road near Cassowary House, and although it

was calling from quite close by, only one of us managed to see it.

373. Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis

A fairly common summer migrant in the wet forests of eastern Australia, we first saw this

species at Barren Grounds, and again a few times at O’Reilly’s and on the Atherton

Tableland.

374. Spectacled Monarch Monarcha trivirgatus (gouldii)

A gorgeous little bird, we saw it along Stewart Creek Road, and also at Cassowary House in

north Queensland.

375. Pied Monarch Arses kaupi

We had great views of this Wet Tropics endemic along Stewart Creek Road near Daintree,

and also at the Curtain Fig.

376. Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca

A very common species throughout Australia that we saw on most days of the trip.

377. Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula

We first saw this active little flycatcher along Duck Creek Road near O’Reilly’s, and again

several times in north Queensland.

378. Satin Flycatcher Myiagra cyanoleuca

We were lucky to see a male that was probably an early arriving migrant near Mavista on

Bruny Island in Tasmania.

379. Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta

We found one pair of these smart flycatchers at Back Yamma State Forest.

380. Shining Flycatcher Myiagra alecto

We found several pairs of these flycatchers in the riverside vegetation on our Daintree River

cruise.


CROWS, JAYS AND MAGPIES: Corvidae

381. Torresian Crow Corvus orru

The common corvid in northern Australia, this species was seen regularly in northern

Queensland and around Brisbane.

382. Australian Raven Corvus coronoides

We first came across this species in the Capertee Valley, then saw it every day during the

New South Wales leg of the trip.

383. Little Raven Corvus mellori

This smaller corvid is fairly common in inland New South Wales where we saw it most days.

384. Forest Raven Corvus tasmanicus

The only corvid species in Tasmania which makes identification easy, luckily it is also quite

common.

WHITE-WINGED CHOUGH AND APOSTLEBIRD: Corcoracidae

385. White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos

This species is quite common in inland New South Wales, where small parties are regularly

seen foraging on the roadside. We had good views of a few parties in the Capertee Valley.

386. Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea

We saw this species most days in inland New South Wales where it is quite common, and

we also saw it in the dry woodlands north of Mount Carbine in north Queensland.

BIRDS-OF-PARADISE: Paradisaeidae

387. Paradise Riflebird Ptiloris paradiseus

We had good views of a female along the Border Track in Lamington National Park, but only

brief views of the jet-black male.

388. Victoria's Riflebird Ptiloris victoriae

Fairly common in the rainforests of the Wet Tropics, we had our best views of this bird in

the rainforest along Black Mountain Road near Cassowary House, where we saw a splendid

male displaying to a nearby female. Another young male was seen coming to the feeders

from the balcony at Cassowary House.

AUSTRALASIAN ROBINS: Petroicidae

389. Jacky-winter Microeca fascinans

Fairly common in inland New South Wales where we saw them at several sites, we had our

best views at Binya State Forest.


390. Lemon-bellied Flycatcher Microeca flavigaster

We caught up with this drab flycatcher at a couple of sites near Mount Molloy on the

Atherton Tableland, including Abbatoir Swamp.

391. Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolour

We saw a couple of these neat little birds on Bruny Island in Tasmania.

392. Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii

This gorgeous jewel of the inland is fairly common. We had good views at Round Hill Nature

Reserve and Binya State Forest.

393. Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea

We had nice views of a brilliant male in the Wielangta Forest south of Orford in Tasmania.

394. Rose Robin Petroica rosea

A canopy dwelling species that can be difficult to see well, we saw a fantastic male at

Carrington Falls, hearing several more at O’Reilly’s.

395. Pink Robin Petroica rodinogaster

A tough bird that I always seem to have trouble with, this year we saw a drab young male

before getting cracking views of an adult male near Mavista on Bruny Island.

396. Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata

We found a pair of these striking robins in the Capertee Valley, and saw a female the next

day at Back Yamma State Forest.

397. Dusky Robin Melanodryas vittata

We had great views of this nondescript species near Adventure Bay on Bruny Island.

398. Pale-yellow Robin Tregellasia capito

Usually fairly common in the rainforests of northern Queensland, we only spotted this

unobtrusive species a couple of times this trip, once at the Curtain Fig, and again on Mount

Lewis.

399. Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis

Quite common around O’Reilly’s and also seen at a few locations in inland New South

Wales, the bright yellow breast of this bird lights up the gloom of the forest.

400. Mangrove Robin Eopsaltria pulverulenta

A quick trip to the mangroves on the Cairns Esplanade before our boat trip to Michaelmas

Cay produced great views of this sometimes difficult robin.

401. White-browed Robin Poecilodryas superciliosa

After a few dips, we finally got great views of this bold little bird at Davies Creek near

Mareeba.


402. Gray-headed Robin Heteromyias albispecularis

A species found only in the highland rainforests of the Wet Tropics, we had good views of

this bird at Mount Lewis, and also around the car park at Mount Hypipamee.

403. Southern Scrub-Robin Drymodes brunneopygia

Often a tough bird to see, we all eventually managed reasonable views of a bird in the

mallee at Nombinnie Nature Reserve.

LARKS: Alaudidae

404. Australasian Bushlark Mirafra javanica

We saw this species well in the Capertee Valley, and again at Machan’s Beach near Cairns.

405. Sky Lark Alauda arvensis (arvensis)

An introduced species that is quite common in rural areas of Tasmania, we eventually

spotted a bird displaying at Marion Bay.

SWALLOWS: Hirundinidae

406. Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena

A common bird in Australia that was seen most days of the trip.

407. Fairy Martin Petrochelidon ariel

A common species that was seen regularly, particularly in New South Wales. Our best views

were in the Capertee Valley where we watched several birds flying back-and-forth to their

nests under a road culvert.

408. Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans

Another fairly common swallow, we saw this species several times throughout the trip.

409. White-backed Swallow Cheramoeca leucosterna

We had great views of an adult and three perched fledglings at Round Hill Nature Reserve,

with another younger bird seen near Wanganella with Phil Maher.

BULBULS: Pycnonotidae

410. Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus

An introduced species which we saw near Bass Point south of Sydney.


REED-WARBLERS AND ALLIES: Acrocephalidae

411. Australian Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus australis

We had good views of this species in reeds at a few sites, including Lake Wallace, the Lake

Cargelligo sewage ponds and Fivebough Swamp.

GRASSBIRDS AND ALLIES: Megaluridae

412. Tawny Grassbird (H) Megalurus timoriensis (timoriensis)

Only I saw this bird once briefly at Lake Mitchell, and we heard it calling near Cattana

Wetlands but unfortunately never saw it.

413. Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus

We had good views of this little skulker at Lake Wallace and also the Lake Cargelligo sewage

ponds.

414. Brown Songlark Cincloramphus cruralis

An uncommon bird this year, a few of us saw them flushed from the grass while spotlighting

with Phil Maher on the Hay plains.

415. Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi

Although fairly nondescript, this bird has a fantastic call that is a common sound of the

south-eastern Australian spring. We saw them in the Capertee Valley and also in Back

Yamma State Forest.

CISTICOLAS AND ALLIES: Cisticolidae

416. Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis

We had good views of this cute little bird at Fivebough Swamp.

YUHINAS, WHITE-EYES AND ALLIES: Zosteropidae

417. Silver-eye Zosterops lateralis

Usually quite a common species, we didn’t run into many this year, with a couple seen at a

few sites, but never seen well.

THRUSHES: Turdidae

418. Olive-tailed (Bassian) Thrush Zoothera lunulata

We saw one bird at O’Reilly’s, feeding in the gardens around one of the cabins.


419. Russet-tailed Thrush Zoothera heinei

This bird is fairly common around the trails at O’Reilly’s, but is quite shy. We saw it a handful

of times during our stay, but never particularly well.

420. Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula

An introduced species that is quite common in south-eastern Australia, particularly

Tasmania.

STARLINGS: Sturnidae

421. Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica (metallica)

A gregarious species that is quite common in the lowlands of northern Queensland.

422. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

An introduced species that is common in urban areas throughout Australia.

423. European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

An introduced species that is common in urban and rural areas throughout south-eastern

Australia.

FLOWERPECKERS: Dicaeidae

424. Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum

A common little bird that is often heard, but not always easy to see. We saw it a handful of

times throughout the tour, with everyone getting nice looks at the male’s bright red breast.

SUNBIRDS AND SPIDERHUNTERS: Nectariniidae

425. Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis (frenatus)

This gorgeous little bird is fairly common in northern Queensland and we saw it most days

on that leg of the trip, including nice views of a gorgeous male complete with shining blue

throat at Centenary Lakes in Cairns.

WAGTAILS AND PIPITS: Motacillidae

426. Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae (australis)

Usually quite a common species in rural areas throughout Australia, we only ran into it a

couple of times this year, with the best views of a handful of birds in ploughed fields on the

Atherton Tableland.


SISKINS, CROSSBILLS AND ALLIES: Fringillidae

427. European Greenfinch Chloris chloris

An introduced species which we saw at Truganini Reserve in Hobart.

428. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

An introduced species that is fairly common in urban areas of south-eastern Australia.

OLD WORLD SPARROWS: Passeridae

429. House Sparrow Passer domesticus

An introduced species that is common in urban areas.

WAXBILLS AND ALLIES: Estrildidae

430. Beautiful Firetail Stagonopleura bella

A beautiful bird that has to be seen well to appreciate all the fine barring. We had good

views of a bird at Evan’s Lookout on the first day of the tour, with another seen at

Wattamolla in Royal National Park.

431. Diamond Firetail Stagonopleura guttata

We saw a few of these very pretty little birds along the roadsides in the Capertee Valley,

with more seen coming to drink at a waterhole in Back Yamma State Forest.

432. Red-browed Firetail Neochmia temporalis

A fairly common species which is very easy to see at O’Reilly’s, where it feeds on the lawns.

433. Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton

This brilliant red finch was seen well at Cattana Wetlands, and also in grassland near

Yorkey’s Knob north of Cairns.

434. Zebra Finch Taenopygia guttata (castanotis)

We caught up with this cute little finch at a couple of sites in the Capertee Valley.

435. Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii

We had good views of this dapper little finch at Glen Alice and Bogee in the Capertee Valley,

Back Yamma State Forest and also in the dry woodlands north of Mount Carbine in north

Queensland.

436. Black-throated Finch Poephila cincta

We had great views of this very pretty finch in the dry woodlands north of Mount Carbine,

with a flock of about 20 birds seen nest-building and feeding.


437. Blue-faced Parrot-Finch Erythrura trichroa

For only the second time in five years, we found this beautiful finch feeding among a flock of

Red-browed Finches in the clearing on Mount Lewis.

438. Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulata (nisoria)

An introduced species that is quite common in grasslands around Cairns.

439. Chestnut-breasted Munia Lonchura castaneothorax

We saw this species a couple of times in north Queensland, with good views of a small flock

along Stewart Creek Road near Daintree.

MAMMAL LIST

ECHIDNA: Tachyglossidae

1. Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus

We saw this species a few times this year, with the first scuttling across the trail at

Wattamolla in Royal National Park. We saw a few of the longer-furred Tasmanian animals

south of Orford in the Wielangta Forest.

PLATYPUS: Ornithorhyncidae

2. Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Tarzali Lakes is a great place to see these unique creatures, where they unusually come out

to forage during the day. We saw a couple of animals during our half hour watching them,

both small females.

DASYURIDS: Dasyuridae

3. Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata

This tiny little carnivorous marsupial is only about the size of a mouse. A few people were

lucky to see them while spotlighting for Plains-wanderer with Phil Maher.

BANDICOOTS: Peramelidae

4. Northern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon macrourus

Red Mill House is a great place to see these little guys as they come out to feed on the lawn

after dark and are very approachable.


5. Eastern Barred Bandicoot Perameles gunnii

We spotted one of these distinctive bandicoots with its strikingly patterned rear-end while

we were spotlighting at Waterworks Reserve near Hobart.

WOMBATS: Vombatidae

6. Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus

After a few of us were lucky enough to glimpse one of these badger-like marsupials in the

Capertee Valley, we all had great views of one crossing the road near Barren Grounds.

KOALA: Phascolarctidae

7. Koala Phasocolarctos cinereus

We had great views of this iconic Australian mammal when we found a small female piggy-

backing her cub in a patch of woodland near O’Reilly’s.

BRUSHTAIL POSSUMS: Phalangeridae

8. Mountain Brushtail Possum Trichosurus caninus

We saw a couple of these around the lodge at O’Reilly’s.

9. Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula

We saw this species several times. While spotlighting on the Atherton Tableland with Alan

Gillanders we saw a couple of the subspecies johnstonii or ‘Coppery’ Brushtail which have a

very distinctive rusty pelage. We also saw several in Tasmania where they are quite

common.

GLIDERS AND STRIPED POSSUM: Petauridae

10. Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps

We spotted one of these small gliders high in the canopy while spotlighting at Barren

Grounds.

RINGTAIL POSSUMS: Pseudocheiridae

11. Greater Glider Petauroides volans

A large flying possum that due to its very poor diet of leaves is usually fairly inactive. We

saw one animal in the tall forests on the slopes of the Budderoo Plateau below Barren

Grounds.

12. Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus

A fairly common possum, we saw them on a few occasions around O’Reilly’s.


13. Green Ringtail Possum Pseudochirops archeri

A nocturnal species, we lucked on one of these strikingly patterned possums resting low in a

tree at the Curtain Fig during the day.

14. Herbert River Ringtail Possum Pseudochirulus herbertensis

A high altitude specialist, we had great views of this strikingly patterned black-and-white

possum while spotlighting at Mount Hypipamee.

15. Lemuroid Ringtail Possum Hemibelideus lemuroids

This species has a very restricted distribution, only being found at high altitude in the Wet

Tropics. We found several while spotlighting at Mount Hypipamee.

MUSKY RAT-KANGAROO: Hypsiprymnodontidae

16. Musky Rat-kangaroo Hypsiprymnodon moschatus

The most ancient of the macropods (kangaroos and wallabies), this unique little creature is

easy to see at Cassowary House were they come to the garden to feed.

POTOROOS AND BETTONGS: Potoroidae

17. Southern Bettong Bettongia gaimardi

We saw a couple of these very cute little hopping marsupials while spotlighting at the

Waterworks Reserve in Hobart.

KANGAROOS, WALLABIES AND TREE-KANGAROOS: Macropodidae

18. Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo Dendrolagus lumholtzi

After reasonable views of an animal while spotlighting at Mount Hypipamee with Alan

Gillanders, we had amazing views of a male feeding in broad daylight at the Nerada Tea

Center near Malanda.

19. Agile Wallaby Macropus agilis

We spotted quite a few of these small wallabies in the drier areas of the Atherton Tableland.

20. Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi

Also called ‘Pretty-faced’ Wallaby because of the distinctive white stripe on the side of the

face, we saw several foraging by the roadside on our way down from O’Reilly’s.

21. Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus

This species was commonly seen throughout rural New South Wales.

22. Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus

We saw this species once at Round Hill Nature Reserve in central New South Wales.


23. Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus

A quintessential symbol of the outback, we saw a few ‘Big Reds’ while spotlighting on the

Hay plains with Phil Maher.

24. Euro (Common Wallaroo) Macropus robustus

We saw this stocky kangaroo a couple of times during our morning in the Capertee Valley.

25. Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus

Our best views of this species were on the drive from Lithgow to the Capertee Valley, and

also in Tasmania, where the animals have much longer fur and are sometimes called

‘Bennett’s’ Wallaby.

26. Black (Swamp) Wallaby Wallabia bicolour

After brief views of an animal in the Capertee Valley, we had much better looks at one in

Back Yamma State Forest.

27. Mareeba Rock-Wallaby Petrogale Mareeba

This species is common at Granite Gorge near Mareeba, where they are accustomed to

humans and will approach closely for a handout.

28. Rufous-bellied Pademelon Thylogale billardierii

A Tasmanian endemic, we had good views of this species while spotlighting at Waterworks

Reserve near Hobart.

29. Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica

We had a few brief glimpses of this shy species in rainforest at O’Reilly’s, before everyone

finally had good views.

30. Red-necked Pademelon Thylogale thetis

This species is quite common at O’Reilly’s where it has become used to people and forages

on the lawn.

FRUIT BATS: Pteropodidae

31. Black Flying-fox Pteropus alecto

Near Canungra we saw a large mixed roost of Black and Gray-headed Flying-foxes.

32. Spectacled Flying-fox Pteropus conspicillatus

There is a large roost of this species in downtown Cairns, and we also saw a few smaller

roosts in the gallery forest on our Daintree Cruise.

33. Gray-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus

This quite attractive animal was seen as part of a large mixed roost of Black and Gray-

headed Flying-foxes near Canungra.


34. Little Red Flying-fox Pteropus scapulatus

We saw a couple of these small flying-foxes feeding in flowering trees in the streets of

Mareeba one night as we returned to our accommodation from dinner.

ORDINARY BATS: Vespertilionidae

35. Large-footed Myotis Myotis macropus

Alan Gillanders showed us a couple of these tiny bats roosting beneath a bridge at

Yungaburra on the Atherton Tableland.

RATS AND MICE: Muridae

36. House Mouse Mus musculus

One was seen crossing the road at night in Tasmania.

DOGS AND FOXES: Canidae

37. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes

This introduction of this predator has almost single-handedly been responsible for the

extinction of much of the mainland’s native small mammal fauna. Unfortunately they are all

too common and we saw several during the trip.

EARED SEALS: Otaridae

38. Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus

We spotted one of these seals in the surf off Bass Point.

RABBITS AND HARES: Leporidae

39. European Hare Lepus europaeus

An introduced species that is fairly common in rural areas of the southeast.

40. European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus

Another introduced species that we wish we could send home. This species is very common

in rural areas of southern Australia.

DOLPHINS: Delphinidae

41. Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus

We saw a couple of animals swim past quickly during our seawatch at Bass Point.


RORQUALS: Balaenopteridae

42. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae

While enjoying our lunch on the grass at Shellharbour, we watched the antics of a mother

and its tiny calf, lolling about and breaching just offshore.

REPTILE LIST

1. Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus porosus

2. Green Turtle Chelonia mydas

3. Macquarie Turtle Emydura macquarii

4. Saw-shelled Turtle Wollumbinia latisternum

5. Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko Saltuarius cornutus

6. Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus

7. Closed-litter Rainbow Skink Carlia longipes

8. Land Mullet Bellatorias major

9. Black Rock Skink Egernia saxatilis

10. Easter Water Skink Eulamprus quoyii

11. Garden Skink Lampropholis delicata

12. Shingleback Tiliqua rugosa

13. Common Blue-tongue Tiliqua scincoides

14. Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

15. Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii

16. Common Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata

17. Sand Goanna Varanus gouldii

18. Lace Monitor Varanus varius

FROG LIST

1. White-lipped Tree Frog Litoria infrafrenata

2. Roth’s Tree Frog Litoria rothii

3. Cane Toad Rhinella marina

BUTTERFLY LIST

1. Macleay’s Swallowtail Graphium macleayanus

2. Blue Triangle Graphium sarpedon

3. Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus

4. Ulysses Swallowtail Papilio ulysses

5. Clearwing Swallowtail Cressida cressida

6. Cairns Birdwing Ornithoptera euphorion

7. Black Jezebel Delias nigrina

8. Gray Albatross Appias melania

9. Caper White Belenois java


10. Dingy Bush-brown Mycalesis terminus

11. Varied Sword-Grass Brown Tisiphone abeona

12. Glasswing Acraea andromacha

13. Meadow Argus Junonia villida

14. Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea

15. Common Crow Euploea core

16. Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata

17. Bright Oak-blue Arhopala madytus

trip report: eastern australia, top to bottom dates: … · were preparing to call it a day, we...

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