**Updated Cairns Botanic Gardens and Centenary Lakes

Check my birding map for specific location.

2023 Update

Returning in May 2023 to Cairns, the gardens are again a frequent stop for me. Wandering off the main paths, I found a Black Bittern early on and since then I have been wandering around the Freshwater Lake in particular with great success. Here are some of the best.

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

Little Kingfisher (Alcedo pusilla)

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina)

On visiting Cairns, it is always high on my list to go to Centenary Lakes and the Botanical Gardens. They are such wonderous places, not only for the birdlife but also the amazing plants and trees on the boardwalk connecting the 2 areas. 

Early in my 2022 visit, I was wandering around looking for the Little Kingfisher which I had heard was active in the mornings when I met another local birder Mark. He took me to a gloomy part of the lakes at the back where the joining path to the gardens is. Right on cue, we saw it and then another. There have been some fabulous photos taken of this bird but you have to be really lucky to get it in sunlight as most of the time they skulk about in the undergrowth. I was just pleased to see it.

Little Kingfisher (Ceyx pusillus)

Mark was heading up to see the Papuan Frogmouth at the gardens and as I had already stood like a fool staring at trees and NOT seeing them, I tagged along. We found them from outside the gardens and talk about impressive. There was a pair of them with a juvenile and they were huge! Nothing like the dainty Tawny Frogmouth I am used to. I have only seen the Papuan from a distance and to get this close was incredible. They were semi-awake and would open a lazy eye every now and again to look at us. 

Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis)

Another early morning visit to the lakes saw me stumble on an Eastern Osprey. I later saw a nearby nest, high in a communications tower so no real surprise they would hunt in the lakes. This on was sitting in a tree grooming and looking smug so maybe it had just had breakfast. It was phenomenal to get so close to it. The bird was totally unconcerned by me. 

Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

My arrival in March 2022 to Cairns was in the middle of an unseasonable heatwave and coming from the very mild temperatures of New Zealand, I really struggled at times to keep moving. It was one of these times that I sought refuge in the shade near the friendship garden in the middle of the freshwater lake. While I was trying not to pant like a dog, I heard something rustling. A photo opportunity always takes my mind off physical discomfort and so I perked up and looked into the bushes. I was rewarded with a Australian Green Tree Snake. I have seen them before, they are reasonably common but to be so close to it was fantastic. The green and yellow colours blazed in the sunlight.

Australian Green Tree Snake (Dendrolaphis punctulata)

I visited the lakes again at night with Mark and although we heard the Rufous Owl, we didn't see it. I did get a compensatory frog though!

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S106143962

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S104167302