Check my birding map for specific location.
I hadn't planned to visit Greenvale. I was coming back to Cairns via Charters Towers to see how I felt about driving an inland route - a tester for the outback roads. I planned carefully as ever and had found a couple of rest areas that seemed ok but I didn't like the look of one and the other had been bulldozed by roadworks. The next stop was Greenvale and I stopped there to have a break and consider my options.
As I opened the door of the van in the Roadhouse car park, I was immediately besieged by a group of silly Apostlebirds. A total birders dream. They bounced around me squeaking and squawking as I apologised for not been able to feed them (they were clearly used to travellers sharing food). They were not happy when I sat on the ground taking photographs instead. Not protocol they declared.
Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)
I discovered there was a caravan park in Greenvale and decided to stay. It was closed but a helpful soul said I could probably stay in the pub car park if I asked nicely (ie, bought some food). A fair deal, so that's what I did. It was very hot so I line up the van in the sparse shade but able to take photos out of the back into sunshine.
The Apostlebirds were also clearly used to seeing if visitors had food and quickly came to check me out. Double disappointment as I again took photos instead.
From the car park (actually a very nice garden with one of only 2 sausage trees in Australia - the things you see!) I watched an adult with a juvenile Pied Butcherbird hunting in the trees and on the ground. It was a very loud affair.
Juvenile Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
Across the grass was a tap. Don't birds love taps, especially if they leak. A young Australasian Magpie took a bath and tried to catch drops. It was funny to watch and great photography.
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)
I walked up the hill the next morning and found a pair of Pale-headed Rosellas feeding on grass heads right next to the road. They must have been hungry as they didn't fly away when they saw me. These were my first decent shots of these shy birds. The locals must have thought I was peculiar as I bent down in the middle of the road to photograph them!
Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus)
On the other side of the road was a White-bellied Cuckooshrike and I always find them interesting and more elegant than their Black-faced cousins and they often watch on curiously.
White-bellied Cuckooshrike (Coracina papuensis)
It was an unexpected but very satisfactory stay in Greenvale and the pub pizza wasn't bad either!
eBird List
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