Check my birding map for specific location.
In November and December of 2023, I finally got to visit Kingfisher Park and despite either being very dry (November) or waterlogged after cyclone flooding (December), it didn't disappoint.
Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher
The highlight of any visit to Kingfisher Park in the wet season months is to get close up views of the incredible Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. These exotic birds come south to Queensland to breed each year and lay eggs within termite mounds where their young will be protected from predators.
Male birds tend to have long streamers, while females are shorter. This is not genetic but simply because the females are in and out of the termite mounds where their streamers break off.
While waiting for the kingfishers to put in an appearance, there are lots of other gorgeous birds that frequent the feeders opposite the accommodation blocks. The Bar-shouldered Dove is very common in the area but is quite shy and you don't often get a good look at them. When you do, though, their beauty is quite surprising.
Bar-shoouldered Dove
Skulking around in the undergrowth is the Emerald Dove, which is very easily spooked. Sitting on the deck and waiting for them is about the only way to get close to these interesting birds.
Emerald Dove
The park is also home to some fantastic critters as well as the birds. There was a Giant Stick Insect in the garden. It was at least 50 cm long and wonderful to watch chomping away.
Giant Stick Insect
One of the other highlights of our stay was finding the Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko. They might be reasonably common but are so incredibly cryptic that they are very difficult to find. You can see how they get their name and they were the most exotic lizard I have ever seen. Check out that eye!
Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko
Close to the park was a Papuan Frogmouth nest complete with a young chick. This bird had somehow survived flooding of biblical proportions!
Papuan Frogmouth
It has been a huge disappointment to me in my 2022 trip that I have not been able to visit Kingfisher Park. I have stayed there before and loved it. I assumed I would be able to camp there in my van as I had seen people do before. Unfortunately the new owners only have rooms available.
Kingfisher Park is a unique patch of rainforest in the township of Julatten and is renowned for the variety and specialness of wildlife found there. Having visited just before the rainy season I was a bit late to see the resident pitta but did see the rare Red-necked Crake which was a reliable visitor to the waterhole each afternoon.
Red-necked Crake (Rallina tricolor)
The Orange-footed Scrubfowl is not an uncommon bird in the wet tropics but as it lives in the shadows of the rainforest, it is difficult to photograph. In all my years visiting this area, this is my best photograph of one.
Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt)
Each year the Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher migrate to the area and nest in the area and it is wonderful at the park to see them just sitting on the washing line.
Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera syvia)
At the park it is not only birds that are resident but some interesting other animals. The Fawn-footed (how can you tell?) Melomy is a very cute rodent and a regular nighttime visitor.
Fawn-footed Melomy (Melomys cervinipes)
One of my favourite ever photographs was taken on the lawn at the park and it is of a family of Red-legged Pademelon, a small marsupial. Behind the female is a juvenile followed by a youngster and she had another in her pouch. That is one hard working mother.
Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica)
eBird List
No comments:
Post a Comment