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My friend Louise took me to Wondecla State Forest after visiting there with the Cairns Birders Group. It was dark and gloomy and my photos were not of the quality I like to get but sometimes, it is just about the birds. And that was how it was a Wondecla.
The approach from the main road running south from Herberton to Ravenshoe was initially a sealed access road through pasture fields edged with trees and bushes. We squealed to a stop as we saw movement. Debating what we had seen, we waited for something to hopefully emerge. It was a female Pheasant Coucal. I love cuckoos and this one is special as it is so unusual (the only non-parasitic cuckoo in Australia). I had not seen a female close up before and was surprised how pale her plumage was. A good start to the day.
Female Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)
We turned off into the forest proper and onto unsealed tracks. Louise found the spot and we ventured deeper into the woods. There were plenty of birds calling and we had glimpses of woodswallows and honeyeaters. We wanted to see shrike-tit in particular. The Eastern Yellow Robin flitted around us. A beautiful yellow bird but not quite.
Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)
We got the Fuscous Honeyeater easily enough but it stubbornly stayed at a distance.
Fuscous Honeyeater (Ptilotula fusca)
Eventually we spotted the Eastern Shrike-tit and focused on it's call so we could locate it again. We saw it again several times but again, it stayed just too far away.
Crested Shrike-tit (Falcunulus frontatus)
On our return, Louise's 4WD took us up a rugged hill to another hotspot she wanted to visit. It was dense with ferns and beautiful despite the gloomy weather. A White-cheeked Honeyeater flew down in front of me and posed beautifully. My shot of the day. Unfortunately, I was then mobbed by leaches and had to run back to the car and whip my pants off to remove them. Not pleasant or attractive. Louise did her best not to laugh.
White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger)
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