Musgrave, Cape York

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Musgrave is the furthest north I have been on Cape York. Actually, I made it about 40km north of the roadhouse before turning back. I had hoped to get to Weipa on the west coast but as well as being very wild, the roads are terrible to drive on. I was the only 2wd vehicle or campervan on the road and I could feel the waves of disbelief heading my way from the big 4wd utes and trucks around me. I didn't think I was on a fools errand as everyone I spoke to thought I could make it to Weipa. 

Cape York is the wildest place I have been to in Australia. Its like the jungle meets the Outback. There is a plethora of wildlife here from dingo, roos to birds. It is also stunningly beautiful. I loved driving through it where the road was sealed but where the road was not sealed, it was terrifying. While the road remains wide, it changes rapidly from sand to gravel to patches of old concrete. As well as contending with the infamous corrugations, there are areas of debris, dust holes and sudden changes from one to another. On top of that is the never ending dust that means I have to strip the van to clean it when I get back onto solid ground. It is not a place for a campervan with a high centre of gravity and a water tank slung underneath. 

I made it to Musgrave in good time and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the Roadhouse and caravan park. I stayed there overnight and spent the day sitting next to the dam. Not too close, however, there were warning signs about crocodiles everywhere. These were Freshwater Crocodiles, smaller than their terrifying Saltwater cousins. Australians are much less afraid of Freshies and while they are apparently smaller and less likely to attack, I found them to be equally as sinister. I counted 9 animals floating in the water and on the bank. As darkness fell, I moved the van away from the water's edge. 

Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnsoni)

I spent some time chasing the rather delightful Large-billed Gerygone as it flitted from branch to branch overhanging the water. In New Zealand, the endemic gerygone is the Grey Warbler and I always associate this active little birds with singing. This species is no exception and I am always amazed at the loudness of their vocals.

Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris)

A friend of mine had spent some time in the area and gave me the location of nesting Red Goshawks. I spent some time driving a back road (thankfully of good quality) and found the inactive nest easily. Disheartened, I sat in the van and waited to see if the birds were still around. Loud screeching indicated their return after some time. The female briefly inspected the nest before taking off again. The male, however, put on a great display as it sat above me dismembering a Rainbow Lorikeet. It was quite a sight.

Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus)

On my return to the roadhouse, I came across a family of Emu. These gentle creatures are easily spooked by vehicles but I was able to watch them for a while as they meandered across the road. 

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

On my return south, I stopped in at Artemis Station to try to see the Golden-shouldered Parrots again. I was rewarded with a fantastic sighting of a male, sitting and preening. 

Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius)

In my experience, Cape York is the wildest place in Australia and I hope to get back to explore further. 

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Green Island

 

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Green Island is a 45 minute boat ride from the marina in Cairns. I visited with my friend Trudy and her lovely granddaughter Isabella in September 2023. It was a rather windy and wet journey over and while at times we felt battered and a little sick, it was very entertaining. Half the journey is taken clearing the headland south of Cairns so you aren't long in open water. We did see a few dolphin swimming by and terns circling. 

Access to the island is from a long jetty. Later in the day, we saw the need for it at low tide when the water so was shallow the surrounding reefs were visible. The island itself is very small, taking less than half an hour to walk the perimeter. There are sandy beaches and rocky areas surrounding thick rainforest. It is quite an odd place. 

After leaving the jetty, you enter the resort area which smells strongly of seabird guano. It is also present on the boardwalk areas around the small area of shops and coffee places. The resort looked a little run down on the outside but pleasant enough inside. All in all it looked like quite a hostile environment. 

We headed to the northern beach where there was some shelter from the wind. There were several species of shorebird dotted around the island but it must have been tricky for them as they were continually disturbed by the tourists. The species were all those that can be seen on the Esplanade at Cairns but with care, you can get closer to them.

Grey-tailed Tattler

Pacific Golden Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Throughout the island were lots of Buff-banded Rail. This usually shy bird appears to be quite feral here, scrounging scraps from the visitors. It was still interesting to watch them. We saw 2 leucistic birds, chicks and even some bathing in the sea. 

Buff-banded Rail

We really loved seeing Reef Egret here and there were at least a dozen spread across the island. We first spotted them skulking in the undergrowth on the edge of the beach. More interestingly, there was both the white and dark morph here and they obviously belonged to the same family.

Eastern Reef Egret

The highlight of our visit was seeing a pair of Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove building their nest. The male bird would fly down, gather material and then return to the female who was beginning to weave it into a nest. It was quite amazing that these stunning birds were here.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove

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Cape Tribulation

 

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In mid-winter 2023 I wanted to get back out on the Daintree River and so booked into the caravan park at Daintree Village. It was only shortly afterwards that I realised I had seen the words Daintree and Village and booked at a caravan park actually on Cape Tribulation, which is across the river. Never mind, I'll head over on the ferry and stay there. 

I got an early ferry at first light and I was thrilled to see a pair of Olive-backed Sunbird nesting on the end of a lifeboat. They spent the ferry journey flitting from one side of the river to the other and back to the boat. 

I headed up into the cape and my first stop was at the Marrdja Boadwalk. The roads weren't great quality but driving through the rainforest and at times touching the shoreline was just beautiful. The boardwalk was even better with the sun streaming through tall trees onto mangrove floors and a sparkling creek. It was quite poetic! There were lots of birds here but I took no photos of them, preferring to soak up the atmosphere and listen to them. Honeyeaters, monarchs and riflebirds were plentiful.

Once I left the boardwalk, I headed back south stopping at various beaches and lookouts until I reached Diwan and the caravan park. It was a very pleasant place with a long sloping hill at the back and lots of little nooks and crannies to explore. I spent the afternoon wandering up and down it and again, I didn't take any photos. The birds were loud but shy. I even heard a Golden Bowerbird calling from the rainforest at the very top of the garden. 

As I rounded the kitchen in the afternoon, I saw a cassowary wandering in from the bush. As ever, it was absolutely silent and seemingly unconcerned by the people around. It was feeding on native Quandong berries and everyone stood transfixed as it threw them into the air and caught them. It was so special to be in the presence of this wonderful animal.

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

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**Updated Cairns Esplanade

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2023 Update

I have returned to Cairns for the second half of 2023 and am loving getting to know the Esplanade area much better. The more time I spend here, the more crazy birds I find, regularly reporting over 50 species. As the 'winter' draws to a close, waders and exotic birds are beginning to return. Here are some of my highlights.

Beach Stone Curlew (Esacus magnirostris)

Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma)

Eastern Reef Egret (Egretta sacra)

Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana)

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina)

Cairns Esplanade is always my first destination when I arrive in Queensland and it was no different in 2022 although I had spent a few fraught days trapped in my hotel room until Covid regulations were satisfied. The Esplanade is long, I think around 3km north to south and I usually start at the north end and always regret not parking in the middle by the time I am on the return leg. It was incredibly hot in March and I frequently had to seek refuge in the shade of the trees in the parks running alongside the walkway.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

I have lots of highlights from over the years visiting the Esplanade and what follows is a few of them. My choice for 2022 is easy. I was sitting right at the north end on a large pipe, cooling my feet in the water and waiting for the waders to appear as the tide turned. To my amazement, 2 large birds came into view circling around me. Jabiru - the Black-necked Stork is a huge bird with stunning irridescent plumage, contrasting black and white. I took a lot of photos as the flew around me and then landed. They began digging for crabs in the mud and to my surprise swallowed them whole. The lump in the neck of the bird below is a whole (and still protesting) crab. It looked very uncomfortable.

Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

The sandy beach turns quickly into mud flats and the mangrove swamps to the north always look like they will reclaim the whole area given half a chance. A no-go for humans (you can go in the mud if you like but why?), it is a mecca for wading birds who feel safe there. I have seen many species here and I always love to the see the Eastern Curlew with its huge bill. 

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

Always present are godwit and knots and while the Great Knot looks like a fairly non-descript, fat wader, in breeding plumage it is beautiful. 2022 was the first time I have seen them in these colours and I was impressed.

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

A popular visitor (I was always asked if I had seen it once people found out I am a birder) this year was the Nordmann's Greenshank. I wouldn't have identified it as a greenshank as it was fairly dumpy with a thick bill but what do I know? I watched it several times and it was full of character as it looked for food and jostled with other waders for position. My first lifer of my 2022 Australia trip.

Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer)

Metallic Starlings can be found during the summer months careening up and down the Esplanade. They are noisy, they squabble and the bully other birds and I love them. Some are all glossy black and some are pied, both with a vivid red eye. This time I photographed them on the rocks at the south end. I'm not sure what they were doing but they looked like it was fun.

Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica)

A local birder gave me a hint that there was a family of Nankeen Night Heron in the fig trees by the kid's pool and I went to see them every visit. My favourite sighting was early in the morning during rain showers. The juveniles were screaming for food, eyes on the horizon waiting. When the bedraggled adults returned they were mobbed. After feeding, they all set about preening which was when I got these fabulous photos. 

Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)

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**Updated Daintree

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2023 Update

Determined to get out on the river in 2023 after terrible weather in 2022 left me sitting in my van for days on end, I visited at the end of July. The weather was changeable with showers and sunshine alternating each day. I was lucky enough to get out on the river twice at dawn and twice in the afternoon. The results were variable. The minimum I saw were lots of horrible crocodiles but when the birds were about, they were magnificent. The highlight was several sightings of the Great-billed Heron.

Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana)

Green Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata)

Female Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis)

Male Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis)

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

I have had great success at Daintree in the past. The Red Mill House used to be a B&B and the garden was renowned for animal species with Azure Kingfishers in the little pond and bandicoot in the garden. My favourite was seeing a Lace Monitor catch and eat a rather large frog.

Lace Monitor (Varanus varius)

There are 2 real highlights in Daintree. The first is the river boat ride. I have been on numerous occasions with the Sauce and he has a huge knowledge of the river and the wildlife. My first trip was nerve-wracking as we could already see a large croc sitting on the opposite bank of the river. Sauce promised not to let me get in the water though and always stuck to that. Before you even get on the boat, however, there is often Olive-backed Sunbirds in the surrounding foliage and even nesting on the boardwalk. Now that is special.

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)

My favourite sightings were of Shining Flycatcher, seeing both the male and female sitting on nests but this photo of a male in the rain remains one of my most cherished photographs ever.

Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto)

It takes something to get Sauce excited, having seen just about everything on the river but one trip when we found Spotted Whistling Ducks saw just that. They should be on the far side of Cape York so to see them in Daintree was very unusual.

Spotted Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna guttata)

On one occasion we heard what sounded like a dog barking and I looked questioningly at Sauce who just laughed. We rounded a bend and found the culprits, Great-billed Heron. At over a metre tall, these herons are massive and have the usual croaky heron call, just a lot louder. We found adults and juveniles and it was something very special to see.

Great-billed Heron (Ardea sumatrana)

The other wonderful place in Daintree is the end of Stewart Creek Road. It runs out after around 10km with a gate marking the end. But that's ok, because the area just before the gate is full of ant mounds which are home to breeding Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers. I met Susan at the Red Mill House and took her to see them. We bonded over adults entering and leaving their nests in these mounds. They seal the area the chick will live so the termites can get to them and no other predator is brave enough to enter. We were staggered that we could just drive to see this spectacle and wondered why hoards of people were not there watching this David Attenborough worthy moment. No accounting for tastes I guess.

Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher (Tansiptera sylvia)

Unfortunately in 2022, I arrived in Daintree to rain and sat for a miserable 5 days in my van as it continued to pour. I didn't get to see any birds or go out on the flooded river. The only photos I did get were of some local cows. Sigh. I will be back though.

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