Musgrave, Cape York

Check my birding map for specific location.

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. 

eBird List

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Green Island

 

Check my birding map for specific locations.

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

eBird List

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S149595196