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

**Updated Cairns Esplanade

Check my birding map for specific location.

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)

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S106134927

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S106126685

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S105934156

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S104985217

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S33632614

**Updated Cairns Botanic Gardens and Centenary Lakes

Check my birding map for specific location.

2023 Update

Returning in May 2023 to Cairns, the gardens are again a frequent stop for me. Wandering off the main paths, I found a Black Bittern early on and since then I have been wandering around the Freshwater Lake in particular with great success. Here are some of the best.

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

Little Kingfisher (Alcedo pusilla)

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina)

On visiting Cairns, it is always high on my list to go to Centenary Lakes and the Botanical Gardens. They are such wonderous places, not only for the birdlife but also the amazing plants and trees on the boardwalk connecting the 2 areas. 

Early in my 2022 visit, I was wandering around looking for the Little Kingfisher which I had heard was active in the mornings when I met another local birder Mark. He took me to a gloomy part of the lakes at the back where the joining path to the gardens is. Right on cue, we saw it and then another. There have been some fabulous photos taken of this bird but you have to be really lucky to get it in sunlight as most of the time they skulk about in the undergrowth. I was just pleased to see it.

Little Kingfisher (Ceyx pusillus)

Mark was heading up to see the Papuan Frogmouth at the gardens and as I had already stood like a fool staring at trees and NOT seeing them, I tagged along. We found them from outside the gardens and talk about impressive. There was a pair of them with a juvenile and they were huge! Nothing like the dainty Tawny Frogmouth I am used to. I have only seen the Papuan from a distance and to get this close was incredible. They were semi-awake and would open a lazy eye every now and again to look at us. 

Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis)

Another early morning visit to the lakes saw me stumble on an Eastern Osprey. I later saw a nearby nest, high in a communications tower so no real surprise they would hunt in the lakes. This on was sitting in a tree grooming and looking smug so maybe it had just had breakfast. It was phenomenal to get so close to it. The bird was totally unconcerned by me. 

Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

My arrival in March 2022 to Cairns was in the middle of an unseasonable heatwave and coming from the very mild temperatures of New Zealand, I really struggled at times to keep moving. It was one of these times that I sought refuge in the shade near the friendship garden in the middle of the freshwater lake. While I was trying not to pant like a dog, I heard something rustling. A photo opportunity always takes my mind off physical discomfort and so I perked up and looked into the bushes. I was rewarded with a Australian Green Tree Snake. I have seen them before, they are reasonably common but to be so close to it was fantastic. The green and yellow colours blazed in the sunlight.

Australian Green Tree Snake (Dendrolaphis punctulata)

I visited the lakes again at night with Mark and although we heard the Rufous Owl, we didn't see it. I did get a compensatory frog though!

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S106143962

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S104167302

Kuranda

Check my birding map for specific location. 

I have been staying at a house sit in the rainforest of Kuranda. A slice of sloping lawn cuts through the middle of dense forest and enables me to sit on the deck and look down onto fruiting trees. It really has been one of the most productive and easy birding experiences I've ever had.

Each morning, I sit on the deck as it gets light. In the early part of my stay, the Spotted Catbird would pop out to feed on the wild raspberries and figs. They are extraordinary birds with a yowling call that sounds like a cat being tortured!

Spotted Catbird

There were a good number of species that were always present in the garden and it was great getting to know them as they came and went. The Australian Figbirds always numbered between 10 and 20 and would either sit in the trees cackling away at each other or in the tree with the most fruits.

Male Australian Figbird

Female Australian Figbird

I heard some great rainforest birds here - the Chowchilla, Eastern Whipbird, Victoria's Riflebird. While I never saw the first 2, I frequently got glimpses of the latter. There were males around in their dark plumage but I didn't manage to photograph them. This is a female below with very different colouring.

Victoria's Riflebird

Also resident in the garden were a pair of Olive-backed Sunbird. These tiny creatures were the most active of all species. Even during heavy rain, they were still buzzing around and if the kookaburra appeared they would go nuts. I just loved watching them.

Male Olive-backed Sunbird

Female Olive-backed Sunbird

There were several species of dove that I would hear all day. They are all shy and tend to stick to the depths of the trees. I would have to track them from the deck or sneak around the garden for them. 

Brown Cuckoo Dove

Wompoo Fruit Dove

Certain species could be relied upon to pass through each day and as I heard them, I would grab my camera and start scanning the trees. My favourites were the Little Bronze Cuckoo and the Varied Triller. It took quite some time for me to get good photos of them both but I think I got there.

                                            

Little Bronze Cuckoo

Varied Triller (male)

And lastly, there were those birds that visited from time to time. After a while I got used to the rhythm of the garden and I could tell straight away when a new bird started calling. It was always a mad dash to get photos of these new species before they disappeared.

Forest Kingfisher (scarab beetle larvae in its mouth)

Topknot Pigeon

White-eared Monarch

Towards the end of my stay I heard the distinctive buzz of fairywren. I chased them up and down the garden and eventually could watch them from the deck. The homeowner hasn't seen them here in the 10 years she has lived here. We are hoping they are looking for a nesting site. The male was very territorial, hammering away at his own reflection in the car window!

Male Lovely Fairywren

Female Lovely Fairywren

eBird Lists (some of them)

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S144959134

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S144569376

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S143694959
https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S142308733