Queensland Road Trip 8: Shipton's Flat & White-streaked Honeyeater

White-streaked Honeyeater

Following our stopover at Mt Carbine (see following post) we continued north to the iconic hotel of Lions Den, at the northern end of the coastal Daintree-Bloomfield Road, for a two-night camp.

Annan River

Lions Den Hotel

I've stayed here occasionally over the years and the place maintains its rustic charm, with a few rough edges.

Orange-footed Scrubfowl

The camping ground by the Annan River is pleasant enough, with Orange-footed Scrubfowl scraping around the tents. The river cuts through this charming countryside of hills and valleys with its interesting mix of rainforest, eucalypt and health-like scrub.

With Charlie & Lewis Roberts, Shiptons Flat

The highlight was a day spent in the Shiptons Flat area with brothers Lewis and Charlie Roberts - true bushies by any measure and third generation tin farmers and cattle ranchers. They were close friends with another friend of mine who lived locally, Jeanette Covacevich, who passed away recently. The stamina demonstrated by Charlie and Lewis, with his trademark bare feet, is something to behold.  

White-streaked Honeyeater

We spent most of the day going up and down rainforest gullies in an unsuccessful search for Bennett's Tree-Kangaroo. Some compensation was on offer with good birds, notably White-streaked Honeyeater; Shiptons flat is at the southern end of this Cape York endemic's range. We flushed a Rufous Owl but did not manage to track it down for a photograph.

Graceful Honeyeater

Graceful Honeyeater is a tad more mundane but it was good to see one again after so long.

Northern Fantail

Northern Fantail was present in small numbers though not as common as Grey or Rufous Fantails.

Yellow-breasted Boatbill

Yellow-breasted Boatbill is always a pleasure.

Lovely Fairywren pair

As is the Lovely Fairywren, with the female's distinctive plumage.

Grey Whistler

Grey Whistler showed nicely.

Pied Monarch

The distinctive northern race of Pied Monarch put on a show.

Tropical Scrubwren

Tropical Scrubwren was also present; this species is at the southern end of its range here. However, there is considerable debate about whether these are true Tropical or if this is a hybrid zone with Large-billed Scrubwrens.

Black Butcherbird

Black Butcherbird was among other birds present. List of species found in the Shiptons Flat area can be seen here.

Black Mountain

We had a look at Black Mountain as we headed on to Cooktown.

Queensland Road Trip 7: Atherton to Mt Carbine - Sarus Crane, Black-throated Finch

Black-throated Finch

After our visit to Malanda (see following post) we left the rainforests and wet red soils behind for a two-day stay in the Big 4 Woodlands Caravan Park outside Atherton. Bridled Honeyeater was common here but there was little else of interest birdwise.

Bridled Honeyeater

We enjoyed a visit to the nearby historical town of Herberton. Hasties Swamp was checked out a couple of times but nothing of interest there (many thousands of Magpie Geese and Plumed Whistling-Ducks) and I could not find any Sarus Cranes in fields in the area. Red-tailed Black Cockatoos were unusually feeding in large numbers on the ground in open paddocks.

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos

Leaving the Atherton Tableland, we headed north to Mareeba for 2 nights at the Kerribee Park Rodeo camping ground on the Dimbulah Road – a huge complex (Mareeba hosts one of Australia's biggest rodeos) with a pleasant outlook over ranges to the south.

Mareeba woodlands

 The area was surrounded by termite-studded savannah woodland. I saw a single Black-throated Finch a couple of times at soaks at the back of the complex but failed to photograph the bird.

Little Bronze-Cuckoo

I had more success with an obliging Little Bronze-Cuckoo.

Yellow Honeyeater

Yellow Honeyeater was common.

Bush Stone-Curlew

Bush Stone-Curlews were also about.

Agile Wallabies

Large numbers of Agile Wallabies and Eastern Grey Kangaroos were on the grounds.

Australian Bustard

Emu

We visited the Mareeba Wetlands Centre in the morning, failing to see Black-throated Finch but Australian Bustard and Emu were both up close. Few waterbirds were about.

Dave's Dam

We drove further north for an overnight stay in the Mt Carbine Caravan Park on the Cooktown road, camped on a ridge in ironbark woodlands. On the way we passed Lake Mitchell and the famed spot where Buff-breasted Buttonquail are allegedly seen, but didn't bother to stop (why is another story for another time).

Sarus Crane

Sarus Crane

In the heat of the afternoon I drove north to Daves Dam, a small lagoon on the Hurricane Road 25km north of Mt Carbine. This was a good move.  I was greeted by a pair of Sarus Cranes, a species I expected to see on the tableland.

Black-throated Finches

The next bird I saw was a Black-throated Finch, and I was to see about 30 of these smart finches coming into drink. 

Black-throated Finches

Thanks to Kath Shucliff and Dave Houghton for information on this and other sites. The handful of species seen at this site can be found here. Sadly, the Mt Carbine Hotel is pale shadow of its former glory; don't bother eating and drinking here if you can possibly avoid it!

Queensland Road Trip 6: Malanda & Platypus, Riflebird, Tree-Kangaroo

Victoria's Riflebird

On the last morning of our stay at Possum Valley (see following two posts) I finally had some nice encounters with Platypus, seeing a total of 4 animals on 2 of the 3 small lakes on the property.

Platypus

 Paul told us he has seen presumably displaced platypus making their way through forest in search of waterways.

Possum Valley Roadblock

On our way out we were delayed a little by a tree which had fallen over the road.

Mt Hypipamee Crater

We called in at Mt Hypipamee National Park, admiring the awesome crater that never fails to inspire.

Bromfiield's Swamp

We moved on to the dairying town of Malanda for a 3-night stay in the Malanda Falls Caravan Park, passing Bromfield's Crater on the way. This is a nicely positioned park by the falls and river on the edge of the Malanda Falls Reserve, with two walking trail circuits through rainforest close by.

Malanda Falls

Our visit to Malanda coincided with a pleasant weather change from the drizzly, misty conditions that prevailed in the region for several days earlier, including our visit to Possum Valley.

Atherton Scrubwren

There more Atherton Scrubwrens here, along with Large-billed Scrubwrens.

Macleay's Honeyeater

Macleay's Honeyeaters were on the rainforest edge in the park.

Bower's Shrike-thrush

Bower's Shrike-thrushes were present on one of the circuit trails, affording better views than at Possum Valley.

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot

We visited the Nerada Tea Plantation where a small flock of Double-eyed Fig-Parrots was feeding in a fig tree.

Pied Monarch

Pied Monarch was nice to see on the second circuit trail at Malanda Falls. I heard both Masked Owl and Sooty Owl around the camping ground and on the trails but failed to see either. A pair of Bush Stone-Curlews were also present. A full list of birds at Malanda can be found here.

Victoria's Riflebird

We visited Lake Eacham National Park, doing the 3km walk through the rainforest around the lake edge. A male Victoria's Riflebird performed splendidly in the carpark.

Curtain Tree Fig

We had a look through the delightful down of Yungaburra, visited the always spectacular Curtain Tree Fig as well as Lake Tinaroo briefly.

Green Ringtail

That evening we enjoyed some local music in the Malanda pub. Later I went spotlighting and found a Green Ringtail Possum near the main road along with a few Coppery Brushtails.

Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo

Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo

On the final morning I returned to the Nerada Tea Plantation, seeing a female Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo with a pouch young perched in a strip of forest that has been a reliable site for this species for some time.

Barree Cuckoo-shrike

A flock of Barred Cuckoo-shrikes was feeding in the same fig tree that the fig-parrots had been in.

Queensland Road Trip 5: Wet Tropics Birds Revisited

Grey-headed Robin

Getting reacquainted with the birds of Queensland's wet tropics has been a joy. Here at Possum Valley, where we are winding up a 5-day stay, the rainforest is high altitude, where many specialties are restricted including the iconic Golden Bowerbird (see here for earlier sightings).

Golden Bowerbird bower

The owner of Possum Valley, Paul Tredgett, told me where to find a bower being attended by a Golden Bowerbird along one of the trails. It is in the same spot where I photographed a male bird a couple of days earlier.

Grey-headed Robin

Among other birds, Grey-headed Robin is common in the forest but somewhat skulking in this area.

Lewin's Honeyeater & friend

Lewin's Honeyeater is absurdly tame, alighting on visitors for food scraps and entering the cabin kitchens even in search of tucker.

Bridled Honeyeater

Bridled Honeyeater is less common in the lodge grounds.

Mountain Thornbill

Mountain Thornbill is common in the forest and around the edges.

Atherton Scrubwren

Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren and Large-billed Scrubwren were all seen. I started a Facebook discussion on the images here and people are divided as to whether these are juvenile Fernwrens or Atherton Scrubwrens. They were on the edge of the forest, close to the ground but in the open, and calling like scrubwrens; I've concluded they are juvenile Atherton Scrubwrens.

Atherton Scrubwren

Bower's Shrike-thrush

Bower's Shrike-thrush is uncommon on the forest edge.

Satin Bowerbird

White-throated (Little) Treecreeper

Several small northern races of species more widespread in south-eastern Australia are present in numbers in Possum Valley. These include White-throated (Little) Treecreeper, Satin Bowerbird and Crimson Rosella.

Spotted Catbird

I saw a Spotted Catbird low in the canopy inside the forest.

Little Kingfisher

I found another Little Kingfisher on a second lake (first bird sightings here.) This one I did not need a boat to reach!

Pale-yellow Robin

Other birds in the area include Pale-yellow Robin, Topknot Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon and Grey Goshawk.  I've seen but so far not managed to photograph Fernwren, Chowchilla and Victoria's Riflebird.

Platypus

I saw a Platypus in one of the lakes but managed only a poor image.