North Queensland Road Trip Winter 2020 – Northern Bettong & Northern Quoll at Lake Tinaroo

Northern Quoll (above). After visiting the Malanda area of the Atherton Tableland (see following post) we spent time exploring the surrounds of Lake Tinaroo. The Cathedral Tree, a huge fig, is a must-see in Danbulla National Park, which abuts the vast lake’s eastern shore.

A walk around the Mobo Creek Crater turned up a vocal pair of Chowchillas, always a difficult bird to photograph.

We moved around to the western side of the lake, seeing a flock of about 80 adult and juvenile Sarus Cranes in fields near the town of Kairi.

We then camped for a couple of nights in the Barrabadeeb scout camp on the shore of Lake Tinaroo. Thanks Kath Shurcliff for the tip; it was certainly worthwhile. Northern Bettong is regarded as endangered and one of the more difficult marsupials to see. It is found only in a relatively narrow strip of open forest fringing the wet tropics rainforest of north Queensland. Kath had seen it here and after some effort, wading through large numbers of Agile Wallabies, I finally found one in the extensive campground. I saw another on the second night and managed a photograph.

The Northern Quoll is disappearing in the Kimberley of WA and the NT’s Top End as the poisonous cane toad continues its westward march. The species was similarly drastically impacted in Queensland by toads; it once occurred as far south as Gympie. However, the quoll managed to hold on in a small number of pockets, and in recent years appears to have significantly increased its population, reappearing in areas where it has long been absent. It wasn’t on the radar at Lake Tinaroo so I was surprised when the managers told me one was about, and delighted when it decided to briefly visit our camp that night. I saw it – or another quoll - later in the night elsewhere in the campground (first image in post). Northern Brown Bandicoot was plentiful around the campground.

Northern Brown Bandicoot(above). Plenty of birds were also about including nine species of honeyeater, with the delightful Yellow Honeyeater vocal and numerous.

North Queensland Road Trip Winter 2020 – Chambers Lodge & Malanda

Following our visit to Theresa Creek Dam (following post) we continued north, overnighting in the quaint hamlet of Greenvale before moving on to the caravan park at Malanda Falls on the Atherton Tableland for a two-night stay. Birds here included Square-tailed Kite, the distinctive northern races of White-throated Treecreeper and Brown Gerygone, and Bower’s Shrike-thrush.

Bower's Shrike-thrush

Brown Gerygone (above) and White-throated Treecreeper (below)

A couple of Green Ringtails were seen at night.

We had two delightful mornings at the home in the rainforest of Peter and Val Valentine outside Malanda. Here we were entertained by a constant procession of birds coming to feed on fruit and mealworms put out for them, or visiting the bird baths. Victoria’s Riflebird was all over the place, with three males at one point on the table and birds being happily hand fed. Spotted Catbird was equally numerous.

Victoria's Riflebird female

Victoria's Riflebird male

Spotted Catbird (above) Peter and Val Valentine (below)

Bird bath visitors included Grey-headed Robin and Pied Monarch.

Grey-headed Robin (above), Pied Monarch (below)

McLeay’s Honeyeater and Helmeted Friarbird were plentiful.

McLeay's Honeyeater (above), Helmeted Friarbird (below)

We moved on to Chambers Lodge near Lake Eacham for a four-night stay in this delightful place. The large, self-contained rooms here are set tastefully in the rainforest and there is a comfortable, well-equipped common room with a library for visitors. We were able to leave our caravan outside.

Chambers Lodge - guest rooms (above) and common room (below)

The lodge’s star attraction is the procession of mammals that come to floodlit trees smeared with honey each evening. Most impressive is the stunning Striped Possum, which I’d seen just once previously. Each night saw a Striped Possum spending long sessions at the feeding trees, undisturbed by the soft lighting. Chambers is easily the best site to find this elusive species.

Striped Possum

The possum was joined occasionally by a Krefft’s Glider, recently split from the Sugar Glider. The glider and possum fed amicably side by side.

Sugar Glider (above) Striped Possum and Sugar Glider (below)

Occasionally the Striped Possum moved to feed at the base of the tree, where dripping honey pooled. Northern Long-nosed Bandicoot and Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes) also came in to feed at the honey pots. It was not difficult to spend hours sitting quietly here. Lesser Sooty Owl was heard and the distinctive lurida race of the Southern Boobook (Little Red Boobook) was calling well but seen just briefly despite a good deal of tracking.

Northern Long-nosed Bandicoot (above), Bush Rat (below)

Many of the birds at the Valentines’ home were also common here, with riflebirds and catbirds landing on the verandahs in search of titbits. Lake Eacham was visited nearby. Bridled Honeyeater was feeding commonly in the umbrella trees here.

Lake Eacham

Bridled Honeyeater

North Queensland Road Trip Winter 2020 – Theresa Creek Dam: Rufous Bettong, Herbert’s Rock-Wallaby, Barking Owl

Overseas travel plans for 2020 were cancelled to the Covid-19 virus and travel interstate continues to be limited. Fortunately we’re able to continue to travel in Queensland. We’ve just returned from a 40-day road trip to north Queensland with our caravan, including southern Cape York. Our first night was in Mundubbera, in the northern Burnett Valley. We planned to overnight in Rolleston but all parks were full there and in Springsure; we managed to book the last spot in a caravan park in Emerald. I've reported already on our connection with a pair of nesting Red Goshawks (see following post).

We feared Queensland was to be booked out due to an influx of interstate visitors who are unable to travel overseas. That turned out not to be the case. We had no trouble finding space after Emerald, although it was a little crowded along the coast on the way back. Our first camp of substance after Emerald was three nights at Theresa Creek Dam, a short drive south-west of Claremont. This is a spacious campground in dry woodland surrounding the dam. Best of the bunch here was Rufous Bettong. They can be seen easily around the campground at night on lawns adjoining patches of long grass.

Wandering the surrounding ridges I found Herbert’s Rock-Wallaby to be quite common in rocky outcrops, including close to the campground. Wallaroo was also numerous.

A Barking Owl was found during the day along a small creek running into the dam.

Other nice birds included Spotted Bowerbird, which was tame around the camps, Blue-winged Kookaburra and Red-backed Kingfisher.

Purple-backed Fairywren showed nicely in waterside vegetation. Brolga, Whiskered Tern, Pied Cormorant and Great Crested Grebe were among waterbirds on and around the dam. Australian Raven and Torresian Crow were both about.

North Queensland Road Trip Winter 2020 – Red Goshawk at the nest

 

Red Goshawk attacks a Whistling Kite

A lengthy encounter with a pair of Red Goshawks was the highlight of a just-completed 40-day road trip to north Queensland, including southern Cape York. The savannah woodlands around Musgrave Roadhouse have long been known as a hotspot for this much sought after raptor, with nesting records spanning more than a decade.

However, the birds seemingly change nests every year, so locating them is not guaranteed. A good start was had on this trip when a male Red Goshawk was seen a few kilometres north of the Hann River Roadhouse, on the Peninsula Development Road between Laura and Musgrave.

Red Goshawks at the nest: pair above, male flying in below

I found the Red Goshawk pair completing construction of their nest early in the morning of our visit to Musgrave. The male and female would occasionally break sticks in trees surrounding the nest tree to add to the structure. I located last year’s nest about 100 metres away; it would have been easier for the birds to simply reinforce this nest or take material from it for a new one. Red Goshawk and Square-tailed Kite are among raptors known to habitually build new nests in the same area, year after year, although sometimes the same nest is used for consecutive seasons.

Male Red Goshawk

The male and female were irregularly in attendance at the nest, occasionally together but mostly one or the other, and never far from it. A Whistling Kite ruffled feathers as it flew overhead; the male Red Goshawk was quick to see it off with a screeching attack in full flight.

Red Goshawk sees off the Whistling Kite

Although I’ve seen the occasional Red Goshawk over the years, I’ve not previously seen a pair together perched. The differences between the male and female are striking, with the female much larger, paler and more powerfully built. The extent of rufous on the underparts of the male suggest it was immature.

Female Red Goshawk

The goshawks seemed content to soak up the early morning sun. As the morning wore on, however, they increasingly took to the wing. 

Female Red Goshawk in flight

First it was mostly short flights through the surrounding woodland, but what appeared to be hunting in earnest was underway by mid-morning. Both birds were then seeing flying sometimes distantly, and apart. Occasionally they were well above the canopy but mostly they were at tree-top level. A magnificent raptor indeed.

Male Red Goshawk in flight

POSTSCRIPT 19/10/2020 When I visited this nest in early-August, the male and female were in attendance, but no eggs had been laid. By late-August the female had laid, and a single young subsequently hatched. Sadly, as the image by Peter Valentine above shows, the young goshawk was found dead recently below the nest. It would have been 3-4 weeks away from fledging. It's particularly of concern because this species is so rare. Bird tour perators are believed to have taken groups there, and quite a few others visited the nest. Red Goshawks in this area had previously deserted a nest unexpectedly. Some raptors are known to stop sitting on eggs or feeding young if subjected to undue human attention. As well, roadworks were underway in the vicinity of the nest and this could have disturbed the birds. It is impossible to know whether human intervention was a factor here, or if it simply was an accident, with the bird falling from the nest. Food for thought, nonetheless.