• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Three month birding Odyssey Asia and Australia (1 Viewer)

It was another vile wet day in Cairns. I know this is the ‘Wet Tropics’ but the rain is getting more than a little tiresome, especially when I am told the couple of weeks prior to my arrival was glorious warm sunshine! I met Tony again for some birding around Cairns Esplanade and despite the horrible conditions in which we both managed to get soaked feet (I was wearing soft shoes) we managed to get three more lifers for my list:

Beach Stone Curlew
Mangrove Robin – these proved easier to see than we thought, we eventually saw 4 and I even managed to get some (bad) photos of one as it perched briefly on a pillar at someone’s front gate
Golden-headed Cisticola – this was on some ‘waste ground’ and it was only as we were leaving the area we saw it.

Other birds were:

Sacred Kingfisher
Black-fronted Dotterel
Osprey
Whimbrel
Fairy Martin
Varied Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Brahminy Kite
Forest Kingfisher
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Silver Gull
Caspian Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Intermediate Egret
Little Egret
Straw-necked Ibis
Australian White Ibis


We drew a blank on Bar-shouldered Dove, Far-eastern Curlew and the Night-heron.
The total number of lifers now comes to a nice round 140 and I hope I can add a few more before leaving Australia on the 26th.

Before I vanish for tonight, I just want to say a very BIG THANK YOU to Tony for his company and guidance this past week. Cheers Tony!

Right, I'm off to change out of these nasty wet (inside and out) trainers!
 
You're welcome!

I'm just sorry (again...) for the Godawful weather. Birds don't tend to relish these cold, wet, blustery conditions, but oddly enough, the Mangrove Robins, which can be tricky to see turned out to be very easy because they were feeding out on the grass on bugs brought to the surface of the sodden ground by all the rain.

I think that's the first time ever I've walked along the edge of the mangroves there and not see Bar-shouldereds. Most odd...

Btw, the other Egrets were Great Whites, not Intermediates.

The tide was right out, so wader watching was a bit of a dead loss, but it's been very quiet on the wader front lately anyway.

Finally I'd like to say a big thankyou to you Fay for your company and the photographic tips! I may actually start taking some half decent pics now.:t:

Cheers, and thanks for the pint!B :)

PS, good luck with the rest of the holiday and make me jealous with what you see on the rest of the trip!

PPS, I've scanned through the rest of your thread and there's no mention as far as I can tell, of Fairy Martin, so perhaps that's a lifer for you too.
 
Last edited:
PPS, I've scanned through the rest of your thread and there's no mention as far as I can tell, of Fairy Martin, so perhaps that's a lifer for you too.

You are right, a thorough look through my lists and notes reveal no Fairy Martin so that is a lifer. I'm now on 141 lifers for this trip (150-something in all).

Jacana - I expected no different. Monsoon season's about to start I think.
 
Went for a walk up to Centenary Lakes and the cemetery (Tony, I know I've probably spelled that wrong! ;) ) but got soaked in the only shower of an otherwise nice day (typical). Did manage to add Varied Triller to the list, a bird that had hitherto eluded me.
I have had to empty my camera bag and let that dry on a window sill because water got into it and my cameras and binocs have gone into another holdall while the bag dries.

Still no bloody Fairy Wrens.
 
Went for a walk up to Centenary Lakes and the cemetery (Tony, I know I've probably spelled that wrong! ;) ) but got soaked in the only shower of an otherwise nice day (typical). Did manage to add Varied Triller to the list, a bird that had hitherto eluded me.
I have had to empty my camera bag and let that dry on a window sill because water got into it and my cameras and binocs have gone into another holdall while the bag dries.

Still no bloody Fairy Wrens.
Sorry , I forgot to give you directions to that site:

Go to Centenary Lakes and walk over the bridge at the Eastern end of the Saltwater Lake (you'll see the entrance to the palm swamp boardwalk over to your left if you've gone over the right bridge). Go right immediately after crossing the bridge down a track fringed with mangroves on both sides. The wrens are often in these mangroves but difficult to see. Listen for their high pitched trills. They're usually fairly low down, oh and wear lots of insect repellent.

Good luck!
 
Sorry , I forgot to give you directions to that site:

Go to Centenary Lakes and walk over the bridge at the Eastern end of the Saltwater Lake (you'll see the entrance to the palm swamp boardwalk over to your left if you've gone over the right bridge). Go right immediately after crossing the bridge down a track fringed with mangroves on both sides. The wrens are often in these mangroves but difficult to see. Listen for their high pitched trills. They're usually fairly low down, oh and wear lots of insect repellent.

Good luck!

I went down that track as I remembered it from our walk there last Sunday, and you saying that it was insect heaven there! I remembered the repellent and managed to avoid bites. Did get a good view of a Black Butcherbird though but no wrens.

Came back through the graveyard and took more photos - better ones, hopefully - of Bee-eaters.
 
I went down that track as I remembered it from our walk there last Sunday, and you saying that it was insect heaven there! I remembered the repellent and managed to avoid bites. Did get a good view of a Black Butcherbird though but no wrens.

Came back through the graveyard and took more photos - better ones, hopefully - of Bee-eaters.
Sorry to hear that, though at least you weren't bitten. Still you may get lucky in the next few days.
 
Went out to the Great Barrier Reef today and it was pretty good to say the least.
Least (or is it Little - I've forgotten!) Crested Terns, Brown Boobies, Least Frigatebirds, Noddies, Sooty Terns are now all on my list bringing the total of lifers now to 147.

Did some snorkling and it was the first time I have ever done it; we went to the reef just off Michaelmas Cay and also to Paradise Reef. At MC we could swim to it from the beach, but Paradise Reef has no convenient island so we went off the back of the boat. Saw loads of fantastic corals - brain corals, etc - giant clams and colourful fishes I can't put a name to.

I took my camera gear for pix of the birds, but it was redundant, I just used the underwater camera I hired instead, partly due to fear of getting my stuff wet.
 
Thanks for the regular updates VB, brings back wonderful memories of a week I spent in Cairns in Sept 2003 during a 3 week visit to Aus.

I missed the Frigatebird on the trip to the Reef, but will trade that for the Fairy Wrens we saw if you like!

I got bitten to pieces on my legs whilst getting mangrove robin at the esplanade mangroves, not painful at the time, but looked terrible about 2 hours later! Insect repellant is now applied liberally in foreign countries!

Keep the reports coming, and good luck with the rest of the trip!

Andrew
 
Thanks Tony and Andrew.

My bites look pretty horrendous. I got bitten on the arms and neck (despite repellant) and the bites look as if I have contracted some disgusting disease.

Doing very little today, as I overdid the swimming thing yesterday and have too many aches and pains! Got to pack my stuff as I am flying to Sydney tomorrow morning.
 
Thanks Tony and Andrew.

My bites look pretty horrendous. I got bitten on the arms and neck (despite repellant) and the bites look as if I have contracted some disgusting disease.

Doing very little today, as I overdid the swimming thing yesterday and have too many aches and pains! Got to pack my stuff as I am flying to Sydney tomorrow morning.
Looks like the weather's clearing up too. Typical!
 
That's Sod's Law in action, Tony!
I think Redden Island will have to wait for my next trip Down Under (whenever that will be) as I am definitely 'paying' for yesterday! I also think that I have a cold coming.
*whinge*
 
Been keeping up with your trip VB (or should we say Fay) - takes me back to a few places I've enjoyed - I must say you've had some bad luck so far with weather, insects & even accommodation.
Had to laugh at your backpacker hostel experience - we had a similar time in Sydney - with me eventually donning just a (small) towel to have words with revelers on the stairwell - only to get locked out of the corridor & having to exit onto the street & back through reception virtually naked!
Must say though I never got bitten in Oz - but that was the season I suspect. But I did dip Mangrove robin - an excuse to return.
In consolation you are missing monsoon conditions here - got up early to go out - but it's pouring - a low expected to see out the weekend.
 
Left Cairns in the now customary(!) downpour, after a flight that lasted just under 3 hours I am now in Sydney - domestic flights beat the hellish Greyhound buses hands down; it took me five days (including an overnight in Brisbane) to get up to Cairns!
I am now esconsed in a scruffy backpackers in the Kings Cross area - which I am informed is also the red light district(!) - but as I have a twin room to myself (I checked that I was to be the only occupant or I was going to take the plunge and head for the Holiday Inn!) it is not so bad. It's scruffy but there's a telly in the room (I am going to have an evening of Neighbours and Masterchef Australia, sad person that I am) and the doors are good and solid.

Hi Halftwo, my aunt emailed me and said that the obligatory thunderstorms were beckoning at home. She was hoping the weekend wouldn't be too bad as she is doing a charity walk tomorrow.

Hoping to hook up with fellow BFer Rob Hynson for birding this weekend.

By the way, the weather here in Sydney is beautiful - warm with clear skies. As I am now here until I leave Australia a week Tuesday, may these conditions continue.
 
I'd be very surprised if the weather was as cruel to you down there right now. Hope you have a great time thereabouts.

Take care!:t:
 
Fairy Wrens are now mine! Mwahahaha! :t:

Superb Fairy Wrens were plentiful in Royal National Park, and there were also Variegated FWs at Mount Bass Fire Trail.

I joined Rob, plus another expat birder, Ed, and a British guy called Mark who is on holiday here and we went to Wattle Forest, Lady Carrington's Drive and the aforementioned Mount Bass Fire Trail, all within the beautiful Royal National Park, an hours drive south of Sydney. The weather was lovely, warm and breezy, and my list jumped by 21 species, bringing the lifer count to 169. Among these were Satin Bowerbird, Green Catbird, those wrens, New Holland Honeyeater, Little Wattlebird, Bassian Thrush (very similar to White's Thrush), Scarlet Robin (female), Noisy Friarbird and others, whose names escape me for now as my list is in the hostel and I am in a city centre internet place with some VERY LOUD MUSIC on the go. Fortunately it is rock and not drum 'n' bass or dance.

I have to say that the hostel I am in, while tatty, is very comfortable and it has - oh the luxury - a television in the room (no remote control though, that would be expecting too much). So I had a lazy evening yesterday watching two very entertaining Rugby League games between St George Illawara Dragons who beat Canterbury Bulldogs 20-18 in controversial fashion (the 'Dogs had a late, winning, try disallowed for obstruction) and then Brisbane Broncos beating the Gold Coast Titans 32-18. Brilliant stuff.
 
Fairy Wrens are now mine! Mwahahaha! :t:

Superb Fairy Wrens were plentiful in Royal National Park, and there were also Variegated FWs at Mount Bass Fire Trail.

I joined Rob, plus another expat birder, Ed, and a British guy called Mark who is on holiday here and we went to Wattle Forest, Lady Carrington's Drive and the aforementioned Mount Bass Fire Trail, all within the beautiful Royal National Park, an hours drive south of Sydney. The weather was lovely, warm and breezy, and my list jumped by 21 species, bringing the lifer count to 169. Among these were Satin Bowerbird, Green Catbird, those wrens, New Holland Honeyeater, Little Wattlebird, Bassian Thrush (very similar to White's Thrush), Scarlet Robin (female), Noisy Friarbird and others, whose names escape me for now as my list is in the hostel and I am in a city centre internet place with some VERY LOUD MUSIC on the go. Fortunately it is rock and not drum 'n' bass or dance.

I have to say that the hostel I am in, while tatty, is very comfortable and it has - oh the luxury - a television in the room (no remote control though, that would be expecting too much). So I had a lazy evening yesterday watching two very entertaining Rugby League games between St George Illawara Dragons who beat Canterbury Bulldogs 20-18 in controversial fashion (the 'Dogs had a late, winning, try disallowed for obstruction) and then Brisbane Broncos beating the Gold Coast Titans 32-18. Brilliant stuff.
Fairy wrens are easier to see down south I reckon. Good for you in getting them at last! And also for the Bowerbird; I know how much you wanted to see them.

Where to now?
 
Warning! This thread is more than 15 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top