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Message: <blockquote data-quote="birdboybowley" data-source="post: 1202648" data-attributes="member: 60953">Cheers guys for the comments. Glad your enjoying it! We drove almost 2000kms over the next 3 days through the vast grasslands and crop fields along the boringly-straight Hwy 66, stopping only in Mt Isa to restock and refuel (with the first cheap petrol we’d seen since Perth!) and also saw a few good birds along the way: small flocks of Budgies and Cockatiels, a couple of Black Falcons and lots of Browns, large flocks of aptly-named Flock Bronzewings near any source of water, a couple of Australian Bustards and, in the early mornings we would find large flocks of the graceful Australian Pratincoles standing in the road, swirling up to avoid the sparse traffic and wheeling down again once the danger had passed. Also found a couple of large mixed flocks of Woodswallows, including the last one I needed, the stunning White-browed Woodswallow. We stopped one night at the South Warlock Rest Area and were welcomed by the other occupants and had a few beers round a roaring campfire. This was one of the best things about WA and the Top End in that people were much more approachable and friendly, seemingly more so than those on the eastern coast. Had a family group of Apostlebirds here in the morning too! Also saw a fabulous Thorny Devil standing on the opposite side of the road as we sped past, with its tail held up in its characteristic pose. After a quick U-turn I soon had the little guy in my hands (I read somewhere that they don’t bite!!) and moved him off the road to the safety of the bush. What a freaky-looking critter, much smaller than I’d thought and a real stroke of luck to see one. Excellent![ATTACH]140990[/ATTACH]We decided to take the Han Hwy (or the Kennedy Developmental Rd) out of Hughenden up to Atherton as it saved a lot of kms, the only problem was all 250kms of it was dirt but we were told it was all passable. It actually wasn’t bad at all and we managed to keep up a good rate of speed, the worst bits were the horribly raised cattle grids. We lucked into three lovely Squatter Pigeons feeding alongside the road which was a real bonus and the only ones we saw. [ATTACH]140988[/ATTACH]We rejoined the bitumen and headed up through the hills on some seriously bendy roads, seeing a few Pale-headed Rosellas along the way. We finally pulled into Atherton and found my good friend Jack’s place and had a great meal. It was just so nice to have some personal space and enjoy simple things like a shower and toilet whenever we needed it and having room to stand up when dressing...!!The following morning, the 10th August, we were all up early and Jack took us to the Curtain Fig NP, with its truly amazing strangler fig which must be easily 60ft across. We had a host of new ones here: Grey-headed Robin (with its ‘squeaky wheel’ call), Atherton and Large-billed Scrubwrens, Brown Gerygone, Spectacled Monarch, Green Catbird, Macleay’s Honey and bizarre-looking Australian Brush-Turkeys. Quite a few Musky Rat-Kangaroos were hopping beneath the boardwalk also. We moved onto Lake Eacham which had been badly hit by the cyclone back in February, but still gave us some great birds: Eastern Whipbirds, Lewin’s Honey, Pale Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, a flyover Pacific Baza, Golden Whistlers, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Bower’s and Little Shrike-Thrushes and White-throated Treecreeper. The undoubted highlight was my first-ever bird of paradise, a female Victoria’s Riflebird. We then went to the impressive Lake Hypipamee, an extraordinary hole about 80m deep caused by an ancient volcanic eruption. I enjoyed reading the Cassowary warning signs and what to do if you meet one....that was as close to Cassowary we got here though! We had Mountain Thornbill, Azure Kingfisher and the dapper local race of Grey Fantail – ssp keasti, a likely future split to ‘Mountain Fantail’. As we made our way back, we stopped at Wongabel and walked through the forest adding Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, Red-browed Finches and White-headed Pigeons to the list. Also here were a few cute-looking Red-legged Pademelons.[ATTACH]140987[/ATTACH][ATTACH]140989[/ATTACH][ATTACH]140991[/ATTACH]Jack then took us into Yungabarra and we waited patiently for the Platypus to show itself, which it finally did, giving good views as it swam around. Wow, what a fab animal, something I’ve wanted to see my entire life...awesome! Headed back to Atherton to food shop and saw Pied Currawong and Spotted Harriers on the drive. Back at Jack’s he fed us well, and then, still not finished he took us out along nearby Thomas Road to spotlight tree-kangaroos (which we never found) but had Bush Stone-Curlews and great views of White-throated Nightjar perched atop a bare tree. What a day – Queensland really is the bird state!</blockquote>

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