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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Andrew Whitehouse" data-source="post: 1681396" data-attributes="member: 3550">Day 18: July 6th 2009, Kingfisher Park to Cassowary HouseThis was my final morning at Kingfisher Park and I had a wander around for an hour or so early morning.  It was a little bit slow going but I managed a large group of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets and brief views of a couple of Scarlet Honeyeaters.  From the look of what I'd seen of the latter, better views were very much desired.My first port of call after departing Kingfisher was Sides Road, a site just a few miles away that had been recommended as a possible wintering area for Blue-faced Parrotfinch.  Sadly, the Parrotfinches were not forthcoming but there were plenty of other birds.  The site was just a partially cleared sugarcane field with some good stands of eucalyptus and a few marshy spots.  It's amazing how many birds you can see in places like this.  Honeyeaters were abundant and diverse with Bridled, Brown, Graceful, Scarlet, White-cheeked (a different form to the one I'd seen in the southwest), Yellow-faced (a new one), Yellow-spotted, White-throated and MacLeay's all seen.  A highlight was a great view of a strange looking Pheasant Coucal - big and dark, almost raptorial - perched up in small tree.  I also had some good views of a Tawny Grassbird in a marshy area.  There were also several Fairy Gerygones, a Pied Monarch and a Yellow-breasted Boatbill.  A good spot.I stopped off in the small town of Mount Molloy with one particular bird in mind.  I spent several minutes wandering through a rather unlikely looking area of suburban housing, not seeing much except some more Blue-faced Honeyeaters, before I set eyes on what I was looking for: a pair of Great Bowerbirds.  These aren't quite as colourful as many bowebirds but are big, pigeon-sized, almost shrike-like birds with hefty bills and intricate spotted plumage.Around lunchtime I headed off the main road and along the causeway that runs across the middle of Lake Mitchell.  It was the heat of the day but there was still quite a bit of activity along here.  The lake itself held a few waterbirds.  These included some quirky-looking Comb-crested Jacanas and a large group of prehistoric Magpie Geese.  In some dead trees were a garrulous group of friarbirds, which I was able to identify as Little Friarbirds - my only ones of the trip.  Along the causeway itself I came across a large and busy group of fairy wrens.  These were all quite plain looking and in non-breeding plumage but proved to be Red-backed Fairy-wrens, one I was pleased to finally catch up with.  In amongst them I had quick but close views of a Golden-headed Cisticola, another that I'd been missing out on previously.  In amongst the Tree Martins I finally managed to get a clear view of a Fairy Martin, showing its very clean white rump. Raptors were also active, including two Ospreys, a female Australian Hobby and a Whistling Kite.I had a quick look for White-browed Robin at Big Mitchell Creek but, like other people I'd met, was unsuccessful, seeing little except a Leaden Flycatcher.  A White-bellied Sea-eagle flew over the road near Mareeba.I then drove south towards my final overnight stop in northeast Queensland, Cassowary House.  This is a place that others have written about on this forum and it is indeed rather a spectacular spot.  Of the places I stayed in the Queensland, this one is the most 'in the forest'.  There isn't really a garden as such, just a slightly more open version of the dense forest that surrounds the house, and the forest trees are just a few metres from the balcony.  What this means is that the forest birds come very close.  Not long after arriving, I stepped out on my balcony to jaw-dropping views of a stunning male Victoria's Riflebird feeding on a banana flower almost within touching distance.  I'd been excited to see a couple of female Riflebirds previously but at Cassowary House these birds are easy to see, even without the aid of binoculars.The surrounding forest was busy with birds, although these were all species I'd seen earlier on the trip.  I spent the final hour and a half sat on the balcony of the main house hoping that a Red-necked Crake would wander past.  Sadly, this sought after bird didn't materialise.  I did get some good views of the funny Musky Rat-kangaroos and a Bush Rat.</blockquote>

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