Three of us set out on a trip departing Nov 6 and returning Nov 20th. The trip covered a wide area of habitats and species and so is broken down into five sections.
Here is an overview of our route.
We went as far north as Cape Tribulation, as far south as Mt Hypipamee, as far west as Mt Carbine and as far east as Michaelmas Cay. From the map key you can see the distances were not very far, at most a couple of hours of driving, yet we covered a wide range of habitats and therefore wildlife. I photographed 123 species of birds and a number of mammals and reptiles.
We had three days near Cairns, at Villa Marine in Yorkeys Knob. Here is a link to our stay there:- Cairns
While in Cairns we had a day trip to Michaelmas Cay. Here is a link to this day trip:- Michaelmas Cay
We had three days in Daintree village at Red Mill House. Here is a link to our stay there:- Daintree
We had five days in Julatten at Kingfisher Park. Here is a link to our stay there:- Julatten
We had three days near Lake Eacham at Chambers Wildlife. Here is a link to our stay there:- Yungaburra
Here’s a list of birds seen / photographed on the trip.
No | Name | Location | Seen Only | Endemic | NE QLD | Comment |
1 | Baza, Pacific | Mt Lewis | yes | |||
2 | Bee-eater, Rainbow | Cairns cemetery | ||||
3 | Boatbill, Yellow-breasted | Daintree | yes | |||
4 | Booby, Brown | Michaelmas Cay | ||||
5 | Bowerbird, Golden | Mt Hypipamee | yes | |||
6 | Bowerbird, Great | Julatten, Mt Molloy | ||||
7 | Bowerbird, Satin | Mt Hypipamee | yes | |||
8 | Bowerbird, Toothbilled | Mt Lewis, Lake Barrine | yes | |||
9 | Brush-turkey, Australian | several | ||||
10 | Bush-hen (Amaurornis olivaceus) | Beatrice Rd, Daintree | secretive | |||
11 | Bustard, Australian | Pickford Rd, Mary Rd | ||||
12 | Butcherbird, Black | Cape Tribulation | ||||
13 | Butcherbird, Pied | Atherton area | ||||
14 | Catbird, Spotted | several, Chambers | yes | |||
15 | Chowcilla | Mt Lewis, Lake Barrine | yes | |||
16 | Cicadabird | Steward Creek Rd, Daintree | ||||
17 | Coot, Eurasian | several, Lake Mitchell | ||||
18 | Cormorant, Little Black | Centeneray Lakes, Cairns | ||||
19 | Cormorant, Little Pied | Centeneray Lakes, Cairns | ||||
20 | Coucal, Pheasant | Steward Creek Rd, Daintree | ||||
21 | Crake, Red-necked | Carol’s house, Julatten | Yes | |||
22 | Crake, White-browed | Cattana Wetlands | ||||
23 | Crane, Sarus | Marks Lane & Pickford Road | ||||
24 | Cuckoo, Channel-billed | Steward Creek Rd, Daintree | Yes | |||
25 | Curlew, Eastern | Esplanade, Cairns | ||||
26 | Dotterel, Black-fronted | Hasties Swamp | ||||
27 | Dove, Brown Cuckoo | Mt Lewis | ||||
28 | Dove, Wompoo Fruit | Daintree, Chambers | ||||
29 | Duck, Freckled | Hasties Swamp | ||||
30 | Duck, Pacific Black | several | ||||
31 | Duck, Pink-eared | Hasties Swamp | ||||
32 | Eagle, Wedge-tailed | Euluma Creek Road | ||||
33 | Fairy-wren, Lovely | Pinnacle Road | Yes | |||
34 | Fairy-wren, Red-backed | Euluma Creek Road | ||||
35 | Falcon, Black | Euluma Creek Road | Rare | |||
36 | Fantail, Grey | Mt Lewis | ||||
37 | Fantail, Rufous | Mt Hypipamee | ||||
38 | Fernwren | Mt Lewis | yes | |||
39 | Finch, Red-browed | Julatten, Mt Lewis | ||||
40 | Flycatcher, Leaden | Mt Moloy | ||||
41 | Flycatcher, Lemon-bellied | Euluma Creek Road | ||||
42 | Flycatcher, Shining | Daintree River | ||||
43 | Friarbird, Helmeted | Cattana Wetlands | ||||
44 | Frigatebird, Lesser | Michaelmas Cay | ||||
45 | Frogmouth, Papuan | Daintree River | yes | |||
46 | Frogmouth, Tawny | Mt Carbine Caravan Park | ||||
47 | Gerygone, Fairy | Cape Tribulation | yes | |||
48 | Gerygone, Large-billed | Daintree River | ||||
49 | Grebe, Australian | several, Hasties Swamp | ||||
50 | Grebe, Great Crested | Lake Barrine | ||||
51 | Gull, Silver | Esplanade, Michaelmas | ||||
52 | Hardhead | Hasties Swamp | ||||
53 | Heron, Great-billed | Daintree River | ||||
54 | Heron, Nankeen Night | Esplanade, Pickford Rd | ||||
55 | Heron, White-faced | Pickford Rd, Daintree River | ||||
56 | Heron, White-necked | Pickford Rd | ||||
57 | Honeyeater, Banded | Mt. Molloy | ||||
58 | Honeyeater, Blue-faced | several | ||||
59 | Honeyeater, Bridled | Mt Lewis | yes | |||
60 | Honeyeater, Brown | Cairns cemetery | ||||
61 | Honeyeater, Brown-backed | Daintree River | yes | |||
62 | Honeyeater, Dusky | Cairns cemetery | ||||
63 | Honeyeater, Lewin’s | Chambers, Broomfield Swamp | ||||
64 | Honeyeater, Macleay’s | Kingfisher Park | yes | |||
65 | Honeyeater, Scarlet | Julatten | yes | |||
66 | Honeyeater, Yellow | Cairns cemetery | yes | |||
67 | Honeyeater, Yellow-spotted | Kingfisher Park | yes | |||
68 | Kestrel, Nankeen | Euluma Creek Road | ||||
69 | Kingfisher, Azure | Daintree River | ||||
70 | Kingfisher, Buff-breasted Paradise | Kingfisher Park, several | yes | |||
71 | Kite, Black-shouldered | roads near Broomfield Swamp | ||||
72 | Kite, Whistling | several, Daintree River | ||||
73 | Kookaburra, Blue-winged | Mt Carbine Caravan Park | ||||
74 | Kookaburra, Laughing | many, Stewart Creek Road | ||||
75 | Lapwing, Masked | several | ||||
76 | Rainbow, Lorikeet | Cairns cemetery | ||||
77 | Magpie, Australian | Mt Carbine Caravan Park | ||||
78 | Mannikin, Chestnut-breasted | several, Stewart Creek Rd | ||||
79 | Mannikin, Nutmeg | Cairns cemetery | ||||
80 | Monarch, Black-faced | Broomfield Swamp | ||||
81 | Monarch, Pied | Steward Creek Rd, Daintree | yes | |||
82 | Monarch, Spectacled | Kingfisher Park | ||||
83 | Noddy, Common | Michaelmas Cay | ||||
84 | Oriole, Olive-backed | several, Julatten | ||||
85 | Oriole, Yellow | Daintree | ||||
86 | Owl, Barn | near Yungaburra | ||||
87 | Oystercatcher, Australian Pied | Yorkeys Knob | ||||
88 | Parrot, Double-eyed Fig | Cairns cemetery, Lake Eacham | Yes | |||
89 | Parrot, Red-winged | Mt Molloy | ||||
90 | Parrot-finch, Blue-faced | Mt Lewis | Yes | |||
91 | Pelican, Australian | Esplanade, Hasties Swamp | ||||
92 | Pigeon, Pied Imperial | Cairns cemetery | ||||
93 | Pigeon, Squatter | Mt Molloy | Yes | |||
94 | Pigeon, Topknot | Mt Lewis | ||||
95 | Pitta, Noisy | Kingfisher Park, several | ||||
96 | Plover, Lesser Sand | Esplanade | ||||
97 | Rail, Buff-banded | Carol’s house, Julatten | ||||
98 | Riflebird, Victoria’s | Pinnacle Road, Chambers | Yes | |||
99 | Robin, Grey-headed | many, Mt Lewis, Chambers | Yes | |||
100 | Robin, Pale-yellow | many, Kingfisher Park | ||||
101 | Sandpiper, Curlew | Esplanade | ||||
102 | Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed | Esplanade | ||||
103 | Sandpiper, Terek | Esplanade | ||||
104 | Scrubfowl, Orange-footed | many | ||||
105 | Scrubwren, Atherton | Mt Lewis | Yes | |||
106 | Scrubwren, Large-billed | Mt Lewis, Kingfisher Park | ||||
107 | Scrubwren, Yellow-throated | Mt Lewis | ||||
108 | Shrike-thrush, Little | Cape Tribulation | ||||
109 | Snipe, Latham’s | Daintree River, Hasties Swamp | ||||
110 | Spoonbill, Royal | Hasties Swamp | ||||
111 | Spoonbill, Yellow | Hasties Swamp | ||||
112 | Starling, Metallic | Cattana Wetlands | Yes | |||
113 | Stone-curlew, Bush | Cairns cemetery, Yorkeys Knob | ||||
114 | Sunbird, Olive-backed | Cairns cemetery, Cattana Wetl | yes | |||
115 | Swallow, Welcome | Cattana Wetlands, Daintree | ||||
116 | Swan, Black | Lake Mitchell causeway | ||||
117 | Tattler, Grey-tailed | Esplanade | ||||
118 | Teal, Grey | Hasties Swamp | ||||
119 | Tern, Gull-billed | Esplanade | ||||
120 | Tern, Greater-crested | Michaelmas Cay | ||||
121 | Tern, Lesser-crested | Michaelmas Cay | ||||
122 | Tern, Sooty | Michaelmas Cay | ||||
123 | Thornbill, Moutain | Mt Lewis | yes | |||
124 | Treecreeper, White-throated | Mt Lewis | ||||
125 | Triller, Varied | Julatten | ||||
126 | Whistler, Golden | Mt Lewis | ||||
127 | Whistler, Rufous | Euluma Creek Road | ||||
4 | 11 | 15 |
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Well written!
Hi Con,
It is almost 4 years after your visit to KF park that my friends and I will be making this Nov.
It is a great write up, and I have picked up a few good tips on where to look for the more interesting birds. We are staying 7 days in KF Park and Carol whom you mentioned in your article will be our guide for 1.5 days.The rest will be on our own. Thanks for this useful write-up.
Hope we can see the Southern Cassowary in Cape Tribulation. We will be making days trip to Daintree as well.