Cassowary House, Cairn's Botanical Gardens, Cairn's Esplanade, Queensland.

A productive day down in Cairn's.

Australia, Day Thirty Three.

 

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius).

I was up a little earlier than planned so I sat out on the terrace of my room and picked up a few species to get the day started including Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae), Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus), Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus), Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (Meliphaga notata), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) and Australian Bush-turkey (Alectura lathami).

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius).

Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi).

Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii).

After Breakfast Ian drove us down to the Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of Cairn's, on the way we saw Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) and Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys).

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti).

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina).

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina).

Hornbill Friarbird (Philemon yorki).

We parked on the far side of the Gardens first of all and walked through to the opposite side, on the first section through the Bamboo gardens where we saw Green Oriole (Oriolus flavocinctus), Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi), Australian Swiftlet (Aerodramus terraereginae), Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii), Bar-shouldered Dove (Geopelia humeralis), Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius) and  Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis).

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula).

Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura).

At the far end of this first trail we checked the taller trees and found a small number of Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina) which was a species we had wanted to see but had missed, in the same area and as we walked around to the lakes we also had Green Oriole (Oriolus flavocinctus), Australian Bush-turkey (Alectura lathami), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Yellow Honeyeater (Stomiopera flava), Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura), Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Hornbill Friarbird (Philemon yorki) and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma).

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus).

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus).

Around the pools we also had a few Dragonflies and Damselflies, all of which still need to be identified when I get back home to my books, we also had a few butterflies which included Large Green-banded Blue (Danis danis) and Orange Plane (Pantoporia consimilis).

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Orange Plane (Pantoporia consimilis).

Large Green-banded Blue (Danis danis).

Deb and Ian on the Forest Board walk in the Botanical Gardens.

We returned to the car after having a coffee in the visitor's Centre and then went down to the Esplanade for a walk, at the southern end we picked up Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica), Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), a Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris), the usual group of roosting Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus), White-faced (Egretta novaehollandiae) and Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra), Little (Egretta garzetta) and Great White Egret, Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Australian Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica ssp macrotarsa) as well as several Sacred Kingfishers (Todiramphus sanctus).

Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris).

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis).

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis).

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) and Australian Gull-billed Terns (Gelochelidon nilotica ssp macrotarsa).

In the trees along the landward side of the walk we picked up Varied Honeyeater (Gavicalis versicolor), Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Rainbow (Trichoglossus moluccanus) and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus), White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) and a fast moving flock of around Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica) which whizzed passed us low and fast.

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Australian Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica ssp macrotarsa).

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta).

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Australian Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica ssp macrotarsa) and Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris).

Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra).

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra).

Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra).

After having lunch we went up to the Mangroves at the Northern end of the Beach where we went looking for the more difficult Mangrove Robin (Eopsaltria pulverulenta) and Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus) we saw both along with an immature Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi) and Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) but paid the price in Blood to the massed of bitting bugs..

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma).

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) Male.

Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus).

Mangrove Robin (Eopsaltria pulverulenta).

Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys).

Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi) Immature.

We then went ust up the road to the Les Davis Park where we were found a very well behaved pair of Bush Thick-knee's, a Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), a Rainbow Lorikeet which poked its head out of a nest hole and then with some help from a guy who had already seen it we got good views of a female Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa).

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius).

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).

Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus).

Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa).

We returned to the sea front for another coffee where we had Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) and lots more Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica) which were motoring around a car park near the Port as well as a good number of Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) and an adult Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) which was roosting just a couple of meeter abover the main path way.

Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus).

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) male.

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) female.

Yellow Migrant (Catopsilia gorgophone).

Later we returned to Cassowary House and had some food before an early night as we were shattered.