Daintree Crocodylus Camp, Cape Tribulation, Kulki Boardwalk, Madja Botanical Boardwalk, Cow Bay Beach and track and back at Crocodylus, Queensland.

Some birding around the Camp and then out to Cape Trib area.

Australia, Day Twenty Two.

 

Looking along the coast towards Cape Tribulation.

We were out by the small pool we had found near the camp early after a not so great nights sleep looking for the calling Wompoo Fruit-Doves (Ptilinopus magnificus) nearby, we got to the pool and a single bird was sat up high in one of the taller trees but flew just after we arrived.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella).

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella).

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella).

As we stood looking for other species a Superb Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus superbus) flew into a tree on the far side of the pool and gave us just enough time to get an ID it before it flew off to be replaced by a Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella) which spent qiute a while feeding on the fruits.

Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons).

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (Meliphaga notata).

Most of our photo's today and for the next couple of weeks would be taken with some silly ISO settings making them rather grainy but still nice to get record shots of some great species.

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus).

Bordered Rustic (Cupha prosope).

Anyway we also picked up several more good species around the pool including Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons), Yellow-spotted (Meliphaga notata), Macleay's (Xanthotis macleayanus) and Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus), Little Shrikethrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha), Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris), Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris), a fly over Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides), Hornbill Friarbird (Philemon yorki), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus), several noisy Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), Australian Swiftlet (Aerodramus terraereginae), a couple of extreamly skulking Noisy Pitta's (Pitta versicolor) which gave us some brief glimpes and a calling but unseen Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus).

Purple Crow (Euploea tulliolus).

Ulysses Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses).

Once things got quieter we headed along the coast up to Cape Trib, on the way we had views of Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra), a fly over group of Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus) and along the Kulki Boardwalk we added Bordered Rustic (Cupha prosope), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus), Spectacled Monarch (Symposiachrus trivirgatus) and Australian Bush-turkey (Alectura lathami).

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) immature and male.

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) male.

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) immature.

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) immature.

The walk was quiet and shorter than expected so we left and headed back to the Madja BotanicalBoardwalk, on the way we stopped and had an Ice-cream, as we were eating the Ice-cream we saw a coule of the stunning Ulysses Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses) flying up high in the trees.

Victoria's Riflebird (Lophorina victoriae).

Large-billed Gerygone (Gerygone magnirostris).

Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus).

Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus).

As we pulled up at the parking area for the boardwalk we were aware of a group of tourists coming along the road following a male Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) and a young bird along the verge, it was blatantly obvious that these People had no idea of what an adult Cassowary is capable of and they approached to within a few meters of the young bird.

Mangrove swamp along the boardwalk.

Ian and Deb along the Boardwalk.

Anyway after getting our photographs of the Cassowary's from a safe distance we walked the much longer and much better board walk where we added Victoria's Riflebird (Lophorina victoriae) when a female came close to me, Large-billed Gerygone, Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus), Spectacled Monarch, Little Shrikethrush, Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus) and just as we were getting near to the end of the walk we had brief views of a male Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) but it flashed of when other people walked around the corner.

Deb and Ian on Cow Bay Beach.

We started to head back to the Camp site but took a quick look at Cow Bay Beach where we had a walk but didn't see anything new except for the workings of a crab species which rolled up balls of sand.

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) female.

River along the track.

On the way back we turned up one of the side roads where we had a walk but only saw more Yellow-spotted Honeyeater and a female Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis).

Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus).

Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus).

Pied Monarch (Arses kaupi).

We parked up and walked back out to the Pool where we had started the day, this time we had a Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) sat out in the open as well as a smart looking Pied Monarch (Arses kaupi), Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura) and another view of a Noisy Pitta's.

The Sky through the Tree Ferns.

Later we went out spotlighting, we didn't find any of the expected mammals except for a single Fruit Bat species and a couple of Cane Toads (Bufo Marinus).