Paluma Range Natural Park, Queensland.

A day up in the Hills again.

Australia, Day Twenty Five.

 

A view down to the coast from the forests above.

We set off heading North up the coast, on our way through Townsville and on the main road we recorded Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Hornbill Friarbird (Philemon yorki), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis), Sulphur-crested (Cacatua galerita) and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii), Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia), Black (Milvus migrans) and Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus) and Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena).

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

We turned off the main road North, before we started to climb up into the hills we had a Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) fly along infornt of the car and land on a telegraph pole right above us.

We started to climb and at a spot where we were able to stop we got out to have a search through the smaller birds flitting around and soon had five species of Honeyeater on the list including Yellow-spotted (Meliphaga notata), White-throated (Melithreptus albogularis), Yellow (Stomiopera flava), Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura) and Black-chinned (Melithreptus gularis) which I missed and a couple of Mistletoebirds (Dicaeum hirundinaceum).

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (Meliphaga notata).

White-throated Honeyeater (Melithreptus albogularis).

A little way on we again stopped and bumped up the lst with Little Shrikethrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha), a flock of Lovely Fairywrens (Malurus amabilis), Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta), Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera), Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela), Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (Microeca flavigaster), Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii) and Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti).

Lovely Fairywren (Malurus amabilis) male.

Lovely Fairywren (Malurus amabilis) male.

Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera).

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus).

Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta).

Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta).

Little Shrikethrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha).

Our next stop was at Little Crystal Creek, in the car parking area we saw several Australian Bush-turkey's (Alectura lathami), Pied Monarch (Arses kaupi) and down by the creek on the walk way we picked up a Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito).

Ulysses Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses).

Next came Lunch in Paluma at the Rainforest Inn, a very nice spot with very good food and a Ulysses Swallowtail (Papilio ulysses) right out side the window and a Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) on the driveway.

Birthday Creek Falls.

Birthday Creek Falls.

After we had eaten we moved on to Birthday Creek Falls, here we again had Pale-yellow Robin, Northern Fantail, Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii) on call and a flock of Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca).

Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris).

At the nearby Paluma reservoir we did a walk across the dam wall and into the woodlands on the far side, in a small clearing we came across another roving flock of Western Gerygone, Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis), White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) and Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus).

Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito).

We returned to the car but just before we got there we heard a Lewin's Honeyeater right next to the track and after a short wait got some photo's, nice to get a Lewin's calling as you watch it as they are a difficult to seperate species.

Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus).

Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito).

Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii).

Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii).

We got to the car and started to make our way back down to the main road but nade a stop on the way at McClellands Lookout where we walked through the dark woodlands up to the view point and an amazing recreation area where there were BBQ areas with free gass and other shelters and seating areas all totally unvandalised, clean and in working order. 

Chowchilla's (Orthonyx spaldingii).

Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons).

As I travelled around the many areas in Australia that I was lucky enough to visit I found this was not a one off, OK at some BBQ areas you do have to pay for the gas but the equipment was still good and worked well.

Stainless steel BBQ set up with benches and on the other side of the clearing some toilets.

Anyay, once I had checked the recriatio area out I got back to the birding and caught up with Deb and Ian who were watching a party of Chowchilla's (Orthonyx spaldingii), Yellow-throated Scrubwrens (Sericornis citreogularis) and a Grey-headed Robin (Heteromyias cinereifrons) rooting around in the leaf litter, I got some bad record photo's in awful light at 1/15th of a second but better than nothing.

Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus).

Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus).

We dropped back down to the coast picking up Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris) and some Topknot Pigeons (Lopholaimus antarcticus) on the way and then returned to Townsville for a shower where I found a Moth species and the later we went out for something to eat.

Moth Species in the shower.