Townsville Common, Cardwell and Chamber's Lodge, Queensland.

Back out onto the Wetlands and then North to the brilliant Chamber's Lodge in the Rain Forest.

Australia, Day Twenty Six.

 

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia).

We were on the move again today but not before we revisited the Wetlands on Townsville Common again, as we drove in we picked up an Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) sitting up in a dead tree warming up in the early sun, Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), White-bellied Cuckooshrike (Coracina papuensis), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus) and Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii).

Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii).

White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster).

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica).

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica).

At the first pool before we reached the hide car park we had good views of a very smart White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), Magpie Geese (Anseranas semipalmata), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea), Great White Egret (Ardea alba) and Australian Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica ssp macrotarsa).

Magpie Geese (Anseranas semipalmata).

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus).

Agile Wallaby (Notamacropus agilis).

Between the second pool and the car park we picked up a few more species including at least two Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus),  Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis), Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata), Brown-backed Honeyeater (Ramsayornis modestus), Torresian Crow (Corvus orru), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Tawny Grassbird (Cincloramphus timoriensis), Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) and Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris).

Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis).

Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus).

Tawny Grassbird (Cincloramphus timoriensis).

Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis).

At the car park we had a very smart male Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula) and what we thought was a female of the same speices but we are now unsure as it could well be a female Broad-billed Flycatcher (Myiagra ruficollis).

Brown-backed Honeyeater (Ramsayornis modestus).

Female Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula) or Broad-billed Flycatcher (Myiagra ruficollis).

Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) and Little Pied Cormorants (Microcarbo melanoleucos).

From the two hides we only picked up Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Little Black (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans) but on the walk to and from them we found Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus), Red-backed Fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus) and Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis) before we returned to the car.

Red-backed Fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus) male.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus).

We headed back along the coast towards Townville seeing Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) and Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta).

Brolga (Antigone rubicunda).

Brolga (Antigone rubicunda).

Brolga (Antigone rubicunda).

From Townsville we headed North towards Cardwell, on the way we added Black (Milvus migrans) and Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus), White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) and Australian Swiftlet (Aerodramus terraereginae).

White-gaped Honeyeater (Stomiopera unicolor).

Deb suddenly said stop where possible to Ian or words to that Effect as she had just seen a flock of Brolga's  (Antigone rubicunda) on a field along side the road, Ian pulled in at a wider point a little way on so that Deb and I could walk back and get a look.

Leucistic Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris).

Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis).

Welcome Swallows (Hirundo neoxena).

We had good views of the birds and also saw several Fairy Martins (Petrochelidon ariel) feeding low over the next field and a White-gaped Honeyeater (Stomiopera unicolor) in a bush in a roadside garden.

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia).

Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus).

We continued on to Cardwell were we had a stop for Lunch and a look on the beach, here we found a leucistic Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris), a distant fly over Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus), Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti), several Welcome Swallows and Spotted Doves (Spilopelia chinensis).

Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae) male.

Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae) male.

We again continued on further north heading for Chamber's Lodge, on the way we made a stop at a place that was selling fruit and as we rejoined the main road we saw both Intermediate (Ardea intermedia) and Eastern Cattle Egret and urther on Royal (Platalea regia) and Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) were seen but I missed the latter.

Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito).

Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus).

Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus).

We arrived at the Lodge and checked into our accommodation and went for a short walk before the light faded, along the way we saw Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina), Victoria's Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae), Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito), Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus), Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus) and Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus).

Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus).

Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta).

Once it was dark we went down to the Animal watch point where some honey is put out and several species came in including Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata), Sugar Gliders (Petaurus breviceps) and Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) whilst on the grass nearby and in the surrounding under growth we saw Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus) and Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica).

Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps).

Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps).

This was a great end to what had been another very good day

Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata).

Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata).

Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) and Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps).