Contact Call - Birds Australia

Contact CallThe days of petrol rationing seem a distant memory tome, but had to be invoked as the storm approachedChristmas Island. Thank you so much for giving ofyour time and sharing with such knowledge Del.Clare from the Wildlife Habitat spoke very clearlyabout the various projects and wildlife rescue andrehabilitation carried on by the Habitat. Theseactivities are mostly governed by finances. Theevening was truly enhanced by the sonorous voices ofthe Bush Stone Curlew family, Burhinus grallarius,yodelling away as they dashed about their business____ at one stage actually halting proceedings.SUNDAY WALK and THEN A VISIT TOFERRERO ROAD GUIDED BY DOUG.Raincoats were donned as we met Doug in TheWildlife Habitat car park at the duly appointed hour.Another Saltwater Crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, wasspotted in the Lake heading into Port Douglas , thisone was longer and thinner than the one on Saturday.Bird List for me is as follows:Orange Footed Scrub Fowl Magapodius reinwardtGreen Pygmy Geese Nettapus pulchellusLittle Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucosCattle egret Ardea ibisIntermediate Egret Ardea intermediaDusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosaPurple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyria……………..what abeautiful name!Comb Crested Jacana sheltering three small chicks.Irediparra gallinaceaeSpotted Turtle Dove Streptopelia chinensisPeaceful Dove Geopelia striataForest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayiiHelmeted Friarbird Philemon buceroidesYellow Honeyeater Lichenostomus flavusAustralasian Figbird Sphecotheres viridisBlack Butcherbird Cracticus quoyiMistletoe Bird Dicaeum hirundinaceumNot bad for about half an hour, Thanks Doug.The day was heating up as we drove a short distanceto Ferrero Road on the western side of Port Douglas. Aprivately owned and well maintained bird sanctuary iswhat I would call this dam, teeming with birds andsurrounded by lush green vegetation.Hanging over the fence with binoculars glued to eyeswe were greeted to a marvellous sight. In came anenormous flock of honking Magpie Geese, Anseranassemipalmata. They settled into the grass and began tomove in for drinks.Other Birds seen at Ferrero Rd include:Hardhead or White Eye Aythya australisPacific Black Duck Anas superciliosaPink Eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceusAustralasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiaeLittle Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostrisLittle Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucosWhistling Kite Halicastur sphenurusSulphur Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galeritaMagpie Lark Grallina cyanoleucaTree Martin Hirundo nigricansFairy Martin Hirundo ariel ------- Derivation Greek,Hirundo, swallow. Ariel, sprite….how delightful.Thanks Doug for sharing these beautiful locations withus.By the time we packed up tents and headed to theBump Track in the verdant Mowbray Valley the otherBirdos had finished up. I enjoyed the history of thetrack found by Christy Palmerston and so Midge and Iheaded up and up ----- and puffed some more to getup further and yes further. Quite a steep climb for theold bullocks.Fortunately there were some excellent Non Passerinesabout at mid- morning and the windless skies were avery clear blue.Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus optatusFan Tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformisLittle Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites minutillusRainbow Bee-Eater Merops ornatusRufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifronsNorthern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventrisVaried Triller Lalage leucomela.Another great Birding weekend organised by Doug andMurray. Roll on the next one. It is a fantastic groupand to you all, may I say how much I am enjoyingyour company and enormous bank of knowledge.Trip Report by Pippy CannonAugust 2013 17