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Contact Call
Newsletter of BirdLife Northern Queensland Volume 8 Number 1 March 2019
BirdLife Northern Queensland
Annual General Meeting 2019
When : Thursday 14 March 2019, 7:30–9:30pm
Where: Malanda Hotel, 2 English Street, Malanda
Dinner is available at own cost at the venue from 6
pm.
Following the AGM there will be a
special guest presentation by
Kath Shurcliff on
Cooktown Birds
The Jewel In The Crown of North
Queensland??
Cooktown – the site of the first British settlement in
Australia, and importantly, the first reconciliation
between British and Aboriginal cultures. But what is
its importance to our unique north Australia birds?
It lies at the very top of the Wet Tropics and the
very bottom of Cape York. Is it poor cousin or jewel
in the crown? What is the Torresian Barrier and is it
real? Come and find out, add your own insights,
and together we'll discover one of our most unique,
and often missed-out birding places.
Peter Valentine, Convenor
For more information, please contact me on 4096
6171 or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au. We look
forward to seeing you there!
Double-eyed Fig-parrot. Image courtesy of Peter Valentine.
Contents ➢ Convenor’s report
➢ A Bourke’s Parrot story
➢ Queensland Gouldian Finch research update
➢ Carpentarian Grasswrens are calling
➢ Amazing bird discovery on Cairns Esplanade
mudflats
➢ BirdLife Northern Queensland Kirrama Range
Bowerbird Survey
➢ Golden Bowerbirds and a dead Green Ring-tailed
Possum
➢ Sunbathing Papuan Frogmouth
➢ Strange colours in Victoria’s Riflebird immature
males
➢ News from Mount Isa - January 2019
➢ Do you have BADS?
➢ A birders camping guide to exploring north
Queensland
➢ Lake Barrine and Cathedral Fig outing
➢ Why has North America only 1000 breeding
species?
➢ Warrina Lakes birding
➢ Stickybeaks calendar
➢ Noticeboard and events calendar
BirdLife Northern Queensland
2 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
From the Convenor It is always a pleasure to read about birders enjoying
birds and for me one of the great benefits of BirdLife
membership is the Australian BirdLife magazine from
the national office (replete with advertisements) and
our very own Contact Call so expertly edited by Ceri
Pearce. The November edition was brim full of
excellent stories that took us all around our region and
appraised us of the latest developments in birding. Our
Branch is fortunate to have such a wonderful
newsletter and I express my appreciation to all the
members who contribute and encourage others to
write a piece for Ceri. Of course, in our modern world
we can also take advantage of the internet and first
stop is our own informative website. Here the collated
wisdom of a generation or more of BirdLife members
informs our bird lists and birding information area, an
excellent first stop for anyone planning a birding
excursion. It’s also the way to keep up with events and
to discover more about some of our ongoing projects
like the grasswren survey and the crane count. I
appreciate the work that Mikey Kudo does in keeping
the website up to date. Our Facebook page, managed
by our champion, Doug Herrington, is also a great
forum to share information and stay up to date with
the very latest events and bird sightings in our region,
as well as seek advice on bird identification and share
your amazing bird photos.
A recent development in our communications is the
occasional eNews now being sent to members by our
Secretary Renee Cassells. In a world with rapidly
changing circumstances, email helps keep us better
connected and Renee is able to bring members up to
date with emerging events and any essential
information about our projects and other activities.
The Senate Inquiry into Australia’s faunal extinction
crisis continues slowly and in late November an
extension was granted that will not see the final report
tabled until the end of May this year. Over 400
submissions have now been made including our own
and one by the national office. These can be consulted
on the website for the inquiry maintained by the
Parliament:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Com
mittees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Fa
unalextinction
Sadly, the critical nature of this crisis has been brought
home even more by the numerous weather disasters
around Australia. The record-breaking heat extremes
across most of the continent does not just make life
uncomfortable for humans but places severe stress on
wildlife and increases the risks from wildfires. The
unprecedented wildfires in the Tasmanian World
Heritage Area not only destroys ancient vegetation
communities but stresses other wildlife. The
astonishing rain events of north eastern Queensland
and north western Queensland will have taken a huge
toll on wildlife, often over-looked while we count the
human tragedy. Reports of crashes in local insect
populations from around the world ought to engender
fears not just about pollinators for human crops but
the prospect of ecosystem collapse. I hope that this
Federal election can have a big focus on our response
to Climate Change. Meantime we still learn of human
pets (owned by irresponsible citizens) taking out
breeding colonies of beach birds like Hooded Plovers
and Fairy Terns. One of our important roles as a
Branch is to keep working at the local level to make
sure we take the necessary actions to better protect
our birds and that means lots of effort to inform our
local Councils and to work with them to produce
improved bird conservation. It might be useful for the
Branch to find a member who could take on the role of
liaison with local government over bird conservation
and keep the Branch informed about improvements.
Our Branch has been concerned about the potential
effects of climate change on some of our species,
especially the upland rainforest birds. I am hoping that
we may have a chance to hear from one of our experts
about the basis for those concerns in April. Professor
Steve Williams, who led a major program of field
research to collect data about habitat requirements for
our wildlife, has developed the capacity to model the
ways in which various changes associated with global
warming in our region would impact on our different
birds and mammals. We will let you know the details of
the presentation when confirmed.
Late last year I received reports from members about
access issues at Lake Mitchell. It appears that although
the causeway used by birders remained accessible,
police had been accosting birders about the legitimacy
of their being on the causeway. I had noticed myself
that the old wooden gate had been replaced but that it
remained unlocked. Subsequently I spoke with the
Mayor (of Mareeba Shire Council) about the situation
and on behalf of the Branch I have made a formal
representation to the Council to clarify the question of
access, after first discussing the matter with the
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Department to ensure I
knew the facts. It is by no means a simple situation as
the area used includes areas of a Camping and Water
Reserve (Big Mitchell Creek) but also some privately
leased land and some freehold land. I hope to use this
opportunity to highlight the importance of birding, both
for residents and local businesses, in the Mareeba
Shire and to ensure Council is fully supportive of these
activities. In the first instance, we need clarification
about the access situation from the Council, who hold
the C&W Reserve in trust. If any members have views
or experiences about this matter please feel free to let
me know (email is good) and I hope to report back
soon with the Council response. It would be helpful if
BLNQ members who live in the Mareeba Shire
encouraged their local Council member to take a
positive view about this matter.
Peter Valentine, Convenor.
Contact Call
March 2019 3
A Bourke’s Parrot story I'll always remember seeing my first Bourke’s Parrot.
It was in 2002 and we were on the Cairns Esplanade.
This is when Keith and I were still living in Cairns and
spent a lot of time watching waders and also talking to
birdwatchers that gravitated to this iconic stretch of
mudflat. We loved it when we met up with overseas
birders who had just flown into Cairns and were
experiencing Australian birds for the first time.
This day it was a young enthusiastic English couple
who were enthralled at seeing waders so close. We
chatted to them about their travel plans and then they
told us that they had just seen a Bourke's Parrot
feeding with Peaceful Doves further down the
Esplanade. I think we rolled our eyes in disbelief, but
then they brought out their digital camera and showed
us a photo. Just as they said, a group of Peaceful
Doves with a Bourke's Parrot feeding with them. This
was in the days when we both still had film cameras
and it was my first experience of seeing a bird on the
back of a digital camera.
A short walk took us to see for ourselves – obviously
an escapee, but still my first Bourke's Parrot. Keith
had been on a few outback trips without me, so this
was on the list of catch-up birds. It would have to wait
until another time though for me to tick it off, but little
did I know that it would be another 15 years before we
were able to have the time to go on an extended
camping trip to outback Queensland.
We headed off with our camper-trailer in July 2017 to
south-west of Longreach to stay at Noonbah Station
run by Angus Emmott and has wife Karen. We had a
camp site in the middle of the scrub next to a rocky
ridge and woke on a chilly morning to total silence.
After a quick cup of coffee and rugged up with scarves
and beanies, we headed up to the ridge waiting to hear
some bird song or just a chirp would do. Then
something flew up onto a branch ahead of us and I
quickly put my binos up and, in the soft morning light,
I could just distinguish a small dumpy bird with a white
eye ring. ‘Bourke's Parrot?’ I called out and Keith
agreed. It was only there for a minute and it wasn't
the best sighting, but at long last I had seen one.
The morning improved as the sun rose higher and the
birds started to appear, but no more Bourke's Parrots.
The next month we were at Bowra Station in south
Queensland and I saw plenty of this delightful little
parrot coming in to drink at waterholes, but the first
sighting is always the one I'll remember on that chilly
morning.
Lindsay Fisher
Bourke’s Parrot image courtesy of Ian Montgomery
http://www.birdway.com.au
Contact us: BirdLife Northern Queensland committee
Email: northernqld@birdlife.org.au
Internet: www.birdlifenq.org
BirdLife Northern Queensland Committee
Committee Name Contact details
Convenor Peter
Valentine
Email:
peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au and
phone: 07 40966171
Deputy Convenor Martin
Willis
Email: martinwillis@mac.com and
phone: 07 40966581
Secretary and
Communications
Coordinator
Renee
Cassels
Email:
renee.cassels@my.jcu.edu.au
Treasurer Wendy
Cooper
wendy@williamtcooper.com.au
and phone: 07 40968272
Cairns Area
Coordinator
Tom Collis Email: motom4@bigpond.com
and phone: 0401783795
Conservation
Coordinator and Cape
York Area
Coordinator
Kath
Shurcliff
crabplover@westnet.com.au and
phone: 07 4069 6595
Tablelands Area
Coordinator
Martin
Willis
Email: martinwillis@mac.com and
phone: 07 40966581
Stickybeak
Coordinator
Golo
Maurer
Email:
Golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au
KBA Coordinator Ray Pierce Email: raypierce@bigpond.com
Grasswren Survey
Coordinator
Graham
Harrington
Email: riflebird1@gmail.com and
phone: 07 40965051
Members Coordinator Sam Willis Email: samnmart@gmail.com and
phone: 07 40966581
Website Manager Mikey
Kudo
Email: kudo@kankyo-gi.net and
phone: 0402343610
Newsletter Editor and
Cassowary Coast Area
Coordinator
Ceri Pearce Email:
birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com
and phone: 0488131581
BirdLife Northern Queensland
4 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Following our discovery of a concentration of Gouldian
Finches (Erythrura gouldiae) in Northern Queensland a
year ago (Contact Call: Vol 7, No. 3, August 2018), we
undertook a pilot study aimed at finding more about
how this isolated Gouldian population survives. A core
group of skilled field observers and lab assistants have
helped with this study, particularly Ceinwen Edwards,
Pam Schultz, Jeff Watson, and Gary and Robyn Wilson.
Fig. 1 – A male Gouldian Finch
Soon after the Wet Season discovery in 2018, our
surveys revealed many territorial Gouldian Finches not
far from the Wet Season flocking site. The breeding
birds were in open woodland of rolling hill country
dissected by substantial creeks. The area was lightly
grazed and had not been burnt for many years,
allowing high levels of seeding of some important
perennial grasses, all of which boded well for the
finches and other fauna. These areas also had plenty
of old growth ghost gums and other eucalypt trees, the
types of which are used by Gouldian Finches for
nesting in NW Australia.
Although we did not find nests in this pilot study, we
did see 13 family parties, each with dependent young,
indicating that they had nested successfully in the
area. Some young were poor fliers indicating they had
fledged just recently from nearby nests.
After breeding, most birds were seen in flocks of
widely varying sizes, usually in more open woodland
and grassland and sometimes in recently burnt sites.
Typically, we observed 80-150 birds on each trip and
by August-September most of these birds were
juvenile.
The Gouldian Finches exhibited a strong association
with other species through much of the year,
particularly with Black-throated Finches (Poephila
cincta atropygialis) and Masked Finches
Fig. 2 Creek in typical Gouldian breeding season habitat
(P. personata leucotis), but notably also wood-
swallows, trillers and others. The alarm calls of Black-
faced Wood-swallows (Artamus cinereus) appeared to
be providing an early warning of approaching
predators (raptors and feral cats, with many of the
latter being “caught” on camera traps).
Our observations to date suggest that there may be
some key differences in how Gouldian Finches utilise
the local environment compared with that in NW
Australia. This includes dietary differences, e.g. we are
finding seasonally high use of annual grasses and
sedges in The Wet and specific perennials and insects
in The Dry; the apparent sentinel role of Black-faced
Wood-swallows; lack of other hole nesting finch
competitors; and a cooler environment here that is
less prone to heat waves, all of which have clear
implications for population sustainability.
Fig. 3 Dependent young begging to red-faced adult male.
Queensland Gouldian Finch research update From Ray Pierce and Patrick De Geest
Contact Call
March 2019 5
Fig. 4 – Draft graph of relative ages of Gouldian Finches observed in the study site in February-September 2018 (note:
few birds were seen in March-early April which was before we found the breeding concentrations). Note: for each month:
A = 1st - 15th, B = 15th - 31st.
These and other aspects will be the subject of closer
study in 2019 with questions spanning diet (e.g. do
they use Spinifex seeds in early Wet periods of relative
seed scarcity as they do in NW Australia); relative use
of different fire and grazing regimes; nesting success;
the association with Black-faced Wood-swallows and
other bird species; predator species; and the wider
distribution of this population. We are also collecting
information on other finch species, particularly the
local race of Masked Finch which also seems to have
declined in recent decades.
We thank BirdLife Australia, Wettenhall Environment
Trust and Mitchell River Watershed Management Group
for assisting with our travel expenses, the many field
volunteers, Pam Schultz, Gary Wilson and the
Australian Tropical Herbarium for help with plant
identifications, Dr Steve Murphy of UQ for ongoing
advice, landowners and managers for their ongoing
hospitality and North Queensland Natural History
Group and BirdLife Northern Queensland for providing
administrative support.
An update on this project will be provided at an
illustrated talk for BLNQ in Cairns on 6 April 2019.
This will include discussing cues that birders can
use to maximize the chances of finding Gouldians in
Queensland and outlining a wider Gouldian Finch
survey being planned later for this year in which
members can participate.
Report and images by Ray Pierce and Patrick De Geest
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Feb A Feb B Mar A Mar B Apr A Apr B May B July A Aug B SepB
No
. bir
ds
Gouldian Age Structure 2018
No. Adults No. dependent young No. independent young
Come and join us for a presentation
PROGRESS WITH QLD GOULDIAN FINCH RESEARCH
by Dr. Ray Pearce and Patrick De Geest
Saturday 6th April 2019, 7.30pm
Stratford Library
11 Kamerunga Road Stratford, Cairns
BirdLife Northern Queensland
6 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Carpentarian Grasswrens are calling
YOU!
Do you want to be a part of our important work on the Endangered Carpentarian
Grasswren, and get to see some amazing parts of beautiful western Queensland
as well? Just put your hand up and volunteer for the surveys we will be doing
this year.
When - 13-26th May 2019.
Where - based on Calton Hills Station, just north of Mount Isa, and adjacent properties.
Who - anyone who can walk up some hills and through spinifex country and listen and watch for grasswrens.
We supply training on the best ways of doing this.
For the last 10 years, BirdLife NQ under the leadership of Graham Harrington, has been completing
systematic surveys for Carpentarian and Kalkadoon Grasswrens in western Queensland. Based on these
results the Carpentarian Grasswren has been listed as Endangered, since their numbers are impacted by
wildfires in their spinifex habitat. This listing has convinced management agencies, in particular the Southern
Gulf Natural Resource Management group that a regional fire management plan needs to be developed. This
plan is now being kicked off at Calton Hills station, which sits at the core of the Carpentarian’s range.
The plan calls for a mosaic of controlled burns to be done, just after significant rain events. We need to
assess if these burns have a positive impact on grasswrens. Will they prevent catastrophic wild fires, and
supply sufficient refuges for grasswren survival? Will there be different impacts on the Carpentarian and
Kalkadoon? Can we establish a “grasswren corridor” between Calton Hills and Boodjamulla National Park?
We plan to set up 50+ monitoring sites (using our normal methodology of 10 points per site). These sites
will include those where grasswrens are known to be, and those where they currently seem to be absent.
We are aiming to start this work in May, but final dates will be weather dependent.
So if you would like to be part of this work, please volunteer.
We plan to be in the Calton Hills area for approximately two weeks, travelling in teams, camping on the
property. So we will require participants who are comfortable camping in the bush, and spending your
mornings walking through hilly, but not mountainous terrain. We will need some volunteers who have
reliable 4wd vehicles, since many of the roads are typical station tracks.
Training in our methods and recognising grasswrens will be provided, as well as the opportunity to share our
experiences with other surveyors.
We will be able to provide some assistance with fuel costs.
If you are interested in being part of this important effort, please contact Kath Shurcliff. on 07 4069 6595, or
at crabplover@westnet.com.au for further details.
Image courtesy of Virginia Hills. F: https://www.facebook.com/jemlocoimages
Contact Call
March 2019 7
Amazing bird discovery
on Cairns Esplanade
mudflats
There was a news article about Red-necked stint with
a Japanese flag in the Cairns Post on 18 Dec 2018.
You can read this article here
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v03ewve0zqi90qz/Article
%2020181218_135722.jpg?dl=0
Regarding this article, I wrote the following letter to
Bob Manning, the current mayor of Cairns:
Dear Bob
I was watching wading birds on the Esplanade recently
when I noticed something unusual - a small migratory
bird called a Red-necked Stint had a plastic band on its
leg.
On closer examination with my binoculars and camera,
I was able to work out that this small shorebird had an
identification (known as a flag) from Japan. I noticed
that from the colour combination. I passed the
information on to the Queensland Wader Study Group
which revealed that the bird actually came from the
area where I used to live and it was flagged by
someone I know! How small could that chance be?
This particular bird that I saw was captured and
banded with two flags for scientific purposes by Mr.
Hosoya in Tori-No-Umi near Sendai, Japan, while the
bird was stopping for rest and food in the long journey
to Australia.
Mr. Hosoya and I met each other at an ornithological
conference held in Japan many years ago and this type
of study is important to understand the biology of birds
as well as to identify and protect the East Asian
Australasian bird flyway for conservation purposes.
The network of people checking flagged birds is an
essential part of this study.
The Red-necked Stint is a truly extraordinary little
bird. It is the smallest of the migratory waders, its
body length is only 15 cm, it weighs only 30 gm. They
breed in the tundra area in Siberia and Alaska and
make a return trip of 20,000 km each year all the way
to countries in the southern hemisphere like Australia.
The Cairns Esplanade mudflats are a crucial stopping
for feeding on their migratory pathway and it is, thus,
vital that we protect that habitat to the very best of
our ability so that the wondrous flight of these little
birds can continue to astonish us and the generations
to come.
I know that you have heard from the local bird group
recently about the importance of our mudflats and I
hope that this story inspires you and the CRC to do
everything in your power to maintain, enhance and
protect our precious Esplanade wader habitat.
I have attached a picture of a Red-necked Stint and
look forward to getting a response to this letter/email
back from you regarding your support for the
Esplanade mudflats.
Yours sincerely
Hidetoshi Kudo
I had the following reply from him:
My dear Hidetoshi,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write and
tell me about your amazing discovery - you must have
been thrilled.
Yes, I am inspired by your story and I believe we have
a duty to ensure that we protect and preserve the
Cairns mudflats.
Thank you again for sharing your news with me.
Regards.
Bob.
Red-necked Stint with the two leg flags that indicated it had
been tagged in Japan.
Report and image by Hidetoshi Kudo
BirdLife Northern Queensland
8 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
BirdLife Northern
Queensland Kirrama
Range Bowerbird
Survey
SUMMARY
• Two Golden Bowerbirds, one male plus one
female, sighted.
• Two Tooth-billed Bowerbirds sighted.
• Two Tooth-bill Courts located at around 600m
altitude.
• One Tooth-bill heard singing at his court near the
highest point of the road, 780m altitude.
• One Cassowary sighted along the Society Flat
walking track.
SURVEY
November 24-25th 2018.
Present: Dom Chaplin, Tony Jurgensen, Ceinwyn
Edwards, Tracey Clements, and Jill.
We have now found Golden Bowerbirds to be still
present in almost all locations where they were known
20 years ago. But one area not surveyed has been the
Kirrama Range road which connects Cardwell to Mt
Garnet.
Around year 2000, Golden Bowerbirds
were recorded on the Birds Australia
Atlas about 2-3km south of the
Kirrama Range Road. We also have
verbal reports from Klaus Uhlenhut
and John Young of bowers closer to
the road.
Back in July I spent a day transecting
the very overgrown rainforest south
of the Kirrama Range Road. I was not
hopeful of Golden Bowerbirds still
persisting in the area, due to the very
poor condition of the forest, which has
been severely impacted by the two
cyclones. Also, the road is very low,
barely getting over 750m at its
highest point. Our average Golden
Bower altitude is over 1100m with
only one record below 800m.
The whole area is generally lower than Golden
Bowerbird habitat elsewhere in the Wet Tropics barely
reaching 1000m at the highest points.
On November 24th and 25th we surveyed various
locations on the Kirrama Range Road.
We were very excited when Golden Bowerbirds were
located. One male and one female were seen. Silent
Tooth-billed Bowerbirds were also found. We couldn't
find any courts or bowers. Tooth-billed Bowerbirds
were notably less common here compared to similar
habitat elsewhere.
It is interesting that Golden Bowerbirds can exist here
at 800m when they are largely absent at the same
altitude elsewhere in the Wet Tropics. You will all be
familiar with the Massenerhebung effect. This was first
described in the Alps and since found to be widespread
in the tropics. Altitudinal ranges are lowered and
compressed on small low mountains, especially near
the sea, compared to large high mountains further
from the coast. David Bishop found the same
phenomenon in New Guinea. Birds restricted to high
altitudes on the central ranges were found to occur on
much lower peaks of smaller outlying mountains.
Special thanks should be given to the sharp eyed
Tracey Clements who joined us for the survey. Tracey
found the Cassowary, the two Tooth-bill courts and
spotted the two Golden Bowerbirds, all of which the
rest of us would probably have missed. Tracey is John
Young's partner and news of their plans made for
interesting campsite conversation. We wish them all
the best in their future activities and hope they can
join more BirdLife Northern Queensland activities next
year.
Report and images by Dominic Chaplin
A stunning male Golden Bowerbird
Contact Call
March 2019 9
Golden Bowerbirds and
a dead Green Ring-
tailed Possum I have some encouraging news regarding my Golden
Bowerbirds. Most of you know that I had six bowers
on my property in the early nineties but they were
eroded to a single bower sometime around 2009. Last
year this bower was taken over by a bird in immature
plumage except for some yellow feathers on its belly.
My neighbour put two of his motion-sensitive cameras
on this bower. We suspected that there were other
bowers in the vicinity because the "owner" of the
bower was observed chasing off other Golden
Bowerbirds including a male in adult plumage. This
behaviour has not been recorded before (Cliff Frith,
pers. com).
We attempted to colour band the owner but the band
was not visible on the subsequent videos. The
explanation came one year later when we discovered
three bowers, which had not been recorded before.
One of the bowers was being operated by the banded
bird! So, it was interfering with the original bower
when it was trapped and banded! Clearly the Golden
Bowerbirds on my property are recovering.
One notable thing is that the new bowers are all
further upslope than those that disappeared.
Another is that whilst the bird operating the original
bower was in immature plumage last year, and is now
in mature male plumage, the three new bowers are all
operated by immature birds. These immature birds all
call like the males in adult plumage and probably mate
successfully.
Another observation, pertinent to Dominic’s report, is
that so far, we have not found bowers on my
neighbour’s adjacent property. The regrowth is much
denser on this property due to logging about 20 years
ago. This may discourage the Golden Bowerbirds.
The sharp eyes of Henry Stoetzel also noticed a dead
Green Ringtail Possum at (location withheld) altitude
898m. It was heavily decomposed so cause of death
was not ascertained but, in all probability, it had
succumbed to the hot weather.
Graham Harrington, 11th December 2018
Sunbathing Papuan
Frogmouth
Sunbathing is a well-known behaviour in birds but a
recent observation of it was a little unexpected. At
1620 hrs on January 7, we saw our resident Papuan
Frogmouth glide down onto the lamina of a Licuala
palm frond, spread its wings and spend five minutes
sunning. The conditions were mild, fine and bright, and
the bird remained motionless for most of that period,
then looked around several times, and then flew away
into the dense mid-stratum.
The behaviour was unexpected in this species, which is
generally crepuscular and nocturnal in activity. An
interesting associated observation is that the several
small passerine species, e.g. Graceful Honeyeater,
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater and Dusky Myzomela, that
had been harassing the Frogmouth prior to the
sunning event, did not harass it during that time, but
resumed it immediately the Frogmouth resumed its
cryptic pose in the mid-storey vegetation.
Report and image by Gary and Robyn Wilson
BirdLife Northern Queensland
10 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Strange colours in Victoria’s
Riflebird immature males
Some of the colour changes in moulting
immature male Victorian Riflebirds
The plumage differences between adult male Victoria Riflebirds
and adult females are very different and are well known. The black
appearance of the male shows obviously although close inspection
reveals the olive-green underparts and the blue-green throat,
crown and middle tail feathers. The female is predominantly brown
from the head across the back and wings to the tail. Underparts
are pale in the throat area and buff under the belly and vent.
Close inspection reveals darker v-shaped spots and barring
underneath with a solid curved bill. The challenge in being
confident about a brown bird sex is that immature males begin
with plumage very like the female, extremely difficult to tell them
apart in flight or perched. Observing this species in a patch of
rainforest one usually sees more brown birds than the black fully
mature males.
It is believed that immature males may take five years to reach
their adult plumage and for much of that time will be very difficult
to separate on appearance from females. As far as it is known,
only the males display so it might be safe to identify a brown bird
that is displaying as an immature male. I have watched as many
as three brown birds displaying together. At first, I thought it was
one immature male displaying to a female but as I observed over
a longer period each of the brown birds took a turn at displaying
suggesting all three were males and were sharing in a practice
session. On another occasion on one display perch I watched two
brown birds display to each other, immature males learning the
ropes. On numerous occasions, I have watched a single brown bird
on a display post practicing his moves and dancing to any bird
that came near including catbirds, honeyeaters and other riflebirds
and even a butterfly in flight.
HANZAB suggests that brown immature males do not finally
achieve their adult black plumage until they are five years of age.
But what happens in between and how quickly do they moult? I
am conscious of this question because we have seen a few brown
birds with tiny patches of black amongst their otherwise brown
plumage and suspect that these are late stage immatures, heading
for a black outcome at the next moult. On a very few occasions,
and usually for only a brief period, we have seen birds that are
heavily splashed with black plumage and brown plumage. My
inclination is to see these as birds in the late stage of moulting.
They are remarkable looking birds, almost like a completely
different species! They seem to stay like this briefly and then only
during the summer moult (December through February/March).
These “halfway” birds are a feature of the wet season whereas the
brown birds with a tiny patch of black may occur throughout the
year. In the five years that I have been living in the rainforest I
have not recorded these halfway birds every year and presume
their presence reflects success in breeding a few years previously.
The photos show two different “halfway” birds (2018 and 2019)
and other plumages. It would be interesting to hear from other
members about their experiences with these black and brown
birds. Article and images by Peter Valentine
Contact Call
March 2019 11
News from Mount Isa -
January 2019
As we are about half way through the current
migratory bird season (2018-2019), I thought I would
touch on the migratory birds we have had visit Lake
Moondarra since August 2018.
As always, the first to arrive are the Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers, followed by the Marsh Sandpipers, both of
which are still here and generally stay until April.
Other migrants that have passed through here are as
follows: Curlew Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Long-
toed Stint, Black-tailed Godwit, Swinhoe's Snipe,
Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Pacific Golden
Plover, Oriental Plover, Oriental Pratincole, Lesser
Sand Plover, and of course the single Red-necked
Phalarope which I touched on in the last edition of
Contact Call.
Many of the above species are still here, however Little
Curlews that were here 12 months ago haven't showed
as yet. They don't come every year so this may be one
of those times.
On the native bird scene, the Yellow Chat originally
identified by Karen Walsh in August 2018 hasn't raised
the interest of the birding community I thought it
would. I also thought it would be long gone by now but
there is a small community of them still here, along
with the Crimson and Orange Chats. Hopefully they
may find Mount Isa to their liking and stay here.
Since the discovery of the Yellow Chats here, Karen
and I have spent many hours/days studying their
movements and habits, allowing us to get many
images of them through all their stages. We have now
started on the observation of Orange Chats in the
same fashion.
Interestingly, all species of Chats here have now
reached their vibrant breeding colours. When we first
started observing the Yellow Chats, they were all very
dull in colour. Over the months we could see the
changes in them, from what I would call the ugly
ducklings, to the beautiful birds they are today, all
species of Chats have progressed simultaneously to
little colourful jewels of the outback.
It would appear that in the non-breeding season the
males go into an eclipse plumage stage similar to male
fairy-wrens.
There have been some changes to well-known birding
sites in Mount Isa. The ‘horse paddocks’ which was
always a good birding site has seen some changes and
is not so bird friendly anymore. One of my favourite
birding sites, adjacent to the Clear Water Lagoon
which was always good for Crakes, Rails, Reed
Warblers, and finches has been fenced off with a high
security fence preventing access to this site.
On the plus side, what is known as the Eastern Scenic
Road around the edge of Lake Moondarra has been
upgraded to a bitumen sealed road. Previously it was
just a very rough track. This has made better access to
numerous birding sites around the edge of this section
of the lake. It is a bit over 5km in length.
I hope 2019, is a good year, for all you birdos.
Report and images by Rex Whitehead
Oriental Pratincole
Yellow Chat - female
Yellow Chat - male
Oriental Plover
BirdLife Northern Queensland
12 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Do you have BADS? If you suffer from some, or heaven forbid, all of the
below you probably do!
Inattentive behaviours which can include:
1. do not hear when you are asked something
(needing to ask a number of times to get a
response) – probably because you are looking at
or listening to a bird.
2. not following through on what you are asked to
do, despite agreeing to do so (like fetching milk
from the shop) – probably stopped to look at a
bird on the way.
3. easily distracted from a task by noises or own
thoughts (hard to keep attention on the task at
hand) – heard a bird calling or thinking about the
next birding trip.
4. daydreaming at work so that important
instructions or phone calls are missed –
contemplating where to go birding at the
weekend.
5. not following safety instructions like “KEEP OUT –
open mine shafts in the area” – you think you
may have glimpsed a Buff-breasted Button-Quail
beyond that fence.
6. losing important belongings – because you have
left in a hurry to see a rare bird and left them
behind.
7. forgetting to bring the dog home from the park –
because you are still on a high from seeing a flock
of White-throated Needletails.
8. forgetting to return library books – because you
where away on a birding trip when they were due.
9. not looking after important belongings like your
lawnmower – because you left it in the middle of
the lawn when you got a phone call about a
Spotted Whistling Duck on your local pond and
rushed off to see it.
10. starting a task but not completing it, often due to
getting distracted by birds.
11. messy and disorganised house (drawers and doors
left open, rotting food and dirty plates) – too busy
birding to clean up.
12. leaving doors and windows unlocked because you
left in a hurry to see a rarity.
13. losing track of time and regularly running late
because you were birding.
Hyperactive behaviours which can include:
1. wagging work to go birding.
2. climbing up trees, fences, buildings in an unsafe
manner despite being asked not to do so to get a
better look at a bird.
3. not remaining seated until your aircraft comes to a
standstill and the seatbelt lights go out – because
you think you saw a Yellow Wagtail at the side of
the runway.
4. constant chatter or talking too loudly at the wrong
times about birds.
5. interrupting other people’s conversations to tell
them about a bird you just saw.
6. difficulty getting to bed, staying in bed, or getting
to sleep at night – because you are excited about
tomorrow’s birding excursion.
Impulsive behaviours which can include:
1. being disruptive at work, perhaps trying to draw
people’s attention to the Peregrine Falcon perched
on the window ledge.
2. leaving a task to go birding without thinking
through the consequences.
3. rushing through activities without doing them
properly in order to go birding.
4. impulsively calling out the name of a bird you just
heard without realising the comment might be
inappropriate – like Brown Boobies when at the
beach.
5. difficulty keeping secrets when asked – having to
tell someone about that secret Bowerbird location
someone told you about and asked you to keep
quiet about.
6. difficulty tolerating boredom (opting for
stimulating activities like birding).
7. getting excited about a date with a new girlfriend
and then quickly losing interest when a rarity
appears.
8. difficulty persisting with activities that require
commitment and practice unless very interested
(e.g. birding).
9. overeating and making poor food choices – when
driving 800km to twitch a Citrine Wagtail.
10. running up bills for excessive phone use or
internet downloads whilst researching your next
birding trip.
11. careless spending of savings on birding trips
and/or new binoculars.
12. difficulty resisting the stimulation of birding.
13. engaging in risky impulsive road trips, typically
when a rarity has been sighted on the other side
of the county.
Yes – you probably have BADS – Birding Attention
Deficit Syndrome.
Thanks to Doug Herrington for this contribution.
Contact Call
March 2019 13
A birder’s camping
guide to exploring
north Queensland If you have a 4WD and a tent or trailer, there are an
amazing number of places in our region to explore and
bird. This trip is one Keith and l did a couple of years
ago and takes in some beautiful country in western
Queensland.
Our first stop was a little used National Park,
Blackbraes, where the Northern Queensland BirdLife
group visited twice in the early 2000’s to do surveys. It
is about a five hour drive from the Tablelands, taking
the Kennedy Development Road towards Hughenden
from The Lynd. It then takes about 45mins to get from
the main road to the camp site at Emu Swamp. There
is a small camping area just before getting to the dam
wall and another at the far end of the track along the
wall. Last time we went, the dam was full, so there
weren't too many water birds, but previous visits,
when the water levels have been lower, there have
been plenty. Remember you are at over 800m in
altitude and winter months can be very cold!
From Blackbraes National Park it is a long drive of over
400km to Bladensberg National Park, so a stop along
the way or at Winton is a good idea.
Sunset at Blackbraes National Park
The Bough Shed Waterhole campground at
Bladensberg is pleasant and shady, and a stay of three
nights to explore the area is recommended.
The Bough Shed Waterhole campground in Bladensburg
National Park.
Just 100k further south is the very quirky campground
at Opalton. This bush camp is for the miners of the
area and they welcome fossickers and birdwatchers to
use the facilities. Hot showers and toilets for $2.50 pp
are very welcome and there are always other
interesting campers to meet.
BirdLife Northern Queensland
14 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Opalton Bush camp
There is a dam a short walk from the campground
which is a great place to sit and watch the birds come
in to drink in the late afternoon.
From Opalton the road does a loop of 150km back up
to the Jundah Road and down to the Mayne River
crossing. Some maps show a road cutting across to the
Mayne River, but this no longer exists. The camp is a
lovely shady area along the river with plenty of room
and lots of birds.
The road then heads south and then east for 115km to
Noonbah Station. The station is run by Angus and
Karen Emmott who offer some beautiful secluded camp
sites by waterholes. Angus is an amazingly
knowledgeable naturalist and photographer and he and
Karen make birders very welcome to their extensive
property.
LINKS
https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/experiences/camping/ca
mping_bookings.html
www.noonbahstation.com.au
For those of you who haven't downloaded the
Wikicamps app, it is a great way of finding out the best
places to camp and get up-to-date information. For
instance, the Opalton Bush Camp doesn't have a web
site (well there is no internet there!), but Wikicamps
gives you lots of information.
https://www.wikicamps.com.au
Special thanks to Lindsay Fisher for this article and images.
Lake Barrine and
Cathedral Fig outing Fourteen members and guests met Alan Gillanders at
0600 hrs on Nov 10th in light drizzle at Lake Barrine
Teahouse upper car park for a morning of Social
Birding. Ignoring the inclement weather, we introduced
ourselves and commenced a wander around the
terraced grounds of the Teahouse.
Numerous birds including Catbirds, Chowchillas,
Orange-footed Scrubfowl and Whipbirds could be heard
calling from the surrounding rainforest while the
ornamental trees in the grounds were playing host to a
variety of honeyeaters.
The photographers among us got busy with their long
lenses while others took a broader view of the water
birds on the lake and in the air. Some were surprised
to see the resident Australian Pelicans and the White-
Bellied Sea-Eagle. A male Victoria's Riflebird taunted
us while flitting around a Queensland Umbrella Tree
before posing on a palm stump where he stubbornly
refused to perform his courtship display. A Spotted
Catbird came to check us out and several Wompoo
Fruit-Doves were seen.
We next took a short stroll down the track towards the
twin Kauri Pines to visit the display ground of a Tooth-
Billed Bowerbird known to Alan.
The bird was calling constantly in the undergrowth but
afforded us only an occasional glimpse. Our guide
entertained us meanwhile with his incredible fund of
stories and comprehensive knowledge of the flora and
fauna.
Having skimmed the surface of Lake Barrine we took
to our wheels and headed to the Cathedral Fig Tree
along Danbulla Drive. A short walk down the road
showed us the rock strewn paddock of a volcanic flow
which ends suddenly in a dip where there is apparently
a concealed lava tube and a range of trees and shrubs
with which most of us were not familiar. In the trees
around the car park were numerous Wompoo and
Brown Cuckoo-Doves with Scaly-Breasted Lorikeets in
the higher trees. Whipbirds were raucous along the
track but hard to see while a group of Grey-headed
Robins, Golden Whistlers and Shrike-thrushes kept the
shutters clicking. A Musky Rat-Kangaroo made a dash
under the walk way. The low light conditions and high
contrast made photography challenging but fill-in flash
made a world of difference.
A tray of chocolate brownies was enjoyed before we
returned to Lake Barrine. Our thanks again to Alan for
a most enjoyable and informative morning.
Ian Gibbs
Do you know a great place to go camping
and bird watching?
Why not write in and share it with us. We’d love
to turn this article into a series on great places to
go exploring and birding in north Queensland.
Contact Call
March 2019 15
BIRDLIST FROM SOCIAL BIRD WALK, LAKE BARRINE AND CATHEDRAL FIG NOVEMBER 10 2018
This list consists of birds seen by and or reported to Alan Gillanders. There may have been others.
Australian Brush-turkey
Orange-Footed Scrub Fowl
Pacific Black Duck
Hardhead
Australasian Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Darter
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Australian Pelican
White-faced Heron
Cattle Egret
Intermediate Egret
Eastern Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Nankeen Kestrel
Eurasian Coot
Bush Stone-curlew
Osprey
Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Emerald Dove
Peaceful Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove
Wompoo Fruit-Dove
Superb Fruit-Dove
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Rainbow Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
Australian Swiflet
Laughing Kookaburra
Forest Kingfisher
Dollarbird
Spotted Catbird
Tooth-Billed Bowerbird
Large-Billed Scrubwren
Brown Gerygone
Lewin's Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Dusky Honeyeater
Scarlet Honeyeater
Helmeted Friarbird
Macleay's Honeyeater
Pale-yellow Robin
Grey-headed Robin
Eastern Whipbird
Golden Whistler
Little Shrike-thrush
Spectacled Monarch
Magpie-lark
Willie Wagtail
Spangled Drongo
Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
Barred Cuckoo-Shrike
White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike
Pied Currawong
Victoria's Riflebird
Torresian Crow
Mistletoe Bird
Welcome Swallow
Australasian Pipit
Common Myna
Red-browed Finch
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
COME AND JOIN US TO
Wave the Waders
Goodbye Shorebird Identification Workshop followed by
shorebird viewing on the Cairns Esplanade
When: Saturday 30 March 2019, 3.00-6.00pm
Where: Cairns City Library Meeting Room 1 followed
by Cairns Esplanade
Contact Tom Collis 0401 783 795 for further details
BirdLife Northern Queensland
16 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Why has North America
only 1000 breeding
species?
One thousand species of breeding birds sounds like a
lot but that’s all there is in North America, the
Nearctic, the Neo-temperate Region, call it what you
will, one of the world’s six Avifaunal Regions.
In comparison Eurasia has about 1300 breeding
species; Africa south of the Sahara, Southern Asia or
the Oriental Region, and Australasia have about 1600
breeding species each; and South America or the
Neotropic Avifaunal Region has nearly 3000 breeding
species, maybe more. Why has the Neo-temperate
Region have so few? Not only does no-one seem to
know why, but few even seem to know.
The main reason is that the North American continent
was isolated from the mainstream of avian evolution
for most of the time that passerines were evolving, the
sub-oscine passerines evolving mostly on South
America, and the oscine passerines evolving on
Australasia.
The story starts in Gondwana with the evolution of
sub-oscines about 140 million years ago; they were
passerines in which the syrinx, the vocal organ of birds
located at the base of the trachea had not evolved to
the extent that was to be found in later songbirds, the
oscines. The sub-oscines probably began evolving on
western Antarctica and the oscines on the eastern
Antarctica.
As Gondwana broke up, the earliest families of sub-
oscines, Pittas, Broadbills, and Asities, sailed north
from Antarctica on India, some Pittas and Broadbills
jumping ship as they moved past Africa, on the way
north to meet with Eurasia, while the Asities evolved
on Madagascar which was attached to the Indian
continent for a while.
Most sub-oscines, however, must have evolved on
Antarctica after India and Africa had separated as the
great majority of them are now found on South
America which didn’t break from Gondwana until about
40 million years ago. Then that continent was on its
own for over 30 million years with most of the sub-
oscines on it.
While in this long isolation they evolved into many
families - Manakins, Cotingas, the Sharpbill, the
Royal Flycatchers, the Tityras & Becards, the
American Flycatchers now split into several families by
DNA studies (Piprites, Spadebills, Rush-tyrant,
Monectine Flycatchers, and the rest of the
American Flycatchers which still have over 390
species today), Crescent-chests, Gnat-eaters,
Antbirds, Antpittas, Tapaculos, Ant-thrushes,
Leaf-tossers & Miners, Woodcreepers, and the
Horneros, Spinetails & Gleaners. All of these
amazingly diverse families and species evolved in the
myriad niches that formed and reformed over those
30-odd million years yet one characteristic stands out -
the inability of most of these families to cross open
spaces especially water.
This characteristic is pertinent to understanding why
the sub-oscines, of which there were so many in South
America, failed to colonise North America as South
America drifted closer. The exception is the family of
modern American Flycatchers.
Fifty-five million years ago, or thereabouts, back in
Gondwana, Australia broke away, carrying with it the
ancestors of another newly-evolving group of birds,
Gondwana, 152 Million years ago 94 Million years ago Breaking up - India, then Africa have
left.
Contact Call
March 2019 17
the oscines, or modern songbirds. Many new families
evolved some of which were the Lyrebirds,
Bowerbirds, Grasswrens & Fairywrens, which, like
most of the sub-oscines, did not have the ability to
cross open water but the next to evolve, the
Honeyeater and Australasian Warbler families,
exhibited a limited ability to do so. The oscines were
poised to change history.
Australia became Australasia as bits such as New
Zealand, New Caledonia and Fiji broke off the mother
continent and archipelagos formed as a sort of bow-
wave on the north side of New Guinea as the continent
surged north.
This is when oscines really began to radiate as most of
the families next to evolve could cross open water and
colonise new lands. Which is a critical difference from
most families of sub-oscines as oscines were now able
to conquer the entire planet.
Many of the families that evolved with the next wave
of oscines crossed open water to early South-east
Asia, and many of them radiated again from there. For
example, Orioles and Cuckooshrikes made it all the
way to Africa, some even back to Australia, but one
family, the Vireos expanded northward, leaving only
one of their species in South-east Asia - the White-
bellied Erpornis (was Yuhina). They crossed Bering
Strait when the weather conditions at last turned
favourable. The oscine passerines had finally
arrived into North America. They have now radiated
and spread all the way to southern South America.
Icy conditions again prevailed in the northern
hemisphere, subsequently the next several new oscine
families that evolved and expanded, went west across
southern Asia and into Africa. It wasn’t until the
Shrikes and Crows evolved that new oscine families
colonised North America.
Northern hemisphere icy conditions must have
prevailed during most of this time with ‘windows’
appearing now and again to let occasional families
through the Bering Strait, for several families evolved
in and spread through the Old World before the Tit
family ‘came over’, in North America called
Chickadees, followed after a while by the Swallows,
then Nuthatches, and one Northern Treecreeper,
the Kinglets, Waxwings, and Dippers.
By this time families of oscines were beginning to
evolve in North America itself - Wrens, Silky
Flycatchers, Mockingbirds & Thrashers - all
endemic families to North America except for one of
the wren species.
Thrushes were probably next to occupy the Americas,
and very successfully for they are found all the way
down to southern Chile, with Pipits and Fringillid
Finches having much the same distribution. Old World
Buntings, disguised now as New World Sparrows,
South America and Australasia, both isolated, 14 million
years ago, each with different sub-orders of passerines
evolving on them.
are found in abundance throughout the Americas,
while other, newer, oscine families such as Icterids,
American Warblers, Cardinals & Grosbeaks, and
Tanagers, have obviously evolved there.
All of these oscine passerine colonisations and new
family radiations happened within perhaps the last ten
million years for some of the newest American oscine
families seem very well established throughout both
continents even though the two American continents
had not finally joined above water.
Between 5 and 3.5 million years ago when they finally
joined above water only the American Flycatchers
had colonised North America from the south
because all the other families of sub-oscines could not
cross open spaces especially open water.
The world at present, showing the six Avifaunal Areas.
BirdLife Northern Queensland
18 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
So, the North American continent is relatively
depauperate of species because:
1) many oscine families found in the ‘Old World’
did not get anywhere near the Bering Strait
because of severe cold periods in the northern
hemisphere;
2) most of the South American sub-oscines
simply could not cross open water. Even now,
apart from the American Flycatchers, they have
struggled to spread north - only one species
has made it as far as southern USA and a
handful of others have accessed the temperate
zone of northern Central America which is, of
course, full of temperate species that evolved
in the north.
And that’s another story.
References
Birding Aus
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/birding-
aus/1997-05/msg00086.html
Central American Seaway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_American_Sea
way
Corvoid Radiation
https://www.pnas.org/content/108/6/2328.full?sid=
03737e49-c4b2-400b-8373-075d8c8b99ff
Encyclopaedia Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/science/faunal-region
“Neotemperate Birds - An Illustrated Guide”, Malthus
Anderson (To be published 2019)
Scotese, C. R., 2001. Atlas of Earth History, Volume
1, Paleogeography, PALEOMAP Project, Arlington,
Texas, 52 pp.
http://www.scotese.com/late1.htm
“Where Song Began”, Tim Low
https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/boo
k-review-where-song-began-by-tim-low-20140623-
zsj9c.html
TiF (Taxonomy in Flux)
http://jboyd.net/Taxo/List13.html
Malthus Anderson, Jan 2018.
Note: If you would like to provide comment on this
article, please do. Direct the comments to the Editor
via email: birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com, who will
forward them on to the author for consideration.
Cardwell Birding Weekend
Saturday / Sunday 27–28 April 2019
Join us for the day or the weekend,
exploring and birding in the Cardwell
area.
We will be visiting Cardwell State Forest
(Saturday), and on Sunday, Edmund Kennedy
National Park in the Coastal Wet Tropics Key
Biodiversity Area.
If time permits, we will go to Murray Falls after
that.
On Saturday, meet at Cardwell at the Coral Sea
Park Playground, on Coral Sea Drive, off White St at
the northern end of Cardwell at 1.30pm. This is a
great little birding spot right next to the beach, with
picnic facilities and toilets. And the playground
equipment is fun too.
On Sunday we’ll meet at 7.30 am at the corner of
the Bruce Highway and Cliff Rd turn off to Edmund
Kennedy National Park, north of Cardwell.
For those wishing to stay overnight, Cardwell offers
a range of accommodation options.
For more information, please contact Ceri Pearce
on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448
845 842. We hope you can make it!
Image of the beach at Cardwell courtesy of Paul Bica from
Toronto [CC BY 2.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
Contact Call
March 2019 19
Join us on Facebook
Palm Cockatoo bags
Buy one of our Palm Cockatoo calico bags and
support BirdLife Northern Queensland as well as
wage war on plastic. $10. Only available at
BirdLife Northern Queensland Meetings.
Atherton Tablelands Birdwatchers’ Cabin
The modern self-contained and well-appointed cabin is the only guest accommodation on our 35 acre forest property, which borders onto the Wet Tropics World Heritage area.
We offer undisturbed bird and wildlife watching from the cabin’s veranda and along our private forest trails. The Tall Sclerophyll Forest with a diverse understorey of flowering and fruiting shrubs in the ecotone between open woodland and tropical rainforest makes it easy to observe the great number and diversity of birds, mammals and butterflies (species lists on our website).
Summers in the tropics are very pleasant here, as we are situated at 1000m elevation.
We are close to excellent birding hotspots in a variety of ecosystems (e.g. savannah , tropical rainforest, wetlands). Bromfield Swamp and Mt. Hypipamee NP are 10 min away, Hastie’s Swamp 15 min.
For more details: www.athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au
email: info@athertontablelandsbirdwatcherscabin.com.au Christina and Thomas
Ph.: 07 42010993 (Int.+61 7 42010993)
114 Webster Rd, Wondecla Qld 4887 (no mail delivery to this address!) Postal address: PO Box 1579, Atherton QLD 4883
Situated 1½ hrs north of Cairns in Tropical North
Queensland we offer accommodation in self-contained
units and bunkhouse rooms. We also have a small
camping area. The property is a rainforest wildlife
sanctuary catering for birdwatchers and naturalists.
We are central to a variety of habitats and provide bird
species lists, area maps and Wi-Fi internet access.
Guiding is available by arrangement.
We offer packages for individuals and small groups.
Carol and Andrew Iles
RN6, Mt. Kooyong Road
Julatten QLD 4871
Ph: (07) 4094 1263
Email: sootyowl@bigpond.com
www.birdwatchers.com.au
BirdLife Northern Queensland
20 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
Male Golden Bowerbird at his bower. Image courtesy of Dominic Chaplin
Contact Call
March 2019 21
Warrina Lakes birding Monthly outings in Warrina Lakes parkland in Innisfail
continue in 2019. These are generally on the second
Sunday of the month, birding from 7am for 2 hours or
so, followed by smoko in the undercover area.
On the January 13th outing, seven participants found
45 bird species. Besides the usual suspects, we were
thrilled to find two Pacific Baza feeding a juvenile bird
with a large grasshopper. Brown-backed Honeyeaters
were observed nest building (ongoing). Five Bush
Thicknees were found, up from the usual two or three.
Three Wandering Whistling-ducks were observed near
the lake and five Royal Spoonbill decorated a tall tree
top near the lake’s edge. A skulking Black Bittern tried
to avoid us, but we had a good view of him in the end.
On February 10th the weather was superb. There were
eight participants, and 36 taxa identified.
While only 17 Pacific Black Ducks were seen (well
down on usual high numbers), 12 of them were the
cutest ducklings.
At one stage we heard continuous calling, and despite
searching and searching we could not locate the bird,
but suspected a juvenile calling for food. In the end a
juvenile Brush Cuckoo was found, being tended by two
frantic Brown-backed Honeyeaters who were
constantly going backwards and forwards with food for
the big baby cuckoo.
A Yellow Oriole was observed feeding a juvenile bird,
and Metallic Starlings had built nests in a tree where
they had not been observed before.
A Masked Lapwing was found with the most poorly
chosen nest site – in between the tracks of the
miniature railway line, and a Black Bittern graced us
with sensational views in the open on one of the lake’s
islands, as it searched for food on the water’s edge.
Since the wet season commenced in December, there
have been fewer water bird species and numbers of
those present are down.
All data were gathered using the BirdLife Australia
500m radius search methodology and entered into
eBird.
Please see the events calendar on the last pages of
this newsletter for the dates of the monthly Warrina
Lakes outings. For more information phone Ceri Pearce
on 0488 131 581 or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845
842. We look forward to seeing you there.
Report by Ceri Pearce, with special thanks to event co-
organiser Sandra Christensen.
Pacific Baza juvenile (Left) and adult (right). Images courtesy
of Greg Dawe.
Juvenile Brush Cuckoo that was being fed by two Brown-
backed Honeyeaters. Image Ceri Pearce
Crazy Masked Lapwing nest site. Image Ceri Pearce
BirdLife Northern Queensland
22 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
BirdLife Australia
Stickybeaks Family Group
For enquiries and to RSVP, contact Golo: Mobile 0467 444 114 or
golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au
THERE’S A BIG YEAR PLANNED FOR
THE KIDS
Saturday 30th of March 3 pm - 6pm
Waving the waders goodbye Talk (3-4:30 pm) and Birding
4:30-6pm
Meet at Cairns City Library or Southern observation deck
on Esplanade at 4:30pm.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your sun smart gear,
water and sturdy shoes.
Saturday 27th of April 5 pm – 7 pm
Of Bats and Trees with Maree Treadwell Kerr
Meet at Cairns City Library
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo.
Saturday 25th of May 10 am -11:30 am
Indigenous Plant uses led by Gerry Turpin
Meet at JCU E2 building.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your sun smart gear
and water.
Saturday 29th of June 8 am -10:00 am
Tree-planting to save frogs and birds with Kuranda
envirocare
Meet at Kuranda Envirocare Nursery 284 Myola Rd,
Kuranda QLD 4881
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your sun smart gear,
water sturdy shoes. There will be scones and Tea
afterwards.
Saturday 27th of July 8 am -10:00 am
Curlew counting Cairns Cemetery
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Meet at Little Street Park
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your sun smart gear,
water and sturdy shoes. There will be scones and Tea
afterwards.
Saturday 31st of August 2 pm – 4pm
Shells at Ellis Beach
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Meet at Parking Lot
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your sun smart gear,
water and sturdy shoes.
Saturday 28th of September 5 pm to 7 pm
Spotlighting at Centenary Lakes
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Meet at Chinese Pagoda
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your torch, Mozzie
repellent, water and sturdy shoes.
Saturday 26th of October 10 am -12:00 am
Bird week count Esplanade maybe sausage sizzle with
branch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/362094987191145/ev
ents/
Don’t forget to RSVP Golo and bring your sun smart gear,
water sturdy shoes.
No stickybeaks November and December
Creative art
courtesy of Kate
Gorringe-Smith
Contact Call
March 2019 23
Noticeboard From the Editor
A big thank you to all of our awesome contributors.
Please do keep sending your articles and images in
to birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com
Please note, there is no need to format a document
(combine images and text) when they are sent in.
Separate text and images are easier for the editor
to place into the newsletter template.
Newsletter deadlines for 2019
➢ April 10th for the May/June Edition
➢ July 10th for the September Edition
➢ October 10th for the December Edition
Activities
Check out the BirdLife Northern Queensland activities
for 2019 in the event calendar below. A regularly
updated list is also available on our website
http://birdlifenq.org/.
Do come and join us.
You do not have to be a BirdLife member or an expert
birder. Most of us are still learning and keen to share
the fun.
Everybody is welcome.
For more information about an event, contact the
leader listed, or check the website for details:
http://birdlifenq.org/, or join us on Facebook
In the event of a severe weather warning or other
unforeseen circumstances, events may be cancelled at
short notice. Contact the event organiser to confirm
events or monitor our Facebook page or emails for
updates.
We look forward to seeing you there!
BirdLife Northern Queensland Newsletter
‘Contact Call’
birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com
www.birdlifenq.org
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Friday 1 March 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday 2 March 2019
7:30pm
Stratford Library 11 Kamerunga Road Stratford Cairns
CAIRNS TALK Birding Paradise – Ecuador Dr Rolf Jensen
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator Tea and coffee will be provided. For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Sunday 3 March 2019
6:30–9:00am
Centenary Lakes, Cairns Meet at the Chinese Friendship Garden near the freshwater lake on Greenslopes Street, Cairns.
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND CENTENARY LAKES You're invited to join our friends at Cairns Birders Group for a morning excursion around the lakes where up to 50 species are regularly recorded. We'll meet at the Chinese Friendship Garden near the freshwater lake on Greenslopes Street, Cairns. Bring sun smart gear, water, mozzie repellent, binoculars/scope, field guide, and morning ‘smoko’.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com, or Andy Anderson on 0476 167 713.
BirdLife Northern Queensland
24 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Sunday 10 March 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Thursday 14 March 2019
7:30–9:30pm
Malanda Hotel
2019 AGM Followed by a special presentation: Cooktown Birds – The Jewel In The Crown of North Queensland?? Kath Shurcliff
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171 or
email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday 30 March 2019
3:00–6:00pm
Cairns Meet at Cairns City Library or southern observation deck on the Esplanade at 4:30pm
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us to wave the waders goodbye and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the Cairns City Library at 3:00pm, or the southern observation deck on the Esplanade at 4:30pm. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope. Talk (3:00–4:30pm) and birding 4:30–6:00pm.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday 30 March 2019
3:00–6:00pm
Cairns City Library Meeting Room 1 followed by Cairns Esplanade
WAVE THE WADERS GOODBYE Shorebird Identification Workshop at the Cairns City Library followed by shorebird viewing on the Cairns Esplanade.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Thursday 4 April
2019
7pm Malanda Hotel
TABLELANDS TALK Hosted by Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group and BirdLife Northern Queensland Special guest Professor Steve Williams will talk about the ‘Effects of climate change on wildlife in the Wet Tropics’
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or
email northernqld@birdlife.org.au. We look forward to seeing you there!
Friday 5 April 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday 6 April 2019
7:30pm
Stratford Library 11 Kamerunga Road Stratford Cairns
CAIRNS TALK Progress with Qld Gouldian Finch Research Dr Ray Pierce and Patrick De Geest
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator Tea and coffee will be provided. For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Sunday 7 April 2019
6:30–9:00am
Centenary Lakes, Cairns Meet at the Chinese Friendship Garden near the freshwater lake on Greenslopes Street, Cairns.
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND CENTENARY LAKES You're invited to join our friends at Cairns Birders Group for a morning excursion around the lakes where up to 50 species are regularly recorded. Bring sun smart gear, water, mozzie repellent, binoculars/scope, field guide, and morning ‘smoko’.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com, or Andy Anderson on 0476 167 713.
Contact Call
March 2019 25
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Sunday 14 April 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant. Please note this is in the middle of school holidays.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Saturday 27 April 2019
5:00–7:00pm
Meet at Cairns City Library
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for an afternoon “Of Bats and Trees” with Maree Treadwell Kerr and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the Cairns City Library. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday/Sunday 27–28 April 2019
Cardwell
Meet at the Coral Sea Park Playground at 1.30pm on Saturday and/or 7.30 am at the corner of the Bruce Highway and Cliff Rd turn off to Edmund Kennedy National Park on Sunday
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND CARDWELL Join us for the day or the weekend, exploring the Cardwell area. We will be visiting Cardwell State Forest (Saturday), and on Sunday we will visit Edmund Kennedy National Park in the Coastal Wet Tropics Key Biodiversity Area, and if time and energy permits, Murray Falls. Further details to be announced.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Friday 3 May 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday / Monday 4, 5, 6 May 2019
2019 BLNQ CAMPOUT Details to be confirmed.
Thursday 9 May 2019
7:30–9:30pm
Malanda Hotel
TABLELANDS TALK Science is not a dirty word: Recent discoveries from invasive bird research that helps conservation Dr Steve Murphy
Martin Willis Tablelands Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 4096 6581 or email martinwillis@me.com, or Peter Valentine on 4096 6171.
Sunday 12 May 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
BirdLife Northern Queensland
26 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
13-26 May 2019
Calton Hills, near Mt Isa
2019 GRASSWREN SURVEYS Carpentarian and Kalkadoon Grasswren surveys Establish 50 long-term monitoring sites on this and nearby properties. Details to be confirmed.
Kath Shurcliff Cooktown Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 4069 6595 or email crabplover@westnet.com.au.
Saturday 25 May 2019
10:00–11:30am
Smithfield James Cook University Meet at JCU E2 building
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for a morning “Indigenous Plant Uses” led by Gerry Turpin and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the JCU E2 building, James Cook University Smithfield. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
Sunday 2 June 2019
10:00am–4:00pm
Cairns Cruise-liner Terminal
ECOFIESTA BLNQ will have a stall at the annual ECOfiesta event
(organised by the Cairns Regional Council). Members will be needed to assist in setting up and running the stall throughout the day. Large numbers of visitors attend ECOfiesta and it is a great opportunity to raise our profile in Cairns and district.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Friday 7 June 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Sunday 9 June 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Sunday 23 June 2019
7:30am
Bramston Beach Area Meet at Bramston Beach, at Bramston Beach Rd car park, next to the parks for potential car pooling
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND BRAMSTON BEACH Join us as we visit Russell River National Park, birding in the Coastal Wet Tropics Key Biodiversity Area. Bring morning tea and picnic lunch.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Saturday 29 June 2019
8:00–10:00am
Kuranda Meet at Kuranda Envirocare Nursery at 284 Myola Rd, Kuranda QLD 4881
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for a morning of “Tree-planting to save frogs and birds” with Kuranda Envirocare and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the Kuranda Envirocare Nursery. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope. There will be scones and tea afterwards.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au
Contact Call
March 2019 27
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
3–5 July 2019
Darwin 2019 AUSTRALASIAN ORNITHOLOGICAL CONFERENCE
https://birdlife.org.au/get-involved/whats-on/aoc/
Friday 5 July 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Thursday 11 July
7:30–9:30pm
Malanda Hotel
TABLELANDS TALK Galapagos – Getting there, cruising, staying and, photographing Dr Cliff Frith
Martin Willis Tablelands Area Coordinator
For more information, please contact me on 4096 6581 or email martinwillis@me.com, or Peter Valentine on 4096 6171.
Sunday 14 July 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Saturday and Sunday 20-21 July 2019
Mission Beach Area Meet at Mission Beach C4 Environment Centre carpark, 2.30pm Saturday, and 7.30am Sunday at the Licuala Forest day use area.
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND MISSION BEACH Join us for the day or the weekend, exploring the Mission Beach area. We will be visiting local national park areas and a couple of local favourite spots, birding in the Coastal Wet Tropics Key Biodiversity Area. Join us for a social dinner on Saturday night at a local venue (at own cost). Further details to be announced.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Saturday 27 July 2019
8:00–10:00am
Cairns Cemetery Meet at Little Street Park
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for a morning of “Curlew counting at Cairns Cemetery” and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the Little Street Park near Cairns Cemetery. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope. There will be scones and tea afterwards.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
Friday 2 August 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
BirdLife Northern Queensland
28 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Saturday 3 August 2019
7:30pm
Stratford Library 11 Kamerunga Road Stratford, Cairns
CAIRNS TALK Details to be confirmed. Tea and coffee will be provided.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Sunday 4 August 2019
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND CAIRNS Details to be confirmed.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Saturday 10 August 2019
7:00–10:00am
Lake Barrine TABLELANDS TALK Topic to be confirmed. Alan Gillanders
Martin Willis Tablelands Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 4096 6581 or email martinwillis@me.com, or Alan Gillanders on 4095 3784.
Sunday 11 August 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com
Saturday 31 August 2019
2:00–4:00pm
Ellis Beach Meet at Parking Lot
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for an afternoon of “Shells at Ellis Beach” and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the parking lot at Ellis Beach. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope. There will be scones and tea afterwards.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
Friday 6 September 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around
the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday 7 September 2019
Various
Atherton Tablelands Meet at Hastie’s Swamp Hide car park
2019 ANNUAL CRANE COUNT 12:00–2:00pm – Volunteers needed 3:00pm – Meet at Hastie’s Swamp bird hide for briefing 4:00–6:30pm – Counting at crane roosts 7:00pm – Dinner at Malanda Pub
David Merrall Crane Count Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0458 952 784 or
email merrall1@bigpond.com.
Sunday 8 September 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com
Contact Call
March 2019 29
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Thursday 12 September 2019
7:30–9:30pm
Malanda Hotel
TABLELANDS TALK Details to be confirmed.
Martin Willis Tablelands Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 4096 6581 or email martinwillis@me.com, or Peter Valentine on 4096 6171.
Saturday 28 September 2019
5:00–7:00pm
Centenary Lakes, Cairns Meet at Chinese Pagoda
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for an evening of “Spotlighting at Centenary Lakes” and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the Chinese Pagoda in Centenary Lakes. Please bring your torch, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope. There will be scones and tea afterwards.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
September 2019
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND EAST TRINITY Dennis Walls / Cairns Birders / BLNQ.
Details to be confirmed (8 or 15 September)?
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please
contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com
Friday 4 October 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Saturday 5 October 2019
7:30pm
Stratford Library 11 Kamerunga Road Stratford, Cairns
CAIRNS TALK Details to be confirmed.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator Tea and coffee will be provided. For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Sunday 4 October 2019
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND CAIRNS Details to be confirmed.
Tom Collis Cairns Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0401 783 795 or email motom4@bigpond.com.
Saturday 12 October 2019
7:00–9:00am
Tinaroo TABLELANDS TALK Topic to be confirmed. Alan Gillanders
Martin Willis Tablelands Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 4096 6581 or email martinwillis@me.com, or Alan Gillanders on 4095 3784.
Sunday 13 October 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
BirdLife Northern Queensland
30 Contact Call Volume 8 Number 1
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Saturday 26 October 2019
10:00–12:00 am
STICKYBEAKS FAMILY GROUP Bring the kids! You're invited to join us for a “Bird week Count at the Esplanade” and a 500 m area search for Birdata. We'll meet at the southern observation deck on the Esplanade. Please bring your sun smart gear, water and snacks, mozzie repellent, and binoculars/scope. There will be scones and tea afterwards.
Golo Maurer Stickybeak Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0467 444 114 or email golo.maurer@birdlife.org.au.
Monday – Sunday 21–27 October 2019
National 2019 NATIONAL BIRD WEEK https://birdlife.org.au/get-involved/whats-on/bird-week
Monday – Sunday 21–27 October
2019
National 2019 AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/
Saturday / Sunday 26–27 October 2019
National 2019 NATIONAL TWITCHATHON www.birdlifetwitchathon.org.au
Friday 1 November 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
Sunday 10 November 2019
7:00–9.30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail
Meet in the carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator
For more information, please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
16 November 2019
4:00–6:30pm
Any coastal area
2019 SYNCHRONISED REGIONAL PIP COUNT
Julia Hazel Synchronised PIP Count Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 0407 431 382 or email julia.hazel@jcu.edu.au.
Thursday 7 November
7:30–9:30pm
Malanda Hotel TABLELANDS TALK Birds of Finland Harry Nyström
Martin Willis Tablelands Area Coordinator For more information, please contact me on 4096 6581 or email martinwillis@me.com, or Peter Valentine on 4096 6171.
Contact Call
March 2019 31
BirdLife Northern Queensland 2019 Events Date Time Locality Meeting place and other information Contact the leader
Saturday and Sunday 23-24 November 2019
Mt Lewis, Julatten area.
GOLDEN BOWERBIRD GROUP SURVEY, MT LEWIS Please contact Dominic Chaplin for more details at dominic@pinecreekpictures.com.au if you are interested to come along.
Dominic Chaplin dominic@pinecreekpictures.com.au
Saturday and Sunday 30 November to 1 December 2019
National 2019 CHALLENGE COUNT www.birdlife.org.au/get-involved/whats-on/challenge-count/
Sunday 1 December 2019
7:00–9:30am
Warrina Lakes, Innisfail Meet in the
carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail
SOCIAL BIRDING AROUND WARRINA LAKES You're invited to join us for our Cassowary Coast Christmas and a couple of hours of social birding around Warrina Lakes. We'll meet in the Warrina
Lakes carpark in Park St, off the corner of Emily and Charles St, Innisfail. After birding we'll have morning tea at the lakes (BYO morning tea). It’s the very wet tropics so bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, just in case. Also binoculars / scope, sunscreen, hat, and insect repellant.
Ceri Pearce Cassowary Coast Area Coordinator For more information,
please contact me on 0488 131 581, or Sandra Christensen on 0448 845 842, or email birdlifenqnewsletter@gmail.com.
Friday 6 December 2019
7:00–9:00am
Hastie’s Swamp, Atherton Meet at Hasties Swamp Hide
car park
HASTIES SWAMP MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY You're invited to join us for a great morning of birding and collecting data on the birdlife in and around the swamp. Based mainly at and around the bird hide, members will survey the birds present at the wetlands and count the numbers of each species. Both waterbirds and bush birds in the adjacent fringing vegetation are included. We hope to follow the seasonal changes through the year. We'll meet at Hasties Swamp Hide car park on Koci Road. Start time is 7:00am and we plan to finish with a cuppa at around 9:00am. Bring binoculars/scope, field guide, notebook and pen, and morning ‘smoko’.
Peter Valentine Convenor For more information, please contact me on 4096 6171, or Martin Willis 4096 6581, or email northernqld@birdlife.org.au.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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