(* Target bird for Hugo)
Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius The male and three chicks showed daily at Cassowary House over the six days we were there, usually about 0630.
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspiciillatus A few around Darwin and Mareeba.
Australasian Grebe Podiceps novaehollandiae Two at Seisia ponds were unexpected.
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster Hugo saw a few off Michaelmas Cay.
Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Pied Cormorant P. varius Singles off East Point and Buffalo Creek.
Little Black Cormorant P. sulcirostris
Australian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae Widespread.
Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel One off Possession Island, with a frigatebird sp. also.
White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae Singles at Darwin and on Little Woody Island.
Pied Heron Egretta picata A few around Darwin, then one at the croc farm and a single over Bamaga.
Little Egret E. garzetta A few in the NT and around the croc farm.
Eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra Seen at Darwin and Seisia, mostly dark phase birds.
Great Egret Egretta alba
Intermediate Egret E. intermedia Lots in Kakadu.
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis A few around Darwin and in Kakadu.
Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana A single in the paperbarks on the Yellow Waters cruise was unexpected, only my second Kakadu sighting.
White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica Singles at Knuckey's Lagoon and in Kakadu.
Striated Heron Butorides striatus A couple around Darwin.
Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus One at Howard Springs and three at Yellow Waters, with one at Adelaide River.
Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Good views around Darwin and Kakadu, and at Mareeba wetlands.
Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus Small groups near Darwin and ten at Fogg Dam.
Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Straw-necked Ibis T. spinicollis
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia Two at Yellow Waters and one at the croc farm.
*Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmatus A couple of hundred in cane fields near Cairns, and also in Kakadu.
*Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata Just a single at the croc farm.
*Plumed Whistling-Duck D. eytoni 220 at Yellow Waters and 4 at Pine Creek SP.
Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah A few around Kakadu, Fogg Dam and Pine Creek SP.
Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata A few near Canungra.
Pacific Black Duck Anas rubripes
Grey Teal A. gibberifrons Ten at Pine Creek SP.
Green Pygmy-Goose Just a couple at Yellow Waters, and a pair at Half Moon Bay pond near Cairns.
*Hardhead Aythya australis Twenty at Pine Creek SP.
Pacific Baza Aviceda cristata One at Fogg Dam, one on Little Woody Island and heard at Bamaga.
Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris A couple on the tablelands.
Black Kite Milvus migrans Lots in the NT and a few around Mareeba.
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Singles around Darwin and Cairns.
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Numerous individual sightings around Darwin, 4 at Yellow Waters, one at Waterfall Creek, two over the tavern at Mt. Lewis and finally one over Big Woody Island.
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans One dark bird at Knuckey's Lagoon.
Spotted Harrier C. assimilis An adult at Yellow Waters billabong was unexpected, as was one by the Canungra turn-off near Beaudesert.
Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus Two over the Stuart Highway north of Pine Creek, one over Cowal Creek and a male near Umagico on Cape York.
*Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae Two at Howard Springs, a female at Mt. Lewis, singles at Lockerbie and one at O'Reilly's. An endemic now split from A. hiogaster of New Guinea, the Variable Goshawk.
Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus (NL) Hugo saw one near Darwin.
Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax Seen at Kakadu, Wondecla and Lamington.
Brown Falcon Falco berigora A few around Darwin and two near Bamaga airstrip.
Nankeen Kestrel F. cenchroides One near Fogg Dam, one at Mareeba, one near Canungra.
Australian Hobby F. longipennis Great views of two at Darwin River Dam, and also seen at Cooinda and Pine Creek.
Peregrine F. peregrinus The usual pair at Nourlangie.
Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami The Cape York race purpureicollis is far shyer than the yellow collared birds around Kuranda.
Orange-footed Scrubfowl Megapodius freycinet Lots around Darwin, and some huge mounds at Lockerbie, one old one with a huge fig growing out of it with a newer and just as large mound nearby, probably of very long usage.
*Chestnut-backed Buttonquail Turnix castanotus (NL) Hugo and Caroline flushed three birds separately at the Mardugal camp area site, whilst I managed to flush none and dipped entirely.
*Red-backed Buttonquail Turnix maculosa One flushed in long grass at Lockerbie scrub when I went to look at a putative white orchid. A bonus tick for Hugo, yet another flying buttonquail!
Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora The wet day on the tablelands seemed to really bring them out, as we saw 5 near Emerald Creek and a couple of others nearby, plus one at Mareeba wetlands.
*Red-necked Crake Rallina tricolor A very obliging bird at Cassowary House, duly rewarded with cheese.
White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea Four at Cairns Croc Farm.
*Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa First were five at Pine Creek SP. Great views at Canungra winery creek.
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Good views at Yellow Waters and Cairns Croc Farm where there was a juvenile with an adult in one of the croc pens.
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Twenty at Pine Creek SP.
Comb-crested Jacana Irrediparra gallinacea Seen at Knuckey's Lagoon and Yellow Waters.
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris Two at East Point and two at Buffalo Creek beach.
White-headed Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus Seen at Yellow Waters and the croc farm.
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva Four seen at Nightcliff.
Grey Plover P. squatarola Two at Buffalo Creek were a year tick.
Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus Good views at Buffalo Creek beach.
Lesser Sand-Plover C. mongolus One seen at East Point and 15 at Nightcliff.
Greater Sand-Plover C. leschenaultii Four at East Point and 25 at Nightcliff. 20 at Yule Point also.
Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops Seen at Pine Creek SP and Cairns croc farm.
Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus One at Pine Creek SP.
Masked Lapwing Vanellus novaehollandiae miles The race miles is common in the north, whilst we saw novaehollandiae at Manly.
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica A few at East Point and Yule Point.
Whimbrel N. phaeopus A few at East Point and Yule Point.
Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis A few at East Point and 15 at Yule Point.
Greenshank Tringa nebularia A few at East Point.
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus Three at East Point and two there later.
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos One at Bayview.
Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes Four at East Point and Nightcliff and one at Yule Point.
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Five at Buffalo Creek beach.
Great Knot C. tenuirostris A flock at Buffalo Creek beach must have been first winters as they lacked any spots beneath.
Sanderling Calidris alba One at Buffalo Creek beach.
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis One at Nightcliff and 12 at Yule Point.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper C. acuminata One at Half Moon Bay mangroves.
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae Seen around Darwin and at Seisia, also a couple at the tip of Cape York.
Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica A few around the Darwin area.
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia A couple around the Darwin area.
Crested Tern Sterna bergii Seen at East Point and Seisia, also Big Woody Island.
Lesser Crested Tern S. bengalensis Fifteen off Big Woody Island.
Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana (NL) Hugo saw a few at Michaelmas Cay.
*Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata (NL) Hugo ticked them at the colony at Michaelmas Cay.
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida A few at Knuckey's Lagoon and Yellow Waters.
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus (NL) Hugo saw them on Michaelmas Cay.
*Black Noddy Anous minuta (NL) Hugo saw two on Michaelmas Cay, with one of the close groups of Brown Noddy, a good find as they can be hard here.
Feral Pigeon Columba livia Seen in Darwin and Cairns.
*White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela Good flight views of two of this scarce species at O'Reillys on May 21.
Spotted Turtle-Dove Streptopelia chinensis Seen in Cairns.
*Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella Seen at Cassowary House, Mt. Lewis and Lamington.
Emerald Ground-Dove Chalcophaps indica Lovely views at Howard Springs, Cassowary House and Lamington.
Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes Six seen at Mareeba and a few near Brisbane.
Partridge Pigeon Geophaps smithii A single at Middle Arm which walked through as we were looking at a Great Bowerbird bower, then two near Nourlangie and one near Bukbukluk. Seems to be getting scarcer these days.
*Squatter Pigeon Geophaps scripta Lovely views of a group of four on Tinaroo Creek Road, with two groups of two later and then three flushed at Mareeba wetlands.
*Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon Petrophassa rufipennis My Nourlangie site did not deliver again, but thankfully we did really well at Waterfall Creek and saw some eight birds.
Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata
Bar-shouldered Dove G. humeralis Very common in the NT and a few near Julatten.
*Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca One at Daisy Hill, then nice views up at Lamington.
*Banded Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus cinctus Wonderful views of seven of this beautiful and elusive species at Nourlangie, feeding by the rock shelter mainly, with two there next day from the look out.
*Wompoo Fruit-Dove P. magnificus Fly-bys at Cassowary House, then a nice perched one at Mt. Lewis, a catch-up bird from PNG for Hugo.
Superb fruit-Dove P. superbus (H) Heard at Lockerbie.
*Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove P. regia Caroline found us a lovely perched one at Howard Springs, the only one of the trip.
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon Ducula spilorrhoa A few still about in Darwin, where the widespread planting of Carpentaria palms may be encouraging late stayers.
*Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus Three at Lamington, initially a fly-by at the lodge then with perched birds giving a great look.
Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus Seen daily around Bamaga, even over the Resort. Maximum was ten birds on May 18.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii Seen most days in the NT, a characteristic bird of Kakadu.
*Glossy Black Cockatoo C. lathami A male was feeding a begging female plumaged bird in the Casuarina grove below the quarry along Duck Creek Road where I found them last year. The male was also seen to push up stringy bark with his beak. Luckily they were calling well and we got terrific views. A rare species.
Galah Cacatua roseicapilla Small numbers in the Territory and one at Mareeba.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo C. galerita Seen most days away from the rain forest areas in small numbers.
Little Corella C. sanguinea Forty at Howard Springs and 30 at Fogg Dam were the maxima, widespread this time in the NT.
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus Quite common in Queensland. The Red-collared form rubritorques was common in the Territory and is a potential split.
*Scaly-breasted Lorikeet T. chlorolepidus Good views around Mareeba.
*Varied Lorikeet Psitteuteles versicolor Scarce this trip, four fly-bys at Howard Springs then nice perched views of six at Darwin River Dam.
*Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna Nice views of ten birds at the flowering gums at Wondecla.
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diopthalma One surprise bird flying low over the croc pens, then wonderful views of pairs at Cassowary House.
Australian king Parrot Alisterus scapularis Nice views at Cassowary House, and just a very few at Lamington this time.
Red-winged parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus Good views in Kakadu and singles near Mareeba.
Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans Eleven near the Crater, and then four up on Mt. Lewis of the small dark northern race. The nominate was common at Lamington.
Pale-headed Rosella P. adscitus Lovely views of the pale northern race around Mareeba, and a couple of the southern form at Daisy Hill and Duck Creek Road.
Northern Rosella P. venustus Four at Darwin River dam and a couple at Pine Creek, plus two at Bukbukluk. Always a sparse species.
*Hooded Parrot Psephotus dissimilis Wonderful views of this beautiful rarity at Pine Creek, with a couple of males and two females. A pleasing find against the odds as PG had just fractured his ribs and could hardly move!
Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus Three at Darwin River Dam and one at Lockerbie.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo C. flabelliformis Two seen nicely along Duck Creek Road at Lamington, and heard at both Cassowary House and Bamaga.
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus One seen well at Mt. Lewis, heard at Cassowary House and Lamington.
Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo C. (malayanus) russatus Heard at Cassowary House and seen at Bamaga.
Little Bronze-Cuckoo C. (malayanus) minutillus Good views at Howard Springs and Fogg Dam. Split by Australian authorities but not by Clements, and in PNG the two forms are not separable.
Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae A surprise find was a flying and calling bird at Seisia on May 18, when they should all be in NG.
Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus One pheasant got well and truly plucked by our vehicle in Kakadu, and flew off minus it's tail! Also seen at Lockerbie and near Mareeba.
*Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae The finale of the trip came when one was flushed from the fence at Luke O'Reilly's Farm after we had failed with Marbled Frogmouth for the third time. Calls heard in the distance also match with this species rather than the more expected Sooty Owl.
*Rufous Owl Ninox rufa A tremendous bird in daylight in Darwin Botanic Gardens, Phil walked under it then noticed the droppings and looked up to find it directly above him!
Barking Owl N. connivens Heard at Cooinda and one over the road en route to Waterfall Creek early morning.
Southern Boobook N. novaehollandiae One flushed in daylight at the Old Darwin Road junction, in the area where I've previously seen Owlet-nightjar and Spotted Nightjar similarly. Great views, a very rufous looking form.
Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus Sadly we ran over and killed one sat in the middle of the highway en route to Waterfall Creek, and saw another fly across shortly afterwards. Heard at Lamington.
Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoide Two roosting in the paperbarks at Yellow Waters, and one flushed up from the ground at Mareeba wetlands.
*Papuan Frogmouth P. papuensis Andrew at Kingfisher Park had three huge great birds staked out, which gave marvellous daylight views.
*Spotted Nightjar Eurostopodus argus One calling and seen nicely in flight along the Old Darwin Road , before we got attacked by swarms of mozzies than suddenly emerged from the dry grass!
Large -tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus (H) One heard at Cooinda.
*Australian (White-rumped) Swiftlet Collocalia (spodiopygia) terraereginae Six over Cassowary House.
Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea (H) Heard at Yellow Waters but not actually seen, probably the first time I've done the cruise there and not seen it!
Little Kingfisher A. pusilla Terrific views of one at Howard Springs.
*Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera sylvia How lucky can you get? These should all be long gone to PNG, but we had two adults on the Mt. Lewis trail in light rain on May 13, one with a nice long white tail, then another two moulting adults at Lockerbie on May 17!
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Blue-winged Kookaburra D. leachii Nice views around Mareeba and at Bamaga.
Yellow-billed Kingfisher Syma torotoro (H) Heard at Lockerbie and at Umagico, but not tried for as Hugo has seen it in PNG.
Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii Common in the Territory and at Bamaga.
Red-backed Kingfisher T. pyrrhopygia Two near Berry Springs.
Sacred Kingfisher T. sanctus A few around in the north, including Darwin and Bamaga
Collared Kingfisher T. chloris Nice views at Bayview and East Point and also one at Manly.
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus Lots in the NT and a few in FNQ.
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis One late bird at East Point May 6, and three very late at Lockerbie on May 19.
*Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor What a coup! None around the usual Cairns wintering sites for the second year in succession, but one bird showed beautifully where I'd heard it at Lockerbie in March. It was surprisingly tape responsive for a wintering bird, and allowed fine views. Bird of the trip for both Hugo and Caroline.
*Rainbow Pitta P. iris Great views of one at Howard Springs, the first tick of the trip, then two at Fogg Dam and one at Berry Springs.
*Rufous Scrub-bird Atrichornis rufescens We walked out some 8 km to the Bithongabel lookout area, and I stopped where I had seen a scrub-bird in August last year with the Travers. Just as I was starting the tape, one scuttled tail cocked over the track calling a harsh chit chit note, not 2m from where we were standing, it must have been right there! Playback drew a brief burst of song and a few calls, so we went in along a scrub track Luckily enough it crossed back over for Hugo to get a tickable view, with me getting another glimpse. Worth the trek, though checking my other site near Wanungara lookout drew a blank and we did not hear any singing despite great weather.
*Albert's Lyrebird Menura albertii Driving into Lamington, I remarked that last year one had run over the road in front of the truck. Not 2 minutes later, a male ran across and vanished into the thicket. We saw another on the long trek out day, and a final male across the Duck Creek track by Luke's Farm late one afternoon. They were also singing, one along the Duck Creek track singing to well after sunset.
Australasian Bushlark Mirafra javanica Two at Knuckey's lagoon.
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena Quite widespread in Queensland.
Tree Martin H. nigricans Widespread in the NT, two over O'Reillys.
Fairy Martin H. ariel One at Knuckey's Lagoon and one at the croc farm.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
Barred Cuckoo-shrike C. lineata (H) Heard at Cass House.
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike C. papuensis
Cicadabird C. tenuirostris (H) One of the southern form was heard distantly at Canungra.
*Bassian Thrush Zoothera lunulata A total of six along the Border track at Lamington, two showing very nicely on our final morning.
Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis One near Mareeba.
Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis Great views of one at Fogg Dam. The PNG highlands form is a potential split with quite different vocalizations.
Rufous Songlark Cinclorhamphus mathewsi One in the wet woodland just north of Kelly's Place near Mareeba was a most unexpected find and an addition to my local area list. Was it a tick Hugo?
Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons Arafura fantails of the form dryas were seen at Berry Springs and Yellow Waters, a potential split from the nominate which we saw at Cassowary House and Bamaga.
Grey Fantail R. fuliginosa Widespread in Queensland.
Northern Fantail R. rufiventris Small numbers around Darwin and in Kakadu.
Willie-wagtail R. leucophrys
Spectacled Monarch Monarcha trivirgatus A few around Cass House, and common around Lockerbie.
*White-eared Monarch M. leucotis This rather scarce species showed amazingly well at Cass House, coming in to my feeble imitation of its call and showing very nicely.
*Frill-necked Monarch Arses (telescopthalmus) lorealis A split from Frilled Monarch of PNG, with quite different female plumage. We saw a couple very nicely at Lockerbie on the first afternoon. A Cape York endemic.
*Pied Monarch A. kaupi Heard at Cass House, and one at the base of the Mt. Lewis track. FNQ endemic.
Broad-billed Flycatcher Myiagra ruficollis Lots at Fogg Dam and a few on the Yellow Waters cruise.
Leaden Flycatcher M. rubecula Widespread.
Shining Flycatcher M. alecto Seen nicely at Howard Springs, Yellow Waters and Berry Springs.
*Restless Flycatcher M. (inquieta) nana The Paperbark race nana was common at Yellow Waters and unexpectedly shy at Fogg dam this trip, a possible split from the nominate Restless Flycatcher of SE Australia.
Yellow-breasted Boatbill Macheirhirhynchus flaviventer Seen at Cass House and Lockerbie Scrub where a flightly male eventually showed well.
Lemon-bellied Flycatcher Microeca flavigaster Widespread in the dry woodlands.
*Yellow-legged Flycatcher M. griseoceps This scarce and elusive species showed well at Lockerbie one afternoon, and again out at Umagico where a bird was song flighting from forest edge, much to my surprise.
*Rose Robin Petroica rosea This was a lucky find at the Canungra Creek winery, as there were none calling up at Lamington. A male here showed nicely on the way up to the park, and brilliantly on the last morning on the way out. Nice to see one at eye level at 3 m range rather than neck breaking up at the park for once.
*Pale-yellow Robin Tregellasia capito Good views at Cassowary House.
*White-faced Robin T. leucops This elusive skulker gave good views at the start of the Lockerbie scrub, with one even feeding out on the track there late afternoon. A Cape York special in Australia and one Hugo missed in PNG.
*Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis Seen first at Wondecla, then quite common at Lamington.
Mangrove Robin E. pulverulenta (H) Heard at Bayview.
*White-browed Robin Poecilodryas superciliosa Good views of two at Emerald Creek. We dipped utterly on the potential split Buff-sided Robin at Berry Springs, Adelaide River and Yellow Waters.
*Grey-headed Robin Heteromyias albispecularis Brief views at Mt. Lewis and prolonged ones at the Crater. Clements rightly splits' it from the Ashy Robin of PNG, which as different song, habitat and plumage but is listed as the same by the Australian checklist. An FNQ endemic.
*Northern Scrub-robin Drymodes superciliaris One of the birds of the trip, great views of a responsive singer at Lockerbie. I can't believe this is the same species as in PNG, plumage, calls and habitat are all quite different.
Grey-headed (Grey) Whistler Pachycephala (simplex) griseiceps A Clements split, again in my view correct as habitat, plumage and calls are distinct from the Brown Whistler in the NT. Needless to say not split in the current Oz checklist. Seen well at Cassowary House.
*Brown Whistler P. simplex Nice views in monsoon vine forest at Howard Springs and mangroves at East Point, a Clements split from the former species and confusingly called the Grey Whistler by him, despite it being brown above! Go figure.
Golden Whistler P. pectoralis Nice views on Mt. Lewis and at Lamington.
Mangrove Golden Whistler P. melanura Great views of a pair of what is a scarce and local bird in Australia on Little Woody Island again.
Rufous Whistler P. rufiventris Quite common in dry woodland habitats.
Little (Rufous) Shrike-thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha Common in moister woodlands, the NT birds have an eye-stripe and look and sound quite unlike FNQ birds.
Sandstone Shrike-thrush C. woodwardi Lovely views of two above Waterfall Creek, singing beautifully with a sweet melodious song.
*Bower's Shrike-thrush C. boweri This scarce FNQ endemic was seen once on Mt. Lewis, a lucky find too.
Grey Shrike-thrush C. harmonica Seen at Bamaga and Lamington.
Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis Seen around Darwin and Mareeba, a striking and vocal species.
*Logrunner Orthonyx temminckii Nice views at Lamington, we saw six on our long trek and had great views of two almost buried in leaf litter tangles. This is now split from the quite different NG birds O. novaeguineae.
*Chowchilla O. spaldingii Fabulous looks at a female perched on a diagonal trunk at Cassowary House, with four others nearby calling loudly as usual. A great bird, full of character and quite distinctive. A FNQ endemic too.
*Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus Great views of one by Cassowary House, and also seen nicely at lamington. The southern race has a rather different call, one monotone whistle that is often followed by the whip-crack is not given by northern birds.
*Red-backed Fairywren Malurus melanocephalus Males are really stunning, and showed well near Mareeba.
*Superb Fairywren M. cyaneus The famous blue wren gave nice views at O'Reillys.
*Variegated Fairywren M. lamberti Nice views of a group at Daisy Hill, also seen at Canungra Creek.
*Lovely Fairywren M. amabilis A pair gave very fine views at the site at the base of the Mt. Lewis track, a skulking and sparse FNQ endemic of the rainforest edge.
*White-throated Grasswren Amytornis woodwardi They took some finding and we spent several hours slogging over the boulder slopes before we got them at Waterfall Creek, but what a great bird, maybe the finest of the group.
*Fernwren Oreoscopus gutturalis This FNQ endemic is a mega-skulker and can be difficult, so we were well pleased with one at the Crater on a somewhat wet afternoon. Fine views.
*Yellow-throated Scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis Common at Lamington, also seen on Mt. Lewis.
White-throated Scrubwren S. frontalis Fairly common at Lamington.
*Atherton Scrubwren S. keri Fine views of this sparse FNQ high altitude endemic at Mt. Lewis and near the Crater.
*Tropical (Beccari's) Scrubwren S. beccarii Scarce at Lockerbie, we saw a couple very well then got even better views at Pajinka. This northern race is very different to the southern birds at Iron Range and it would be interesting to know if they really do intergrade. Calls and appearance are quite unlike Large-billed Scrubwren with which it has been suggested to be lumped. A Cape York special in Australia.
*Large-billed Scrubwren S. magnirostris Good views at Cassowary House and again at Lamington.
*Buff-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza reguloides Very nice looks along Duck Creek Road, the trilling call is very distinct and the pale eye shows well.
*Brown Thornbill Good views at Daisy Hill and Lamington.
*Striated Thornbill A. lineata Common around the dry woodlands along Duck Creek Road and into the park.
*Mountain Thornbill A. katherina This very local FNQ high altitude endemic gave great views at Mt. Lewis and near the Crater.
Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris A few around Mareeba, this is Australia's smallest species of bird.
Green-backed Gerygone Gerygone chloronotus good views at Howard Springs and Adelaide River.
Fiery Gerygone G. palpebrosa Seen well at Cassowary House and up at Lockerbie scrub.
White-throated Gerygone. G. olivacea (H) Heard near Mareeba.
*Brown Gerygone G. mouki Seen at Cassowary House and Lamington.
Mangrove Gerygone G. levigaster Nice views of one at East Point, and another at Manly mangroves.
Varied Sittella Neositta chrysoptera The black headed race striata showed well at Mareeba wetlands, and orange-winged white headed leucocephala gave good looks along Duck Creek Road. I am sure the montane NG birds are a distinct species.
*White-throated Tree-creeper Climacteris leucophaeus The small northern race minor showed well at Wondecla, and the nominate was common at Lamington in both rain forest and eucalypt woodland.
*Red-browed Tree-creeper C. erythrops One of the scarcer tree-creepers, we got fine views at Duck Creek Road where they are sympatric with White-throated. The red brow only shows at close range in good light.
*Brown Tree-creeper C. picumnus Good views of the dark northern race near Mareeba.
*Black-tailed Tree-creeper C. melanura Lovely views of this northern tropical species at Nourlangie and later at Mardugal camp area.
Yellow-bellied (Olive-backed) Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis Common around Cassowary House and a few at Bamaga.
Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum Our only flowerpecker gave good views, the first at Howard Springs.
*Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus First at Emerald Creek, then lovely close low level views along Duck Creek Road. A beautiful species.
Striated Pardalote P. striatus Birds in the NT of the race are much paler than melanocephalus in Queensland, and have a different call.
*Pale White-eye Zosterops citrinellus Eleven on Little Woody Island, again flying out as a noisy twittering flock and heading offshore a short way before heading back into to cover, as they were doing in March 2003. This is a restricted range species of small islands, seen by few birders. Interestingly, two white eyes with yellow underparts were amongst the flock, a significant range extension of what is presumably the Yellow White-eye.
Yellow White-eye Z. luteus Good views in mangroves at East Point and Buffalo Creek, and two presumed this species on Little Woody Island.
Silvereye Z. lateralis A few were seen at Lamington and Cassowary House.
Helmeted Friarbird Philemon buceroides Three taxa were seen: yorki at Bamaga and Cassowary House, sometimes split as New Guinea Friarbird P. novaeguineae; gordoni in mangroves and woodland around Darwin and ammitophila the Sandstone Friarbird at Nourlangie. These latter two races lack bill knobs and sound different to yorki, whilst ammitophila at Kakadu had a very obvious brown crown, almost a cap. Clearly more work is needed here to unravel the relationships.
*Silver-crowned Friarbird P. argenticeps Good views at Darwin River Dam and Nourlangie, where we saw Little, Sandstone and this species in the same flowering tree.
Little Friarbird P. citreogularis Common in the Top End and around Mareeba.
*Noisy Friarbird P. corniculatus Good views of them in dry woodland near Mareeba.
Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis Common in the Top End and again around Mareeba.
*Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys The little colony en route to O'Reillys is still present but has moved a tad farther back, so we had fun and games trying to get views of them, eventually succeeding after about an hour's effort!
*Noisy Miner M. melanocephala First at Wondecla, then lots around Duck Creek Road.
Yellow-throated Miner M. flavigula A couple at Darwin River Dam and a few in Kakadu.
Macleay's Honeyeater Xanthotis macleayana Common at Cassowary House, a FNQ endemic.
Tawny-breasted Honeyeater X. flaviventer Good views up at Lockerbie and Umagico, a Cape York special in Australia.
*Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii Common at Mt. Lewis and Lamington.
*Yellow-spotted Honeyeater M. notata This FNQ endemic was readily seen at Cassowary House, and common up at Lockerbie.
Graceful Honeyeater M. gracilis First seen at Cassowary House, and very common up around Bamaga. They call differently to NG birds too.
*White-lined Honeyeater M. albilineata Great views at Nourlangie where we saw up to eight birds, the wild sweet song a characteristic feature of the escarpment. Also seen at Waterfall Creek.
*Bridled Honeyeater Lichenostomus frenatus good views of this high altitude FNQ endemic at Mt. Lewis.
*Yellow-faced Honeyeater L. chrysops First at Mareeba and then common in the dry woodland around Brisbane. A movement was going on too as Phil saw some 25 heading N over O'Reillys.
*Varied Honeyeater L. versicolor Good views at Yule Point.
*Mangrove Honeyeater L. fasciogularis One came in at the usual site at Manly mangroves, giving excellent close views. If the Varied, Mangrove and Singing Honeyeaters are split, why not the equally distinct Helmeted Friarbirds?
*White-gaped Honeyeater L. unicolor Common around Darwin.
*Yellow Honeyeater L. flavus Good views at the croc farm and near Mareeba, a Queensland endemic.
*Fuscous Honeyeater L. fuscus Common in the curious dry woods at Wondecla where it is the most abundant bird.
White-throated Honeyeater Melithreptus albogularis Common around Darwin and in Queensland.
White-naped Honeyeater M. lunatus A few around Duck Creek and the Bell Miner colony.
Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta Very common in the Top End, and also seen around Cairns/Mareeba.
*White-streaked Honeyeater Trichodere cockerelli The Cowal Creek site came up good again with fine views of a calling bird after we went in after it. A Cape York endemic.
White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris nigra Hugo saw one near Julatten,and two were at the Mt. Lewis clearing, a scarce and spectacular species.
Brown-backed Honeyeater Ramsayornis modestus Six at the croc farm and one up at Bamaga.
*Bar-breasted Honeyeater R. fasciatus A surprise find were six at Knuckey's Lagoon, including one out in grassland and perching on the wire fence, whilst the rest were in a scrubby copse there. Also seen at Fogg Dam, seems to be a good time of year for what can be an elusive bird.
Rufous-banded Honeyeater Conopophila albogularis Common around Darwin and Kakadu.
*Rufous-throated Honeyeater C. rufogularis One at Fogg Dam and three at Adelaide River
*Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Nice views of a few of this striking bird at O'Reilly's.
Banded Honeyeater Certhionyx pectoralis One at a flowering tree along the Old Darwin Road in Kakadu, and eight at Cowal Creek near Bamaga. An uncommon and elusive nomad.
Dusky Honeyeater Myzomela obscura Quite common in Kakadu and also seen at Cassowary House.
Red-headed Honeyeater M. erythrocephala Two males at Howard Springs were unexpected, as was another at Berry Springs, both sites well away from mangroves. Also seen at Bayview, and very pleasingly a male on Little Woody Island, a Queensland tick fro Phil.
*Scarlet Honeyeater M. sanguinolenta Great views of stunning males near Mareeba, and also one near Duck Creek road.
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus Heard near Mareeba, and one seen at O'Reillys.
Yellow (Green) Oriole O. flavocinctus Common in the Top End and around Bamaga.
Figbird Sphecotheres viridis The yellow race is common in the north, and a few of the green race were at Canungra Creek.
Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus Common in the north, this form is a likely split from carbonarius in New Guinea.
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca Common in the north.
*Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea It took two goes, but we found a flock near Mareeba which is on the edge of its range, then also seen at Mareeba wetlands.
White-breasted Wood-swallow Artamus leucorhynchus A few around Darwin and Cairns and two on Little Woody Island.
Black-faced Wood-swallow A. cinereus Two at the aerials near Fogg Dam , four at Pine creek and two of the white vented race at Mareeba near Kelly's Place.
Little Wood-swallow A. minor This most local of the group showed nicely at Nourlangie, then three somewhat unexpectedly at Yellow Waters, and finally eight at Waterfall Creek.
Black-backed Butcherbird Cracticus mentalis One singing in the woodland at the Cairns turn-off at Bamaga, a Cape York special here.
Grey Butcherbird C. torquatus Two at Wondecla and also at O'Reillys.
*Silver-backed Butcherbird C. (torquatus) argenteus This likely split from Grey Butcherbird was seen nicely near Berry Springs, a Top End endemic.
Pied Butcherbird C. nigrogularis Quite common.
Black Butcherbird C. quoyi Heard at Cassowary House and singles up at Bamaga.
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen A few near Mareeba and Brisbane.
*Pied Currawong Strepera graculina Four near Herberton and common at O'Reillys.
*Paradise Riflebird Ptiloris paradiseus Winter is a bad time to find them, but luckily Hugo saw a female plumaged one at O'Reillys. I did not even hear one call this trip.
*Victoria's Riflebird P. victoriae This is a much easier bird to find than the above species, and gave terrific views of both sexes at Cassowary House. A FNQ endemic.
Magnificent (Cape York) Riflebird Ptiloris (magnificus) alberti A female plumaged bird showed at Lockerbie and we heard a few males calling, quite distinct to NG birds and also morphologically different and a potential split if our paper gets accepted!
Trumpet Manucode Phonygammus keraudrenii Nice views at Lockerbie, restricted to Cape York in Australia and yet another polytypic complex that needs taxonomic revision.
*Spotted Catbird Ailuroedus melanotis Great views at Cassowary House. This is actually a possible split from the very different and far shyer NG birds.
*Green Catbird A. crassirostris One spotlit at Mt. Glorious, (so avoiding the tickless day!) then a few up at Lamington.
*Tooth-billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris Nice views of two on Mt. Lewis, though they are hard to locate in winter. A high altitude FNQ endemic.
(Golden Bowerbird Prionodura newtoniana) We saw the bower at Longlands Gap, but sadly heavy rain defeated us on both attempts for this high altitude FNQ endemic, which is much easier in the breeding season.
*Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus Lots of them at O'Reillys, where a bower with lots of blue plastic bits was being well attended. Also heard on Mt. Lewis.
*Regent Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus They wander off in winter, so the O'Reilly's corporate logo was hard to find at this time. We saw a female twice, and Caroline gripped us off with a male on two dates. Glen Threlfo also showed us the remains of a bower which had been destroyed just before we got there. I have never seen a bower of this species, apparently it was built around short twin maypoles with a stick like structure similar to Satin Bowerbird.
Great Bowerbird Chlamydera nuchalis Common in Darwin and Kakadu, a fine bower at Mareeba, and a couple of birds up at Bamaga.
Torresian Crow Corvus orru A few in the Top End and at Bamaga.
Australian Raven C. coronoides One at Duck Creek, also heard there.
Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica Most have gone to NG but a few late (mostly immature) birds were at Kingfisher Park.
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Hugo saw some in Brisbane.
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Depressingly common around Cairns and Mareeba, also in Brisbane.
House Sparrow Passer domesticus A few in Cairns and Brisbane.
Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii A few in the Top End and around Mareeba.
Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda A single immature was at Pine Creek Sewage Ponds, the only one of the trip.
*Masked Finch P. personata A few seen at Darwin River Dam, Mardugal, Pine Creek and Adelaide River.
*Black-throated Finch P. cincta This one proved hard, but after some time slogging about we found one in a bush right by the car at Mareeba wetlands, then had three come in to drink from a puddle in the road there. One of the smartest looking finches and decidedly uncommon.
Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton Good views at Fogg Dam and Kakadu.
*Red-browed Firetail N. temporalis Good views at Cassowary House and Kingfisher Park.
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Munia) Lonchura castaneothorax A few on the tablelands and two on Little Woody Island.
Blue-faced Parrot-Finch Erythrura trichroa Great views of two adults in dead lantana up by the clearing on Mt. Lewis, a hard-to-get Oz tick.
Mammals
The trip racked up quite a good mammal list as well, with highlights being Black Wallaroo, Koala and Platypus.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus. A mob of about 30 on Mareeba golf course.
Agile Wallaby M. agilis. A few around Mareeba.
Pretty-face (Whiptail) Wallaby M. parryi. A couple of this delightful species at Wondecla.
Black Wallaroo Macropus bernardus.Tremendous views of a male and two females up at Nourlangie, one female being very confiding, not usual with this species.
Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus. Two along Duck Creek Road.
Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica. One dead one in the road by Cassowary House, strangely killed in the late morning unfortunately.
Red-necked Pademelon T. thetis. Common at Lamington at night.
Musky Rat-Kangaroo Hypsiprymnodon moschatus. Up to 5 at Cassowary House.
Koala Phascolarctos cinereus.
Northern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon macrourus. Nice looks at one at Cassowary House.
Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata. One came in on two nights at Cassowary House, but was very wary.
Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheiris peregrinus. One spotlit near Luke's Farm at Lamington.
Mountain Brushtail Possum Trichosurus caninus. Up to 5 coming in to feed at O'Reillys at night.
Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes. A few at Cassowary House.
White-tailed Rat Uromys caudimaculatus. Good views of a couple of this giant rodent at Cassowary House.
Duck-billed Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus. Great views of two on our final morning in Canungra Creek.
Dingo Canis lupus dingo. One hanging around Cooinda and another at Lockerbie.
Spectacled Flying-fox Pteropus conspicillatus. Seen near Kuranda.
Black Flying-fox P. alecto.Noisy camps at Howard Springs
Little Red Flying-fox P.scapulatus. A dead one on the fence wires at the aerials by Fogg Dam.