Far North Queensland (FNQ) April 2001:

Five days guiding for Sherry Nelson and Deborah Galloway, from Arizona.
A birding tour in the late wet season, with excellent birding and beautiful sites all within 2 hours drive of Cassowary House.
Weather generally good at the start, but a few heavy showers to dodge later in the week.

Itinerary:
· Saturday April 7: Julatten via Mareeba and Mt. Molloy: Mareeba Wetlands, Lake Mitchell, Kingfisher Park, Abattoir Swamp.
· Sunday April 8: Birding near Cassowary House, Kuranda and Tinaroo Creek Road/Henry Hannam Drive.
· Monday April 9: Atherton Tablelands: Hastie's Swamp, Curtain Fig, Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine.
· Tuesday April 10: Wondecla state forest and the Crater NP (Mt. Hypipamee), Yungaburra, Red Cedar and Cathedral Fig.
· Wednesday April 11: Cairns Esplanade, Croc Farm and Centenary Park.

Species list
CH= Cassowary House HH= Henry Hannam Drive KP= Kingfisher Park.
* unusual sighting *** vagrant
Cassowary: Wonderful views of male and female in the garden at CH on 7/4, again on 8/4 and 9/4. We saw the 13 month old sub-adult Steve, 8/4 and 10/4 beginning to colour up with blue on the neck, a pointy casque starting, and black feathering on the mantle.
Australian Brush-Turkey: CH
Orange-footed Scrubfowl: One at KP.
Australian Grebe: Hastie's Swamp.
Magpie Goose: Two near Mareeba, still not back at Hastie's.
Wandering Whistling-Duck: Single at Hastie's, 15 at Barrine.
Plumed Whistling-Duck : Back at Hastie's Swamp, with 120 on 9/4, a year tick.
Pacific Black Duck
Hardhead: 30 at Mareeba wetlands, one at Hastie's swamp.
Green Pygmy-Goose: A pair and 4 juv at Hastie's, 2 prs and 8 juvs at Lake Mitchell.
White Pygmy-Goose: Two male and two females at Mareeba wetlands.
Great Cormorant: One at Lake Barrine.
Little Black Cormorant:
Little Pied Cormorant: Lake Mitchell.
Australian Darter: One at Lake Mitchell.
* Eastern Reef Egret: A dark phase off the Esplanade on 11/4.
White-faced Heron: Singles at Cairns and two Mareeba wetlands.
Intermediate Egret: Hastie's Swamp, Lake Mitchell and a single at the croc farm.
Great White Egret: Three at the Croc farm and the esplanade.
Cattle Egret: 15 near Yungaburra.
Little Egret: Two at the Esplanade.
Nankeen Night-Heron: One lovely adult roosting in Cairns.
Striated Heron: Two at the croc farm.
* Black Bittern: An adult again at the croc farm, great views of it perched with one foot hanging down the bank of a pond.
* Little Bittern: Three at the Croc farm, flushed singly from reeds beside pond #10 (not the main reedbed) and disappearing into hibiscus thicket and dense fern patches. We flushed a female, a streaky immature bird and one of uncertain age class, with good flight views of two of them. A year tick, the immature again suggests breeding here.
Australian White Ibis: Seen at the Esplanade and near Atherton.
Straw-necked Ibis: The first for CH were 4 overflying on 8/4.
Royal Spoonbill: Two at the croc farm.
Black Kite: A few on the tablelands, max 10.
Whistling Kite: Singles at various sites.
Brahminy Kite: Singles near Cairns.
Osprey: A single at the esplanade and one over Kuranda.
Grey Goshawk: One from the veranda at CH.
Collared Sparrowhawk: One near Mareeba TAFE and another along the Kennedy Highway.
Nankeen Kestrel: A couple near Mareeba, plus singles near Yungaburra.
Brown Falcon: 1 near Mareeba 7/4 and another along the Kennedy Highway 9/4.
Black-shouldered Kite: One near Mareeba.
Spotted Harrier: Two immature birds over the bustard field along Marks Lane on 10/4.
White-bellied Sea-Eagle: Singles at Mt. Molloy and Lake Mitchell.
Wedge-tailed Eagle: One near the Cathedral Fig.
Pacific Baza: Heard at Longlands Gap.
Brolga: One at Lake Mitchell 7/4.
Red-necked Crake: Heard at CH, and a single adult at KP 7/4.
Buff-banded Rail: One at the croc farm.
White-browed Crake: High water levels meant they were not easily seen, but we eventually saw three adults at the croc farm.
Purple Swamphen: Hastie's Swamp and croc farm.
Dusky Moorhen: Hastie's Swamp and Lake Barrine.
Eurasian Coot: Four at Hastie's Swamp.
Australian Bustard: Two males with necks heavily stained by red soil along Marks Lane on 10/4.
Latham's Snipe: A single at the croc farm.
Bar-tailed Godwit: Eight at Cairns esplanade.
Whimbrel: Six at the esplanade.
Eastern Curlew: One at the esplanade.
Common Greenshank: Two at the esplanade.
Terek Sandpiper: Seven at the esplanade.
Grey-tailed Tattler: Forty at the esplanade.
Great Knot: 10 or so on the esplanade.
Red-necked Stint: Three on the esplanade.
Bush Stone-curlew: 11 at the cemetery and one along Tinaroo Creek Road.
Pied Oystercatcher: Two at the esplanade.
White-headed Stilt: Five at the croc farm, two adults and 3 imm.
Lesser Sand-Plover: Five at the esplanade.
Black-fronted Dotterel: Four at the croc farm.
Masked Lapwing:
Comb-crested Jacana: Hastie's Swamp, Lake Mitchell and Mareeba wetlands.
Silver Gull: Esplanade.
Caspian Tern: Four at the esplanade.
Crested Tern: Two at the esplanade.
Little Tern: Eight at the esplanade.
Feral Pigeon
* White-headed Pigeon: Great views of three in Yungaburra.
Spotted Turtle-Dove
Brown Cuckoo-Dove: One at the Crater, and two at CH.
Emerald Dove: Lovely views at CH.
Crested Pigeon: Three at Mareeba.
Peaceful Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove: Mt. Molloy and the croc farm.
Wompoo Pigeon: Nice views of two at CH.
Superb Fruit-Dove: A single fly-by and heard at CH.
Pied Imperial-Pigeon: Three at Centenary Park, getting late for them to be here. One had plain unmarked white under tail coverts, the others were black spotted as usual. So much for the characters separating Pied and Torresian Imperial-Pigeons!
Squatter Pigeon: Five along the road to Mareeba wetlands, coming out and being very tame after a heavy rain shower had wetted the long grass.
Topknot Pigeon: Eight near Yungaburra and one at the Cathedral Fig.
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo: About 20 at Walkamin, great views.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: 500 in a field at Atherton were quite a sight.
Rainbow Lorikeet
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
* Little Lorikeet: About twenty feeding in flowering gums at Wondecla.
Australian King-Parrot: Two at Kuranda and a few by CH.
Red-winged Parrot: Incredible views of two males and two females feeding in flowering bushes near the Termite along Kennedy Highway, my first this year. They are a quite unique shade of green and red, with a bluish top of the head, simply stunning.
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot. Lots of bullets by CH, and great views at Lake Eacham.
Pale-headed Rosella: Two along Henry Hannam Drive.
Brush Cuckoo: One adult at Abattoir Swamp, and an immature in the usual blotchy brown plumage.
Oriental Cuckoo: An adult at Hastie's Swamp on 9/4 was both late and my first this year.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo: One heard at Wondecla.
Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo: One in eucalypt valley forest just the Crater itself on 10/4- calling the single plaintive note and the four note series, plus brief trilling song snatches. We got a good view of it perched eventually after much whistling it in, very dark above with baked bean orangey underparts. This is probably the farthest south ever?
Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (H): Heard at CH.
Little Bronze-Cuckoo: A lovely male at the croc farm.
Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo: Four birds in a state of great excitement, two males and two females were chasing and calling the descending four note series high in the black wattles along Black Mountain Road on 8/4. Also occasionally heard giving the trilling song. The males would perch and wave the wings slowly over the back for a few seconds, facing each other with females nearby.
Channel-billed Cuckoo (H): One called at CH 7/4.
Pheasant Coucal: A couple of roadside birds near Mareeba.
Lesser Sooty Owl (H): One called at CH 8/4.
Papuan Frogmouth: Our roosting bird along Black Mountain Road reappeared on 9/4, with two there on 10/4.
White-rumped Swiftlet: Small groups around Kuranda and the tablelands.
Azure Kingfisher: One along HH at the usual creek.
Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher: An immature at KP gave good views, whilst an adult showed briefly on 7/4.
Laughing Kookaburra
Blue-winged Kookaburra: One near Mareeba.
Forest Kingfisher: Several by CH.
Sacred Kingfisher: A few migrants at the esplanade.
Rainbow Bee-eater: Plenty of migrants about.
Dollarbird: A single near Mareeba on 10/4.
Noisy Pitta: A single at KP eventually gave brief views.
White-throated Tree-creeper: Two at Wondecla.
Brown Tree-creeper: Four at Mareeba wetlands.
Red-backed Fairywren: Three males and several brown birds gave great views at Abattoir swamp.
Striated Pardalote: Nice looks at Mareeba wetlands.
Fernwren: Beautiful vie of a singing bird at Red Cedar, the tail not being pumped as this one called, unlike a bird last year at Longlands Gap.
Yellow-throated Scrubwren: Crater and Lake Barrine.
White-browed Scrubwren: One at Wondecla, a year bird.
Large-billed Scrubwren: CH, good views.
Atherton Scrubwren: Two at the Crater.
Weebill: Good views of Australia's smallest bird at Mareeba wetlands.
Brown Gerygone: CH, Barrine, Wondecla, Crater.
Fairy Gerygone: Seen along Black Mt Road.
Large-billed Gerygone: A single seen at the croc farm and heard at Centenary Park.
White-throated Gerygone: Heard by us and seen by Deb at Hastie's Swamp.
Mountain Thornbill: Great views at Longlands Gap.
Helmeted Friarbird: CH
Little Friarbird: Mareeba wetlands.
Noisy Friarbird: Wondecla and Mareeba
Blue-faced Honeyeater: Mareeba and KP.
Noisy Miner: Four at Wondecla.
Macleay's Honeyeater: CH, KP.
Lewin's Honeyeater: Barrine and Crater.
Yellow-spotted Honeyeater: CH
Graceful Honeyeater: CH and KP.
Bridled Honeyeater: A very tame bird at the Crater, feeding from the hand!
Varied Honeyeater: Six along the esplanade.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater: Hastie's Swamp and Abattoir Swamp.
Yellow Honeyeater: HH and croc farm.
Fuscous Honeyeater: Wondecla, a few singing this time and many feeding with the Little Lorikeets.
White-throated Honeyeater: HH and Abattoir swamp.
White-naped Honeyeater: Two at Wondecla.
Brown Honeyeater: Abattoir swamp and croc farm.
* White-cheeked Honeyeater: Three at Abattoir Swamp.
Brown-backed Honeyeater: Eight at the croc farm.
Eastern Spinebill: One at Barrine.
Dusky Honeyeater: CH.
Scarlet Honeyeater: A lovely male at Atherton and heard at Crater and Koah.
Lemon-bellied Flycatcher: Mareeba wetlands.
Pale-yellow Robin: CH and Barrine
Eastern Yellow Robin: Two at Wondecla.
Mangrove Robin: Great views of two in the mangroves north of the esplanade, a year tick sighting.
Grey-headed Robin: Crater, great views.
Chowchilla: Two males and two females at the Red Cedar gave very nice views. Calling loudly at first light at CH daily.
Grey-crowned Babbler: Good views at Mareeba wetlands and the golf course.
Eastern Whipbird: One seen with the Chowchillas at Red Cedar, and another along BM Road..
Golden Whistler: Males at the Crater.
Rufous Whistler: Good views along HH and at Wondecla.
Grey Whistler: One near CH.
Little Shrike-thrush: Common at CH.
Bower's Shrike-thrush (H): Heard at the Crater.
Grey-Shrike-thrush: One at Wondecla.
Yellow-breasted Boatbill: Lovely views of a male at CH.
Black-faced Monarch: An adult at CH on 12/4, getting late.
Spectacled Monarch; Lovely views at CH and Barrine.
Pied Monarch: Two along BM Road on 8/4.
White-eared Monarch: Nice looks at one along BM Road on 8/4 and one at CH on 12/4.
Leaden Flycatcher: HH and a male and female at the croc farm where it was a new record.
Magpie-lark:
Northern Fantail: A singing bird at Abattoir swamp on 7/4 was my first this year, and a species I did not see I last year.
Rufous Fantail: First at CH on 8/4, also at the Crater.
Grey Fantail: Wondecla.
Willie Wagtail
Spangled Drongo: Five migrants along HH and a couple north near Mareeba.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike:
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike:
Cicadabird: A silent male at Abattoir swamp on 7/4, and the first of the whistled call ones heard back at CH on 12/4.
Varied Triller: CH
Yellow Oriole: Very nice views of one at the esplanade.
Olive-backed Oriole: Two birds at Tinaroo Creek.
Figbird:
White-breasted Wood-swallow
* Dusky Wood-swallow: Seen at Wondecla by the ladies.
Black Butcherbird: Back at CH once again, also Centenary Park.
Pied Butcherbird: A few near Mareeba.
Australian Magpie:
Pied Currawong: A single near Yungaburra.
Victoria's Riflebird: An incredible male in full display at BM Road on 8/4, a very odd time of year. He was raising and lowering himself as he waved the outstretched wings, no head flicking, gape open to show the yellow colour. A female plumaged bird came in to land opposite him, almost touching, but no mating occurred. I had taped a single cal by accident when recording Fairy Gerygone, and this seemed to spark him up after a couple of playbacks. He flew at waist height past us once, going quite slowly and almost resembling the roding flight I once saw from Mag Riflebird at Iron Range. The display then began shortly after, presumably from the same bird.
Torresian Crow:
Apostlebird: Nine at Lake Mitchell gave splendid views.
Spotted Catbird: Great views at CH.
Tooth-billed Catbird: Seen very well at Red Cedar, a singing ventriloquial bird mimicking Rainbow Lorikeets.
Great Bowerbird: Several at Mt. Molloy and a fine bower there, still being used very actively.
Satin Bowerbird (H): Heard at Longlands Gap.
Australasian (Richard's) Pipit: Seen near the croc farm and at Kuranda High School.
House Sparrow: Atherton and Cairns
Double-barred Finch: A few at Mareeba wetlands.
Crimson Finch: Two fine males and two females at the croc farm.
Red-browed Firetail: KP and the croc farm.
Black-throated Finch: Great views of eight at Mareeba wetlands, all with black rumps as usual.
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin: Nice looks at Hastie's Swamp and the croc farm.
Nutmeg Mannikin: Good views at the esplanade.
Yellow-bellied Sunbird: CH and the croc farm.
Mistletoebird: Wondecla and CH.
Welcome Swallow:
Tree Martin: Ten near Atherton and four at Mareeba wetlands.
Tawny Grassbird: Seen near the Cathedral Fig.
Golden-headed Cisticola: Lake Mitchell.
Silvereye:
Metallic Starling: Excellent views of six in Cairns, most have departed by now.
Common Myna:

Furries
Eastern Grey Kangaroo: 30 at Mareeba Golf course and four at Mareeba wetlands.
Agile Wallaby: Five along HH.
White-tailed Uromys: Two from the veranda at CH most nights.
Bush Rat: Two from the veranda at CH most nights.