Cleanup loop from Cairns via Daintree to the Tablelands heading to the outback
In an Eggshell:
Big Zigzag bird species count: 257 (+7 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 74 (+1 this week: Pittas)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 32 (+2 this week: Spotted Whistling-Duck, Superb Fruit-Dove)
Campsite Lifers: 8 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 59 (+3 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 68
Week’s special milestone: Tick the 8th and last Dendrocygna(Whistling-Duck) species
Bird(s) of the Week
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove was a nice surprise on a fruiting tree at Cairns’ Esplanade
Wompoo Fruit-Dove often heard with its unique “wom-poo!” call in many north east Queensland sites. No as easy to be photographed. Photo taken in Crystal Cascades.
But the most “bird of the week” Fruit-Dove is Superb, which heard already many times in a few north-east Queensland sites, but seen only this week.
Azure Kingfisher, Daintree Village Boat Cruise. The star of the cruise, Spotted Whistling-Duck was not photographed. 3 individuals arrived after dusk not too far from the jetty.
Great-billed Heron, Daintree Village Boat Cruise. A couple was in a courtship. Although seen on PNG, photographed for the first time.
Non-bird image
Creek near Daintree Village
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 9010 km (this week 640 km)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 73 (+1 this week: Sittellas)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 30 (+3 this week: Red Goshawk, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Black-throated Finch)
Campsite Lifers: 8 (+1 this week: Black-throated Finch)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 55 (+3 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 54
Week’s special milestones: Clean-up Poephila genus with Black-throated Finch
Bird(s) of the Week
Black-throated Finch is north-east Queensland endemic which seems not easy to find. I received information about a flock seen regularly at Mareeba Rodeo showground which is perfect for me as it is a camping site as well and very birdy place. 2 weeks ago, I tried hard long afternoon and morning hours without success. This week almost the same 2 days story, but when we were packed and ready to leave, I noticed 10 little birds flying above my head to the horses water trough. Bingo! Here there are drinking quickly and disappearing after a few minutes.
Following PNG memories: Black-backed Butcherbird seen a few different locations in the peninsula.
Common and beautiful: Blue-winged Kookaburra
Non-bird image
Week's Key location(s)
Red Goshawk site
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 7930 km (this week 1450 km)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 52 (+21 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 47
Week’s special milestones: Australia is now the nation with the most birds seen! (481)
Bird(s) of the week
Northern Scrub-Robin (Drymodes superciliaris) at Iron Range (Greenhoose trials). Easy to hear, not so to be photographed. Nice to cleanup all 3 Drymodes (Scrub-Robins) – Papuan in 2022, naturally at PNG and Southern seen in 2018 at Kalbbari, Western Australia.
Red-cheeked Parrot (Geoffroyus geoffroyi) seen only in flight near Cook Huts camping ground (Iron Range) – photo from PNG.
Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) seen only in flight above Weipa shopping center. Photo from PNG
Non-bird image
Pajinka – The Tip
Jardine Ferry Crossing
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 6480 km (this week 1230 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 194 (+30 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 67 (+5 this week)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 18 (+8 this week: Golden Bowerbird, Bridled Honeyeater, Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain Thornbill, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Chowchilla, Fernwren, Rufous Owl)
Campsite Lifers: 4 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 27 (+10 this week)
New “all spices seen family” – Logrunners (Orthonychidae) with Chowcilla this week (Papuan Logrunner seen in PNG 2022 & Australian Logrunner in 2013)
Week’s special milestone: My Australia’s list past in over 450 species
Bird(s) of the week
Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa) – just a walk in the park.. actually Les Davie Park (Cairns North). We parked the motorhome today afternoon at McKenzi street, a short 50 meters northbound walk to the fig tree, and here it is roosting! But… yesterday we spent the whole afternoon, checking the trees without success, only after dusk we had a quick look at the female when she left the nesting hole. And this morning, nada as well. So, not a “walk in the park” 😊
Bridled Honeyeater (Bolemoreus frenatus), Mount Hypipamee National Park, Tablelands
Tooth-billed Bowerbird (Scenopoeetes dentirostris), Lake Barrine
Non-bird image
Waiting for the Fernwren…
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 4280 km (this week 930 km)
Some fruitful traditional sites along Queensland shore
In an eggshell
Big Zigzag bird species count: 164 (+42 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 62 (+11 this week)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 10 (+5 this week: Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Eungella Honeyeater, White-browed Crake, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, White-browed Robin)
Campsite Lifers: 4 (+3 this week: White-browed Crake, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, White-browed Robin )
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 17 (+9 this week)
Week’s special milestone: My 4500 lifer!
Bird(s) of the week
Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami), Vulnerable, finally ticked at Mount Archer National Park, QLD, Australia after 3 fails last weeks at Greenmount Ct, Mt Samson (roadside birding), and no success as well on 2013. Member of family #106 Cockatoos (Cacatuidae).
Eungella Honeyeater (Bolemoreus hindwoodi), seen obviously in Eungella National Park, classified as Near Threatened, with limit range on higher elevations behind Mackay in central Queensland.
7th lifer on Big Zigzag, member of Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), #132 on Bird Families of the World.
Two white browed birds bring me to lifer #4500 and 10th lifer on the Big Zigzag: On this photo, White-browed Crake (Poliolimnas cinereus), member of Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae), #032 on Bird Families of the World, and White-browed Robin (waiting for better photographing opportunity). Both from Tyto Wetlands, Ingham
Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus), wasn’t one of the targets in Tyto Wetlands, but I was expecting it while heading north along Queensland shore. A welcome lifer #9 of the Big Zigzag.
Member of Cuckoos (Cuculidae), #021 on Bird Families of the World.
Non-bird image
Pioneer Valley, from Sky Window Lookout, Eungulla National Park
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 3350 km (this week 1480 km)
eBird Checklists this week
1314. 10 Aug 2024 253 Wallaman Falls Road, Lannercost, Queensland, AU (-18.631, 146.007)
Hinchinbrook
1313. 10 Aug 2024 Tyto Wetlands (Ingham) Hinchinbrook
1312. 09 Aug 2024 Tyto Wetlands (Ingham) Hinchinbrook
Big Zigzag bird species count: 123 (+10 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 51 (+6 this week)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 5 (+1 this week: Ground Parrot)
Campsite Lifers: 1 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 8 (+1 this week)
Bird of the week
White-cheeked Honeyeater, was the most common bird at Great Sandy National Park — Teewah Pump Station Road. The target, Ground Parrot was achieved, but was to quick to be photographed.
Non-bird image
Week's Key Location
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 1870 km (this week 1025 km)
eBird Checklists this week
1293. 03 Aug 2024 8:32 AM Cedars Road, South Kolan, Queensland, AU (-24.973, 152.185), Bundaberg
Big Zigzag bird species count: 103 (+64 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 44 (+11 this week)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 4 (+2 this week: Albert’s Lyrebird & White-throated Gerygone)
Campsite Lifers: 1 (+1 this week: Albert’s Lyrebird)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 7 (+5 this week)
New Bird Family for Australia: Cisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies)
New “all spices seen family” – Lyrebirds (Menuridae) with Albert’s Lyrebird this week (Superb Lyrebird seen already in 2013). This is also the second “all seen Australian endemic”. The first White-winged Chough and Apostlebird (Corcoracidae) completed in 2018.
Week’s special milestone: Australia is now second in my nations list with 434 species passing Brazil (432)
Bird of the week
White-throated Gerygone, Nindooinbah Dam, QLD
3 Days in Lamington Park, success with Albert’s Lyrebird (seen once crossing the road at dusk, second time in the forest near the boardwalk). Other target without success – Paradise Riflebird (heard only, seen by others shortly on that time. Back to Explorer Motorhome at Clontarf for some issues to be fixed. One more day around Dayboro with Tom Tarrant (Thanks Tom!).
Sleeping sites:
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat campground
Canungra
Pelican Park Redcliff
Dayboto Showgrounds
Non-bird image
Some other birds:
Australian Logrunner at 1/60 speed, 8000 ISO. Typical Lamington trails photo at the darkness of the rainforest.
Australian Brushturkey, Typical O’Reilly gardens photo
Week's Key Location
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 845 km (this week 505 km)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 23 (+23 this week)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 2 (+2 this week: White-eared Monarch & Russet-tailed Thrush)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 2 (+2 this week)
Bird of the week
White-eared Monarch, Dayboro, QLD – first Big Zigzag lifer
New adventure commenced – 3 years of the planning stage done – the Big Zigzag Birding is starting!
First days back in Australia, still tiered from the long flight and jetlag, “Plains-wanderer”, our new home on wheels handed over to us at Explorer Motorhome factory in Redcliffe, Queensland.
Three pre-motorhome nights at Baringa B&B, walking distance from the factory and Kippa-Ring mall.
Other sleeping sites this week:
Wescloude Lodge Fare Stay
Dayboro Showgrounds
Tully Memorial Park
Non-bird image
“Plains-wanderer”
Week's Key location
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 340 km (this week 340)