TOM'S HOME PAGE ECUADOR Amazon East Jan/Feb 2011 SOUTH AFRICA Aug/Sept 2010
POINT PELEE MAY 2010 CANADIAN PRAIRIES JUNE 2010
Cassowary female - one of Australia's most stunning birds (from our 2003 tour, courtesy of Paul D Pratt)
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Regent Bowerbird male Rainbow Lorikeet (courtesy of Paul D. Pratt) |
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Bee-eater male
Blue-winged Kookaburra with breakfast!
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Brown Falcon Barking Owl |
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For a naturalist, Australia is a dream destination. The combination of showy and unique birds and mammals, with easy and safe travel, make this an ideal birding vacation. The continent boasts a list of nearly over 800 species, but even more impressive is that over 300 of these birds are found nowhere else. Families that are well represented here include bowerbirds, fairy-wrens, parrots and honeyeaters. Where else can one see a lyrebird, a half dozen bowerbird species, a platypus, an Echidna, or a kangaroo?
This itinerary focuses on the best birding sites in north and eastern Australia. Why? In a three week vacation, it is not possible see all Australia has to offer. So instead, the itinerary focuses on eastern and northern Australia. This gives us access to Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine, Cairns, the Atherton tablelands, Oreillys and the greater Sydney area. The itinerary includes portions of areas covered in trips in previous years. For a trip report that gives an idea of expected species in the Northern Territories (Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine), please check out this trip report. For a trip report that gives an idea of expected species on the rest of the itinerary please check out the following trip report.
The itinerary is timed to coincide with the end of the austral winter, the commencement of breeding season, and the arrival of breeding migrants (although some will just be arriving). Just some of the rare, showy, or spectacular species which are possible on this trip include Gouldian Finch, Cassowary, Red Goshawk, Chestnut Rail, Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Golden, Great, Tooth-billed, Satin and Regent Bowerbirds, Blue-faced Parrotfinch, Beach Stone Curlew, Rufous, Lesser Sooty and Barking Owls, Papuan, Tawny and Marbled Frogmouths, Red-necked, White-browed, Buff-banded and Spotless Crakes, Banded, Rose-crowned and Superb Fruit Doves, Alberts and Superb Lyrebirds, Purple-crowned and Red-backed Fairywrens, Red-tailed and Glossy Black Cockatoos, Hooded Parrot, Australian Bustard, Rainbow and Noisy Pittas, Blue-winged and Laughing Kookaburras, Pictorella and Yellow-rumped Manakins, Paradise and Victoria's Riflebirds, Rock Warbler, and Plum-headed Finch. And this is just a small selection of the goodies that are quite possible!
We will also make a concerted effort to try and find some of the many unique mammals that call Australia home. Among the targets are several species of kangaroos, wallabies and pademelons, Duck-billed Platypus, Short-beaked Echidna, Koala, Musky Rat Kangaroo, Brown Bandicoot, Striped Possum, Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo, and Greater Glider. We will make several evening spotlighting excursions to try and view mammals and nocturnal birds.
The accommodations and lodges on this trip are of an excellent standard. Tops among the places we will visit would likely be Oreilly's, a world renowned rainforest lodge. The service, setting, facilities and superb viewing right around the grounds make this lodge a memorable experience. However other facilities such as those at Cooinda lodge in Kakadu National Park also are very comfortable and ideal for a birding tour because of their setting and nearby wildlife.
The trip takes place in the height of Australian spring. It begins in Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia on October 20th, 2008 and concludes in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the morning of November 8th, 2008. Because of the date line and time change, this will generally mean a departure from North America on October 18th, 2008 to arrive in Darwin on October 20th, 2008 (ie. you lose one day). On the return journey, a departure from Sydney on November 8th morning generally means an arrival in North America on the morning on November 8th (ie. you gain back one day).
The group is limited to 12 participants. If we have a full group, and where available, we will use a 22 or 25 passenger coaster bus for transportation. Otherwise we will use a combination of smaller 12 and 8 passenger minibuses or vans (depending upon group size). If the group has more than seven participants, we will have two leaders (plus local guides).
Tom Hince and Bruce Di Labio will be co-leaders. At several locations, we will also have local step on guides.
Bruce has guided trips in Costa Rica, Australia, and throughout North America. He is best known for an intimate knowledge of eastern Ontario and the Ottawa region and his remarkable ability to find rare birds. Bruce has a reputation as one of Canada’s premier birding guides. In addition to guiding, Bruce has also organized and delivered educational courses on birding. He is also a regular contributor to many field publications including Ontario Birds and Birders Journal. Bruce’s love of the outdoors and commitment to his clients are hallmarks of his reputation.
For over a decade Tom was the birding expert at Point Pelee National Park, Canada’s premier spring birding destination. Tom has organized and guided trips to Cuba, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Ecuador, South Africa, Tanzania, Australia and throughout North America. This will be Tom’s sixth trip to Australia in the last seven years. Tom and his wife Lily own a guest house just minutes from world renowned Point Pelee National Park, in Ontario, Canada. Here, in the peak of spring migration, they offer packages that give a window into the magic of songbird migration.
In addition to guiding, Tom also consults on birding tourism development, writes (see A Birder’s Guide to Point Pelee), lectures on many aspects of birds and birding, and produces videos and television (for nine years Tom was a regular contributor and producer for Discovery Channel Canada and the Science Channel in the US).
The focus of the trip will be birding. The days will typically involve early starts so that we can take advantage of bird activity. In some cases we may go birding before breakfast. Where possible we will try to take a break during the middle of the day so participants can recharge, or grab a nap, take some time to photograph, work on their notes, or just relax. Like the birds, we will increase our activity as it begins to cool in the afternoon and bird again for several hours on most days.
We will also spend a fair amount of time looking at mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and other critters. It is impossible to visit Australia without taking in the incredible diversity of mammals. To see them (as well as nocturnal birds), we will make a significant effort to do some evening spotlighting trips. We will make at least three night excursions. If conditions permit, we may add an unplanned night outing here or there. On at least a few evenings, we will take an early dinner and then do a spotlighting trip afterwards. This is the best way to catch up with some of the more elusive mammals.
I also realize that this is likely one of the few, if only, times that most participants will visit this region. So where our schedule permits, we will stop for photography of scenic viewpoints, occasional souvenir shopping, and key points of interest.
The focus of the trip will be on quality views of birds, but we also can expect to amass a sizeable species total for the group, likely in the 350-400 species range including many endemics. This itinerary is a blend of two previous trips which I have run several times. To get a better idea of expected species, please check out the Australia 2003 trip report. The 2003 trip included the Melbourne area but did not include the Northern Territories. To get an idea of the fantastic birding in the Northern Territories check out the Australia 2005 trip report (this trip included also included the red centre, western Australia and Melbourne).
In all areas we will be using comfortable well appointed motels or lodges. Properties are typically three to four star. I try to book lodging where we are only paying for services that we get to use. Exceptions are basic necessities like air con, and swimming pools in northern portions of the itinerary. Similar accommodations may be substituted for those listed in the itinerary.
No. The three in country flight segments are not included in the price. Based upon feedback from recent Australia tours, participants wanted the flexibility to use the Aussie Pass (from Qantas). This discount fare allows combination of international airfare from North America on Qantas with a number of in country segments at a much reduced price. I will identify specific flights on transfer days so participants can book their airfare segments on their Aussie Pass or add these segments separately. These flight details will be provided in December 2007 (or as soon as Qantas fall 2008 schedules become available). Please note that baggage weight limits for both checked and carry on have become strict on internal flights in Australia. However, if you have international airfare booked on the same airline, you will generally have a higher weight allowance for domestic flights.
The cost of the main tour is CDN $6750 per person based upon double occupancy from Darwin to Sydney. This includes the following as specified in the itinerary below: 19 nights lodging (double occupancy); ground transportation during the tour; breakfast, lunch and dinner daily (beginning with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 20); Yellow waters boat trip; Oreillys excursions; entrance fees for all public, national and private parks and reserves; Daintree River boat trip; guide services each day provided by the tour leaders; local guides as identified in the itinerary; guide services at Oreillys lodge; drinks in the field (water, pop, juice) and snacks (generally fresh fruit and trail mix); gratuities for local guides, hotel and restaurant staff; use of scopes; group photo (electronic file not print); base checklist for use in the field (electronic excel file); full trip report and group checklist with narrative (in excel and word format respectively). Breakfasts and lunches may be either sit down or in the field depending upon weather, birding opportunities, or how early the troops can be rousted!
The cost does not include transportation to Darwin, Northern Territories, Australia or from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from North America, or any domestic air flights in Australia; alcoholic beverages; phone calls; laundry; or items of a personal nature; or items not specifically listed here as included. This price is based upon group tariffs for ten to twelve participants and a small party supplement may be necessary if fewer than ten participants sign up for the trip.
Breakfasts, lunch and dinner are included in the cost of the trip. Breakfasts will mostly be in the field and tail gate style (at least five days we will have a hot sit down breakfast) while lunches will be roughly split half and half between picnic and sit down meals. The latter case is likely if we are on a lengthy drive or in areas where the climate is hot at mid day. Dinners will be the main sit down meal of the day. This is also where we will do our checklist. In some cases dinners will be on a set menu basis, or participants may be given a choice of several options from the restaurant menu (to expedite the dinner process). Some snacks (fresh fruit and trail mix) will be provided while birding but if you have favourite or special nibblies you like, we will make periodic grocery stops where you can purchase these.
I’m sure most participants will have heard all the stories about Australia’s lengthy list of venomous critters, especially snakes. However, It is unlikely (this is unfortunate from your guides perspective!) we will get to see to any of these reptiles. A more constant hazard in Australia is the sun. But with a good wide brimmed hat, and regularly applied sun screen, you should be fine. Bug wise, the biggest annoyance will likely be bush flies (not biting, but still annoying at times). If it is a hot spring they may be out in numbers. Simple bush fly nets that fit over any wide brimmed hat can be purchased cheaply in many areas. We may also run into the odd spot with mosquitoes and/or no see ums in mangroves but bug repellent should help keep them manageable. On the whole though, Australia in spring is a very pleasant place to bird.
If you desire single accommodations, or if you prefer to share, but have no roommate and we cannot provide one for you, a single supplement will apply (estimated at $950).
This trip varies from easy to moderate in terms of physical challenge. The days are often long due to early starts to beat the midday heat. Where possible, we will fit in afternoon or midday breaks so participants can recharge. A lot of birding will be drive up, or short walks near the vehicle. On most days the greatest physical challenge will be short hikes of less than a kilometer on relatively level terrain. In general the effort on this trip is easy and not physically challenging. However there may be a few days when we make more strenuous hikes of several kilometers. If participants wish to opt out of these hikes, they can easily stay and bird near the bus. As a good test, participants should be able to walk several kilometers a day on flat to uneven terrain without problem.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Please either send an email or call Tom Hince at (peleetom@netcore.ca) or (519) 825-9070 to confirm your interest in signing up for the trip. I can then answer any questions you might have and also advise as to space availability for the trip. To confirm your participation a deposit of CDN $1400 is required (US participants can submit a US$1350 check) per person by check made to: Tom Hince, RR1, 21298 Harbour Road, Wheatley, ON. N0P 2P0 (see note below about cancellations). Your check will not be deposited until six participants are confirmed and the trip is a go. You will then be informed by email that the trip is a go and that your check will then be deposited.
If you cancel:
1 Up to 120 days prior to the beginning of the tour (and the trip has been
confirmed): If you cancel, your deposit will be forfeit.
2 Between 120 days to 60 days prior to the beginning of the tour: If you
cancel and have paid the full tour amount, fifty percent of the total tour cost
will be refunded. The remaining fifty percent is non-refundable.
3 Within 60 days of the beginning of the tour: The total tour cost is
non-refundable.
I'm sure I've forgotten some important details, so please don't hesitate to give me a call, or drop me an email (I read my email every few hours during the workday). You can contact me at (519) 825-9070 or peleetom@netcore.ca
The trip takes in four major areas: the Northern Territories (Darwin, Kakadu and Katherine); Sydney; northern Queensland (Cairns, Atherton Tablelands); southern Queensland (Lamington National Park).
This afternoon participants can check into our hotel in Darwin. Depending upon their arrival time, participants may have some time free to explore this lively tropical seaside city. Our hotel has a pool and is located close to the downtown for those who wish to shop and walk, or explore the city. We will meet at 3:00 pm to take a short afternoon outing to Buffalo Creek north of the city. Depending upon tides, this may provide an opportunity to search for a variety of shorebirds, or perhaps the secretive Chestnut Rail and Mangrove Kingfisher. Other targets here will include Red-headed Honeyeater, Green-backed Gerygone, Yellow White-eye, Black Butcherbird (all mangrove specialists), Grey Whistler, Emerald Dove and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Long-tailed and Double-barred Finches, Chestnut-breasted Manakin, Rainbow Bee Eater, Red-winged Parrot and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. Depending upon how tired participants are, we may opt to search for Large-tailed Nightjar at dusk on our return trip to the city. Dinner and night at Quality Inn, Darwin.
Night: Quality Inn, Darwin
We will have two more full days to explore the excellent selection of birding sites around the city of Darwin. Fortunately, there are many good areas within a short drive. Because it gets quite hot in the middle of the day, we will concentrate our activities in early morning and late afternoon, and return to our hotel in the middle of the day for lunch and a swim. Sites we will likely visit during our stay in Darwin include the botanical gardens, East Point Reserve, Palmerston sewage ponds, Tiger Brennan Drive, Buffalo Creek, Holmes Jungle Nature Reserve, Knuckey Lagoons and McMinns lagoons.
Some of the target species around Darwin include Rufous Owl (at day roost), Chestnut Rail (rare and secretive), Emerald Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Little Curlew, Azure, Forest and Red-backed Kingfishers, Rainbow Pitta, Mangrove, Large-billed and Green-backed Gerygones, Red-headed, Rufous-banded, Rufous-throated, Blue-faced, Bar-breasted and White-throated Honeyeaters, Red-chested and Red-backed Button-Quail, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Northern and Mangrove Gray Fantails, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Magpie Goose, Green Pygmy-goose, Wandering Whistling Duck, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Australasian Pratincole, Comb-crested Jacana, Bush Stone-curlew, Striated Pardalote and Restless Flycatcher. We are sure to see a wide selection of birds during this exciting two day kick off to the trip. This is normally the end of the 'dry' and the beginning of the 'wet'. Typically there is little remaining water, and this provides excellent concentrations of waterbirds.
Nights: Quality Inn, Darwin
This morning we will have an extra early departure and head southeast in time to arrive at Fogg Dam before dawn. After searching for Barking Owls and other nocturnal species we will enjoy the sunrise and early morning at this well known wetland. Here there is a good chance of finding White-browed Crake and Buff-banded Rail. Other crakes are always a possibility. In past years, we have enjoyed Spotless and White-browed Crakes and Buff-banded Rail all in view at the same time! Depending upon water levels the wetlands may hold numbers of Magpie Geese, Wandering and Plumed Whistling Ducks, Rajah Shelduck, Green Pygmy-goose, Intermediate Egret, Pied Heron, Nankeen Night-Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Black-necked Stork (Jabiru), Swamp Harrier, Brolga, Comb-crested Jacana, Australian Pratincole and Crimson Finch. After the wetlands settle down we will search the nearby monsoon forest trails for a number of special birds. Two stunning birds that we have an excellent chance of finding here are the Rainbow Pitta and the Rose-crowned Fruit Dove.
After lunch, we will drive east towards Kakadu National Park, a world heritage site. En route we will check several locations for waterbirds we might have missed, plus localized species such as Partridge Pigeon, Black-tailed Treecreeper and Mangrove Golden Whistler. Depending upon our progress we may have time to bird in Kakadu itself in the afternoon, possibly visiting one of the famous aboriginal rock art sites. In mid afternoon we will check into our hotel at Cooinda, where participants can have a nap, take a refreshing swim, or wander the grounds. We will spend the next two nights at the Cooinda Lodge.
The next morning we will take the famous Yellow waters boat trip. This is sure to be a highlight of our trip to Australia. Hundreds of waterbirds will provide photo opportunities, from White-bellied Sea Eagles to whistling ducks to Magpie Geese to Pygmy Pied Cormorants, Nankeen Night-herons and Australian Darters. All these are likely to provide spectacular views. Two key species we will search for today are Little and Azure Kingfisher, with a chance of rarities such as Great-billed Heron and Black Bittern. Not to be outdone by the abundant birdlife, will be the close ups of Saltwater Crocodiles and the beautiful scenery. We will return to our lodge for a well deserved sit down breakfast and then some late morning birding nearby. In the middle of the day we will take a good break allowing participants a chance to swim, nap or catch up on laundry in the heat of the day. In late afternoon, when it begins to cool, we will head to Nourlangerie Rock to search for sandstone specialties such as Silver-crowned Friarbird, Sandstone Shrike-thrush and Banded Fruit-dove. This site also provides some superb opportunities to view the aboriginal rock art for which Kakadu is renowned.
Nights: Cooinda Lodge, Kakadu Nat Park
After checking out of our lodge early this morning, we will spend our last morning in Kakadu searching for some of the endemic birds that stick almost exclusively to the sandstone outcrops interspersed throughout the park. Targets this morning will include Sandstone Shrike thrush, Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon, White-lined Honeyeater and Banded Fruit Dove. Other new birds that are likely this morning include Varied Lorikeet and Silver-crowned Friarbird.
After leaving Kakadu we will stop in Pine Creek for a late breakfast and then bird around the townsite searching for honeyeaters and the elusive Hooded Parrot. This spectacular parrot has a localized distribution but this spot has proven reliable in the past. From Pine Creek we will continue south stopping at several sites where the increasingly rare Gouldian Finch still persists. in both 2005 and 2006 we were able to obtain excellent views of Gouldian Finches. In late afternoon, we will arrive in Katherine and check into our hotel in time for a swim before dinner.
Night: All Seasons Resort, Katherine
This morning we will make another early start and head west along the Great Northern Highway to a river crossing in time for dawn. Here we will spend the cooler more active early hours searching for a variety of finches, including Star Finch and again Gouldian Finch. Masked, Long-tailed and Zebra Finches are likely today as well. At Victoria River our target will be the gorgeous Lilac-crowned Fairywren. Other targets in this area include Yellow-rumped and Pictorella Manakin, with Grey Falcon also a remote possibility. We will bird our way back east along the Highway arriving at our hotel in early afternoon. After a swim or a nap, participants will have the option of a late afternoon drive to the town of Mataranka (about 90 minutes). The main target this afternoon will be Red Goshawk, which has nested regularly at a site near town. We will return to Katherine after dark. Dinner and night at All Seasons Resort, Katherine.
Night: All Seasons Resort, Katherine
Today will primarily be a transfer day. If we still don't have Gouldian Finch we will check several sites as we head north towards Darwin for our early afternoon transfer to Cairns. We may also have time to bird several other sites along the way depending upon timing of our flight. FLIGHT TO BE IDENTIFIED WHEN SCHEDULES ARE POSTED. In the evening we will arrive in Cairns and transfer to our hotel on the famous Esplanade.
Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns
Today we will take a more leisurely pace and get a chance to recharge for phase two of the trip. If the tides are suitable, we will spend the early morning birding the nearby Esplanade and then return to our hotel for a late breakfast. The Esplanade is a waterfront park which attracts an excellent selection of shorebirds. Species we will search for here include Eastern Curlew, Eastern Reef Egret, Gull-billed Tern, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel (Asiatic race), Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper (scarce), Pied Oystercatcher, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-capped Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Black-fronted Dotterel and Masked Lapwing. The shoreline mangroves and fruiting trees may harbor Yellow Oriole, Yellow, Mangrove, Brown, Brown-backed and Dusky Honeyeaters as well.
Participants will have the middle of the day to relax, catch up on laundry,
do notes, nap, etc. Later in the afternoon we will head to Centenary Park to
bird the trails there as it begins to cool down. Targets there include Australian Brush-turkey, Orange-footed
Scrubfowl, Bush Stone-curlew, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Rainbow Lorikeet,
Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Black Butcherbird, Spangled Drongo and Brush Cuckoo.
We may also have time at dusk to visit a large roost of Flying Foxes (bats) and
watch them emerge from their day roost. Dinner and night at Mercure Harbourside.
Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns
Today is sure to be one of the most memorable days of the trip. We will take a boat excursion today to the famous Great Barrier Reef. After a sit down breakfast, we will be picked up and transferred to our large catamaran. We will make the trip to Michaelmas Cay, 40 km. offshore, where thousands of nesting seabirds will fill the sky. Large numbers of Common Noddies, Sooty Terns, Lesser Crested Terns and Crested Terns should be present but we might also have looks at Black-naped Tern, Brown Booby, Great Frigatebird, Bridled Tern, Ruddy Turnstone and Black Noddy. After some fabulous snorkeling and a tour on a semi-submersible boat, we will return to Cairns in late afternoon.
For those participants who wish to stay in Cairns, you can just kick back
and relax in this laid back tropical Queensland waterfront town, or do some
birding right from the front of the hotel. The waterfront is world famous as one
of the best places in the world to observe shorebirds. Hundreds of Asiatic
shorebirds feed here each fall and winter on the extensive mudflats that are
exposed at low tide. Trees along the Esplanade may hold
Varied & Yellow Honeyeaters, Helmeted Friarbirds and Figbirds. Dinner
and night at Mercure Harbourside.
Night: Mercure Hotel Harbourside, Cairns
We will check out of our hotel early this morning and head east and north onto the cooler Atherton tablelands. Our destination about a forty five minute drive from Cairns is Cassowary House. Here we will enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the veranda of this small bed & breakfast set in the rainforest. The bird feeders attract an excellent selection of birds including Australian Brush-turkey, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Macleay's Honeyeater, Spotted Catbird, Victoria’s Riflebird, Emerald Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Red-necked Crake and Musky Rat-Kangaroos, the world’s smallest kangaroo. The pace may pick up considerably if the house is visited by the resident Cassowary (highly unpredictable, but always possible).
In the late morning we will continue up into the Atherton Tablelands stopping to bird at Emerald Creek Falls. In this area we may see Pheasant Coucal, Cicadabird, White-browed Robin, Squatter Pigeon, Pale-headed Rosella and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher. The much drier landscape is dominated by thousands of immense termite mounds. It is also a good site for observing both Brolga and Saurus Cranes in the agricultural fields near Mareeba.
We will continue north making brief stops near Mt. Molloy and then again
descend into the coastal lowlands and Daintree village. Our bed and breakfast is
an excellent site for birds and also a good spot for frogs (in 2003 we had Eastern Dwarf Tree
Frog, Lesueur's Frog and Giant Tree Frog - the world's largest tree frog).
Night: Red Mill House B&B, Daintree Village
This morning we will join local resident Chris Dahlberg for an exciting boat trip down the placid Daintree River. Chris knows this river well and we should expect some fine sightings this morning. Possibilities include Black Bittern, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Darter, Nankeen Night-Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Pied Imperial-Pigeon, Shining Flycatchers and trees filled with Spectacled Flying Foxes. We will return to Red Mill house for a delicious late breakfast and then bird the lodge grounds and the nearby town. Possibilities include Bower's and Little Shrike-thrushes, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Brown Quail, Common Koel, Metallic Starling, Azure Kingfisher and Blue-winged Kookaburra.
In the afternoon we will head south making a brief stop at Newell Beach to
search for Beach Stone-curlew (elusive and scarce, but this is a good site). We
will again ascend the Atherton tablelands and arrive at Kingfisher Lodge in late
afternoon. After check in, we should have time for a walk around the grounds.
Possibilities here include Noisy Pitta, Red-necked Crake, Grey Goshawk, Fairy
and Large-billed Gerygones, Pale Yellow Robin and Spectacled Monarch.
Night: Kingfisher Park Lodge, Jullaten
This morning we will ascend a forest road up nearby Mt. Lewis. It should be
another
day of memorable birding with such beauties as Topknot Pigeon, Emerald Dove,
Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Grey-headed Robin,
Black-faced, Spectacled and Pied Monarchs, Mistletoebird, Chowchilla, and
Fernwren all on the target list today. This is also an area rich in honeyeaters
and we may see Blue-faced, Macleay’s, Bridled,
Lewin’s, Yellow-spotted and Graceful Honeyeaters, and Eastern Spinebill. Bowerbirds are
another target group here and we may find Spotted Catbird (weird cat-like calls),
Tooth-billed Bowerbird and the striking Golden
Bowerbird (rare and difficult to find). The large Major Skink, Egernia
frerei is regularly seen here basking on the tree trunks. We will return to
Kingfisher Park in time for a late lunch followed by a break. Participants can
nap or bird on the productive grounds of our lodge. A late
afternoon walk at Kingfisher Park will again target Noisy Pitta, and then we
will drive to a nearby bridge to search for the elusive and secretive
Duck-billed Platypus. After eating dinner at a nearby hotel we will
spotlight on our way back to the lodge. There we will meet a staff member for a
short spotlight walk on the grounds. Targets here include the attractive Striped
Possum and Lesser Sooty Owl.
Night: Kingfisher Park Lodge, Jullaten
Our itinerary may vary today depending upon water levels in local wetlands. It is likely that we will start the day in nearby Mt. Carbine. This area is much drier and provides some enticing new possibilities. An area of pastureland near Mt. Carbine regularly attracts a number of male Australian Bustards. Other possibilities include Squatter Pigeon, Red-backed Fairy-wren and Agile Wallaby. In the town itself there is often an active and impressive Great Bowerbird bower, with a wonderful collection of white shells, glass and bottle caps. Just past the town we will access a nearby river bed where any remaining water can attract a good assortment of birds including Pale-headed Rosella, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Little Bronze-Cuckoo, White-throated Gerygone, Blue-faced, White-throated, Scarlet and Banded Honeyeaters, Torresian Crow and Double-barred Finch.
In the late morning we will head south towards Mareeba where we will have lunch at a fabulous wetland site. The wetland often holds large numbers of water birds including Black Swan, Wandering Whistling-Duck, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Green Pygmy-goose, Black-winged Stilt and Comb-crested Jacana. A few stops in the surrounding dry woodlands may reveal Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Apostlebird, Torresian Crow and Double-barred and Black-throated Finches (the latter becoming increasingly scarce) . We may also visit other sites this afternoon such as Hasties Swamp or Lake Tinaroo but this will depend upon water levels. We will check into our hotel in Yungaburra this afternoon in time for participants to take a leisurely walk around town. Dinner tonight at the Eden House.
After dinner we will have a spotlighting excursion at a well known site where we may find Large-tailed Nightjar, Northern Brown Bandicoot, Lumhotlz’s Tree-Kangaroo, Green Ringtail Possum and Common Ringtail Possum.
Night: Yungaburra Park Motel, Atherton
This morning we will have time for a few hours birding to fill in any gaps on our list, or to just soak in some species we have already enjoyed. We will bird early and then have a sit down breakfast before checking out and making our way back to the coast and Cairns airport. From here we will take a late morning flight to Brisbane (FLIGHT TO BE IDENTIFIED WHEN SCHEDULES ARE POSTED) . From Brisbane we will drive several hours into the Green Mountains and Lamington National Park. Our destination will be the world famous Oreilly's Rainforest Guesthouse right in Lamington National Park. We should arrive in late afternoon and expect to be greeted by remarkably tame Australian Brush-turkeys, Crimson Rosellas, Australian King-Parrots, Wonga Pigeons and Regent and Satin Bowerbirds. Many of these wonderful critters will be looking for free handouts!
Depending upon our arrival time we should have time for a late afternoon excursion, perhaps on Duck Creek Road. This open eucalypt forest has a grassy understory and supports large trees with thick, fire resistant bark. Many trees show scarring from past fires. Species that are targets here include Red-browed Woodcreeper, Black-faced Monarch, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill and Pied Currawong.
We will return to the lodge for dinner. This is sure to provide some excitement
with Mountain Brush-tail Possums likely at the feeding trays. After a delicious
dinner, we will take a spotlighting walk to search for mammals and birds.
Possibilities include "Coppery" Ringtail Possums, Long-nosed Bandicoot,
Red-necked Pademelons, Southern Boobook Owl and Marbled Frogmouth.
Night: Oreilly's Rainforest Guesthouse
Our lodge is in a superb setting and rich and diverse subtropical rainforest containing almost 300 tree species are only a few feet from the guesthouse. Many trees here have large buttress roots and support many epiphytic ferns and orchids. This morning we will explore the nearby trails in search of many special birds. Targets include White-headed Pigeon, Paradise Riflebird, Green Catbird, Albert's Lyrebird, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Grey and Rufous Fantails and Topknot Pigeon. For those who can manage heights, we will take a brief foray onto the Tree Top Walk, a series of suspension bridges 600 ft. in length and 55 ft. above the ground. A large Strangler Fig along the walkway provided an observation deck 110 feet above the ground.
We will return to the lodge for a leisurely lunch and then take a break.
Participants can photograph some of the tame birds or mammals around the lodge
before we go out in mid afternoon for another excursion. We
may return to Duck Creek Road to search lower elevations for Forest Kingfisher, Brown
Quail, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Grey
Butcherbird and Fan-tailed Cuckoo.
Night: Oreilly's Rainforest Guesthouse
This morning we will have one last chance to pick up the specialties of Lamington National Park. One trail we will likely target this morning is Python Rock Trail. It will also be a good opportunity for photos of the many tame birds of around the lodge. In mid morning we will descend back to Brisbane, making several birding stops along the way. We will arrive in Brisbane airport in time for a late afternoon transfer from Brisbane to Sydney (FLIGHT TO BE IDENTIFIED WHEN SCHEDULES ARE POSTED). After checking into our hotel in Sydney we will have time for a relaxing dinner.
Night: Mercure Hotel Sydney
We will have a full day to explore this beautiful national park just a half hour drive south of the city. We will spend the entire day exploring Royal National Park and its diverse habitats. The targets here will include Superb Lyrebird, Rock Warbler (our best chance today), Satin Bowerbird, Eastern Spinebill, Black-faced Monarch, Variegated and Superb Fairywrens, Southern Emuwren, Eastern Whipbird, Pilotbird, Red-browed Firetail, Chestnut-rumped Hylacola, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-faced, Lewin's, White-eared, White-plumed, White-naped, New Holland, Tawny-crowned and Scarlet Honeyeaters, Golden Whister, Brown Gerygone, and Spotted Pardalote. We can also expect to see good numbers of Dusky Moorhens, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Magpie-Larks. This is also a great site to keep an eye out for Short-beaked Echidna, one of the continent's most bizarre mammals (it lays eggs, rather giving birth to live young). We will return to our hotel in mid to late afternoon so participants can take a rest before dinner.
Night: Mercure Hotel Sydney
This morning we will get a very early start and head west through the blue
mountains to the Capertee Valley. We will take a box breakfast with us and try
to reach the beautiful Capertee valley as the sun rises. We will
spend the whole morning exploring this great birding spot - often ranked as one
of the best in the country. One of the specialties here is finches and we
will search for Double-barred, Red-browed, Zebra and Plum-headed (rare) Finch as
well as the crisply marked Diamond Firetail. This is also an excellent site to
search for honeyeaters and we can expect up to ten species today. One of our
targets will be the endangered Regent Honeyeater which although rare, is
occasionally seen here in spring. Other species possible here include Common
Bronzewing, Red-rumped Parrot, Little Lorikeet, Western Gerygone, Weebill,
Red-capped, Hooded and Yellow Robins, Crested Shrike-tit, White-browed Babbler,
White-winged Chough, Dusky Woodswallow and Rufous Songlark. Much more difficult but
possible are Swift Parrot, Rock Warbler, Red-browed Treecreeper and Speckled
Warbler. After a picnic lunch we will pass over the Blue Mountains, making
several stops on our return to Sydney. One of these is a wetland where we may
bump into Nankeen Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, a variety of waterfowl, Red-kneed
Dotterel, Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Little Grassbird and possibly Baillon's Crake
(dependent upon water level). We will return to Sydney in time for a final
wrap up farewell dinner celebration.
Night: Mercure Hotel Sydney
The tour concludes this morning in Sydney. Participants can transfer from our hotel to the airport during the morning.
Although a pelagic trip is not included in this trip, the conclusion of the trip is timed so that participants can join one of the monthly pelagic trips from Sydney (scheduled for November 8th with the 9th as a weather date). At this time of year likely birds on the pelagic include Wandering Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Great-winged Petrel, Providence Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater and Fluttering Shearwater. Less likely but still good probabilities include Shy Albatross, Cape Petrel, Wilson's Storm-Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Hutton's Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater and all three species of jaegers. If you are interested in booking space on the pelagic I can forward the contact details so you can do it directly.
I'm sure I've forgotten some important details, so please don't hesitate to give me a call, or drop me an email (I read my email every few hours during the workday). You can contact me at (519) 981-5994 or peleetom@netcore.ca
TOM'S HOME PAGE ECUADOR Amazon East Jan/Feb 2011 SOUTH AFRICA Aug/Sept 2010
POINT PELEE MAY 2010 CANADIAN PRAIRIES JUNE 2010
