MOSSMAN TO WETHERBY STATION VIA THE DAINTREE RIVER AND MT LEWIS

I am writing this after a very full day which kicked off about 4-30am; an early start to leave Mossman to arrive in Daintree village for an early morning river cruise. Now it is nearly 8-30 and we are at a working cattle ranch, Wetherby Station near Mt Molloy, having enjoyed the excellent hospitality of the hosts here,  John and Kath Colless.

Daintree Village and cruise.

Murray Hunt on the Daintree

Shining Flycatcher

Papuan Frogmouth

Daintree River

Brown backed Honeyeater nest or sunbird?

Shining Flycatcher male on nest

Shining Flycatcher

Daintree River - group #2

Common Tree Snake

Green Oriole

Australian Swiftlet

Daintree River

Australian Swiftlet

Mt Lewis.

Tooth billed Catbird - a Wet Tropics endemic

Tooth billed Catbird - a Wet Tropics endemic

Tooth billed Catbird display area

Bridled Honeyeater - a Wet Tropics endemic

Bridled Honeyeater - a Wet Tropics endemic

Chowchilla - a Wet Tropics endemic

Red bellied Black snake

poor picture of an Atherton Scrubwren

Wetherby Homestead

Wetherby Station. The property is located on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range, North West of Cairns in Far North Queensland. The township of Mount Molloy is 4 kms from the homestead. The Mulligan Highway between Mareeba and Mount Molloy runs north-south through the property. The property straddles two bioregions, the Wet Tropics and the Einasleigh Uplands. Wetherby Station has a unique range of environments ranging from rainforest to Savannah grasslands and bush. The property has a typical savannah landscape – open woodland with a grassy understorey. The significant watercourses of Little Mitchell River, Rifle Creek and Spear Creek run through Wetherby, providing ideal habitats for many species of birds, reptiles, frogs and mammals.



A list of species observed during ongoing audits can be accessed. Northern Gulf Resource Management Group hosted a naturalist weekend visit to Wetherby during 2008 when 74 species of birds, 12 butterflies and 114 species of flora were identified.

Red winged Parrot - male

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our accommodation at Wetherby Station - good mattress inside

LAKE EACHAM TO MOSSMAN - NORTHERN TABLELANDS

BIRD OF THE DAY - SQUATTER PIGEON

Today we had a good conversation about the Bird of the Day and it was not easy to get a consensus. Between 14 people some 6 birds were nominated and four got three votes each. They were, in no particular order, Grey Whistler, Lemon bellied Flycatcher, Spotted Harrier and Squatter Pigeon. The couple of outsiders included Mistletoebird and Double barred Finch.

Lemon bellied Flycatcher

Grey Whistler

A word about bird of the day. There no rules nor any criteria. Each person nominates Bird of the Day for reasons of their own making.

A re-vote between all determined that Squatter Pigeon would be Bird of the Day! So yay!

Today achieved, to most people's surprise the highest number of species; 110. Which took our total trip list to 188 bird species seen. As far as I am concerned not a bad effort.

Today variety was the winner.

Sarus Crane

Sarus Crane

Travelling from the rainforests of Lake Eacham through the drier northern tablelands of Mareeba and Granite Gorge to the Riverine forests and open savanna woodlands of Mt Molloy before dropping in elevation to the coastal town of Mossman demanded that we would have a good variety of species. Oh and the rich wetland of Hasties Swamp didn't hurt either.

Hasties Swamp was great.

male Darter with Hardhead

Sawshell Turtle

Wandering Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Duck

Pelican

Little Black Cormorant

Granite Gorge, despite being somewhat of a zoo, was worth the stop for a interesting range of species.

Mareeba Rock Wallaby

Mareeba Rock Wallaby

Great Bowerbird

Great Bowerbird bower

poor pic of a Pale headed Rosella form the north - note blue cheeks

Double barred Finch

Squatter Dove male

Squatter Dove male

Squatter Dove male

Squatter Dove male

Red winged Parrot

Red winged Parrot

Scaly breasted Munias near Mareeba Golf Course

Eastern Grey Kangaroos on the golf course

Yellow Honeyeater

Frill necked Dragon

Some birding enroute along some riverine Woodland...

Black faced Monarch

Lemon bellied Flycatcher [Flyrobin]

Northern Fantail

Northern Fantail looking like a fantail

Grey Whistler

And then to Mossman...

Metallic Starlings

Metallic Starlings

Metallic Starlings

Metallic Starlings

Metallic Starling