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Grey-headed Robin |
Getting reacquainted with the birds of Queensland's wet tropics has been a joy. Here at Possum Valley, where we are winding up a 5-day stay, the rainforest is high altitude, where many specialties are restricted including the iconic Golden Bowerbird (
see here for earlier sightings)
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Golden Bowerbird bower |
The owner of Possum Valley, Paul Tredgett, told me where to find a bower being attended by a Golden Bowerbird along one of the trails. It is in the same spot where I photographed a male bird a couple of days earlier.
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Grey-headed Robin |
Among other birds, Grey-headed Robin is common in the forest but somewhat skulking in this area.
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Lewin's Honeyeater & friend |
Lewin's Honeyeater is absurdly tame, alighting on visitors for food scraps and entering the cabin kitchens even in search of tucker.
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Bridled Honeyeater |
Bridled Honeyeater is less common in the lodge grounds.
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Mountain Thornbill |
Mountain Thornbill is common in the forest and around the edges.
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Atherton Scrubwren |
Fernwren, Atherton Scrubwren and Large-billed Scrubwren were all seen. I started a Facebook discussion on the images here and people are divided as to whether these are juvenile Fernwrens or Atherton Scrubwrens. They were on the edge of the forest, close to the ground but in the open, and calling like scrubwrens; I've concluded they are juvenile Atherton Scrubwrens.
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Atherton Scrubwren |
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Bower's Shrike-thrush |
Bower's Shrike-thrush is uncommon on the forest edge.
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Satin Bowerbird |
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White-throated (Little) Treecreeper |
Several small northern races of species more widespread in south-eastern Australia are present in numbers in Possum Valley. These include White-throated (Little) Treecreeper, Satin Bowerbird and Crimson Rosella.
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Spotted Catbird |
I saw a Spotted Catbird low in the canopy inside the forest.
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Little Kingfisher |
I found another Little Kingfisher on a second lake (first bird sightings here.) This one I did not need a boat to reach! |
Pale-yellow Robin |
Other birds in the area include Pale-yellow Robin, Topknot Pigeon, White-headed Pigeon and Grey Goshawk. I've seen but so far not managed to photograph Fernwren, Chowchilla and Victoria's Riflebird.
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Platypus |
I saw a Platypus in one of the lakes but managed only a poor image.