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Chris Dahlberg's Daintree River Tours: www.daintreerivertours.com.au |
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Invariably the result comes back with a date in the text. Scroll down to the date and hopefully your search is complete.
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19 Sep 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Black Bittern, Pacific Baza, Grey Goshawk, White-browed Crake, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, Shining Flycatchers and Azure Kingfishers were the best of the wildlife on a calm sultry morning. 18 Sep 08. Great-billed Heron, Amethystine Python and Papuan Frogmouths were the best of this morning's wildlife. 17 Sep 08. Memorable moment, one of the memorable moments this morning was sitting in the boat in the glassy smooth water and watching hundreds of Australian Swiftlets zipping around the boat swooping down and drinking on the wing. Amethystine Python, Papuan Frogmouths, female Eastern Koel and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots were some of the others. 15 Sep 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Amethystine Python, Papuan Frogmouths, Nankeen Night Heron and Bush Stone-curlew were some of this morning's wildlife - 3 reptiles and 3 nocturnal birds. 14 Sep 08. Three reptiles, Green Tree Snake, Eastern Water Dragon and Amethystine Python this morning with some good birds; Papuan Frogmouths, Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Azure Kingfishers, Large-billed Gerygones, Shining Flycatchers, Channel-billed Cuckoo and Bush Stone-curlew. 12 Sep 08. Black Bittern, is the second one since winter and maybe one that stays around? Other good birds included Papuan Frogmouths, Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots. 10 Sep 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and other good birds kept interest at a high level throughout our 2 hour dawn trip. A Pacific Baza in the carpark topped it off nicely. 9 Sep 08. Good birds this morning but no reptiles, Papuan Frogmouths, Black Butcherbirds, Shining Flycatchers, Large-billed Gerygones, Channel-billed Cuckoos, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Forest, Sacred and Azure Kingfishers. 7 Sep 08. Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Saltwater Crocodile proved the most popular of the wildlife species this morning. 6 Sep 08. Latham's Snipe on the boat ramp was our first bird this morning and, as happens in spring, the area upstream from the Daintree Village jetty was the most active with bird flocks around the fruiting trees. 5 Sep 08. Old friends back, Glen Holmes and HG Karlson put in an appearance today with a group of birdwatchers from Sweden where HG works as a museum curator. Conservationist, scientist, consultant and birdwatching guide Glen now lives in Stanthorpe but still makes it up to the far north with specialised groups. Stunning weather, low tides and that amount of experience made for nice outing around the Daintree River in the early morning. 3 Sep 08. Warm windy weather again for the next few days and a good time to look out for the Asian swifts that visit during our warmer months. Good close-up views of Shining Flycatchers, Azure and Sacred Kingfishers on the low tide. Unfortunately no reptiles and an indication of what happens with reptiles in the warmer months. 30 Aug 08. Copulating Colubrids, or mating Green Tree Snakes in Barratt Creek added interest to our wildlife trip this morning and another sign of spring. 29 Aug 08. Blustery wind conditions return. We make the best of these conditions, that can last for days, by going out early and running our trip inland from the coast. The really strong wind does not even reach Windy Reach until about 9:00am and so it was this morning. We are coming into really good low tides for dawn over the next few days as we get closer to the new moon. 28 Aug 08. The Storm Birds are back, this morning we started off with five Channel-billed Cuckoos in a tree near the jetty. Known for their raucus calls and arriving on the east coast of Australia at the time of the spring thunderstorms these huge cuckoos are called storm birds by the locals. 26 Aug 08. Wedge-tailed Eagle this morning which is unusual on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range. 24 Aug 08. Busy section. Within 150 metres of a rainforest creek, this morning, we saw; Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Cicadabird, Little (Gould's) Bronze-Cuckoo, Shining Flycatchers, Little Kingfisher and Yellow Oriole. 22 Aug 08. Saltwater Crocodiles, Green Tree Snakes, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Black-necked Stork, Azure Kingfishers head up our wildlife list this morning. 21 Aug 08. Saltwater Crocodiles. The three crocodiles that we saw this morning were all in the water suggesting that the water temperature is rising. This is not surprising as the last rain here was more than three weeks ago. 20 Aug 08. Blustery conditions, but probably the second last day of the strong S-E trade winds. The low tide helped with nice views of Azure Kingfishers, Shining Flycatchers and swimming Saltwater Crocodiles. 19 Aug 08. Pacific Bazas performed for us this morning by gleaning frogs and insects of the shiny green leaves in a rainforest creek. The under-wing pattern is stunning and we all saw it well and several times during the overhead maneuvers only metres from the boat. 17 Aug 08. Superb Fruit-Dove, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Papuan Frogmouths, Nankeen Night Heron, Saltwater Crocodile, Amethystine Python and Channel-billed Cuckoo form the basis to our list this morning. 13 Aug 08. Pacific Baza. Spectacular but not seen very often Pacific Bazas are generally vocal and in pairs or family groups. We briefly saw two on the wing in Barratt Creek this morning. They can be found around the Daintree Village sometimes early in the morning and located by their repeated "Ee-chew, Ee-chew" call. 12 Aug 08. Australian Pelican, was a surprise this morning wandering around on the river bank. A little later it raised some eyebrows as it was swimming around in Windy Reach where we could see Saltwater Crocodiles! 11 Aug 08. Brown-backed Honeyeater, frenzied activity around the Daintree River after the arrival of our first spring migrant. Somewhat non-descript Brown-backed Honeyeaters are very vocal as they get set for breeding and easier to find by their calls. If you do a trip on the Daintree River ask your guide to point them out for you. 10 Aug 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Nankeen Night Heron, Swamp Harrier head up the list this morning. 8 Aug 08. Little (Gould's) Bronze-Cuckoos. For weeks we have not seen or heard these diminutive cuckoos but today we saw at least six individuals in two parts of the river. Lots of Saltwater Crocodiles lying in the sun as we finished but we were lucky to have one swimming alongside the boat earlier on. 6 Aug 08. Wildlife in the sun; Saltwater Crocodiles, Nankeen Night Heron, Australasian Figbirds, Yellow Orioles and Papuan Frogmouths after a cold night. 5 Aug 08. Common Sandpiper, first return for the summer after an extra-ordinary flight from Siberia. Other early migrants include very vocal Brown-backed Honeyeaters. 4 Aug 08. Dramatic change in the weather, no mist, 5 deg warmer and a cloud build up just in 24 hours. It made a difference with a glimpse of a swimming crocodile but lots of kingfishers and Shining Flycatchers out and about. 3 Aug 08. Saltwater Crocodiles. Ideal conditions for seeing crocodiles this morning on the low tide and bright sun at the end of the trip. As predicted a Great-billed Heron showed up to sit in the sun. 1 Aug 08. Great-billed Heron, for the second morning in a row. This is almost certainly to do with the low tide at dawn. Herons feed on low tides and on a cold morning will settle in trees to sit in the sun when the tide turns. Pleasant surprise when a Comb-crested Jacana put in an appearance this morning. An immature male, he had a few problems finding some lilly-pads to land on. 31 Jul 08. Eventful morning; Saltwater Crocodiles, Great-billed Heron, Cicadabird, White-eared Monarch, Papuan Frogmouths and great winter ambience, starting in the thick mist and ending up in brilliant sunshine. It was also the highest bird count for July. 30 Jul 08. Cool morning, 11 degrees on the coast and 7 degrees up at Julatten. It didn't help as much as I had hoped but it brought out a vocal Golden-headed Cisticola on to a bare branch above the grass. Four Australasian Darters also displayed their immaculate plumage in the sun. 28 Jul 08. Bird party, in one small space were the following birds this morning: White-eared Monarch, Fairy Gerygone, Large-billed Gerygone, Grey Whistler, Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Gould's), Yellow-bellied Sunbirds, Leaden Flycatcher, Dusky Honeyeater, Rufous Fantail and Little Shrike-thrush. Saltwater Crocodiles and Green Tree Snake represented the reptiles and the trip culminated with Pacific Bazas in the carpark. 27 Jul 08. White-bellied Sea-Eagle and the Whistling Kites. Whistling Kites have an active nest in the huge fig tree over from the jetty at Daintree Village. A White-bellied Sea-Eagle tried to perch in another tree close by but was not allowed to settle and was eventually driven off by the kites. The whole affair was punctuated by indignant squawks from the eagle who disappeared into the distance. 25 Jul 08. Saltwater Crocodiles, Great-billed Heron, White-eared Monarchs, Papuan Frogmouths, Green Tree Snake Azure, Sacred and Little Kingfishers head up this morning's wildlife list in the wonderful sun. 24 Jul 08. The crocodile and the Crocodile Bird. In the same frame was a Great-billed Heron and a Saltwater Crocodile right at the end of this morning's trip. Up till that point I was going to make a feature of Great Egret eying off a Water Python. The water is cold now after the rain and now with the sun shining these big reptiles are more visible as they leave the water to gain heat from the sun. Other sightings of note were the early migrants, Channel-billed Cuckoos, Brush Cuckoo and Metallic Starlings. 22 Jul 08. Little Kingfisher, whilst we had good close up views of Azure and Sacred Kingfishers this morning it was the Little Kingfisher that stole the show. We have seen them on all our trips for July except for three. 21 Jul 08. Great-billed Heron, Victoria's Riflebird, Papuan Frogmouths, Nankeen Night Heron, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Channel-billed Cuckoo and Green Tree Snake were the most popular species in the drizzly conditions this morning. 19 Jul 08. Brown-backed Honeyeater. Normally the first of our migrants and arriving in August a Brown-backed Honeyeater was heard and seen this morning. Also White-eared Monarchs for only the third time this year living up to their reputation for being one of our more elusive species. Saltwater Crocodile, Channel-billed Cuckoos and the kingfishers; Laughing Kookaburra, Azure, Sacred, Forest and Little Kingfisher all seen. 18 Jul 08. Channel-billed Cuckoos again this morning but a fairly quiet time. Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Shining Flycatchers proved the most popular of the birds. 15 Jul 08. Hot stuff around the village. Channel-billed Cuckoos and Pacific Bazas are being seen between Dagmar Street and the river. Today's haul from the dawn river trip was good too; Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron and Nankeen Night Herons head the list. 14 Jul 08. Eventful morning. The planets must be in line? It started off with Channel-billed Cuckoos, Azure Kingfisher, Shining Flycatchers, Papuan Frogmouths, Spectacled Flying-fox, Little Kingfisher, Amethystine Python, Green Tree Snake, Saltwater Crocodile, Little Kingfisher again, crocodile again and culminated with Pacific Bazas in the carpark. 13 Jul 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouths proved the best this morning. 12 Jul 08. Black Bittern. Early arrival? In transit? Never the less a Black Bittern was seen twice this morning. Other good birds were Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and a vocal White-eared Monarch. 11 Jul 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron and other good birds in the list above. A little treat after the trip for those breakfasting at "Ellenor's Place" was a Spangled Drongo harassing a pair of Pacific Bazas in the trees across from the restaurant. 9 Jul 09. Kingfisher morning, as you expect on the lower tides in July; Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers around the river and Laughing Kookaburras around the village. 8 Jul 08. Double tour this morning. July is our busiest month and we did a second trip for some wildlife photographers. Best birds this morning were: Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth and a Cicadabird. 7 Jul 08. Early migratory movement: Clearly seen this morning was a Brush Cuckoo in a place where one is often seen during the summer. On 1 July, two Brown-backed Honeyeaters were seen and heard along with two Brush Cuckoos heard at Wonga Beach. The normal arrival time for these south bound migrants is early August. 6 Jul 08. Don't be put off by the drizzly weather. It brings out the snakes and a lot of birds will break their cover in the lower light. Best birds this morning were Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouths. 4 Jul 08. Kingfisher morning. Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred, Azure, Forest and Little Kingfisher were a highlight this morning for some American birdwatchers on the fourth of July. 2 Jul 08. Pied Monarch, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouths and a handful of Green Tree Snakes head up this morning's trip. 27 Jun 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (excavating a nest), Wompoo Fruit-Dove head up this morning's wildlife checklist. 24 Jun 08. Little-Bronze-Cuckoo (Gould's). Some birds breed here during our "winter" and one of them is the tiny Large-billed Gerygone (Australian warbler). There is an active nest near the Daintree Village with a Little Bronze-Cuckoo chick in it which is keeping the adult Gerygones very busy keeping food up to it. 22 Jun 08. Back to blustery conditions, for the next few days but if you get in early on the Daintree River at the village you can minimise the effect as we did this morning, yielding lots of good birds and snakes as the list above shows. 17 Jun 08. Weather woes. As disappointing as the weather can be, good results can be obtained with a little patience. This morning was a good example. Light rain persisted through most of our two hour tour this morning but we still got to see lots of Green Tree Snakes, Australian Swiflets, Great-billed Heron, Striated Heron, Papuan Frogmouths, flycatchers and three kingfisher species. 16 Jun 08. Kingfisher Morning. Laughing Kookaburra, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers this morning. 14 Jun 08. Orbiting Hobby. Possibly common in some areas of Australia, we saw a perched Australian Hobby today, personally giving me the best view that I have ever had of this compact falcon. Not content with posing for the camera it then took off, gave a short orbiting flight and returned to the same branch. 12 Jun 08. Good birds this morning; Little Kingfishers, Little (Gould's) Bronze-Cuckoo, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Peregrine Falcon. 8 Jun 08. Ravenous Raptors, spectacular aerial maneuvers by a White-bellied Sea-Eagle with prey in it's talons, as it dodged two Whistling Kites. With the un-seasonal, warmer and blustery conditions we have seen more raptors early as the table above shows. Strangely there have not been any snakes seen on the two previous days but there were plenty of Green Tree Snakes in the trees this morning. 7 Jun 08. Saltwater Crocodiles, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouths, Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Pacific Baza topped the list this morning. 6 Jun 08. Good birds this morning; Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfishers, Papuan Frogmouths and Swamp Harrier. Un-seasonal warm weather denied us reptiles even with the low tide. 5 Jun 08. Over-wintering birds. Sometimes our migrating birds don't migrate or perhaps only go so far. At present there is a Channel-billed Cuckoo at Daintree Village, a Brush Cuckoo and some Pied Imperial Pigeons at Wonga Beach. 30 May 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Nankeen Night Heron and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots head up a good wildlife checklist for this morning. 26 May 08. Sugar cane harvest. Soon the sugar cane harvest will start in the Daintree Valley and our wildlife will re-act to it. More raptors will be visible from the Captain Cook Highway from Port Douglas to Daintree Village. 24 May 08. Victoria's Riflebird, Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Peregrine Falcon and Nankeen Kestrel were the best of a good wildlife list this morning. 21 May 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake and for the birdwatchers, Pied Monarch, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouths. We are settling into our winter routine with another crisp calm morning with clear skies to follow. 19 May 08. Cool morning, at 16° C today, it is a good sign of more crisp calm mornings to come in the next few months. Combined with a low tide there are good rewards for photographing our smaller kingfishers and Shining Flycatchers as our visiting journalists did this morning. As the sun breaks through the mist there are other rewards with reptiles and rainforest birds. These conditions are a far cry from the windier conditions to be experienced later in the day. 15 May 08. Eventful morning. Saltwater Crocodile, Green tree Snakes, Little (Gould's) Bronze-Cuckoo, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Shining Flycatchers, Leaden Flycatchers, Spectacled Monarchs and Pied Monarch heard heads up a long list of Daintree Wildlife. See list above. ^ 11 May 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Shining Flycatchers, Large-billed Gerygones, Azure, Forest and Sacred Kingfishers kept the cameras busy in the calm sunny conditions this morning. Large-billed Gerygones are building a nest near the village and, as if in response, Little (Gould's) Bronze-Cuckoos are calling close-by. 9 May 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Pacific Baza, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth and, in the one tree, male and female Leaden Flycatchers in the top and male and female Shining Flycatchers in the bottom with territorial squawks. Other kingfishers included Azures and Sacreds posing for our passenger's photographs. 8 May 08. Grey Fantails, were particularly active this morning on the edges of the rainforest giving lots of vocalisations and good views. Other good birds were Little Kingfisher, Pacific Baza and Papuan Frogmouth. 5 May 08. Papuan Frogmouths are keenly sought by visiting birdwatchers and photographers and despite the showery weather this morning they did not disappoint. Other good photographic opportunities were Azure Kingfishers and a very tame Green Tree Snake. 2 May 08. Peregrine Falcons, in the first part of the trip this morning our attention was drawn upwards by the call of a Peregrine Falcon. We saw two streaking away over the sky. Ten minutes later we saw an adult perched in a tree and just finishing feeding. This sort of vocalisation could have something to do with an adult training a juvenile. Not listed above was the poor sighting of an Amethystine Python. A bird party drew our attention to an elkhorn where two of us could see part of the snake in the top of it. 30 Apr 08. Osprey observed this morning at the top of the telecom tower in Douglas Street, where there used to be an Osprey nest, being harrassed by Spangled Drongos, Torresian Crows and Magpie Larks. It is likely that Ospreys will nest there again this year. 28 Apr 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Eastern Water Dragon, Azure and Little Kingfisher were the best species today but the best interaction was two chattering adult male sunbirds at the top of a small shrub whilst a female sunbird (possibly a second) sat below preening in the sun. 27 Apr 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green tree Snake, Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth head up today's wildlife checklist. 24 Apr 08. Bird eats crocodile. As predicted a most eventful morning culminating in seeing a Great-billed Heron with a newly hatched Saltwater Crocodile in its bill. Other reptiles and Papuan Frogmouth, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers(3) were the best of the birds. 22 Apr 08. Great weather and tides coming up. Great tides for an early start that is, and it all translates to good wildlife spotting. Best this morning were; Green Tree Snake, Black Bittern, Sacred, Forest, Azure and Little Kingfishers. 21 Apr 08. Saltwater Crocodile. As the weather gets colder we see more reptiles. This morning an adult Saltwater Crocodile climbed up on the river bank as we watched, something they would not do a week or so ago. Interesting morning as the wildlife checklist shows. 20 Apr 08. In between seasons. Today a Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher at Julatten and yesterday a Pied Imperial Pigeon at Wonga Beach. Both will leave shortly for New Guinea for the winter. 18 Apr 08. Southern birds arriving: Grey Fantails, Leaden Flycatchers and more Spectacled Monarch Flycatchers are showing up in the rainforest as the year rolls on. 16 Apr 08. Snakes alive. Green Tree Snakes were out in force this morning and just about where ever we went we would find one. Good birds included Black Bitterns and Pacific Bazas. 15 Apr 08. Natures Top Gun. Halfway through this mornings trip with interesting species like Black Bitterns and Channel-billed Cuckoos we had a good look at a Peregrine Falcon tearing strips of it's prey. A little later we saw the Grey Goshawk from yesterday. 14 Apr 08. Grey Goshawk. Three Spangled Drongos harassed an immature Grey Goshawk along Barratt Creek this morning complete with vocalisations being copied by the drongos. Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouths and Green Tree Snakes were other interesting species seen. 9 Apr 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Black Bittern, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and an influx of Rufous Fantails this morning. 8 Apr 08. Great-billed Herons, Little Kingfisher, Black Bittern, Pacific Baza and Green Tree Snake were the platform to our wildlife list this morning. The most interesting interaction was the Pacific Baza divebombing one of the Great-billed Herons. 7 Apr 08. Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouths, Green Tree Snake, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers head up our wildlife list this morning. 5 Apr 08. White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Channel-billed Cuckoo. Interesting interaction this morning as the eagle chased the cuckoo around the big fig trees on the river flats. Hard to come up the connection except for the fact that the eagles are courting at present and probably don't want a big parasitic cuckoo anywhere near their nest. Other good wildlife sightings were an Amethystine Python maneuvering into a sunny patch, a Great-billed Heron poking around it's nesting tree, a timid Black Bittern in the bright sun and not far away a Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo sunbathing. 4 Apr 08. Amethystine Python, Black Bitterns and Papuan Frogmouths were the best this morning in glorious weather for this time of year. 3 Apr 08. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Amethystine Python, Green Tree Snake and lots of Channel-billed Cuckoos were the most interesting wildlife species this morning. 1 Apr 08. Black Bittern, Little Kingfisher, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and Green Tree snake were the highlights this morning. 29 Mar 08. Saltwater Crocodiles, Green Tree Snakes, Papuan Frogmouths, Sacred, Forest, Azure and Little Kingfishers top today's list. 28 Mar 08. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Papuan Frogmouths, Azure Kingfishers and Shining Flycatchers head up this morning's Daintree Wildlife list. 26 Mar 08. Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove. Whilst we glimpsed other fruit-doves this morning we had a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove sit for us for about 5 minutes in a little rainforest creek. Also we saw some Black Bitterns and a little crocodile eyeing off a Common Sandpiper across from the jetty.
31 Dec 07.
Black Bitterns. Were the best this morning in a very
tranquil river setting. 25 Nov 07.
Wildlife show.
On one of the lowest tides for the year as I was
preparing for this morning's trip a little wildlife show was underway across
from the jetty. Firstly a big Saltwater Crocodile swam down the river and
disappeared into a weed bed. A Great Egret flew over the croc and started
fishing from the sandbank whilst further downstream a Black-necked Stork was
fishing in the shallows. All this happened before 6:00am. The trip was good as
well with the highlights being Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouth, Peregrine
Falcon, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Osprey with a live fish. 22 Nov 07. Oriental Cuckoo. An eventful morning with a sighting of an Oriental Cuckoo without a tail in Barratt Creek. There was a possible sighting earlier near the Daintree Village? 21 Nov 07. Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouths, Cicadabird, Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Channel-billed Cuckoo head up this morning's wildlife checklist. 16 Nov 07. Black Bitterns. This bleak weather may not be to everybody's taste but is sure good for seeing Black Bitterns, another three this morning. Also, Pied Monarchs vocal in two parts of the river. 15 Nov 07. Cyclone Guba. First cyclone for the season which will bring more rain in the coming days. This morning was wet and miserable which, strangely enough is good for finding Black Bitterns, we saw three. 13 Nov 07. Collared Kingfisher. An unusual sighting for the main street of the Daintree Village and one that would have gone unnoticed had it not called, a Collared Kingfisher was seen on powerlines next to the Big Barramundi this morning at 5:55am. Sightings of Collared Kingfishers around the village area in the last 15 years could be counted on one hand. 11 Nov 07. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Papuan Frogmouth and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot were the best this morning, although the kettle of raptors took some beating. Over a burn patch gathered; Wedge-tailed Eagles, Whistling Kites, Black Kites and a solitary Peregrine Falcon. 10 Nov 07. Black Bittern. It has been a little slow this November for Black Bitterns with only three for the month. This morning's sighting was good though with one being found perched and then in flight alongside the boat. 9 Nov 07. Double-eyed Fig-Parrots. The best wildlife experience this morning was a split decision. It was a toss up between the beautiful Green Snake, the aerial antics of a Peregrine Falcon or the close up prolonged views of adult male and female Double-eyed Fig-Parrots in Barratt Creek. 8 Nov 07. Warm weather wildlife. If you are contemplating visiting Daintree in this warm weather you might like to do some research; try this link>> 7 Nov 07. Cicadabird. A male Cicadabird in Barratt Creek performed for it's audience this morning providing the best looks that I can recall for years. 6 Nov 07. Oh what a beautiful morning. In marked contrast to later in the day a 6 am cruise on the Daintree River is as pleasant as it is exhilarating and you get to see a lot wildlife at the same time. See the list above. 3 Nov 07. Little Kingfishers. As our records show, there is little chance of seeing Little Kingfishers in November during a high tide. However against the odds this morning we all had good prolonged views of two Little Kingfishers courting. 2 Nov 07. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. Two heard and one glimpsed at Stewart's Creek Road this morning. 1 Nov 07. Black Bittern. Overcast, light rain threatening and the earlier start giving ideal conditions to find Black Bitterns. Halfway along Windy reach, a glimpse, further investigation and then a better look at this mysterious and secretive species, all to schedule. 31 Oct 07. Black Bitterns. The beginning of November is the time for regular Black Bittern sightings and another reason for our departure time to go to 6:00am. There have been sightings this month and they are becoming more vocal with calls heard at Wonga Beach last night and this morning. 30 Oct 07. Grey Plover. Unusual for Daintree we had two Grey Plovers on the sand at low tide near the jetty. The White-breasted Woodswallows were at it again taking on a Darter that innocently landed next to their nest. 28 Oct 07. The Peregrine Falcon and the White-breasted Woodswallow. Whilst it is not unusual for small birds to dive-bomb perched raptors, it is very unusual to see a Peregrine Falcon in flight being pursued by anything. This morning we saw a Peregrine Falcon in flight being harassed by a White-breasted Woodswallow! 25 Oct 07. Spectacular flocks at dawn. Large flocks of Magpie Geese are being seen regularly in the Daintree Valley shortly before 6:00am. A good vantage point is from the Daintree Road near the ferry turn-off. 24 Oct 07. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher. Eagerly awaited by locals and tour guides is the southerly migration of these colourful kingfishers at this time of year. Well, they're back, in and around the Daintree Village. 23 Oct 07. Cuckoo in the nest. There is a young German ( I think his name is Golo?) scientist in Daintree at present. He is studying cuckoos in Large-billed Gerygone nests. If anyone sees him please get him to contact me as I have one in Barratt Creek near the road. 21 Oct 07. Daintree Wildlife Show. The wind did stop and Daintree turned it on; Saltwater Crocodile, Spectacled Flying-fox, Great-billed Heron, Black Bitterns, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Wompoo Fruit-Doves (one of four rainforest pigeons seen), Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, the list goes on..................... 20 Oct 07. Strong Wind Warning will hopefully be cancelled later today. This morning we only used a small part of the river in our efforts to stay out of the wind and had some moderate success because we did so. This morning's highlights included a Black-fronted Dotterel brooding a chick on the foreshore, a talkative Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo, the faithful Papuan Frogmouth on the nest and a glimpse of a Pacific Baza across from the jetty. 19 Oct 07. Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth and Peregrine Falcon were the best today in the strong wind. 18 Oct 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Papuan Frogmouth, Azure Kingfisher, female Common Koels, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and a Peregrine Falcon terrorising the flocks in Windy Reach were the backbone of our Daintree Wildlife tour this morning. 17 Oct 07. Daintree Village area, is a hot spot for bird activity early in the morning. In amongst the flocks of Rainbow Lorikeets, Pied Imperial Pigeons, Figbirds and Metallic Starlings look out for some of the scarcer birds like the Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and cuckoos. Try and get in before the hot and windy part of the day. 16 Oct 07. Black Bittern. Another pair have turned up, it looks like we will see more from now on. 14 Oct 07. Comb-crested Jacana on the edge of the Marine Park was the surprise in this morning's wildlife list above. 12 Oct 07. Black Bittern. At the end of this morning's trip (8:30am) we had a Black Bittern flying alongside the boat giving us great views. This will be the first of many sightings over the summer in the freshwater parts of the Daintree River at dawn. Other interesting species were an Amethystine Python and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots excavating a nest. Hot day coming up which will not suit wildlife viewing during the day. 9 Oct 07. Satin Flycatcher. Interesting spring morning with another Dollarbird over Barratt Creek and a solitary male Satin Flycatcher also in Barratt Creek. Five cuckoos heard this morning with three seen. The weather is getting warm now and there are distinct advantages to do your wildlife tour as early as possible. We go to 6:00am from 1 November. 8 Oct 07. Daintree is bursting with activity. Typical of spring in the Daintree there is a lot of activity in the flowering and fruiting trees. Best sighting this morning were hundreds of Metallic Starlings feeding on small bright red figs that are about the size of their eyes. In the sun the starling's eyes were brighter than the fruit in the sun! 7 Oct 07. Dollarbird. First return of a solitary Dollarbird on the powerline over Stewart Creek this morning. 6 Oct 07. Little Red Flying-foxes. A welcome but uncommon sight in the Daintree Valley was a small camp of Little Red Flying-foxes in Barratt Creek this morning. 4 Oct 07. Classic wildlife trip. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Spectacled Flying-foxes, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, four cuckoo species and plenty of other birds just proves once again what a special wildlife venue the freshwater habitats of the Daintree River are at dawn. 3 Oct 07. Papuan Frogmouths. It is that time of year when Papuan Frogmouths start nesting. This morning we had one nesting but a pair not nesting. As time goes on we will have several nesting along the Daintree River for the rest of the year. Some years they will double clutch and will be seen on the nest into January and February. 2 Oct 07. Great-billed Heron, Spectacled Flying-foxes, Green Tree Snake, Papuan Frogmouths (nesting), Channel-billed Cuckoo put in good appearances in the light rainy conditions this morning. 1 Oct 07. Spectacled Flying-fox spectacle. At 6:00am this morning thousands of Spectacled Flying-foxes were seen from the Daintree Road alongside Humbug Reach (sign-marked) as they prepared to settle into their daytime camp. They will also be seen at dusk as they head out for the night. This pattern will likely continue for weeks to come. See: 101 things to do in Daintree>> 29 Sep 07. Great-billed Heron. Excitement at the beginning of the trip as a large dark heron flew high over the boat as we all thought it was a Great-billed Heron. As it descended below the horizon we could see the white neck of a White-necked Heron and the excitement dissolved. (White-necked Herons are not seen in Daintree all that often but are considerably more common the Great-billed Herons) As it turned out we saw a Great-billed Heron at the end of the trip. 28 Sep 07. Drying up out west. More evidence of western waterholes drying up with Australasian Grebe and Pacific Black Duck present today around the village. Welcome sighting of Great-billed Heron, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Little Kingfisher and Eastern Water Dragon. 27 Sep 07. Spangled Drongos. Whilst there is a sedentary population of drongos at Daintree there are flocks that pass through in spring to breed down south. A small flock passed over the village this morning. Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Lovely Fairy-wrens, Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Papuan Frogmouths head up this morning's bird list. As predicted the Peregrine Falcon was there again this morning. 26 Sep 07. Peregrine Falcon. For the last two mornings we have had an adult Peregrine Falcon perched in the sun offering one of the best photographic opportunities I have ever seen for this species. There is every chance it will be there again tomorrow. Check out Passengers photos>> 25 Sep 07. Great-billed Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Green Tree Snakes, Spectacled Flying-foxes, Wompoo Fruit-Dove were amongst this morning's wildlife checklist. 24 Sep 07. Welcome rain. 12mm of rain overnight was the first significant fall for almost three weeks. The birdlife in Barratt Creek was particularly active with all the honeyeaters and three rainforest pigeon species seen this morning. 23 Sep 07. Cool mornings and warm days as summer approaches. Best wildlife species this morning were Barred cuckoo-shrikes and Great-billed Heron. Along this morning were travel writers Steven Miller and Linda Rathbun from www.naturalwanders.com The location of the heron was kindly given to us by Daintree Experience. 22 Sep 07. Shining Flycatcher "stand off". One of the most interesting spectacles in spring is the territorial displays and vocalisations of Shining Flycatchers. It usually features two pairs as they prepare to nest too close to each other. The erect gesticulating and harsh guttural calls are accompanied by furious flying in tight circles and continues for many minutes as each pair claims their territory. 20 Sep 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Wompoo Fruit-Dove and five kingfisher species head up this morning's wildlife list. 19 Sep 07. Pied Monarch and Lovely Fairy-wrens were the highlights for the visiting birdwatchers this morning. The rest of the wildlife was very similar to yesterday except for the Little Kingfisher. There is a build up of Spectacled Flying-foxes in Barratt Creek as they approach their maternity time in about a weeks time. 18 Sep 07. Saltwater Crocodiles, Spectacled Flying-foxes, Papuan Frogmouths, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots, Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Azure and Little Kingfishers head up an impressive wildlife list this morning. 17 Sep 07. Superb Fruit-Dove. It was hard to isolate a highlight from this morning's trip from; the Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos to the Wompoo Fruit-Doves to the Azure & Little Kingfishers or the choreography and vocalisations of two Great Egrets. Judging by the faces of the passengers it was the Superb Fruit-Dove that flew passed the front of the boat through the brilliant sunshine. 15 Sep 07. Universal Raptors. Amongst the crocodiles, kingfishers and cuckoos this morning we were treated to good views of an Osprey and a Peregrine Falcon in the calm conditions before the wind came in. 13 Sep 07. Five Kingfisher morning. Laughing Kookaburra, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfisher on this mornings trip. 11 Sep 07. Drying conditions. As the country out west dries out the water holes we gain more birds in the Daintree Valley. The arrival of Green Pygmy Geese and Olive-backed Orioles this morning would be good examples. 9 Sep 07. Copulating Colubrids. Continuing with our "Spring has sprung" theme we saw several Green Tree Snakes (Coubridae family) paired up together, most in the dappled sunlight in Barratt Creek. 7 Sep 07. Great-billed Heron. There is nothing quite like being in a tiny rainforest lined creek when passing overhead flies a huge heron with slow and long wing beats reminiscent of a Pterodactyl from the TV series "Living with Dinosaurs". Some of the other good birds included Barred Cuckoo-shrikes and Papuan Frogmouths. 6 Sep 07. Black Bittern. Alex Huizinga, from Holland, especially wanted to a Black Bittern this morning. I mentioned that they are here in good numbers from late October but it would be highly unlikely to see one today. Gliding under Barratt Creek bridge and looking at a sunny patch for the resident crocodile, was, surprise, surprise, a Black Bittern sunning itself. It is likely to stay. 5 Sep 07. Spring is Sprung. Keep an eye on fruiting trees. This morning was particularly active, calling cuckoos, courting kingfishers and the spring migrants continue to roll in. See checklist above. 1 Sep 07. First day of Spring. See Seasonal variations for Spring>> Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Azure Kingfisher, Nankeen Night Heron and Shining Flycatchers head up this morning's wildlife checklist. 30 Aug 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Papuan Frogmouth, Azure Kingfisher and Shinning Flycatchers stole the wildlife show this morning before the strong wind arrived in the Daintree. 28 Aug 07. Kingfisher morning. Averaging 4 kingfisher species per trip, we saw this morning, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfisher. To our delight the Little Kingfisher was the better sighting with it staying alongside the boat for several minutes and allowing great photographic opportunities. 24 Aug 07. Australian Hobby. Interesting morning with a vocal Australian Hobby overhead, White-eared monarch, Australian Pelican, Common Koel and Green Tree Snake along with a lot of other birds. 23 Aug 07. Snakes Alive. Cold morning with the sun breaking through the mist revealed lots of Green Tree Snakes as we went around the Daintree River this morning. Saltwater Crocodile and Little Kingfisher were other highlights. 22 Aug 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Little Kingfisher, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot were seen this morning along with a lot of birds around the Daintree Village. 21 Aug 07.
Saltwater Crocodile,
Green Tree Snake, Little Kingfisher, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot,
Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and Channel-billed Cuckoo head up this morning's wildlife
checklist. 18 Aug 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouth were the specials this morning before the wind came in from the coast. 17 Aug 07. Wonga Beach up-date. Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos are calling strongly along the creek at Oleander Drive near Marlin Drive and a Wedge-tailed Eagle has been seen along Dagmar Range being harassed by a Whistling Kite. Beach Stone-Curlew is still a regular on the beach at the end of Janbal Street. 14 Aug 07. Gould's (Little) Bronze-Cuckoo. This morning we were alerted to a Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo by it's call. After months of not hearing them, one was heard at Wonga Beach yesterday as well. Large-billed Gerygones are also being seen pairing up along the river which might explain the sudden cuckoo calls. 13 Aug 07. Peregrine Falcon. In the open country this morning only the bigger birds could be seen and as we went down Windy Reach we saw why; an adult male Peregrine Falcon cruised overhead. Two Saltwater Crocodiles were also seen in the water. We saw the wake of one swimming from a long way off in the calm conditions but when we caught up it submerged. The second one was at the waters edge staying long enough for us all to see it. 11 Aug 07. Great-billed Heron. On a quiet morning in light rain we were rewarded with the mystical Great-billed Heron in a little rainforest creek. It was a bit of a heron morning with several Nankeen Night Herons and vocalisations from Striated Heron, White-faced Heron and Great Egret. 10 Aug 07. Spring continues to be sprung. Common Sandpiper arrived in the Daintree River. This is the first return of Common Sandpipers that have been breeding in Siberia during the Northern Hemisphere summer. 9 Aug 07. Brown-backed Honeyeater. Very common in it's range, Brown-backed Honeyeaters herald the arrival of Spring in the Daintree. One solitary bird high in a tree was seen at the end of the trip this morning. Thanks also to Ballarat's BOCA president, Neville Gloury, for his helping hand. Neville was one of four school teachers on board. 7 Aug 07. This morning we did a second trip at 8:30am. These early morning tours are not scheduled but we are happy to undertake a second trip for groups of 10, 11 or 12 passengers. Discounts for the second tour will be given to seniors, students or clubs. 6 Aug 07. Daintree at dawn is calm. Whilst it is windy on the coast during the day at present it is very pleasant on the Daintree River early. Today's early morning trip yielded some great wildlife: Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouths, Nankeen Night Herons, Azure and Little Kingfishers. 3 Aug 07. Victoria's Riflebird. Australia's only endemic Bird of Paradise was seen and photographed during this mornings trip. Also an unusual event was some airborne vocalisations from Little Egrets squabbling over a small patch of shallow water. 2 Aug 07. Kingfisher morning. Laughing Kookaburra, Forest, Sacred, Little and Azure Kingfishers seen this morning. 1 Aug 07. Wompoo Fruit-Dove. Daintree is a good place to see Wompoo Fruit-Doves, but what takes your breath away is when they sit in the early morning sun. This morning a pair where in the sun in an open tree, one facing one way and the other facing the other way. A Peregrine Falcon was also perched in the sun facing us with a freshly killed Metallic Starling in it's right talons. 29 Jul 07. In the brilliant sunlight an adult male Peregrine Falcon went through it's paces for us streaking along Windy Reach. In the open not another bird moved. This morning was punctuated with Green Tree Snakes in the early morning sun as were the Papuan Frogmouths and Nankeen Night Herons. Dramatic change from yesterday's rain. 27 Jul 07. Birdwatcher's bonus. Pied Monarch, White-eared Monarch, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth and Little Kingfisher this morning. 26 Jul 07. Grey Goshawk. Flinders University Eco-tourism graduate Sarah Burgess brought up her 250th tick with a Grey Goshawk during this morning's trip in the light rain. On her second trip with us, Sarah was travelling with an eco-tourism student prior to departing on a field trip to Borneo. Our dawn river tour is often used as an example in the eco-tourism course at Flinders University. 25 Jul 07. A holidaying Canberra Times journalist kept us entertained in between our wildlife sightings this morning and is sure to mention his Daintree birdwatching experiences in his nature column in the near future. 23 Jul 07. Spectacular bird show. What a morning before the wind; heading up the list Pacific Baza, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Channel-billed Cuckoos, Little Kingfisher and Wompoo Fruit-Dove...................... 20 Jul 07. Windy weather. There is a strong wind current and will last for another day or two. One of the advantages of operating a wildlife tour early at the Daintree Village is that the wind does not establish until 9 o'clock or so and by then we have finished our tour. 19 Jul 07. Peregrine Falcon. As we watched fascinated, a Peregrine Falcon made three passes at an Australian White Ibis at the Daintree River jetty this morning. The falcon then disappeared up the hill bringing to an end an unusual interaction. It was on 1 Jul last year that a Peregrine Falcon took a Masked Lapwing as it was attacking a Whistling Kite that was flying over the Lapwing's nest. 17 Jul 07. Great-billed Heron swallows huge Black Bream. Photo coming! This morning we came across a Great-billed Heron with a large Black Bream in the shallow waters of Windy Reach. All on board were of the unanimous opinion that the fish was to big for the poor heron to swallow. To our surprise and delight it swallowed it over a period of 5 minutes! 16 Jul 07. Brown Goshawk. You would think a Brown Goshawk would be able to perch where it wanted to and soak up the sun on a cold morning. Out of the blue came a Forest Kingfisher that swooped on the goshawk and drove it off only to then perch in the place that was vacated. Great tides and weather over the next few days. 14 Jul 07. Green Tree Snake, White-eared Monarch, Papuan Frogmouth, Barred Cuckoo-shrike (distant), Double-eyed Fig-Parrott, Channel-billed Cuckoo (fleeting) and Pacific Baza headed up today's checklist. 13 Jul 07. Stunning reflections. Along with the wildlife our passengers remark upon the ambience of the Daintree River at dawn. The air is still at that time and the surface of the river is like glass giving stunning reflections and making it easy to see and hear the smaller birds of the rainforest. At about 10:00am the high tide will ebb against the trade winds and Windy Reach will live up to it's name. 12 Jul 07. Superb Fruit-Dove, White-eared Monarch, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouth headed up the wildlife checklist this morning. 9 Jul 07. Saltwater Crocodile and the Little Black Cormorant. You don't often see an interaction between a Saltwater Crocodile and other wildlife species. This morning however, there was a Little Black Cormorant in the water within a few metres of a crocodile on the bank both eyeing each other. As we watched the crocodile entered the water and the cormorant ducked under the surface to see were it went. It came back up almost straight away and flew off in the other direction! 8 Jul 07. Bob Steele photography. For the last two days I have had the pleasure of having one of America's leading wildlife photographers on board and he is coming out again tomorrow. Already Bob has photographed some of our more important birds and a Green Tree Snake. In time I will have a link to these photos from our passengers photos page to his website>>> 7 Jul 07. White-eared Monarch put in a good appearance for an experienced birdwatching group this morning as the sun broke through the mist. They were fortunate with Azure and Little Kingfisher, both putting in close-ups for the cameras. At one point it sounded like the paparazzi were in Daintree. Camera boat link....>>>> 6 Jul 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snakes, Great-billed Heron and great close up looks at Nankeen Night Heron, Azure, Sacred and Little Kingfisher made for an interesting wildlife trip this morning. 5 Jul 07. Good birds this morning. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth, White-eared Monarch along with over-wintering Pied Imperial Pigeon and Channel-billed Cuckoo. 4 Jul 07. Great-billed Heron. Our two best bird turned out this morning, along with the Great-billed Heron we also had prolonged looks at Little Kingfisher. Channel-billed Cuckoo also turned up again in the big tree opposite the jetty. 3 Jul 07. Australian King Parrot; small flock seen this morning at the top end of Windy Reach. Records of this parrot in the Daintree Valley are very sparse, maybe 3 records in 20 years? 2 Jul 07. Copulating Dotterels. Although it is mid-winter in Daintree some birds still breed at this time of year and we were treated to two Black-fronted Dotterels copulating on the beach just metres from the boat. 30 Jun 07. Endemic encounter. Victoria's Riflebird and Pied Monarch were amongst our bird list for this morning along with some other specials; White-eared Monarch, Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Azure and Little Kingfisher. 29 Jun 07. Pied Imperial Pigeon. Another migrant species over-wintering in Daintree. Interaction between Azure Kingfisher and Little Kingfisher was interesting. After observing Little Kingfisher up close for some time an Azure Kingfisher charged in took over the territory. The incident highlighted the difference in size between the two. 28 Jun 07. Great-billed Heron heads up an impressive bird list for this morning. Great winter's morning with a crisp chill (14 °C) to start and brilliant sunshine to finish our dawn tour. 24 Jun 07. Secretive Saltwater Crocodile. Eagle-eyed Ben Blewitt from Cassowary Tours Cairns spotted the slinky saurian swimming in Barratt Creek long before the others on the boat did. Big crocodiles swimming in the water do not show up well. The birds were good too: Papuan Frogmouth, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pacific Baza, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers were also seen in the overcast conditions. 20 Jun 07.
Channel-billed Cuckoos.
Incredibly we have seen Channel-billed Cuckoos seven
mornings this month. They are common throughout their range but they are
normally in New Guinea at this time of year! Good views, for our hardy group in
this morning's rainy conditions, of Azure Kingfisher, Shining Flycatchers,
Papuan Frogmouths and Green Tree Snake. 15 Jun 07. Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo. Good close looks at a Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo this morning and the fig tree at the top of the boat ramp at Daintree Village is still very active. 14 Jun 07.
Bird of Paradise.
A Victoria's Riflebird was this morning's highlight
along with Green Tree Snakes and Pied Monarch. The light soaking rain today will
be of great benefit to one of our best tourism assets, the Daintree Rainforest. 11 Jun 07. Lots of Green Tree Snakes with the cold (14 °) morning along with Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Papuan Frogmouth and Cannel-billed Cuckoo were the most interesting wildlife species today. 9 Jun 07. Monarch morning. Pied Monarch and White-eared Monarch were the most significant of the birds this morning, both seen well in the bright sunshine along with Papuan Frogmouths, Nankeen Night Heron and Channel-billed Cuckoos. Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfisher also deserve a mention. The trip started this morning in the mist with an air temperature of 12 ° and developed into a beautiful tropical winter's day. 7 Jun 07. Channel-billed Cuckoos. For the last two mornings we have seen Channel-billed Cuckoos in Windy Reach. Channel-billed Cuckoos are summer visitors and passage migrants in Daintree. They are rarely seen in Australia during the winter. Victoria's Riflebirds were also spotted this morning. 6 Jun 07. Great-billed Heron, Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfisher made for an interesting trip in the light rain this morning. 5 Jun 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Eastern Water Dragon, Green Tree Snake, Azure Kingfisher and Little Kingfisher were this morning's highlights most of which proved good photographic subjects. 4 Jun 07. Kingfisher morning. Laughing Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Azure Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher seen and Blue-winged Kookaburra heard. 3 Jun 07. Winter is upon us. Cool mornings; read about it here>>> 2 Jun 07. Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Green Tree Snake, Papuan Frogmouth and Wompoo Fruit-Dove heads up an impressive list, above, on a mild winter's morning. 29 May 07. Double-eyed Fig-parrot, Green Tree Snakes and Papuan Frogmouths proved the most interesting wildlife species this morning. 22 May 07. Pied Imperial Pigeon, yesterday at 3:30pm halfway along Oleander Drive, Wonga Beach a solitary Pied Imperial Pigeon was sighted. Pied Imperial Pigeons are here during the summer and nest at Low Isles just off Wonga Beach. To have one here in winter is unusual. 21 May 07. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Eastern Water Dragon, Nankeen Night Heron and Papuan Frogmouth were the best of what started out a quiet morning but improved in our second hour. 20 May 07. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Little Kingfisher, Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake and Wompoo Fruit-Dove head up a good list of wildlife this morning. 19 May 07. Great-billed Herons, Saltwater Crocodiles, Green Tree Snake and Nankeen Night Heron were amongst the more spectacular wildlife species this morning. 17 May 07. Better tides coming up over the next few days. Lower tides help seeing into the tidal zone for some of the kingfishers, Shining Flycatchers and Saltwater Crocodiles. This morning we started with a low tide but finished with a high tide however we saw Azure Kingfisher and Shining Flycatchers at the start. 14 May 07. Channel-billed Cuckoo. Biggest surprise of the morning was a very vocal Channel-billed Cuckoo at the Daintree Village jetty. As it turned out there were three of them and they disappeared over the river at 8:30am. 13 May 07. Best wildlife this morning; Forest, Sacred and Azure Kingfishers, Shining Flycatchers and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots. 10 May 07. Strong SE wind for the next few days. We are fortunate at dawn that the winds have not reached the freshwater reaches of the Daintree River where we go. Best sightings this morning were; Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Wompoo Fruit-Dove and Shining Flycatchers. 7 May 07. Wet Morning. Despite the rain we did alright as the above list shows. Best were; Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo, Papuan Frogmouth, Wompoo Fruit-Dove and Green Tree Snake. 5 May 07. Good wildlife morning. For a quiet time of the year and a persistent Peregrine Falcon around the village we put in a good morning. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Eastern Water Dragon, Pacific Baza, Forest, Sacred, Azure & Little Kingfisher White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Wompoo Fruit-Dove all in 2 hours. 1 May 07. Kingfisher morning. Laughing Kookaburras, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers. We also have a Green Tree Snake that has been using the same branch to sun it's self four days in a row. 30 Apr 07. Fairy Martins were seen opposite the Daintree Village jetty at the close of this morning's trip. It is unusual to Fairy Martins in and around the village at any time. The flock was about 20 strong. Also unusual for the Daintree Valley, a murder of Torresian Crows near the Crossroads Cafe. 29 Apr 07. Great weather set the scene for this morning's wildlife. Still the odd Black Bittern around, Green Tree Snakes, Victoria's Riflebird and Yellow-breasted Boatbill headed up a good list above. 25 Apr 07. Welcome home on ANZAC DAY. A Darter and a Little Black Cormorant have returned to the Daintree River. Also this week Australian White Ibis and Straw-necked Ibis have returned to the Daintree Valley. This morning's trip's best were Peregrine Falcon and Black Bittern. 23 Apr 07. Green Tree Snakes, as we get into winter conditions reptile sightings become more reliable as the above table shows. This morning's trip was highlighted by two Green Tree Snakes lying on branches in full sunlight to take in some heat. 20 Apr 07. Photographic Tour. This morning's tour concentrated on photography and, as it turned out, fortune smiled on us. Posing for the camera were; Saltwater Crocodile, Eastern Water Dragon, Azure Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher, Welcome Swallow and Bar-shouldered Dove. At this time of the morning the night flowering Barringtonia racemosa or Freshwater Mangrove was still in flower and made a nice study in still life. 18 Apr 07. Sunny morning. And perhaps the best wildlife conditions this month. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Black Bittern, Brush Cuckoo and Cicadabird were the pick of the bunch. 17 Apr 07. Black Bitterns again this morning from a different part of the river indicates that they are still here for a while yet. Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and a Green Tree Snake added to a truly beautiful morning in the early morning sun. 14 Apr 07. Black Bittern, Green Tree Snake and Peregrine Falcon head the wildlife checklist on yet another squally morning. 13 Apr 07. Kamol Komolphalin, co-illustrator of "A guide to the Birds of Thailand" was along this morning with some Thai birdwatchers and Jim and Carolyn Harmon from the United States. It wasn't probably our finest hour in the rainy conditions until a Black-necked Stork, in flight, closely crossed our bow. The main significance being that there is only one of these storks left in Thailand. 12 Apr 07. Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher and Black Bitterns head today's list. In fact Little Kingfisher was one of five kingfisher species in this morning's wildlife checklist. 9 Apr 07. Weather woes come in three ways. The rain brings the river up, the rain makes it uncomfortable and the wind makes everything move. Despite that this morning's stalwarts were rewarded for their patience with terrific views of Shining Flycatchers feeding their young, Channel-billed Cuckoos along with Azure and Sacred Kingfishers. 7 Apr 07. Black Bitterns are still here and we managed two sightings this morning. Other interesting wildlife included Green Tree Snake, Azure, Sacred, Forest and Little Kingfisher. 2 Apr 07. Peregrine Falcon. This morning was quieter than normal due to three main reasons; high water level, windy conditions at dawn and a Peregrine Falcon which we had good looks at on the wing at about 8:00am. Good performances put in by a Green Tree Snake, Black Bittern, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Sacred and Forest Kingfishers. 30 Mar 07. Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos, Cicadabird, Black Bittern and Green Tree Snake head up this morning's wildlife checklist. 29 Mar 07. Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Black Bittern, Sacred Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher and Green Tree Snakes were the best of our wildlife list this morning. 27 Mar 07. Back after the wet season recess. Best bird this morning was Black Bittern. Swollen river due to recent rain. 30 Jan 07. Black Bitterns, four seen this morning and some were calling in the pre-dawn. Our working year comes to an end as the wet season starts, back again on 27 March 2007. 26 Jan 07. Double-eyed Fig-Parrots are active around Daintree Wonga Beach at anytime. At present there are some at 27/29 Oleander Drive, Wonga Beach complete with vocalisations. 24 Jan 07. Beach Stone-Curlew. Late yesterday afternoon and the day before at the same time of day two Beach Stone-Curlews were seen on Wonga Beach at the end of Janbal Street off Marlin Drive. 22 Jan 07. Black Bitterns, Little Kingfishers and Papuan Frogmouths were today's best. 19 Jan 07. Channel-billed Cuckoos. Spotted this morning were eight Channel-billed Cuckoos over from the jetty. Most appeared to be immatures and may be on their way north. Good performance from Black Bitterns with strong vocalisations in the pre-dawn. 13 Jan 07. Hot humid weather at present before the rains. It pays to get out early in the cool part of the day. Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouth, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo were the best of the birds this morning. 9 Jan 07. Daintree - Wonga Beach Birdwatching walk. Following the birdwatching trail this morning from the Daintree - Wonga Beach map >> a short walk revealed three hard to find species; Black Bittern, Beach Stone-Curlew and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots. 8 Jan 07. Black Bitterns are active around the fresh water areas of the Daintree River with four sightings this morning and one calling at Stewart's Creek. Today's trip was devoted to professional photography the results of which will be seen soon. 3 Jan 07. Black Bitterns around this morning after a strange absence yesterday. Still three Papuan Frogmouths nesting and a lovely Green Tree Snake at Stewart's Creek for passenger Roy Stewart to photograph. 2 Jan 07. Great-billed Herons this morning, calling and displaying in two parts of the river. Good haul of cuckoos as the list above shows. 30 Dec 06. Black Bitterns galore in the rainy conditions. Probably only 5 individuals but there were 7 sightings in all as we cruised around the fresh water parts near the Daintree Village. The wildlife table above shows a good haul considering the conditions. 29 Dec 06. Lesser Sooty Owl. After a rather wet morning with a high tide we finished with Black Bittern and Papuan Frogmouth which were new species for everyone on board. We then walked up the boat ramp and encountered a wet Tyto owl with out-stretched wings drying off. Closer inspection showed it to be a Lesser Sooty Owl. We managed daylight photographs and had good looks both perched, drying and flying. 27 Dec 06. Black Bittern, Papuan Frogmouth, Azure Kingfisher, Chestnut-breasted Manikin, female Common Koel, Green Tree Snake and Eastern Water Dragon headed up this morning's wildlife checklist. 23 Dec 06. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Little Kingfisher, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo head up a good list this morning, see above. 20 Dec 06. Best wildlife this morning was a Green Tree Snake and a small group of Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos. 17 Dec 06. White-throated Needletails. Just before this morning's departure Several White-throated Needletails were observed over the Daintree Village for 15 minutes or so. 15 Dec 06. Five Cuckoo morning. Oriental Cuckoo and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos are in the five cuckoos listed in the table above. Other good birds include Black Bitterns and Papuan Frogmouths. 11 Dec 06. Best birds this morning were Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouths, Wompoo Fruit-Doves and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots. 7 Dec 06. Black Bitterns and Papuan Frogmouth were the best birds this morning. 6 Dec 06. Great-billed Heron, Papuan Frogmouth and fleeting glimpse of a secretive Black Bittern added to this morning's wildlife experience in the cool part of the day. 4 Dec 06. Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos. A first sighting for me in the Daintree Valley of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos(7) this morning flying up the valley toward the Great Dividing Range in line with Mount Carbine where they are quite common. Good bird sightings this morning were Black Bitterns and a Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, both calling. 3 Dec 06. Great-billed Heron, Black Bitterns and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo head up this morning's wildlife checklist. 2 Dec 06. Black Bittern and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo were our best birds today. Hot conditions are not good for finding reptiles and the mammals are asleep during the day. 30 Nov 06. Black Bitterns, Papuan Frogmouth and Shining Flycatchers head up this morning's wildlife checklist. 29 Nov 06. Great-billed Herons, Black Bittern, Papuan Frogmouths, Wompoo Fruit-Dove and Double-eyed Fig-Parrots were the best birds this morning. 26 Nov 06. Black Bitterns. Three Black Bitterns were seen this morning in the fresh water reaches of the Daintree River. Two in particular offered good extended views at the water's edge of the Daintree River just upstream from the junction of Stewart's Creek and the main river. 24 Nov 06. Great-billed Heron and Black Bitterns were our best birds this morning. 23 Nov 06. Beach Stone-curlew. After an absence of several weeks a lone Beach Stone-curlew was seen at Wonga Beach shortly before dusk at the end of Janbal Street. Wonga Beach map at www.daintree.info 21 Nov 06. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, fleeting glimpse of Little Kingfisher and Double-eyed Fig-Parrot head up this morning's wildlife checklist. Spectacled Flying-foxes can be seen around the village and Daintree Road about 5:30am. 19 Nov 06. High wind, high tide made little difference to our rare bird morning. Great-billed Herons, Black Bitterns and Oriental Cuckoo. Other niceties were Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and Nankeen Night Herons. 17 Nov 06. Saltwater Crocodile was seen just over from the jetty this morning on the lowish tide at dawn. Pleasant morning early in the cool before the strong wind came in. 16 Nov 06. Another cool misty morning and this time we had two Great-billed Herons and three Black Bitterns. 14 Nov 06. Cool misty morning helped us find three secretive Black Bitterns, other good birds included Cicadabird and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo. 12 Nov 06. Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers are back in Daintree arriving last night. Best wildlife this morning; Saltwater Crocodiles, Black Bittern and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos. 11 Nov 06. Humid conditions and now some welcome rain. Best wildlife this morning; Papuan Frogmouth, Brown-backed Honeyeaters at their second nest for spring and Azure Kingfisher. 9 Nov 06. Saltwater Crocodile, Black Bitterns and Papuan Frogmouth were the best of the wildlife in the cool conditions of our dawn trip this morning. 4 Nov 06. Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Great-billed Heron and Cicadabird were the best of the wildlife this morning. 2 Nov 06. Up a creek without a paddle. We invested an hour up Stewart's Creek in search of Black Bitterns this morning. This is as far as I have ever been up this creek and the result was broken starter motor, Great-billed Heron but no Black Bitterns. Into a billabong down from the Village minutes later and bingo, Black Bittern that landed on a branch in clear view. Then into Rainforest Bend and two more with one flying toward us and again landing in view. The other interesting wildlife this morning was a Saltwater Crocodile lurking over from the jetty and sightings of no less than five Gould's Bronze-Cuckoos. Starter motor fixed, thank you Cliff. 1 Nov 06. Black Bitterns. Almost without fail Black Bitterns are seen at dawn in the fresh water parts of the Daintree River starting in November and going right through until April. 29 Oct 06. Warmer weather. We will probably experience warmer weather from now on until the rains come. Our wildlife tour departure time moves to 6:00am (Queensland time) on 1 November. 27 Oct 06. Good tides, good time of year, good early morning calm weather produce good conditions for wildlife viewing as the above checklist shows. 26 Oct 06. Black Bittern, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo, Papuan Frogmouth, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot and Saltwater Crocodile were the highlights for this morning's wildlife adventure. 23 Oct 06. Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Papuan Frogmouth and Saltwater Crocodile head up this mornings wildlife checklist. 22 Oct 06. The big four. Great-billed Heron, Black Bittern, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouth were seen during this morning's trip. The view of the Black Bittern was fleeting which is typical of the species. 21 Oct 06. Calm conditions at dawn are a great asset with the untidy weather conditions we are experiencing this October. Best wildlife this morning was; Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron, Spectacled Flying-fox, Little Kingfisher and Papuan Frogmouth. 19 Oct 06. Great-billed Heron. Fleeting look at a Great-billed Heron helped with a trying morning in the wind and rain. Pacific Baza also put in an appearance whilst we were looking at a Papuan Frogmouth and later, after the trip, alighted in the large tree above the public toilets at the top of the boat ramp. The wet conditions on the last two trips has helped with Green Tree Snake sightings. Improving weather and lower tides should help over the next week. 17 Oct 06.
Black Bittern.
Good wildlife show this morning with nesting Saltwater Crocodile,
Black Bittern, Green Tree Snake, Gould's Bronze Cuckoo, Wompoo Fruit-Dove and
Papuan Frogmouth. 16 Oct 06. Black Bittern. Best wildlife this morning was; Black Bittern, Papuan Frogmouth and Saltwater Crocodiles. Lots of bird activity and vocalisations in the Daintree Valley from Wonga Beach to Daintree Village. 14 Oct 06. Spring is in full swing. Stormbirds in the blustery rainy conditions, kettles of swifts on the air currents, other cuckoos calling, birds nesting and crocodiles becoming more secretive are all hallmarks of spring in Daintree. 12 Oct 06. Aggressive behavior. Welcome Swallows showed aggressive behavior toward nesting Shining Flycatchers this morning that puzzled us all. Good wildlife show this morning despite the gusty wind conditions as the above list shows. 10 Oct 06. Broad-billed Flycatcher. Possible Broad-billed Flycatcher this morning that I hope to study a little more over the coming days. Best wildlife this morning; Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher and Black Bittern. 9 Oct 06. Passage migrants seen in the last two days have been a Satin Flycatcher and Black-faced Monarch. Couple of crocs this morning with Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and Channel-billed Cuckoo. Common Koel seen and heard before the trip and a fleeting glimpse of a Brush Cuckoo midway through the trip. 8 Oct 06. Best wildlife this morning; Little Saltwater Crocodile, big Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Herons, Little Kingfishers, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Lovely Fairy-wrens, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Rufous Fantail and Fairy Gerygone. 7 Oct 06. Black Bitterns. Two Black Bitterns head up this morning's wildlife list closely followed by Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher and Gould's Bronze Cuckoos. With the warm weather on us reptile sightings will not be as frequent. 3 Oct 06. Cicadabird and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo were the best birds this morning in amongst the blustery wind. The very large Saltwater Crocodile in Barratt Creek and the Spectacled Flying-fox camp upstream from the village created a fair amount of interest as well. Four nocturnal species in the list above. 29 Sep 06. Two trips this morning. After our normal scheduled dawn tour we backed up to take out a little nature trip for some school children and their parents. The children were wonderfully well behaved and took most interest in seeing Saltwater Crocodiles. 28 Sep 06. Spectacled Flying-foxes. 5:40am on the way to work I had spectacular views of Spectacled Flying-foxes from the lookout at Windy Reach on the Daintree Road. These mega bats were drinking on the wing over the mirror like conditions of the Daintree River prior to roosting for the day at Barratt Creek. Best birds this morning were Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and Barred Cuckoo-shrike. 27 Sep 06. Blustery conditions on the coast. Best wildlife this morning was; Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake, Spectacled Flying-foxes on the wing, Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and Peregrine Falcon. 26 Sep 06. Best birds this morning were; Great-billed Heron, Common Koel, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and Papuan Frogmouth. 24 Sep 06. Best birds this morning were; Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, White-browed Crake, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot and Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo. 23 Sep 06. Spring is in full swing. Best birds this morning were Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo and Barred Cuckoo-shrikes. There has been an influx of Brush Cuckoos overnight and many smaller birds are building nests. Great time to visit the Daintree Valley. 22 Sep 06. Great early morning weather. Really good conditions for the next few mornings with good low tides and good weather. Best birds this morning Great-billed Heron and Barred Cuckoo-shrike. 19 Sep 06. Dollarbird. First return of Dollarbird. After an interesting but blustery morning I spied a Dollarbird on the powerlines on the Daintree Road, 2 kms from the Ferry turnoff towards the Daintree Village. 18 Sep 06. Double-eyed Fig-Parrots. It was hard to pick a highlight out of this morning's wildlife trip with Saltwater Crocodile, Great-billed Heron, Spectacled Flying-foxes, Green Tree Snake, Papuan Frogmouths and Little Kingfisher but the Double-eyed Fig-Parrots in the open tree would be close. 17 Sep 06. Green Tree Snake. We normally see Green Tree Snakes lying on branches over-hanging the river. They do this to sun themselves and have an escape route from predatory birds by falling into the water. This morning we happened on one that was mid-stream in Barratt Creek and watched as it swam back over to the side and climbed back onto a branch. 16 Sep 06. Kingfisher morning. Laughing Kookaburras, Forest, Sacred, Azure and Little Kingfishers were seen from the boat, with a Blue-winged Kookaburra at the oval, adding to the wildlife list this morning with Saltwater Crocodile, Spectacled Flying-foxes, Green Tree Snakes, Common Koel and Channel-billed Cuckoo. 14 Sep 06. Great-billed Heron. Great-billed Heron, Little Kingfisher, Saltwater Crocodile and Green Tree Snake head up the wildlife list for this morning. Still windy conditions but not as brisk as yesterday. 13 Sep 06. Blustery conditions. At present there is a strong wind warning along the east Queensland coast and instead of our normal calm conditions at dawn we got the wind earlier than normal. It made very little difference as the wildlife checklist above shows. Best wildlife was; Saltwater Crocodiles, Spectacled Flying-foxes, Green Tree Snake, Papuan Frogmouths and a long line of Channel-billed Cuckoos at the end of the trip. 12 Sep 06. Little Kingfisher. Good views of Azure, Sacred, Forest and Little Kingfishers this morning along with Saltwater Crocodiles, Spectacled Flying-foxes and Papuan Frogmouths. 11 Sep 06. Saltwater Crocodiles. Low tides and lots of sunshine after a cool night are a good combination for wildlife viewing. Good views of crocodiles, Shining Flycatchers, Azure Kingfisher and Little Kingfishers. 10 Sep 06. Stunning weather. Not a cloud in the sky for the last few days and likely to be that way for a few more yet. Best wildlife this morning was; Saltwater Crocodile, Spectacled Flying-foxes and Great-billed Heron. 8 Sep 06. Great-billed Heron. Best bird this morning was Great-billed Heron, other wildlife included Saltwater Crocodile, Green Tree Snake and Spectacled Flying-fox. 7 Sep 06. Grey Goshawk. Good view of Grey Goshawk both in flight and perched this morning. It was being chased by a Black Butcherbird and a Yellow Oriole. |
