A few hours bird watching this morning took me down to Cooya Beach. Poking around the mangroves turned up Collared and Sacred Kingfisher, Mangrove Robin and a Broad-billed Flycatcher. Further back from the beach I found Double-eyed Fig-parrot, Emerald Dove and to my surprise a Rose-crowned Fruit-dove and a small flock of Red-tailed Black-cockatoo flying overhead. Also seen in the area were Reef Heron, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, White Faced Heron, Little Egret and Little Pied Cormorant.

Further down the Highway towards Port Douglas, in a spot near the mangroves, I found a flock of seven Lovely Fairy-wren. Also in the area I found Sea Eagle, Black and Whistling Kite, Brown Goshawk and Torresian Crow.

The find of the day however, was two Beach Stone-curlew.

(Appologies for the poor quality photo!)

The total number of species for three well spent hours was 49.

A short 1 hour cycle around my local area in Shannonvale this morning turned up 37 species despite the cool drizzly conditions.

A small flock of Metallic Starlings, the first of the season, was spotted at the causeway over the South Mossman River. Three species of cuckoo were sighted - Brush Cuckoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo and Little Bronze-Cuckoo. Fairy and Tree Martins  were seen in numbers swooping for insects over a recently harvested sugar cane field. Several flocks of Top-knot Pigeons were also observed flying overhead. The thick rainforest edge along the road side yielded Rufous Fan-tail, Double-eyed Fig-parrots, Wompo Fruit-doves, Brown Cuckoo-doves and Fairy Martins amongst others.

A most satisfying morning before the rain came down!