Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge

03/10/2026

25 days out of 30 in September had recordable rain, the highest daily total being just 9.5cm and the month's total being 65.5cm, with only 65 days of no recordable rain out of 273 or the last 9 months of 2026 so far. We have already exceeded our annual rainfall, having hit 2092mm so far. We are well aware that many not even so far away, would love rain but I'm mentioning it here because, along with me being away in the week, jobs like mowing just have not been possible. We apologise that the Lodge grounds look slightly less well-groomed than they should but the plus side is the growth of new leaves and flowers on the water-loving trees.

Send a message to learn more

27/09/2026

Brushing my teeth today I found myself eye to eye with a male Sahul Sunbird, chortling and twittering. He was hanging off the Aristolochia vine which has done its own version of Jack and the Beanstalk up the drainpipe. I watched as Mrs Sunbird took his place and began what seemed like miming the winding motion around the stem as if starting building a nest. She also seemed to be poking her bill at the stem as if wanting to split it to allow for threading fibres securely. Andrew had only just said, "That vine needs to be cut back." Ha! So much for THAT plan! If the Sunbirds do choose to build there, they'd better get used to the not-always-tuneful bathroom noises......🙉

Send a message to learn more

21/09/2026

I am back down in Cairns for the week again. Andrew emailed me this just now: "Had all 4 Monarchs in 30 minutes this morning. First Black-faced of the season called outside the kitchen and while I was watching that I heard the White-eared coming and that flew through. Attracted by the Black-faced? Then walked the dog and saw Spectacled. So then went out of my way to find a Pied, out back of the shed. Things that make you happy.🙂"

Send a message to learn more

15/09/2026

I have names now for the Black Butcherbirds, thought of as I lay on the slab for my radiation treatment: Lex Luthor, Cruella de Vil and General Zod.

Send a message to learn more

13/09/2026

Two or three Black Butcherbirds have taken up residence and are terrorising our small birds, swooping at the finches and scaring everything, but yesterday when I heard a desperate repeated squeak, squeak I raced out and saw one of the butcherbirds in an acrobatic aerial chase following a Queensland Tube-nosed Bat!! I lost sight of them but did not hear any prolonged screech so I believe the lovely bat escaped. Sadly, the presence of the butcherbirds seems to have frightened away our friendly, veranda-haunting Red-necked Crake😭. The Crake Pond in the orchard may have to be watched once again. It's the haunt of the Noisy Pitta so the luckiest guests could get two for the price of one, we hope.

Send a message to learn more

10/09/2026

Any guests with time in Cairns, have a look out from the Esplanade for the big, black-backed gull that was first spotted a few days ago. It's a Kelp Gull and not from these parts, for sure. I wouldn't normally go out of my way to twitch a bird (the Isabelline Wheatear of years ago at Mt Carbine being a notable exception, just because someone had to confirm it really WAS a wheatear) but being down here in Cairns it would have been churlish not to take the opportunity. It wasn't hard to spot on the flats in front of a turning tide and was notably disdainful of the helicopter for the hospital landing nearby which had put everything else to flight. Perhaps choppers are no big thing where it comes from, or maybe it's still tired from its flight, but let's hope it's not a sign of illness.

08/09/2026

Someone once asked me if I ever stop birding. Clearly the answer is No. I'm here in Cairns for radiation treatment and took a short walk in Woree to a pharmacy, only to be overtaken by a high-speed Peregrine Falcon putting the cars to shame on the Bruce Highway and heading for Innisfail ;-)

05/09/2026

Quite an interesting day hereabouts in Julatten today. While I was standing on the lawn a Brown Goshawk swept down not 5 metres from me and swiped a bird off the ground under the seed feeder. Judging by the feathers we found near the washing lines it was a Peaceful Dove that drew the short straw. Then while I was planting a bush out the front an Australian Hobby zipped in and landed in the Poinciana, just as Andrew had seen it do (with prey) 2 days ago. Then this afternoon our stroll on McDougall's Rd with Keeto had its own share of surprises. A high-pitched call proved to be from an Eastern Osprey that launched itself from a tree beside McDougall's dam, surprisingly not startling any of the Black Ducks, the Australasian Grebe, nor that local novelty, a Moorhen. I was watching a group of Topknot Pigeons heading for the hills when some circled back into a Quandong tree. Not for long, as a big male Brown Goshawk shot through. It had squealed before that and quickly showed why when it started swooping, diving and circling with a smaller female. Feeling quite satisfied with our dog-walk birds we ended by counting 29 Magpie Geese and a Little Pied Cormorant that was still sitting on a sloping tree above Bushy Creek on both our to and from crossings of the bridge.

Send a message to learn more

03/09/2026

Well, my first 2 weekday sessions of radiation treatment to mop up after my hysterectomy for endometrial cancer are behind me. Only 26 to go 😃 The plus side has to be the location of Cairns Hospital for those after-rad walks. Here is the beautiful Rufous Owl, and the lovely coastline where the mud at low tide (yes, mud, - less sand thankfully) has a good array of waders, most just in my too-hard basket with the wrong binos and no scope. I plan head back to Kingfisher Park tomorrow and every subsequent weekend, but guests on weekdays will just have to put up with Andrew! 🤣Keeto the dog will at least have a big hello for everyone.💋

01/09/2026

Well, this afternoon, after several wet, windy, nasty days the sun finally came out to welcome the first day of Spring and a male Yellow-breasted Boatbill went nuts singing his heart out, little tail and head angled upwards as they do, giving guests a nice show. Olive-backed Oriole, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler and others were warbling away too so there's plenty happening here. Two guests saw one of our elusive Noisy Pittas today on the track from the creek, and the visiting Red-necked Crake has shown up for everyone over the last couple of days, in spite of the warring Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodes), the rampaging Brush Turkeys and the predatory Black Butcherbirds we seem to have unfortunately acquired. I've seen one take a swipe at the Chestnut-breasted Mannikins but they are getting wise to that. Just one call from it and everything rockets away to safety. Apart from the Brush Turkeys. :-(

Send a message to learn more