Douglas Shire Library - Bird Exhibition

Douglas Shire Library

In line with the commencement of the local birdwatching season the Douglas Shire Library has rolled out a Bird Exhibition in Mossman. The main part of the exhibition is formed by a lifelong wild bird *egg collection by Mossman man Jack Dwyer. Showcased are other bird books and the Birds of the Daintree DVD.

The eggs were collected early last century.*

.

It's Birdwatching Time - boogity boogity boogity shoe....

Screenshot from birdwatching app

From now until the wet is a good time for birdwatching as the migrants flock in. To help out with accommodation Mark & Kerry Gannon have made their beachfront home at Wonga Beach available for visiting birdwatchers at some unbelievable rates. The holiday home can sleep 10 and backs onto a creek at Giblin Street which by coincidence is featured on the Port Douglas & Daintree Discovery Guide app under "birdwatching":

Backs onto Beachfront holiday home

There are lots of birdwatching places at Wonga Beach which is part of Daintree:

Wonga Beachfront Holiday Home has a responsive website at 

beachfront.daintree.info

.

Strong Wind Warning

South-east Trade Winds

Right in the middle of the high season we have a strong wind warning that means it will be rough at sea and many of the reef boats in Port Douglas will not be putting to sea. It will be like this for the next few days.

The strong winds even effect the Daintree River boats because the water in the river can be rough and the trees and mangroves lining the river will be blowing around making it unpleasant and very hard to see wildlife except for crocodiles.

Go at Dawn or Dusk because it is much calmer then.

Calm conditions at dawn and dusk

Book your dawn or dusk river trip here.

You can even book it on your phone with our responsive websites.

Top image from BOM website and the bottom image courtesy of Marketing Daintree.

.

First sign of Spring

Spring might be 1 September on the Gregorian calendar (southern hemisphere) but Spring can also be defined by the migration of birds.

This morning I heard a Brush Cuckoo at Wonga Beach......

. photo from creative Commons

Vale Ken Simpson

Ken Simpson passed away on Wednesday 9 July 2014.

"On his last Daintree trip Lloyd Nielsen and I showed him a new Australian bird.

It was a Mangrove Robin in the lower Daintree River and the year was 1996 or thereabouts.  He had just taken some close up shots of a Great-billed Heron for Nicholas Day the illustrator of the Simpson and Day field guide because Nicholas had never seen one in the flesh as his earlier illustrations showed."

2014. The Simpson & Day Field Guide to the Birds of Australia is the benchmark for Australian field guides. 

.

The secrets of Stewart Creek Road

The eGuide to Australian birds is a very good way to learn the bird calls of those small pesky rainforest birds.

Use one of the Daintree Bird Walk checklists ( birdwalk.daintree.info/8jul14.htm ) to find out what birds are calling and listen to them on the eGuide and you are halfway there.

There is a lot going on with birdwatchers.

.

WILDLIFE GALORE

Top half of a wildlife list 18 Jun

After the dawn river trips and walks I couldn't help but notice the puzzled looks on the faces of day visitors to Daintree Village on Wednesday.
The village is world renowned for being a centre for wildlife in the wild and indeed it lived up to it's reputation as the list above shows. The activities for seeing the wildlife happened earlier in the day, long before the day visitors arrived and hence the puzzled looks.
One of the best ways to experience these early morning activities is to stay overnight at the village:

Accommodation Link >

Tours Link > 

Birdwatchers App >

.

Carnivale 2014 Quiz - Prize for Friday 23 May - Daintree Village Hideaway

DAINTREE VILLAGE HIDEAWAY

For all the Daintree Wildlife aficionados here is an opportunity to get an early start for dawn birdwatching walks and river tours. 

Tomorrow's prize is a night at Daintree Village Hideaway. 

To win the prize go to qwe.com.au early and answer the question.

image courtesy of Daintree Village Hideaway

.

Daintree Birdwatching App

A Noisy Pitta is calling early morning from half way up Reservoir Road. Sometimes a sign of Spring.

Details of Reservoir Road, Wonga (Daintree) and 30 other birdwatching spots can be found on the Daintree birdwatching app:

http://daintree.info/birdapp/

.

.

Flying-fox Flyout

The photograph was taken in our backyard almost 20 years ago by Steve Parish and it shows this astonishing beautiful native animal off very well.

You can see the Spectacled Flying-foxes fly out of an early evening in Daintree (Wonga Beach) shortly after 6 pm. The best vantage point would be from the corner of Marlin Drive and Janbal Street looking north-west.

.