I was determined to capture some images of Australian rain forest birds and this morning was my first crack at it. I slipped out of the camper before sunrise, passed the waterfall and set up about a quarter mile down the trail to a spot overlooking the river. All around me birds were vocalizing, many with calls I didn't recognize. I knew I would have to use high iso's, low shutter speeds, and plenty of flash so I had come prepared. In addition I could use playback if necessary. All around me birds called and my confidence soared. After the first hour, however, I had heard maybe a thousand individual calls and had caught a tiny glimpse of only a couple. I began playing back a few calls but only succeeded in catching a quick view of several species checking me out and quickly leaving. After three hours, I had one long shot of a Eastern Whipbird and decided to head back to camp and figure out what plan B would be.
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| The Eastern Whipbird is name for the cracking whip sound of its voice |
Plan B became visiting the Nerada Tea Plantation in the hope of seeing the rare Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo. Nerada bills themselves as Australia's largest tea producer and runs a tea house open to the public near the plantation and factory.
Since it was mid-morning and the light was too harsh for photography, a little tea with some sweets seemed a great idea.
We toured their retail store and factory discussing whether we should take some Australian tea back with us. Having to check on the custom form that we were carrying agricultural products probably would have not hindered us on our return but I decided I wanted a clean slate and would have to be content with our American brands.
I asked the clerk where the tree-kangaroos were but she said that nobody had seen them this morning but they were certainly out there. Sure enough, within ten minutes, I found one in the trees close to the tea house. Later I found an adult with a half grown youngster.
As we left I noticed Purple Swamp Hens in the Tea fields. What the attraction was I had no idea. The light was too harsh for the Swamp Hens but the landscape view over the fields was great.
After a quick ice cream and wi-fi at McDonalds in Atherton, I drove to Hasties Swamp National Park which has a great reputation for both resident and migratory birds. Everything was in an uproar when we got there, however, with smoke, fire trucks, and men conducting a controlled burn. Dozens of Black Kites soared over the burn area hunting fleeing prey. I decided I would return here in the morning when it quieted down. The alternative was to go back in the rain forest which had not been very productive for me earlier
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| Black Kite |
We wanted to make one more stop before returning to camp. Gallo Dairyland, between Malanda and Atherton has a reputation for gourmet cheese and hand-crafted chocolate. They had a very inviting retail store and cafe but their milking operation in the back ruined everything they had accomplished in the front. Usually dairy operations that have opened their doors to the public make a reasonable effort to keep their milking parlors as attractive and clean as possible. No such effort was apparent here as manure was a foot deep in places and the one family also observing with us were holding their noses. We did not eat here. One reason was their closing time of 4:30. The other was the lack of cleanliness. I don't expect a shiny sterile floor in a barn but there was neglect here. A small bit of chocolate was our only purchase.
The landscaping and fields around the dairy attracted a good number of birds. With beautiful light from a sinking sun I worked the yards with my camera as the dairy crew locked up and left.
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| The cleanest and most colorful cow at Gallo Dairyland |
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| The store at Gallo Dairyland |
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| Female Yellow-Bellied Sunbird working shrubbery around the dairyland store |
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| Plumed Whistling-Duck coming in for a landing in Gallo Dairyland's fields |
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| Magpie Goose |
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| Silvereye |
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Australasian Figbird
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