On my way south to the Atherton Tableland this morning, I stopped to see ifI could see two species that while I may see them elsewhere in my travels, they are not easy birds to find. My first target was the Black-faced Finch and Keith and Lindsay recommended a couple roads where they had recently been seen. Despite my searching however, I could not find any Black-faced Finches, though I did see a number of Red-browed and Double-barred Finches (above) which while common, I had not photographed the Double-barred Finches before. My second target was the White-browed Robin which is often seen in the scrubby area around a dry creek bed. Despite more searching here, I again came up empty though here I did see a Black-faced Monarch which was a small consolation prize.
I arrived in the Atherton/Yungaburra area and did a bit of exploring before heading out on a spotlighting tour with local naturalist Alan Gillanders. Alan has become quite famous for his spotlighting where visitors typically see his specialty, the Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo, as well as a number of possums and other nocturnal critters. Sure enough, in about an hour and half we saw one Tree Kangaroo as well as quite a few rare Green Ringtail Possums (above) and the more common Coppery Brushtail Possums. It was a great chance for me to photograph some of these rare creatures and I was thrilled with the opportunity. Alan was extremely knowledgable and I am pretty sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
|
