The Great Birding Adventure 2012 - Part 5: Iron Range

We left Musgrave Roadhouse early and made great time along an excellent graded dirt road. We stopped for a road-side breakfast at Coen, before heading on to the turn-off to Lockhart River and the Iron Range NP. Arrived at the Park by about 10:30am, and, having read other reports, expected awesome and exotic birds to appear in their droves. Reality check finally hit us - this was rainforest in the dry season. This was no easy picking session. This was rainforest birding as it usually is. Hard, consistent effort hopefully bringing good results. We did spot Eclectus Parrot, an absolutely stunning bird (Number 17), but that was it before lunch.

We headed on and arrived at Portland Roads. If the morning birding had been a tad disappointing, the Portland Roads Guest House was not! A stunning place overlooking a beautiful tropical bay, complete with fishing boats, palm trees and mangroves. Gorgeous. Just as good, was the cafe next door which provided brilliant meals (calamari, prawns, fish and chips) for very reasonable prices set in a lovely garden full of Olive-backed Sunbirds, and Yellow-spotted and Brown Honeyeaters. Our humour was restored and we set out again to "work" the forest for new species.

This proved to be by far the least productive birding session we had done. We did pick up Tropical Scrub-wren (Number 18) soon after starting, but got nothing new until we snaffled a White-faced Robin (Number 19) just before dusk. We heard lots of other calls, and saw a couple of Eclectus Parrots fly overhead, but that was it. As we headed back, we stopped at the local rubbish tip, supposedly a good spot for Palm Cockatoo. We didn't see them, but we did pick up both Large-tailed Nightjar and White-throated Nightjar (Number 20). OK, three lifers was actually rather good, but I think we were expecting all sorts of stunning beauties literally parading themselves before us. Back home for more delightful seafood and then we settled in for the night after making a cunning plan for the next day and having a close encounter with a Papuan Frogmouth that had clearly made the trees around the guest-house its home. Steve and I shared a room again - enough said.

Photo courtesy of Steve Potter

Photo courtesy of Steve Potter

Our second full day began with great promise. We identified both Greater and Lesser Frigatebirds flying overhead (Numbers 21 and 22), along with large numbers of Brown Booby's and Crested Terns. We then drove back to the start of the Old Coen track and headed into the forest - made up of different strands of lowland rainforest, monsoon forest and riverine forest. We quickly spotted a Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, a pretty little thing and an encouraging start (Number 23) and then picked up Shining Flycatcher by the river and Yellow Orioles and Spotted Catbirds were calling high in the canopy. After crossing the river, we came across some monsoon forest - lower and thinner than the rainforest, and suddenly we were amongst a "bird party". The three undoubted highlights were the Superb Fruit-Dove (Number 24), Yellow-breasted Boatbill (Number 25) and the Fawn-breasted Bowerbird (Number 26) - the former was just stunning, and the latter is now considered rare so we were thrilled to see it. Steve also picked up White-eared Monarch so he was an extra happy chap! We also came across a lovely Black-headed Python which posed beautifully for us.

Black-headed Python

Headed back to home base a little more satisfied, and determined to continue a steady, concerted attack on the list of target birds, which was slowly getting shorter. Calamari was duly consumed, and we decided to take a little siesta time to recuperate. Steve and I found a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove and I was able to take a couple of very pleasing photos.

Photo courtesy of Steve Potter

Back into the forest and some seriously hard work ensued in the main forest along Portland Roads. Numbers of Red-cheeked Parrots flew overhead, but the views were very unsatisfactory, and we debated over whether we had seen enough - the prognosis was "no". However, after slogging through some undergrowth following various calls, we were able to spot a female Magnificent Riflebird (Number 27). As we headed back to Portland Roads we popped into Chilli Beach and walked along the small rainforest walk - and jagged a Green-backed Honeyeater (Number 28). As we headed back "home", we finally came across some Palm Cockatoos (Number 29) - a fantastic bird, and Steve got a couple of great pictures. All in all, a very good day. The Cafe was frequented again, and we were all in bed early. Had to roll Steve over a couple of times to stop the snoring, and no, we were not in the same bed at the time.

Our third day had us back on Portland Roads. We stopped at the top of a ridge to see if we could find White-streaked Honeyeaters. David locked on to one, but by the time Steve and I arrived, it had gone. And that was the only sighting of this bird the entire trip. It became a sore point. I then walked into a Paper-Nest Wasp nest, and they hammered me in the small gaps between the mozzie and sand-fly bites. Steve got stung too (on the lip, which reminded me of a Vegietales song about lips), while David fled at a ridiculously quick pace to the safety of the road. This also became a sore point - the stings, not David's flight. However, we then worked the main road again and came across Yellow-legged Flycatcher (a pretty little thing - Number 30) and Frilled Monarch (Number 31). Then after following a cuckoo-like call through the undergrowth for some time, we were thrilled to finally track down a Yellow-billed Kingfisher (Number 32 and a new favourite bird)! There was great rejoicing in the forest!

The afternoon consisted of some initial birding around the guest-house, where we picked up Lovely Fairy-wren, and then another attempt at the WS Honeyeater. No sign, but the Red-cheeked Parrots did another fly-over and we were all able to get enough of a view to confirm these elusive little birds (Number 33). We also came across an Eclectus Parrot nest in a very tall tree and got some cracking views of the female in the hole and the male hovering around nearby, having an animated conversation with some Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. We stopped in at Chilli Beach again, and this time scoped some Black-naped Terns (Number 34) roosting on a nearby rocky outcrop. Home to a lovely seafood dinner, and bed. I was tired - fell to sleep almost immediately despite the racket going on around me.

Day four shall forever be remembered as "The Day We Saw Nothing". Despite our best attempts, the Trumpet Manucode, Northern Scrub-Robin and the White-streaked Honeyeaters and Chestnut-breasted Cuckoos (the only targets left on our list!) remained elusive. However, I snaffled eighteen of the twenty-two targets, so I really can't complain. Just means I am going to have to go back there one day to get the other four (plus the Pitta!!). After another yummy seafood dinner, we hit the sack in time for an early start the next day.

Day five consisted of a visit by a Green Tree Frog, a quick check of the Cook's Hut camp-site - nothing, a photo session at the Iron Range sign, and then a long drive back to Julatten and Kingfisher's Park. Getting eighteen lifers in four days anywhere is outstanding, especially ones that are limited to such a small part of Australia, so while the birding was "hard work" at times - Iron Range more than delivered and I am extremely grateful that I had the chance to visit this pearl of a place. I will be back!

Dave Kowalick and  Steve Potter