Keith and Lindsay Fisher | Guest Contributor and Treasurer respectively
A week away from Julatten on a birding trip was just what we needed after a year of health issues confining us to home. A look at the weather forecast showed the persistent showers we had been having on the Atherton Tablelands were due to be replaced by a few weeks of dry winter weather, so plans were put in place.
Our travel route. Map sourced from Google Maps.
Our first stop was Pinnarendi Station Stay, which is just south of the Atherton Tablelands on the Kennedy Highway, north of Forty Mile Scrub. It is a working cattle station run by Ronnie and Nadine Atkinson, and we have been visiting there since it was first set up in 2016. We have previously surveyed the property with the North Queensland Natural History Group, helping to compile the Station’s flora and fauna lists.
Pinnarendi Station Stay Garden Dam. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
There are three kilometres of walking tracks on the Station, taking in three dams always with a selection of waterbirds, plus plenty of birdlife in the eucalypt woodlands including a few friendly Grey Butcherbird.
Grey Butcherbird. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
The flowering Grevillea pteridifolia (Fern-leaved Grevillea) was attracting many honeyeaters including the dominant Noisy Miner. We were pleased to see a crèche of about 50 young Chestnut-breasted Mannikin being supervised by a few adults at one of the dams.
The campground provides powered and un-powered sites with one of the best features being the excellent Cafe – The Brick Oven. We stayed there for our first two nights enjoying the walks and also the yummy pizza!
Then it was off to Flat Creek Station, also a cattle station, which is south-west of Georgetown and close to the Gilbert River. It is owned by Peter and Adam, who were away, and their caretaker Rick showed us around. The camp has a donkey boiler for showers and toilets, and is a popular fossicking site: there were a number of fossickers camped there.
However, the birdwatching is great as well. We found a pleasant spot beside a dry creek in the woodland and set up camp for three nights. We were quickly surrounded by Apostlebirds and Squatter Pigeons, which certainly made us feel we were away on a birding trip!
Flat Creek Station Camp. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
Squatting Squatter Pigeon. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
A late afternoon bird walk had us trying to keep up with the species as they flitted around in the shrubs: Restless Flycatcher, Weebill, Little Friarbird, Black-faced Woodswallow, and White-winged Triller. The next morning a walk in the other direction was equally productive, including White-throated Gerygone, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, and Grey-crowned Babbler.
Grey-crowned Babbler. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
White-throated Gerygone. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
We spent quite a bit of time just driving along the tracks, stopping to bird and checking out the dams. There are three dams plus a waterhole next to the camp site, so we had a great variety of birdlife to enjoy including Green and Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Black-necked Stork, White-necked Heron, and Yellow-billed Spoonbill.
White-necked Heron. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
Green and Cotton Pygmy-geese. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
At night Keith heard Southern Boobook and Spotted Nightjar.
After we left, we had a quick visit to Cumberland Dam which was, as usual, full of campers as well as plenty of birds. Then back to Pinnarendi for a night, where we enjoyed their excellent Thursday night barramundi special in the company of some entertaining caravaners. Another walk in the morning before treating ourselves to coffee, scones, cream and jam and then heading back to the Atherton Tablelands.
Wondecla State Forest, near Herberton, has always been a favourite place of ours, which we have visited many times over the years. Reading the reports of the monthly BirdLife Northern Queensland field trips there made us want to join in, but we needed to be staying close-by for the 7:00 am start.
Our last day away was the morning of the Wondecla field trip, and a perfect opportunity to attend. We checked out the possible camp sites nearby and were delighted to find a Hipcamp site further along Springvale Road, just beyond the field trip meeting place. There are five sites and they are large and well spaced alongside Flaggy Creek. Here we were welcomed by the owner Tim who pointed out the property’s walking tracks.
As nightfall came the temperature started dropping. By then we were getting used to the cold nights, as the last two had been 2°C, but that night it went down to zero! Lucky we were snug in our Tvan camper-trailer, but having to get up early to join the field trip was hard work. We had coffee and porridge and were ready to go, but then had to remember the best way to defrost the windscreen – not something we had ever done in the Tropics before! We met with a small group of intrepid birders in beanies and scarves, and soon got sore necks peering into the high eucalypt canopy where any birds around were catching the sun.
Birding with some of the Wondecla group. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
Eventually, it warmed up and we enjoyed seeing the special birds that make this habitat home. One of the most interesting bird species in the area is a population known locally as the Herberton Honeyeater, which is more typical of Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, and may also be confused with a Fuscous Honeyeater. Until its true status is resolved it is usually referred to as Fuscous Honeyeater (read more on this subject in “Birds of the Wet Tropics of Queensland & Great Barrier Reef & Where to Find Them” by Lloyd Nielsen).
Bridled Honeyeater were everywhere making us wonder if any were left in the rainforest! Scaly-breasted and Rainbow Lorikeets added to the colour in contrast to the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.
Fuscous Honeyeater (Herberton Honeyeater). Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
After a long morning tea and chat it was time to go back to our camp. Here we found the one bird that had eluded us all morning, the Eastern Shrike-tit, which had been heard but not seen. Two obligingly flew around the camp as we packed up, delaying our departure: a fitting end before we returned to Julatten after a very pleasant and cool week away.
Eastern Shrike-tit. Image by Keith and Lindsay Fisher.
Contact details
Pinnarendi Station Stay
Bookings advised for camping and for meals.
Flora and fauna lists under the “Walking Track” heading on their website.
Flat Creek Station, Georgetown
Mention you are birdwatchers. $10pp per night – cash.
4WD necessary for exploring around the property and we suggest a map tracking program such as ExploreOz Traveller to see where you are! Also, no internet so good idea to download Bird Data maps.
Flaggy Creek Caravan Camp, Wondecla
0438 828 991
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