#1 Inala Cape York Tour 24 June -1 July 2024

Inala Nature Tours Trip Report
Cape York Tour #1, 20-27th June 2023
Guided by Steve Davidson and Yu Ota
Report written by Steve Davidson

This is the first excursion by road up to Cape York for Inala Nature Tours in 2023, with two nights around Musgrave and Rinyirru (Lakefield) NP en route, plus an extended 4 night stay in the Lockhart River & Katini-Payamu (Iron Range) NP area. This route consistently delivers some of the really special birds and wildlife of the region, with targets such as Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus & Red-cheeked Parrots, Magnificent Riflebird, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Red Goshawk and the critically endangered Golden-shouldered Parrot. This year was no different, in fact we managed to see all of the specialties of the region (minus the near-mythical Black-eared Catbird), plus a bonus over-wintering Black-winged Monarch and a Rufous Owl on one of our nocturnal rambles. It was a tour to remember, made all the more enjoyable by a fantastic group of people, excellent catering and wonderful country.

Day 1, 20th June, Cairns to Artemis Station:
Our group of 10 (8 guests and two drivers) all met and shared dinner & conversation the previous evening in Cairns, before reconvening early this morning with bags packed and ready for the drive north. Hitting the highway north of Cairns we had a brief view of Grey Goshawk in flight as well as noting a few Australian Swiftlets over cane fields, before we climbed the range to Kuranda and beyond, toward Mareeba. At a roadworks stop we picked up Blue-winged Kookaburra & a party of Red-backed Fairywren, and drive-by sightings included Royal Spoonbills, Black & Whistling Kites and Brown Falcon. Short stops at Lake Mitchell, Mt Molloy & Palmer River produced Magpie Goose, Great, Intermediate & Cattle Egrets, Red-winged Parrot, Great Bowerbird, Striated Pardalote and Apostlebird. Honeyeaters included the abundant Blue-faced, plus Yellow, Dusky and a single Cryptic. After Lakeland we saw several Red-backed Kingfishers on overhead wires, and in Laura our first Cape York endemic in the form of the strikingly patterned Black-backed Butcherbird. A pair of Brolga, a Black-necked Stork, Wedge-tailed Eagles and a bunch of White-necked Herons later, we arrived late afternoon at Artemis Station - our lodgings for the night and home to a small population of critically endangered Golden-shouldered Parrots. Pulling up to the station and disembarking from the vehicles, we stretched legs and milled about for a bit. And then, with a stroke of serendipity, our first GSP flew in - a young male, before 3 more also alighted, with an adult male, adult female and another young male. Wow, these birds are something else… The birds fed for a while and then promptly left, but not before us folks had had our fill. It was a fabulous experience, made more so by a damn delicious home-cooked meal, prepared by our hosts the station owners that night, with some perfectly-cooked roast pumpkin and excellent conversation. Text BoxAn early night beckoned, as there was Rinyirru (Lakefield) NP to explore the next day…

Day 2, 21st June, Artemis Station & Rinyirru NP:
After a pre-dawn breakfast courtesy of the good folks at Artemis Station, we headed straight toward Rinyirru NP, with birding (of course) whilst en route. Our first roadside stop produced a party of Grey-crowned Babbler, White-throated Gerygone and squadrons of Red-winged Parrot overhead. Weebill was heard too. Moving on past Musgrave Roadhouse we headed east toward Rinyirru, where strategic halts at creek crossings gave us Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Brown-backed & Bar-breasted Honeyeaters, Red-browed Pardalote, Black-breasted Buzzards, Double-barred Finch and a pair of the most gorgeous finch known to humankind - Black-throated Finch. Absolute stunners… And that was merely a warm up. Our next wayside stop gave us Australian Hobby, Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters and Little Woodswallow, but the next bird was as explosive as it was stunning - a perched Red Goshawk, expertly found by none other than one of our guides Yu Ota. This cracking raptor gave us extended scope views from different angles as it serenely sat high in a eucalypt by the roadside, allowing numerous fantastic photo opportunities. What a find, and somewhat sobering to think it’s our rarest raptor, indeed one of Australia’s rarest birds. To break the tension, we went to a wetland a bit further on, in order to ease back and look at normal, marginally less fantastic (but still very cool) birds for a bit. Here there were several Magpie Geese, lots of Green Pygmy-goose, Plumed Whistling-Duck, a Whiskered Tern, Comb-crested Jacana doing their thing, and Australasian Darter. In the woodland around the margins we found both Yellow & Olive-backed Oriole, Leaden Flycatcher, White-throated Honeyeater and a few Rufous-banded Honeyeaters. A Brown Goshawk made a brief appearance as it got mobbed mercilessly by Blue-faced Honeyeaters. A Feral Pig was seen too. Moving along we stopped for a random flock of 24 Radjah Shelduck in a lagoon by the road, and then at Saltwater Creek for lunch. Here we were joined by Fairy Gerygone, Mistletoebird, Graceful Honeyeater, several Rufous-banded Honeyeaters and a lone Grey Fantail. A final push out onto the virtually treeless Nifold Plain and we stopped when a harrier was seen. Piling out we watched as a superbly crisp adult Spotted Harrier floated closer to us as it quartered the grassland, then the roadside, then almost up to the back of our parked vehicles. It was incredible! It eventually floated away whereupon we turned our attention to the flock of Star Finch coming in to drink at a waterhole. These tiny, spotty, red-headed finches were the main reason we’d driven this far, so it was a bonus to see them. Also here were several Diamond Dove, Black-throated Finches, Fairy Martins, Brown Falcons, a pair of Brolga, White-necked Heron, another Spotted Harrier, Black-necked Storks, a lone Black-faced Woodswallow, and then, to cap it all off, a flock of Australian Pratincole swept through… it was a fantastic little session. Heading back involved a fair bit of distance so we got underway, the drive punctuated only by a pair of Australian Bustard on the roadside, and another Australian Pratincole on the airstrip at Musgrave Station. Late in the day we had a wonderful hour with a small group of Golden-shouldered Parrots at Artemis Station, including one adult male that sat quietly for ages in a tree. A superb end to an amazing day…

Day 3, Artemis to Lockhart River Cabins, Katini-Payamu NP:
Today was a bit of a driving day and so after another lovely breakfast at Artemis Station we said goodbye to Sue & Tom and hit the long road north. Not a lot of birds were seen as there was a fair bit of distance to cover, however we did drop in to Archer River Roadhouse to visit the lagoon at the rear of the property, and see if there were any Spotted Whistling-Ducks present. Sadly, this time there were none, so we pressed on. We turned off the Peninsula Development Road north of Archer River and headed east, eventually making it to the more open, heathland country just west of the Iron Range itself. Here we managed quick views of our first White-streaked Honeyeater as it darted from tree to tree. We had a quick look at Mt Tozer and Tozer’s Gap before plunging down the escarpment and into the rainforest proper of Kutini-Payamu NP. Screeching to a halt when an Eclectus Parrot flew over the road, we were soon watching a female at her nest hollow in a giant rainforest tree, thanks once again to the eagle eye of Yu Ota. A brilliant find! Also here we had a Pacific Baza flying over. Down at Lockhart Airfield we checked in to the accommodation and had a brief rest, before heading out at 5pm for some rapid-fire birding. And indeed it was - we had fantastic scoped-up views of two Palm Cockatoos, a male Eclectus Parrot who perched nearby, a brief Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, a pair of Hornbill Friarbird, Graceful Honeyeater and Australasian Figbird. A fine meal, ably delivered by Sheree & Greg from Portland Roads Cafe, completed a long but brilliant day.

Day 4-7: Lockhart River & Kutini-Payamu NP:
Over the next full 3 days we had the opportunity to explore the whole region, with rainforest, tropical woodland, coastal environments and some minor waterways to look at. From our accommodation at the airport we could walk along Lockhart River Rd, with rainforest & vine scrub on one side, and more open grassy woodland on the other. This combo always provides good birding, and so it did over the course of our stay, with more looks at Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo and a single young, male Red-cheeked Parrot. A White-browed Robin remained frustratingly unseen, as did a calling Red-backed Buttonquail. Try as we might we couldn’t tempt it out onto the road… We had good comparisons between Yellow-spotted & Graceful Honeyeaters, plus the larger and chunkier Tawny-breasted Honeyeater. Yellow-billed Kingfishers were calling but remained elusive. We tried another spot further along where we heard another one and bang! In it came, sitting atop a tall tree in all his buzz-cut, punk-haired glory - a male Yellow-billed Kingfisher! At the West Claudie River bridge plenty of action ensued on a number of visits, with a powerhouse of Iron Range specialties burning into our retinas and collective memories. Top of the list was a stunning adult Black-winged Monarch, a bird that normally only visits in the Wet season and should have been in PNG right now. Following closely were two Trumpet Manucode that were visiting a fruiting tree, a party of Green-backed Honeyeaters, a very furtive Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo and a female Red-cheeked Parrot allowing unfettered & extended views. Other birds here included White-eared Monarch bathing in the river, Spectacled Monarch, Fairy Gerygone, great views of Wompoo Fruit-doves, Grey Whistler and Rufous Fantail. In the dense rainforest proper one morning we spent time tracking down (and finding!!!) a singing Northern Scrub-robin. What a coup, made only sweeter by then finding a singing Yellow-legged Flyrobin close by, and every one of us enjoying scope views. Such difficult birds normally. The robin triumvirate was brought home in screaming fashion with a White-faced Robin in the same location. We’d reached dizzying heights. In dense rainforest along Gordon Creek we birded a couple of times also, and this area delivered us the amazing spectacle of two amorous male Magnificent Riflebirds chasing a female. The birds twisting and cavorting through the trees in front of our eyes was something to behold, their chrome gorgets gleaming and modified wing feathers ruffling like taffeta. A male Yellow-breasted Boatbill was only barely the runner up; this tiny imp really packs a punch of yellow… The Lockhart River wastewater treatment ponds had a lone Pied Heron, Radjah Shelduck, a very vocal pair of Fawn-breasted Bowerbirds that showed well, Pheasant Coucal and best of all - 6 Spotted Whistling-duck, a species we’d been searching for the whole week… The scintillating Frill-necked Monarch was the next local specialty to fall, as were some very tricky Tropical Scrubwren. Lovely Fairywren, Shining Flycatcher, Beach Stone-Curlew, Eastern Reef-Egret, Northern Fantail, Varied Sittella (of the highly attractive subspecies striata), Varied Triller, Leaden Flycatcher, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Grey Whistler, the distinctive subsp superciliosa of Grey Shrike-thrush, Rufous Shrike-thrush, Silvereye (the striking subsp vegetus), and Mistletoebird all provided an excellent supporting cast, and rounded out the diurnal birds. Spotlighting over two nights and with nocturnal birds on the agenda, we managed to find several Papuan Frogmouth, a single Marbled Frogmouth (finally…), and a fantastic Rufous Owl on our second-last night - the first individual of this species the two guides had ever seen in Katini-Payamu NP (over a combined 30 trips!). Also found on our second night were both Spotted and Australian Scrub Python and a Brown-headed Snake. Our final morning and it was blowing an almighty gale down at Quintell Beach, so all we added to the trip list was a lone Caspian Tern. However, that didn’t detract from what has been an incredible 7 days of wildlife watching in one of the country’s best locations (that’s the author’s opinion anyway…) with a fantastic and extremely affable group of people.