140914 Queensland Kingfisher Park to Lotus Bird Lodge

Queensland, Australia 2014-09-05--09-25
140914 day 10 Sunday

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Today we are going noth to the lower part of  Cape York. But before we can go we have breakfast and have to wait for the new birdguide whos estimated arrivel would be at 9 clock.  That gave us time for a short birding at Kingfisher Park. But birding?? When I came to the meadow I found a couple of guys standing looking into the tree trunk where we found a big snake yesterday. I asked them what they were looking for. The snake they said. That made me giggle. Take a look ON the tree trunk. The snake is not IN it. It is ON it. Guess if they looked stupid.

 The snake, Morelia amethistina is a non-venomous species of snake, known as the amethystine, scrub python or Sanca permata locally, acc to wiki. The snake did not seem bothered by us, it probably was warming up after a chilly night.

 The guide arrived as planned and we left Kingfisher Park with a nice lunchbox from our landlady.  We made the first stop already after a  few minutes. It was a campsite where some wrens was nesting. We did see them but they were so quick and in the trees so I did only get blue dots on my images. :) Then the long trip up north started.

After a couple of hours we came to Lakeland and made stop for coffee and refreshments. I bought myself an Icecream. And found some great birds overhead. A lot of Black Kites in the air and we also saw a few Black.-necked storks soaring. Image to the right!

This seem to be a country of big contrasts. The car at the café has a boat on. And the name of the place was Lakeland. Yet to me in, September, it was a very dry country. And we should soon see the signs of flooding and much water. But today it was dust all the way.

I was sitting in the car that the new guide was driving. And he was a speeder. He forgot to check if the other two was following. Because of that the people behind us could not see the eagle on the road. I think it was a roadkill and the eagle, a Wedge-tailed Eagle, and some black birds was picking at each other over it. There was another bird of prey too, probably a harrier, but I can´t ID that one for sure. I was sitting in the backseat but managed to get a few shots through the window.

  

We continued. Made some stops at creeks here and there. Some filled with a little water but not much.

Then we arrived at Musgrave and went to see if we could find the freshwater crocks they have in some small ponds.  And we saw them but only the noses, and lots of ducks and a campingsite with happy children more interested in horses then crocks and ducks. I understand them.  :)

Then we continued to Lotus Bird Lodge and arrived early enough to have time to check our "homes" for two nights and the area around it. We were warned at arrival that this IS wild country. We should walk loudly and not too close to the water in the pond. Small, deadly, snakes are there. And, yes I saw one when I walked around a bit.

I was surprised and almost felt like a queen. I have my own house with veranda and all. Great view over the pond and the location where they feed kangaroos in the evening.

We was served a nice meal and after that, went through the birdlist sitting on the veranda. When doing so another bird appeared. An owl checked us out. When I went to my house it was sitting on the path too. Then it was time to go to bed. Take a shower and look through the photos from today. They said we travelled 370 km today.

I think this image below is Kennedy Creek. You can see a little water in the pool and the dust from a passing car on the road.

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