Monthly Archives: February 2011

Shining Bronze Cuckoo

Cuckoos are unpopular creatures amongst other birds, naturally because of their habit of depositing their own eggs in someone else’s nest, a practice that most Cuckoos indulge in. The group, are however, common and well represented in Mission Beach and … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Birdwatching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mission Beach Back in Business

21 days after Cyclone Yasi hit our shores many of our businesses are up and running again. A natural disaster has a way of putting things into perspective. After the initial shock and the challenges presented by the aftermath with … Continue reading

Posted in Cyclone Yasi Recovery | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Spangled Drongo – Mission Beach

Some birds inevitably fare better following natural catastrophes such as Cyclone Yasi than others and one such species is certainly the Spangled Drongo. Normally a common species inhabiting the edges of the rainforest, it has become abundant over the past … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Birdwatching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sarus Crane – Mission Beach

Following Cyclone Yasi many birds have become displaced or obliged to undertake short term movements to new feeding grounds. One such species is the Sarus Crane, previously unrecorded in the Mission Beach area, but common in the Atherton Tablelands. A … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Birdwatching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Star Finch – Innisfail

Cyclone Yasi has produced surprises in the bird world, some of which have already been mentioned in earlier blogs. Another one which was perhaps less of an oddity was the photograph of a Star Finch taken in Innisfail by an … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Birdwatching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Orange-Thighed Tree Frog – Mission Beach

Since its inception this blog has mostly focused on the local birdlife but occasionally it’s of interest to stray into other areas of natural history. A number of people have asked me “how did frogs fare in the wake of … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uniform Swiftlets – Mission Beach

Cyclone Yasi has been and visited Mission Beach, yet another high powered tourist to pass through the town! For bird watchers a cyclone may appear to be a disaster yet in the aftermath of Larry in 2006, no birds vanished … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Birdwatching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sooty Tern – Mission Beach

Cyclones and birds have long fascinated ornithologists and field workers alike. Birds at times appear miles from their normal habitat and one such example was provided by Yasi. A Sooty Tern, a species found along the inner Barrier Reef islands … Continue reading

Posted in Mission Beach Birdwatching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment