Please be warned that this post is all about one of my favourite Daintree water birds which I first saw nesting on Barratt Creek in 1986. At that stage we were a long way from restoration work and any bird activity away from the narrow esplanade along Barratt Creek was minimal. At various times we would hear the throaty call of a Great-Billed Heron and when we eventually had a boat on the creek we often saw one perched or if we disturbed it we would watch its majestic form flying above the water as it flew ahead of us towards the main river.
Once we had established wetlands in the early 2000s I was thrilled to occasionally catch a glimpse of a Great-billed Heron or know from it’s call that it was not far away. Now some twenty years later sightings are more frequent although being in a suitable location with a camera at hand is another story! This particular bird we are presuming is a regular visitor as it seems to be less nervous. We also presume that it has been watching us more than we have seen it and has now decided that we are not such a threat. I hope so.
After flying up to perch in a nearby Leichhardt tree (good sturdy horizontal branches) as I approached our rather open ‘hide’ this Great-billed Heron started to relax and preen. I tried to remain as unobtrusive as possible and eventually it flew down to the mudflat right in front of the hide.
I loved watching the slow and careful footsteps as the bird approached the water, seemingly it was totally focused on any potential prey movement.
I was poised, ready to record some action…………
Then it turned around and walked slowly in the other direction before having another preen.
After all that potential excitement it was then back to the favourite game of ‘statues’ – a very typical pose.
After such regular rainfall through the ‘winter’ months I thought our main mudflats were, once again, to remain an underwater mystery. Luckily ‘the tap’ was turned off for a few weeks as the heat increased and much to the delight of several bird species, in addition to the resident humans, the mud was revealed in all it’s glory with lots of yummy insects.
At first glance it may appear a somewhat drab outlook, however there is a veritable feast awaiting avid foragers such as the Buff-banded Rail in the photo above. It shared the space quite amicably with a couple of Pale-vented Bush-hens and a Jacana which, although often seen on the water lilies, couldn’t resist the abundant caterpillars on the mudflat.
A visiting Oriental Cuckoo joined in the feast and occasionally a White-browed Crake would sneak out from the cover of the sedge to feed quite manically in the shallows.
It is lovely to have the opportunity to actually see some of the birds that reside here. When the water levels are high we often hear the calls but it is fun to watch the interactions between the species feeding together. The White-browed Crake, which does tend to be a timid species, runs for cover as soon as the Jacana approaches.
Our camera doesn’t really cope with the distance but it was such fun to see the Shining Flycatcher share the perch with the Azure Kingfishers for a few minutes.
I started uploading these photos a few days ago and since then we’ve had more than 80mm of steady rain which is a wonderful soaking and has cheered up the vegetation that was starting to look a bit thirsty. The downside is that the retrieval of the weeds that I left on the edge of the mud are no longer ‘on the edge’. Looks like it is going to be another very muddy experience!
Since my last update I had only one more sighting of both birds together, when they joined me in the shadehouse for a few minutes, and then the adult male has appeared by himself on several occasions and seems much more relaxed. I had one sighting of the juvenile cassowary walking along the water’s edge of the ’07 wetland a few weeks ago. Then this week he/she made a nervous approach to the fruiting Jaboticaba outside the kitchen, obviously very aware that he was encroaching on ‘Dad’s’ territory and ready to run. Allen tried getting a photo but the young bird was much too jittery to hang around. It’s a hard time learning to survive on your own.
The adult male had a thorough preening session following a Jaboticaba lunch, then he strolled off to rest under the shade of a Pandanus before returning later for more snacks.In bright light the neck colours are intense – he is very handsome and has distinct markings on the rear left hand side of his casque.
Although the Jaboticaba has nearly finished this fruiting session we’ve been able to enjoy some good views of the Cassowary as the fruit bats knock down a lot of fruit when they’re feeding at night. It’s a popular area with bird baths at various heights and we watched our handsome Vorwerk rooster attempt to assert his territorial rights with the male Cassowary one afternoon. The result was somewhat predictable but still most amusing. After a couple of warning ‘looks’ did nothing to deter the rooster the Cassowary lowered his head and with feathers swishing from side to side he chased all the domestic chooks around to the other side of the house.
A few days later when the Vorwerks were enjoying some foraging in the garden, and the big bird had been absent for a couple of hours, I went out to take some photos of them.
Just as I had them all in the frame the dominant cockerel gave a warning cackle while looking upwards. With a good idea of what might be causing the alarm I looked over my shoulder to find the big bird close behind so I slowly stood up and offered to take a photo of him too!
I wasn’t frightened as his behaviour is not at all threatening now that he has shed the responsibility of caring for his offspring. All the same, I follow Allen’s example of talking quietly while always looking towards the bird.
Recently we have been seeing evidence of Cassowary visitation around our orchard and along some of our tracks. From the size of the droppings we knew there was an adult bird as well as a younger although we had no idea if they were travelling together. This morning the mystery was revealed with two birds appearing outside our kitchen window as they picked around looking for some Jaboticaba fruit.
After taking a few photos through the window I ventured into the carport but the youngster was curious and walked towards me so I backed away to avoid any potential conflict with the male. The male appeared quite calm so we were not surprised to find, after comparing head shots of the bird who last visited in March ’22, that it is the same bird.
As the birds wandered away from the house towards the vegetable garden I took a couple of steps away from the carport for one last photo of them leaving – and that was one step too far for Mr Cassowary. In a flash his head was down and he was running towards me. I took off for shelter behind our outside shower screen then retreated to the house which allowed my heart rate to return to normal. The big birds left the house environs soon afterwards and I went on with my gardening pursuits later in the morning while keeping a watchful eye open just in case.
It doesn’t matter how many times I see them they are truly awesome.
Like many of us, I love flowers although I rarely pick them to arrange inside. I started this post at the end of last year and then put it to one side. So, from the ‘draft folder’ is a short but rather nice reminder of a happy nesting event.
Pigeon orchids – Ceraia saaronica – flower in response to heavy rainfall. While the onset of the wet season rains are a good trigger we also see sporadic flowering at other times after rain.
Pigeon Orchid – Ceraia saaronica – delicate, sweet scented flowers which barely last for a day.A sunbird nest attached somewhat precariously to an orchid stem right outside our bedroom. Sunbird nest with young – the tissue-like white decorations are petals from the Pigeon orchid which was flowering in November just when the female Sunbird was ready to add some final touches to her nest. A Black Butcherbird regularly patrols our verandah looking for easy prey and with the nest visible from our bed we would wake in the morning and check to make sure the youngsters were still alive before we started our day. Amazingly they both managed to fledge – we can’t be sure how things went after that but we like to imagine they made it to adulthood.
While the temperatures were still quite high towards the end of summer this cheeky Carpet Python decided to cool off while perhaps hoping for a snack. As we felt it was probably not in a ‘sharing mood’ with all the birds wanting a turn in the birdbaths, the snake was gently encouraged to leave.
This unusual sight required gentle intervention.A healthy and very clean snake!
Our tropical winter has seemed quite cool this year but this is very much a subjective observation. As we rely on passive climate control in our house we have been closing doors and some windows in the late afternoon to try and retain some warmth. I know that as we head towards our summer season these cool temperatures will rapidly become a distant memory.
In the last few weeks the Green Orioles have been announcing a change of the seasons, especially notable during their morning dawn chorus. The migratory Metallic Starlings have returned, chittering in the trees as they discuss their recent travel experiences and the Rufous Fantail which has been a frequent visitor to the birdbath for the last few months is no longer with us.
Pandercetes gracilis – Australian Lichen Spider
Now that I’ve identified this spider with Greg Anderson’s assistance I have found it in the garden on several occasions in spite of it’s very clever camouflage.
After consistent, steady rain yesterday it was lovely to get outside this morning for a walk around the tracks. Not many flowers at this time of the year but there is more than just green in a rainforest when you look closely.
Dillenia alata – Red Beech
Once a mowed path, now a natural track crossed by tree roots requiring some careful footsteps.
Floscopa Scandens
We originally identified a remnant patch of this plant with the help of a local botanist who said it was becoming harder to find. As it belongs to Commelinaceae it was not hard to propagate and plant in a few swampy areas. It is now well established and provides a lovely groundcover contrasting with areas of sedge along the edge of the wetlands.
Subtle colour but Floscopa Scandens has such a pretty flower.
When I returned from my walk I found this Green Tree snake moving along behind my plant pots on the verandah. We thought it was probably on a hunt for frogs but a Black Butcherbird keeps a close eye on our house frogs and they have got very good at hiding during the daylight hours.
The sound of Allen chatting quietly in our bathroom last Sunday morning alerted me to the visit of a cassowary. While this may seem odd, he doesn’t usually talk to himself and he has a particular tone he uses when talking to cassowaries.
Such an amazing sight – right outside the bathroom.
I was astonished to see the size of this bird standing just a few metres away on the lawn – definitely a different, older bird compared to our most recent visiting cassowary. As we stepped outside to take some photos she walked towards us, so we stood still and continued talking quietly. She emphasized her size by stretching upwards and gave a short rumble before moving away slightly to look around.
I just couldn’t take my eyes off the size of her legs and feet! For reference, the pavers are 400mm x 400mm.
She is a mature bird but not very old judging by the size of the casque. We believe that the size of her feet identifies her as female. We wondered if she may have chased off the younger cassowary but later in the afternoon the younger cassowary appeared again. Our domestic chooks who had been pecking around in front of the verandah suddenly took off in fright as the younger cassowary strolled past on the lawn.
The younger cassowary which Allen now thinks is a male, due to the slightly drooping tail feathers seen here so beautifully displayed.
The next morning, washing dishes and occasionally casting my gaze around outside I thought perhaps all the action was over for the moment but a few minutes later the younger of the two birds approached the other side of the house. As I greeted it with ‘there you are…’ it briefly stepped onto the verandah, then turned to check a wind chime for edibility before walking off downhill.
The next day we left early for Cairns leaving the chooks locked up in their secure pen with extra greens for the day, as Allen thought the python sunning near the outdoor enclosure was a little close for comfort.
Amethystine python basking in the morning light and showing some amethyst colours.
Probably the same python which caused a night-time disturbance recently. I was in our outside shower when one of the chooks started screaming so grabbing my glasses and some sandals I took off after Allen who had sensibly grabbed a torch. We both expected to find a chook being strangled by a python. There was a python but it was on the floor of the shed with a mouthful of feathers and a furious Layla (our blue egger) standing next to it still screaming and giving it an occasional peck! Allen opened the door and ‘encouraged’ the snake to leave but it took quite some effort to persuade it to move on. The snake had made a hole in some rusty wire which was repaired by Allen the following day.
Anyway…….. back to cassowaries. Daily sightings of at least one bird continued for the week. We’ve been pondering what fruit is attracting them. A couple of weeks ago Allen identified Ficus hispida in a scat but in recent days we have noticed both birds have very muddy legs and feet. As the Nauclea orientalis (Leichhardt trees) are fruiting we think both birds have been in the swampy areas. This theory is also supported by the tracks they are using.
Strolling across our front lawn with fresh mud on her legs and a cloud of mozzies on the black feathers.
On Friday afternoon Allen walked down to the bird hide just to check out the pond scene. All fairly quiet but he did spy the young cassowary on the bund wall and with a ‘oh there you are’ he took a few photos. Hearing footsteps a few minutes later he opened the door of the hide thinking I had come to join him but it was the young cassowary standing half-way down the stone steps just wanting to see what was happening.
Just standing around preening and wondering what’s happening next.We treat these birds with respect and it feels like it’s a mutual arrangement. Allen took this lovely portrait.
What a wonderful week it has been, with so many special moments worth recording. We have constant reminders that we form only a very small part of the big picture and we need to do our best to fit in.
It’s been more than 12 months since we have seen a cassowary at Wild Wings & Swampy Things. During recent seed collecting excursions Allen has observed a few cassowary droppings which pleased us as it was good to know that a cassowary was feeding on fruit from trees we had planted. Then, a few days ago we saw a bird outside our kitchen reaching up into the Jaboticaba tree for some fruit. Allen was immediately sure that it was the same bird which had visited regularly for some time last year but I took a bit more convincing.
The slightly naïve trust that the younger bird exhibited when in our proximity has been replaced by nervousness at our appearance, and our first sighting was very brief as it disappeared quite quickly after seeing me in the garden. Today I started talking quietly as I stood inside the house behind a screen door and then I was able to open a door and get a couple of photos while the bird walked about on the lawn
A quick preen – ignoring the shutter clickAre you looking at me? I’m just tidying myself up…………And then a chance for a head shot as she looked at her reflection in a window
We were both talking quietly, telling her not to worry about her reflection and after a couple of light pecks at the glass she walked off. Cassowaries have been known to kick and break glass when convinced that their reflection is another bird threatening their territory. If this is the same bird that visited last year, (and I’m beginning to agree with Allen that he/she is the same) then the wary behaviour must be a result of encounters with other cassowaries and quite possibly other humans and that is a good sign.
On Saturday my afternoon watering routine suddenly lost it’s meditative qualities when a juvenile cassowary appeared. She (we have decided on ‘she’ due to her size) was probably attracted to our house garden by a fruiting Jaboticaba tree which is now stripped of all fruit within her reach! A bird with a seemingly laid-back attitude she is not disturbed by us going about our daily chores so long as we avoid sudden or loud movements.
A curious youngster she came onto the verandah several times, looking through windows.
Although she has obviously been able to find enough food while with her Dad she now has to forage alone. Ripe fruit is not plentiful at the moment, apart from more Jaboticaba in our orchard, so she is wandering through the forest picking up small numbers of a variety of native fruit. In spite of our concern for her well being we will not provide supplementary food. The thought of this ‘big chook’ running after me for food, like our laying hens do, is sufficient to quell any desire of mine to make sure she doesn’t go hungry.
A quick preen ………….……….. and then moving on for further exploration
This morning I made up a grain mix for our laying hens and called out as I approached their pen ‘special breakfast for you!’ I went into the outside section of their pen to put down the container and straightened up to see this cassowary looking at me through the wire. I explained politely that this was not for her and she soon moved on and disappeared into the forest again.
I am relishing the opportunity to observe a sub-adult cassowary investigating our world and hope that she will continue occasional visits.
Flocks of Wompoo fruit-doves have brought colour into our lives this winter as they, along with Top-knot Pigeons, continue to feast on many fruits available in our garden and restored landscape. Quandongs and Palm fruits are popular but there are many other smaller fruits readily consumed. I have spent many happy hours ‘playing’ in the garden and smiling at the Wompoos calling, feeding and flying from tree to tree. Many years ago we attempted to establish a ‘palm forest’ in one of our swampy areas but our efforts were hampered by vigorous pig activity in addition to invading exotic grasses. Now we find that several native palms have naturally established themselves in a variety of suitable areas and they are providing valuable food for many bird species. One of the joys of revegetating an area is the continuing restoration work carried out by our native wildlife, in particular the birds. The diversity and number of species increases with time.
Top-knot Pigeon in Quandong – (Elaeocarpus grandis)Wompoo Fruit-dove feeding in Rhus taitensisEmerald Dove enjoying some winter sun
Late one afternoon, a couple of weeks ago, I saw an adult cassowary with two juveniles in our orchard. I was not carrying a camera (again) so I raced back to the house to alert Allen but the birds were not to be found again! They could easily wander into the forest adjacent to the creek and they would be invisible to us but it was lovely to know we had been visited.
I did find this a week or so later – a relatively small poo so likely to be one of the juveniles
Bold splashes of colour have appeared where the spectacular climbing Pandanus is now well established. The arresting orange splashes against the green background are bracts, the flower spikes in the centre gradually change from a pale green to a deep blood red.
Giant Climbing Pandan – Freycinetia marginataClose-up of colourful bracts with 3 spikes of flowers and a fly!
Tropical gardens are often dominated by bold colour statements and there are some spectacular examples. Much smaller and unobtrusive this Blue Flax Lily is a Dianella, a small plant with strap-like leaves and delicate flowers. I am unsure of it’s species which doesn’t take away the beauty of the water droplets hanging like jewels on a damp day.
This weekend’s wet and windy weather has delivered 48 mm of rain to a grateful garden. In addition I was pleased to have our emergency water tank refilled after I accidentally emptied it. Allen had helpfully put a hose on the tap so I could water a new garden bed and after my error it hasn’t rained for weeks!
Now that our major restoration projects are complete we are taking more time to simply enjoy the privilege of living in such a beautiful, peaceful and endlessly interesting area.
While there are always a few maintenance tasks the work is not onerous and we can take time out to enjoy our walking tracks as well as to sit and simply look around.
It is immensely rewarding to observe the growth in the vegetation, watch trees mature and to delight in the variety and number of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects both residing on and visiting the property.
Allen
Barbara
Wild Wings & Swampy Things 