Mount Lewis

Del Richards, a local guide picked us up around 7:45, which is majorly sleeping in time for us. But he's the man with the plan. He is a really nice chap, around seventy-two years old. He has lived in the area his entire life and has actually written a book on his life and the history of this area.

Our first stop was in the foothills where we got pretty good looks at Barred Cuckoo-Shrike and Cicadabird. The road turned to gravel as it twisted it's way up the mountain. At various stops we picked up Laughing Kookaburra, Blue-faced, Lewin's, and Bridled Honeyeaters.

                                                       BLUE-FACED HONEYEATER

                                                        WOPOO FRUIT-DOVE

We made a stop where Del told us the Victoria's Riflebird frequents. He told us the male had a display pole, which was a tree that had been broken off about fifteen feet off the ground. Unfortunately the pole had been knocked down in a storm. However luckily for this bird, Del stood it back up and secured it in the ground. We could hear the male calling from up high in the tree tops but he didn't come down for us to have a look.

We were met at this stop by Del's nephew Mark. Mark has a steady job but he loves nature and likes to come with Del when he guides. He also is a big help for Del as Mark knows where a few bowers are and knows how to approach without disturbing the birds. After spending five minutes with Mark I could tell he has a passion for the outdoors and loves to share it with people like us.

A mile or so more of driving with periodic stops brought us great looks at our first Mt. Lewis endemic, the Bower's Shrikethrush. A handsome bird but even a better singer and this one was on fire today. He has a song where intermittently he clacks his mandibles together making a snapping sound.

After about five miles of driving Del pulled over and instructed us to get out and walk on the road for about a quarter of a mile. He said we'd probably only see a few Gray Fantails, but when we caught up to him there would be coffee and fresh breads waiting for us. So we did get out and walk and so we did only see a few Gray Fantails. However, while drinking our coffee we saw Golden Whistler.

                                                     RED-BROWED FIRETAIL

                                                           TOPKNOT PIGEON

                                                        LEWIN'S HONEYEATER

After coffee Del told us that we were going on a hike. He said that it would be about a mile and that we were looking for the endemics of the area. Sounded good to us and so off we went into the rainforest. Speaking of rainforest, prior to our arrival there had been very little rain. But it rained all night the night before and the skies look like they could let loose at any time.

As were hiking up the trial we saw Gray-headed Robin, White-throated Treecreeper, Topknot Pigeon, Spotted Catbird, Yellow-throated Scrubren, and Eastern Whipbird. The birding was good but it was also difficult to see the birds because they were for the most part deep in the forest. To make things worse it began to rain in earnest and like an idiot I left my raincoat in Del's van. We still managed to see great birds like the endemics Mountain Thornbill and Toot-billed Bowerbird.

After hiking what had to be a mile and a half Del stopped and I thought that we'd arrived, but after listening for a few seconds he turned and we just kept going and going and going. The rain didn't let up and the wind was picking up as well. The forest was so cool with lost of fruiting trees where Wompoo Fruit-Doves gave their surreal calls. And we kept on going! For seventy-two years old Del moves it on down the line. There were birds calling along the trail but Del kept moving right on past them and going higher and higher into the rainforest. When we couldn't take it any more we'd stop and look at what was calling and nine times out of ten it was something that we'd already seen ten times. I supposed that's why Del kept marching on. However there was one time when it turned out to be an Atherton Scrubwren, an endemic!

After about two miles, maybe longer, Del slowed down and tip-toed off the trail and motioned for me to follow him. Brian looked at me and gave a look like "what about everyone else". Brian thought that Del favored me and it did seem like it was important to him that I see everything. Anyhow I got to go first onto this little side trail, followed shorty by Brain and then Mark. There in front of us were two walls of lichen built standing parallel to one another with a space in between. Del whispered that it was bower of a Golden Bowerbird.

We didn't have to wait long for the designer to appear as a Golden Bower bird flew carrying a piece of whitish lichen. He perched on a nearby branch and moved his head from side to side as if to figure out what the heck we were doing there. We watched him for several minutes before he quickly took flight and a half a second later he was in the middle of his bower. What happen next?, well I'll let the video speak to that.

                                                        GOLDEN BOWERBIRD

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how I felt after seeing this with my two eyes. For me, the reef and this bower was about as close to heaven as you can get. And you don't even have to die! What a deal! But it wasn't the last special treat that the day had to offer us.

On the return trip we stopped at the aforementioned Victoria's Riflebird spot. We waited for ten minutes. Del had promised to have us back by 3:30 as we had a hour and half drive ahead of us to get to the Daintree River for tomorrow's boat trip. It was now about four, so Del pulled the plug and said "not today mates". We all piled into the Van and began to pull out when Mark came running up and stopped us saying that the male has just flew in and landed on the pole. Heaven can't wait!!

In the interest of getting this blog out tonight, I'll let the pictures tell the story.