The Birds of the Iron Range Area of Cape York Peninsula by H
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·so JOHNSON and HOOPER [ Bird Watcher The Birds of the Iron Range Area of Cape York Peninsula By H. R . JOHNSON and Mrs. N. HOOPER. Melbourne SUMMARY An account of the birds that were observed by the members of the Bird Observers' Club during a campout at Iron Range, Cape York Peninsula, between August 2 and 19, 1970, with accompanying map. GENERAL T he camp-site was situated about six miles from the Iron Range Airfield, which was built originally for the transportation of troops to and from New Guinea during the 1939-1945 war, as was the road to, and the jetty at, Portland Roads. The site was 16 miles from Portland Roads, by the junction of the Portland Roads Road and the Wenlock Road, in an open area of Eucalyptus and Bladey-grass, on the bank of the Claudie River, which was 12 to 20 feet and very shallow at this time of the year. All camping equipment, including a Landrover and petrol supplies, was shipped on the s.s. " Maluka" from Cairns to Portland R oads. Three members of the party, who had travelled on the ship, and the well-loaded Landrover, arrived at the camp-site almost simultaneously with 40 members who had fl own in from Cairns about midday on Saturday, August 2, 1970. Due to the plane's capacity being 40 passengers, the eight other members of the party arrived on Wednesday, August 6. The ma in . party left Iron Range on August 16, followed by the other eight on August 19. The three sea-going members boarded the s.s. "Maluka". with all the equipment, on the 27th. T he Landrover was invaluable. In addition to bringing in the supplies from the ship, it was also used to collect prpvisions from the settlement 10 miles away, pick up mail and petrol from the Airfield, and the daily transportation of o bservers to different habitat areas. Another Landrover, which belonged to Mr. Les Holland, was used for three special trips to Mount Tozer, the Pascoe River, and to the old Lockha rt River Settlement area. A ll types of habitat, except mangrove, were within walking distance of the camp. TERRAIN Iron R ange is located at lat. 12° 47' S, and long. 143° 18' E. The area covered by the party extended from Portland R oads to the Lockhart River Settlement and Quintell Beach, along the Port land Roads Road and along the Wenlock Road to Mount Tozer. F rom Portland Roads to the camp the road undulates, varying in vegetation from coastal mangrove, giving way to melaleuca, scrub and bladey grass, with sandy soil and occasional dry water courses, up to wallum heath at its highest point, from where the view extends back to the coast on to Mount Tozer and the Dividing R ange. D ecember J Birds of Iron Range 81 1973 Beyond this point, the road descends to rain-forest, where the so il is heavier, tending to clay, passing over both wet and dry watercourses and more open eucalypt/ bladey grass country to the camp-site. From here, the Wenlock Road crosses the Claudie, the Middle Claudie and the West Claudie. Again, open eucalypt and rain-forest, the rivers winding through the latter with many dry, maze-like billabongs. This road leads to Mount Tozer. From the camp the Portland Roads Road passes over compara tively flat country, mainly through open eucalypt areas with rain forest in close proximity, to the Airfield. Passing the airstrip, the road continues through eucalypt and melaleuca country, with small touches of rain-forest, to the Lockhart River Settlement, which was moved up here from the Lockhart River Missio n in recent years. The Settlement is two miles inland from Quintell Beach, and the road winds down through further eucalypt forest and one or two dry sandy watercourses to the coast. Mangroves are thick by the inlets and vie with scrub and vines on the sandy reaches. Some two miles south along this beach is the mouth of the Claudie River. Here, deep water in a tidal estuary is thick with mangroves and impassable. The outgoing tides leave vast sweeps of sand-banked shallow ponds to the low tide line up to three-quarters of a mile off shore. PERSONNEL Members who took part in the camp-out were as follows: A.C.T.: Dr. A. and Mrs. Anne Cowan. New South Wales: Misses M. Cameron, L. Nardi, E. Pratt, M. Spinaze, D. Stenhouse, M. Talbot, Messrs. P. A. Disher, L. Holland, G. Stevens, E. Thomas, G. Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. G. Dibley, Mr. and Mrs. J. Harris. Queensland: Misses B. Durree. A. Griffin, and Mr. P. Ogilvie. Victoria: Misses C. Allen, H. Aston, G. Bowker, M. Field, D. Moroney, M. J. Officer, A. Raymond, S. Taylor, J. Thomas, B. Waite, Messrs. R. Cowley, J. de Blau, J. Dawson, J. Fordyce, R. Gill, L. Harvey, G. Henson, H. R. Johnson, R. Lowry, F. T. H. Smith, P. Thomas, Mesdames S. Bedggood, N. Hooper, K. Hough, B. Lew, Mr. and Mrs. SA. Lawrence, Mr. and Mrs. R . Sympson, Doctors D. Hollands, M. Seyfort, N. Wettenhall and Brigadier H. Officer. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our thanks to Mr. Roy Wheeler for his organization over two years, to Mrs. Marion Cassels, Cairns, Miss Andre Griftln, Towns ville, the staff of the Lockhart River Settlement, Mr. and Mrs. Stan Rogers, Mr. Brian Dwyer, the staff and the nurses at the hospital, and to Mr. Jim King and his assistant of Portland R oads. Our thanks also to Mr. Les Holland for the use of his Landrover for the special trips, and to Brigadier H. Oftlcer, Messrs. F. T. H. Smith and P. Ogilvie for perusing and commenting on this paper. BIRDS OF THE AREA Bird life was abundant in every type of habitat. It was never silent. As the daylight calls ceased , the night so und s began, and 187 82 JOHNSON and HOOPER [ Bird W atcher species of birds were listed during our stay. We left just as the su mmer migrants were corning down from the north. The list that follows includes all the birds that are indigenous or migratory to this corner of the continent only: Palm Cockatoo, Red-sided (Electus) Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Yellow-billed Kingfisher. Little Scrubwren, White-faced Robin, Green-backed, White streaked and Tawny-breasted Honeyeaters, Fawn-breasted Bower bird, Manucode, Magnificent Riflebird, and, as far as is at present known, Marshall's Lorilet. Previous visits to this area have been made by H. G. Barnard , 1911; Dr. W. Macgillivray and J. Kershaw, 1914; D. F . Thomas, 1935; G. Mack, 1953; Brigadier H. Officer, June 1961, 1965 and 1966; J. A. Bravery and M.S. R. Sharland, July 1966; L. Holland, October 1966, and 1970-71; T. Guthrie, July-August 1968, and L. Robinson, June 1969. LIST OF BIRDS Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius. A single bird sighted occasion ally in rain-forest along Wenlock Road. Heard elsewhere on odd occasions. · Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, Aborigines at Portland Roads were seen with the carcase of an immature bird that they were a bout to eat. One bird was seen in melaleuca scrub near the old Lockhart River Mission site. Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus. Six birds off Cape Weymouth. A raft of shearwaters was also seen off Portland Roads. Wilson Storm-Petrel, Oceanites oceanicus. A flock of over 200 birds out to sea off Portland Roads was almost certainly this species. Australian Pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus. Single bird reported once at Quintell Beach. Brown Gannet, Sula leucogaster. Up to four birds seen at Portland Roads on several occasions. Australian Darter, Anhinga rufa. One bird at the Pascoe R iver. Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius. One bird in mangroves at the mouth of the Claudie River, 18.8.1970. Greater Frigatebird, F·regata Minor. One adult pair seen at Port land Roads. At the mouth of the Claudie River four adult birds, three male, one female, were seen in the stream of over 100 Lesser Frigatebirds, 15.8.1970. Lesser Frigatebird, F. ariel. This species was always present at all coastal areas and was occasionally sighted inland as far as. Mount Tozer. One bird at Portland Roads was observed carrying a stick. At the mouth of the Claudie River continuous small flocks, up to 30 adult birds, were seen flying steadily south into a strong breeze with scarcely a wing beat. White-faced Heron, Ardea novaehollandiae. Single birds or pairs reported from all areas, up to 10 birds on tidal flats at the mouth of the Claudie River. Mangrove Heron, Butorides striatus. One or two birds frequently seen at Portland Roads. December Birds of Iron Range 83 1973 ] IRON RANGE CAMP AREA SCALE MILES 2 3 4 I I I I J I ~ KILOMETRES ' ' ~dd/e Reef Weymouth Bay Griffith D D~loyd Island d N "'"'' _ s_c_r-ub_b_y_·_.- :o }> z lloyd Bay G) "' I I I Showing .area covered in the survey .,84 JOHNSON and HOOPER [ Bird Watcher White Egret, Egretta alba. Single birds or pairs reported from all coastal areas, and one bird seen in vicinity of the camp. Little Egret, E. garzetta. Single birds seen at Quintell Beach and the mouth of the Claudie River. Plumed Egret, E. intermedia. Single bird s seen at Portland Roads and along the road to the Airfield. Reef Heron. E. sacm. Up to ten birds, five white, five grey, always at Portland Roads, one white bird at Quintell Beach. Nankeen Night Heron, Nycticorax caledonicus. Odd birds in mangroves at Portland Roads, including one immature, two birds seen harrying a Black Butcherbird on the road to the Airfield.