Carol and Andrew Iles - Birding Guides

Carol and Andrew Iles - Birding Guides We will as always provide help and maps for guests to self-drive to good areas. En route you may see Pied Monarch and Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo.

Owners/Managers of Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge, offering accommodation in bird-rich habitat, & expert help for birders & naturalists who are staying at the Lodge. The purpose of this Page is to show the fantastic area we live in and the birds and other wildlife a visitor might see, and to provide information that may be of interest to those planning a trip to Tropical North Queensland. Shou

ld you want a guide for any of your stay at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge please note we will be taking on a lot less guiding than in the past but can recommend other local guides for birding and photography. Your typical day out could cover a variety of habitats including rainforest, wetlands and dry savannah woodland. Although totals vary with the season, the weather and the time spent on each new bird, a list of over 100 is attainable. Depending on the season and the weather, your day might begin with getting to know the rainforest species such as Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Grey-headed Whistler and Spectacled Monarch around the Lodge grounds, followed by a drive up Mt Lewis Rd (2WD with some clearance is sufficient) in search of the high-altitude endemics such as Fernwren, Chowchilla and Golden and Tooth-billed Bowerbird. A visit to Mt Lewis can involve anything from 2-6 hours, depending on individual wishes, but why not take a snack and borrow seats to sit at the Clearing at 900m with the Atherton Scrubwrens and in summer the Blue-faced Parrot-Finches, before descending to have lunch on your veranda at the Lodge with the Macleay's Honeyeaters and Red-browed Finches? Depending on the season, your afternoon might begin with some wetland birding and a look at an active Great Bowerbird bower. Then you might be able to add birds such as Squatter Pigeon, Pale-headed Rosella, and Tawny Frogmouth to your list, as well as up to a dozen species of honeyeater, possibly with Apostlebirds trying to steal some afternoon tea. Australian Bustards displaying in the breeding season or flying ponderously by as the day cools, or fluorescent Red-winged Parrots seen in the setting sun are guaranteed to convince you that it's worth being out till dusk!

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Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge, 6 Mt Kooyong Road
Julatten, QLD
4871

Telephone

07 4094 1263

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The purpose of this Page is to build a picture of the fantastic area we live in by showing some of the beautiful places we visit with clients, the birds and other wildlife a visitor might see, and providing regular updates on a variety of subjects of interest to those planning a trip to Tropical North Queensland.

A lifelong passion for wildlife and being asked to house-sit Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge, then to stay on as guides, finally led to us buying the Lodge. Should you want a guide for any of your stay at Kingfisher Park, we can normally offer a day or half-day out with either of us, tailored to personally suit you. Travel is in your vehicle with you driving, just you and your guide. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 we are currently not taking bookings for such guiding off the property. We can, however, still offer a guided Morning Walk from the Lodge.

A typical day out could cover a variety of habitats including rainforest, wetland and dry woodland. We provide morning and afternoon tea/coffee and cakes/biscuits, but we do not provide lunch. For avid birders, sandwiches are recommended but we can easily plan to return to Kingfisher Lodge for lunch and a rest if preferred. You can expect to spend up to 10 hours in the field if you’re keen, because there'll always be another bird to see, and although totals vary with the season, the weather and the time spent on each new bird, a list of around 100 is frequently attainable. We're happy to accompany photographers, first-time birders, or those with just a short wishlist. Older children with an interest in wildlife are welcome and we'll help them get the best out of their day.

We believe in being honest about the likelihood of seeing harder species. For example, if you want the likes of button-quail, we would not take your money. We do not do night-drives for owls, nightjars etc. nor, due to other commitments, do we lead night spotlighting walks around the Lodge grounds. However, Lodge guests are welcome (subject to some simple rules) to spotlight for wildlife here themselves, or we have a local guide who leads walks here for $50pp.