The sound of steady footsteps through the forest adjacent to our little timber cottage alerts me and I can just pick out the form of a cassowary making its way through the trees. We have had increasingly regular sightings of this particular bird for more than a month. We believe it is the bird we saw as a juvenile in ’22 as we have photos of it on the lawn near the main house. We’re now referring to her as ‘she’, mostly because of her physical size. While she doesn’t panic at our appearance she remains wary which is just as it should be. We don’t provide supplementary food but neither do we allow dogs on the property so she is able to move through the forest at her own leisurely pace finding fruit where she can. Earlier in the year when fruit was scarce her scats showed evidence of fungi consumption so it is pleasing to now see that they contain a variety of rainforest fruits.
Most of the time we leave her alone to forage but this morning I decided to try and get a photo. Even though she was standing still in the forest looking at me she frequently moved her head just behind a leaf in what felt like a game of peek-a-boo. I had one clear look as she crossed the track but even as I returned to the cottage she was not far away quietly observing my movements.
She is ranging from the damp muddy areas around our wetlands, as evident from the muddy feet, to quite high on the hill where Allen has recently observed a number of scats. A perfect start to a happy day at home.
After more than a year of focusing mainly on improving the flood resilience of the house we are now enjoying more time in the surrounding extensive garden. As we find it hard to imagine ourselves living anywhere else (although realistically that has got to happen one day) we are remodelling some areas so that less maintenance is required. It’s satisfying work and it feels good to be working in the garden, especially now that the temperatures have lessened somewhat.
Looking through the trees to one of our ponds with water lilies and lovely reflections which always give me a wonderful feeling of peace. I’m often rewarded with views of resident Shining Flycatchers, Azure Kingfisher, increasingly common glimpses of Little Kingfisher, Black Bittern and Great-Billed Heron especially when the tides are high in the river.
Spotted Whistling Duck surrounded by Bladderwort and Water lilies in the afternoon sun.
Whistling ducks perched at dusk in the adjoining pond.
Back at our cottage we usually have one of a number of resident Lace Monitors making the most of the heat under our roofing iron. We’re both amazed at the temperatures they seem able to withstand. This one is a youngster who frequently takes advantage of a ladder to make its descent.
An Arachnophobe’s Nightmare! Newly hatched, unidentified spiders sheltering under a Costus potsii leaf next to our stairs. 12 days later there is no sign of them and I still have no idea which species they were.
A familiar spider species recently returned for the 3rd time this year with a newly constructed web. ‘Athena’ manages with only 7 legs which is why we are presumptuous enough to believe it is the same spider who keeps returning to her preferred place under the eaves of our cottage. I think she has grown a little since we last saw her. She is our entertainment while we dine, as we sit looking towards the forest. Her large web is anchored to 2 roof rafters and across to a hanging basket. ‘Athena’ is a very active and successful hunter often observed pouncing upon an unfortunate insect which has had the misfortune to land on her magnificent web. Watching her move around on her web fascinates me and her web repair work is utterly intriguing.
Golden Orb Weaver – Nephila pilipes
There are 4 species of Palm near the cottage so there is often ripe fruit attracting a variety of fruit-doves. One of our favourites is the Wompoo – this one was quietly watching me at the clothes-line and felt safe enough to keep observing so it’s probably a regular used to our movements. Beautifully camouflaged with this view while the colour of their feathers underneath are a wild combo of yellow and maroon.
I met Portia this morning as I was taking the peg bag off its hook on my way to the washing line. She was on the outside of our timber cottage, a little shy about the camera being so close but she eventually agreed to a couple of quick portraits before we had a chat about her common name of Fringed Jumping Spider, as well as her hunting habits. Her common name obviously refers to the long hairy fringe on the upper part of her legs.
In order to take close up photos I need to put my Olympus TG6 quite close to the object and I find Jumping Spiders usually end up on the camera which can be a little frustrating. Portia was much calmer and although she wasn’t keen on a close-up she didn’t move far. We were fascinated by the lower part of the leg (which I think is the metatarsus and tarsus) becoming so narrow. It is possibly one of the features which allows her to be so creative with her attack methods.
Fringed Jumping Spiders predate on other spiders, hunting by using intriguing behaviours, such as monotonously repeating the same signal to calm the spider prey or enticing it closer by plucking or tweaking the web causing vibrations which the web owner investigates only to be captured and poisoned with a venom lethal to other spiders. Portia, a quite petite female at 10mm body length, can prey on spiders up to twice her size and will choose her method of attack depending on the species of spider she is hunting.
It’s been interesting to learn a little about this fascinating spider which, it would seem, is playing an important role in controlling the extraordinary number of spiders we have living in and around our little timber cottage.
So much has happened since the major flood last December it’s worth recording a few highlights and sharing our appreciation of being fortunate enough to be back home in our paradise. It took time, assistance and encouragement from friends and family but since moving back to Wild Wings in April our spirits have lifted enormously. We are very lucky that we have been able to make a new home in our cottage which was previously leased on a long term basis. The timber construction of the cottage withstood inundation to 850mm without any major damage. Once we had given it a thorough clean up, including a repaint, and we had power, gas and water supplies sorted out again we were able to move in. It has been quite an exercise in downsizing, a process we have both found to be quite a fun challenge.
Our laptops companionably adjacent with a glass window affording some weather protection from the South-east. It is a wonderful position to observe any birds around us.
The dominant tree at the SE end of the cottage is a magnificent Ficus virens. The cold dry weather last month triggered its annual leaf renewal; for a week or more we could see and hear leaves falling, especially when the wind blew. New leaves have already appeared wrapped in a pink sheath which doesn’t remain long so we now have a carpet of leaf sheaths to walk on.
Many other species are growing around and through the fig but the new leaves with their pink sheaths are clearly visible.Soft pinks clothing the pale green new leaves.
I was very pleased to walk around our front wetland system recently and feel great satisfaction that we have finally succeeded in achieving an attractive wetland habitat with trees providing food and shelter for a variety of wildlife.
Earlier in the year when it was raining every night numerous Mixophyes coggeri, Mottled Barred Frog, would call from various ephemeral streams in the gullies around the cottage and we still hear an occasional call when there’s been a shower of rain. I had fun making a few recordings to submit to Frog ID, an Australian Museum app. Although it takes them a while to process all the recordings they receive, it is satisfying to have the frog calls verified. I still haven’t recorded all the different frog species here so I need to work on that this coming wet season. Our position on the screened verandah gives us some wonderful views of fruit-doves feeding on palm fruit when they are available as well as watching other insectivorous rainforest bird species foraging. Red-necked Crake announce their presence, mostly at dusk as do Noisy Pitta and our evenings are frequently punctuated by screeches from Lesser Sooty Owl contrasted with soft calls of Papuan Frogmouth and, of course, those crazy megapodes, Orange-footed Scrubfowl.
Maintaining a timber cottage that is mostly just screened does take a bit of effort and negotiation with various creatures. The lights at night bring insects; irresistible to many spiders. The following photo could be alarming to any arachnophobes as the camera angle has made the spider look much larger than normal. Building a web across our only entrance is not acceptable so an agreement was reached for a nearby, undercover position which did not obstruct our access.
Since this photo was taken several small versions of this handsome Nephila pilipes, Northern or Giant Golden Orb Weaver, have moved inside the cottage. I carefully relocated all three of them one at a time using the head of a soft broom. I’m sure they were all frustrated at having to start again but they appeared unharmed by the experience.
Regarding ‘the house’ which used to be the family home: after considerable thought we have decided to repair and remodel the bathroom, laundry and kitchen areas to be as flood resilient as possible. We don’t feel like moving back ourselves as the cottage rather suits us. Eventually we hope to be able to provide comfortable accommodation for family and friends so we can share our peaceful hideaway.
From drying mudflats in late November to the biggest flood ever recorded in the Daintree Valley late on December 17 and into the early hours of December 18.
December 12: We both felt quite pleased with our pre-cyclone preparation and this fruit bounty was a bonus. Shutters were installed on exposed louvre windows; paddles for the canoe in the carport; torches & headlamps charged. December 13: Gusty winds increasing near the coast. Our solar system provider boosted our batteries to 100% from the grid at our request as we expected the mains power to drop out at any time. 30 minutes later the Ergon Energy supply died and the only reason we knew we had changed over to the stored energy in our batteries was a warning we received to turn off unnecessary items. Allen went to ‘hurry’ our cottage tenant, Dave, across to our house in the early afternoon as the gusts increased and we didn’t think it was safe for him to remain in the cottage. Minor flooding now meant there was no road out. December 14: Celia’s birthday and I couldn’t phone or make any contact with her as Telstra had died during the night in spite of their new back-up generator. Dave wandered back to the cottage and Allen followed later with the gear he had brought over as we thought it was now safe for him to return to his home. He left his Suburu on our workshop verandah for protection from rain and floods. December 15: Still no communication with the outside world. The weather seemed a bit calmer, the sky even cleared for short periods in the morning. Allen helped me move all the big pots of Anthuriums and other assorted exotic tropical plants back into their positions on the verandah. December 16: Rain again overnight and river levels had risen when we had hoped they might have receded. This morning Allen moved all the pot plants back into their correct positions, rehung the tubular chimes which needed a new attachment and he helped me to hang the pottery chimes which I finished restringing yesterday. I decorated the potted fig tree for Christmas and put the coloured lights along the pelmet. While it looked like the showers might ease this morning, and we’d been feeling hopeful that the wet weather was over, they have become heavier again this afternoon and the water is rising
December 17: Continuous heavy rain through the night. Allen pulled the canoe across the grass closer to the house and tied it up, just in case. He couldn’t reach ‘pea-green’ (the old dinghy) as Jasper had blown a large tree across the track and he hadn’t been able to cut it all up.
Rain continued through the day. Allen checked the water level before we went to bed soon after 9pm. He set an alarm for 12.30am but something woke him soon after 11pm. When I heard him getting dressed and inquired what was happening he just gave me the spotlight and suggested I had a look. To my utter horror the water was already some distance across our lawn and rapidly closing the distance to our verandah. Needless to say, there are no photos as we rushed to save as much as possible by lifting onto high shelves or at least onto a table. Dec 18: While I wasn’t noting the time it would have been after midnight when the advancing water started to come in under the doors and pouring through the louvres on the verandah. I began putting a few essential items into a small pack which I placed on the dining table. Our laptops, cameras and a few important notes were put into our highest cupboards where most of our photo albums were already stored. As the water level in the carport rose around our batteries we sadly went through the shut down procedure for our solar back-up system. Soon afterwards, with the water still rapidly rising, Allen set off to retrieve our canoe with his head lamp lighting the way. Once he stepped off the verandah the water was around his waist level and with my heart racing I pointed a spotlight towards his destination so he had a homing beacon in case of head lamp failure. It was a huge relief to see both him and the canoe a few minutes later. We’re struggling with the chronological order of events but I have a clear memory of grabbing our nail clippers from a bathroom drawer as it floated past me and of Allen walking the deep freeze, which was well afloat, into the corner of a bedroom and wedging it there so it couldn’t damage other furniture. Grabbing the backpack and some drinking water, plus a pair of work boots for each of us, we both managed to get into the canoe with our headlamps on and paddled towards the cottage to rescue our tenant with whom we had no contact due to the lack of Telstra service. While our immediate watery landscape looked unfamiliar as we paddled around tree branches we had enough landmarks and familiar vegetation to keep on track. It was a surreal experience paddling to the door of the cottage, where after some difficulty, we finally got Dave plus extra drinking water plus packs loaded. We then returned to our verandah to get out of the torrential rain so we didn’t have to keep bailing water out of the canoe. About 30 minutes later, after quietly watching the water level rise up the concrete blocks of the house wall Allen and I made a decision to paddle back past the cottage and head for the hill. After several tense moments due to our lack of freeboard and occasional passenger movement causing some frantic bailing with an icecream container, we finally reached land, not dry, but solid under our feet which was an immense relief. We picked our way around a fallen tree and walked up to a small, slightly leaky shelter well out of the flood zone. After getting us all to relative safety Allen then started to worry about our chooks drowning and so he paddled back to the chook house. I knew he was safer on his own in the canoe and I have great faith in his practical approach to difficulties but I was still worried. The ‘rescue’ operation included a paddle into the flooded workshop to find tinsnips, and a return to the house verandah to take a wet towel off the clothesline. Finally I saw the glimmer of his head torch, and then realized he was holding 3 wet unhappy chooks in a sodden towel. We held onto one each until the sky began to lighten and Allen set off on his own again to find help. We settled the chooks, all still alive, under a large umbrella I just happened to have taken with me. Over the next few hours, while Allen got us all to safety, he spent a lot of time in the canoe finding different routes through the trees as the water level dropped. We are immensely grateful to the new owners of Daintree Village Hotel, Che and Trent Mulley, who kindly and generously provided rescue assistance, food and shelter. I was also able to get a message to family via their Starlink connection as the entire Daintree Valley was still without Telstra connectivity. By late afternoon Che and Trent had set up their swags for us in our friend Neville’s shed in the village and we gratefully put our heads on pillows. Not much sleep but a relief to be warm, dry and safe.
Neville has a number of water containers as well as above ground ponds which provide habitat for several frog species. The cacophony of frog calls in the evenings we found very soothing in our fragile state.
December 19: Neville, who was recovering from open-heart surgery, had his brother Noel staying with him and they both provided care, comfort and food for us for the first few days. Still without Telstra communication there was a continual stream of locals exchanging information and listening to each other’s stories. In the afternoon Noel drove us to our still partially flooded driveway and watched as Allen pulled the canoe, with me aboard, across to the other side. Noel said he would return in 2 hours which would give us time to have a preliminary look around.
December 20: The waters receded and traffic into the village increased – we seemed to spend most of the morning talking to various people in between some initial sorting and washing. Our dear friends, Roisin and David drove out in the afternoon – taking the first of numerous loads of washing with them as well as some very silty earrings which Roisin rescued, mostly still attached to a sodden cork board. Roisin’s photo of our house interior below gives some idea of the chaos. Everything on top of Allen’s desk (including the printer) still in place but the desk has floated to a new position.
4 weeks after that scary night we are pleased with what we have managed to salvage but still a long way from re-establishing ourselves on site. The contents of both the house and the cottage have been removed and sorted for washing, repair or disposal and the interiors have been pressure cleaned. We have been greatly assisted by Stephen Wallace and Tina as well as Stephen’s brother Bruce who located a suitable vehicle for us and is now in the process of delivering it to Cairns. We are fortunate to have friends offering practical help as well as many friends who, along with family continue to send us messages of support. It all makes a difference and keeps us both moving in a positive direction – some days a bit slower than others!
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.
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