Hi all,
This week Ian Penberthy has gone to that great ‘recycle bin’ in the sky. Ian died in his beloved Innisfail of a heart attack on Wednesday. Ian’s life was a celebration of the natural world. He is best known for his Camel Tours, particularly with Sinai Guides, however his work with MATE, Man and the Environment, best explains Ian’s philosophy in life. Thank you Ian you were an example to all of us on how we can live a simple life and be content.
Cloud cover this afternoon brought a welcome relief to the oppressive heat. January without rain is certainly unusual and even more remarkable is the twinkling, turquoise Johnstone River and clear blue sky. The river at the mouth is thick with bait-fish and I found this small sting-ray swimming in the shallows off my beach, easy to see in the glass-clear water.
This week Ian Penberthy has gone to that great ‘recycle bin’ in the sky. Ian died in his beloved Innisfail of a heart attack on Wednesday. Ian’s life was a celebration of the natural world. He is best known for his Camel Tours, particularly with Sinai Guides, however his work with MATE, Man and the Environment, best explains Ian’s philosophy in life. Thank you Ian you were an example to all of us on how we can live a simple life and be content.
Cloud cover this afternoon brought a welcome relief to the oppressive heat. January without rain is certainly unusual and even more remarkable is the twinkling, turquoise Johnstone River and clear blue sky. The river at the mouth is thick with bait-fish and I found this small sting-ray swimming in the shallows off my beach, easy to see in the glass-clear water.
The herons and other waders are taking full advantage of the bait-fish and can be seen fishing at the water’s edge, particularly on an incoming tide. Midget and other crocodile friends do not appear to be interested in the birds.
The butterflies have been very evident this week, lots of blue triangles, Ulysses and Cairns Birdwing flying around the green canopy of the rainforest.
The Cairns Birdwing chrysalis are almost ready to hatch although the shape of the butterfly is still not recognisable in their strange shelter.
The cassowary scats are full of a wide range of seed and this week it includes a good percentage of pond apple seed. In spite of this Dad 1 and chick Rosie, Dad 4, Jessie, Big Sis, and the sub adults Don & Q are still all feeding from the feed stations.
The cassowary scats are full of a wide range of seed and this week it includes a good percentage of pond apple seed. In spite of this Dad 1 and chick Rosie, Dad 4, Jessie, Big Sis, and the sub adults Don & Q are still all feeding from the feed stations.
They arrive for a feed early in the morning and I often see them again late in the afternoon on their way down to the river. They appear to spend the day in the rainforest however I have not followed them but only made note of where they go when they finish feeding at the feed stations. All of the cassowaries are looking healthy and it is disappointing that there has not been any chicks born this year at Coquette Point.
Old Man Kookaburra continues to mark out his territory. Black Butcher bird has not re-entered the nursery grounds all week and remains in the melaleuca forest adjacent to the nursery. Meanwhile Old Man Kook is now playing the same game with the magpies. It will be interesting to see if he can chase them out of the area.
On Thursday afternoon there was a meeting at Coquette Point to discuss the protection of shorebirds, particularly the Little Terns and the situation with dogs, particularly pig dogs and signage concerning these issues.
On Thursday afternoon there was a meeting at Coquette Point to discuss the protection of shorebirds, particularly the Little Terns and the situation with dogs, particularly pig dogs and signage concerning these issues.
The meeting was between CCRC, GBRMPA AND Wet Tropics. Following the meeting I took Kim Badcock from CCRC, Doon Mccool of GBRMPA and Bruce Jennison of Wet Tropics on a walk to inspect the shorebird rookery and look at the common boundary markers of Lots 27V and the Wet Tropics Estate. We walked across Crocodile Creek to the rookery but unfortunately the Little Terns were dispersed as there were men with cast-nets catching bait from the creek. We watched the fishermen as they walked across the rookery several times.
It was good to catch up with Bruce and we shared lots of memories from the 70’s when we were campaigning for World Heritage Listing of the Wet Tropics. Bruce was one of the many who stayed here for a short time many years ago. Bruce remembered Wendy, a road rescued paddymelon which hated men. Wendy would run out of the bush and attack any man she saw. I didn’t train her to do it, honest!
It was good to catch up with Bruce and we shared lots of memories from the 70’s when we were campaigning for World Heritage Listing of the Wet Tropics. Bruce was one of the many who stayed here for a short time many years ago. Bruce remembered Wendy, a road rescued paddymelon which hated men. Wendy would run out of the bush and attack any man she saw. I didn’t train her to do it, honest!
A big welcome to the newest Coquette Point residents. Anthony, Margaret and children Isabella and Xavier Cini. They will be moving into their new home at the top of the range at Coquette Point within a few weeks.
Anthony and Margaret’s house was checked out by the Cassowary family of Dad 2 and his chicks. Unfortunately Anthony and Margaret have built their house on what was a crossing-corridor for the cassowaries. However, there is another vacant bloke, close by on the ridge and the cassowaries will still be able to walk from the river in the north across the range and down to the mangrove forest on the ocean front. Cassowaries can be seen making this journey every day. A number of studies have noted that cassowaries need a mosaic of rainforest types and seem to prefer rainforest, melaleuca and mangrove forest mosaics. F. Chrome and A. Grahame (quoting from memory ].
Cheers for now,
Yvonne C.
Anthony and Margaret’s house was checked out by the Cassowary family of Dad 2 and his chicks. Unfortunately Anthony and Margaret have built their house on what was a crossing-corridor for the cassowaries. However, there is another vacant bloke, close by on the ridge and the cassowaries will still be able to walk from the river in the north across the range and down to the mangrove forest on the ocean front. Cassowaries can be seen making this journey every day. A number of studies have noted that cassowaries need a mosaic of rainforest types and seem to prefer rainforest, melaleuca and mangrove forest mosaics. F. Chrome and A. Grahame (quoting from memory ].
Cheers for now,
Yvonne C.
