It is woolly sock time already. A winter chill is in the air and the land breeze that comes down the Johnstone River from the Atherton Tablelands, early in the morning, is already icy. The need to top up the cassowary food stations at daylight resultantly gets me out of a warm bed.
Dad with one chick
Coming home from town after sunset Friday I saw cassowary ‘Little Dad’( D2) with his chick. Most unusual to see them looking for food on nightfall. Although this chick is older than the other chicks born this year at Coquette Point he is not growing as quickly. Whereas Dad 4’s chicks who are coming for a supplementary feed every day have strong thick legs and shiny feathers. I have heard anecdotally that the Cassowaries are being fed with left over bread and dog biscuits by some of the residents at Coquette Point. Misguided people think they are helping the cassowaries.
Lately the sub-adults ‘Big Sis’ and ‘Little Runt’ have been seen foraging from Ninds Creek Bridge to all the way back here at the end of the road. For a month after the cyclone I saw them several times a day around the mangroves forest at the mouth of the river. Perhaps they have had enough of being chased by Dad 4 and are naturally extending their range and discovering their own territory.
Paul the newspaper man regularly reports sightings of Cassowary and wildlife movements. This week he was driving out of Maynard Road when a sow and seven tiny piglets appeared in front of his little car. Then a huge boar came out of the Moresby Range National Park and ran down the middle of the road, for the length of the road, in front of his car. He was surrounded by pigs he said. He told me he regularly sees pigs beside the road on his early morning deliveries to Coquette Point.
Paul the newspaper man regularly reports sightings of Cassowary and wildlife movements. This week he was driving out of Maynard Road when a sow and seven tiny piglets appeared in front of his little car. Then a huge boar came out of the Moresby Range National Park and ran down the middle of the road, for the length of the road, in front of his car. He was surrounded by pigs he said. He told me he regularly sees pigs beside the road on his early morning deliveries to Coquette Point.
Sunset over the Johnstone River
The Queensland Coastal Plan has been released by the State Government and there are only two Marine Development Areas, (MDA) allocated within the Johnstone River. The slipway at the Coconuts and an area from the Town Warf taking in Subloo’s marina. The Metricon ‘Sea Haven’ development, which has been approved by Council is not an MDA!!
The Annual land valuation notice arrived in the post today and the valuations at Coquette Point have decreased by around 5%. At least mine has. Town valuations are up but other rural areas around the Cassowary Coast are down in value. The Cassowary Coast is one of the highest rated areas in Australia, if not the highest.
The Annual land valuation notice arrived in the post today and the valuations at Coquette Point have decreased by around 5%. At least mine has. Town valuations are up but other rural areas around the Cassowary Coast are down in value. The Cassowary Coast is one of the highest rated areas in Australia, if not the highest.
Insects are very active at the moment and the Drongos hunt in packs to catch the twilight flyers. The drongos remind me of packs of sharks hunting a bait boil. The bright colours of some insects do not help them avoid predators. A beautiful green fly caught my eye this afternoon, I was lucky to get a photo when it came to rest on a hose. Nature is exuberant with colour.
Cheers for now,
Yvonne C.
Cheers for now,
Yvonne C.
