 | Feb 11 2012 Hello from Coquette Point, The rainforest is holding its breath as we sit in the steamy doldrums. Occasionally the leaves at the very top of the rainforest canopy rustle and then as if the effort was to much they still and return to droop in the heat. The monsoon has moved north and we wait its return and the rain it will bring. The next surge in the Monsoon should come with the new moon. Grace Uhr journalist and photographer Stewart Mc Lean of the Cairns Post visited Coquette Point this week to do a story on the Little Tern. |
I have been told it (the article) appeared but I did not see it, we no longer have paper deliveries to Coquette Point.
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I guided them to the rookery and we saw the little terns fishing in the inlet and on the beach we saw hundreds of bird footprints. Now the babies have fledged the terns move out to sea around 6am and do not return until sunset. We noticed where slop from the wash of a fast moving boat had washed high above the king tide mark.
 | Stewart was interested in taking a photo of a crocodile and he asked me where to see one in the wild. I said “No trouble we will go down to the beach in front of my house there are always crocodiles there!” He thought I was joking but right on cue Midget was sunbaking in the shallows. Of course Stewart was hoping to get a photo of something bigger than the 1.5metre Midget but Charlene was hiding. |
The cockatoos have been playing havoc in the orchard and a flock of seven birds have been striping my citrus trees. I have been busy netting to keep them out and hope there will be enough fruit to share with my greedy friends. |  |
 | In the mangroves the swamp lily, Crinum pedunculatum is flowering and forming seed. This beautiful white lily is poisonous and the green seeds form quickly and are a tempting play-thing to children. All parts of this lily are poisonous and the sap is corrosive. |
The large fruit of the native gardenia Randia fitzalani are ripening in the understorey of the rainforest. This is a favourite of the cassowary and was an important Aboriginal food plant. If you see this fruit give it a try it tastes OK. |  |
 | The amazing giant stick insects have turned up and I photographed this one as I rescued it from a butcher bird attack and it was about to fly away. Now that the Kookaburras have gone for the season the butcher birds are again the masters of the hunt. Cheers for now, Yvonne C. |
