LLOYD NEILSEN'S 'HERBERTON HONEYEATER'

I returned from my spontaneous trip to Geraldton to twitch the Black-headed Gull, in time for my planned trip to the Atherton Tableland in quest of Lloyd Nielsen's so'called 'Herberton Honeyeater,' and the undescribed race of Spotted Quail-thrush. I thought the honeyeater would be easy, but the quail-thrush might prove elusive. I was right on both counts. The honeyeater is recognised as race 'subgermanus' of the Fuscous Honeyeater, but it looks significantly different from other Fuscous Honeyeaters and Lloyd was of the opinion that it deserved species status. Apparently many birders mistakenly write it down as a Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, because it has such a yellow face. It is common and easily see along Springvale Road in Wondecla State Forest.

The birding was most enjoyable along this road and I added another couple of new subspecies to my lifelist: Spotted Pardalote race 'militaris' and White-throated Treecreeper ('Little' Treecreeper) race 'minor'.

I also found some difficult steep gravel roads to explore hoping for quail-thrush. I didn't detect any hint of quail-thrush but I didn't fall over either, so it was a partial success. The next day I looked again for quail-thrush (and again didn't fall over) and easily added Crimson Rosella race 'nigrescens' (aka Tropical Crimson Rosella) to my lifelist. Despite unfriendly weather, at Mt Hypipamee I saw a female Golden Bowerbird, an Eastern Whipbird, several Grey-headed Robins and a Mountain Thornbill, but couldn't find the local race of Australian Rufous Fantail.

I saw the only Satin Bowerbird of the trip in Ravenshoe. There were dozens of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets throughout the trip, seemingly everywhere we went. At Allumbah Pocket in Yungaburra, we saw three platypus and had the most wonderful birding of the trip. Not only did I finally see my desired Rufous Fantail (race 'intermedia'), I saw Paradise Riflebird, Little Shirkethrush, Spotted Catbird, Silvereyes and Fairy Gerygones all withint an entertaining short distance of each other. The weather was generally unkind thoughtout the trip; misty and drizzly but, worst of all, very windy. This made looking for quail-thrush plus a couple of thornbills I'd hoped to see, all the more difficult. I did hear the quail-thrush call once, not far from Watsonville, but that's as close as I came to it. I visited Hasties Swamp where I was greeted by a couple of Brown Cuckoo Doves as well as the requisite Plumed Whistling Ducks. However, the mammals were more memorable - there was an eastern bent wing bat in the hide and a couple of platypus playing below. I spent the rest of the day looking for, but not finding, quail-thrush, yellow thornbill (race 'flava') and Buff-rumped Thronbill (race 'squamata'). The White-browed Scrubwren I saw in Kaban State Forest looked more like a Yellow-throated Scrubwren without a yellow throat, than the White-browed Scrubwren I'm used to in Melbourne.

I started Thursday admiring a Singing Bush Lark (race 'athertonensis') at Yorkeys Knob. Other highlights included a Black Butcherbird, a noisy Green Oriole, several colourful Sahul Sunbirds and a flock of Topknot Pigeons flying overhead. At Redden Island I saw Helmeted Friarbird, that we used to call Hornbill Friarbird, and will again one day I hope. At Marshall's Field one Yellow Honeyeater drew attention to himself and then we made a quick visit to the Cairns Esplanade for Varied Honeyeater and Little Heron. At the Botanic Gardens I was delighted to see a pair of Radjah Shelducks, a Pacific Baza and a Grey Goshawk, but disappointed I dipped on Little Kingfisher and Rufous Owl. I came home with a total of 138 species for the four day trip, which included six new subspecies for me, most importantly Lloyd's race of Fuscous Honeyeater he dubbed the Herberton Honeyeater. The elusive quail-thrush remains just that: elusive.