The serious rains seem to have finished for the season -we have had 2.88 metres of rain for the year to date, so are pleased to have had good 'wet season'.
Some great birds about Daintree in the past couple of weeks.
Great views of Channel-billed Cuckoo (30+ birds) flying around Daintree Village -they should start to disappear soon as the season changes. Black Bittern is a still a regular on the Daintree River, as is Great-billed Heron, Shining Flycatcher and Large-billed Gerygone.
New additions for the new season include Lewin's Honeyeater and Satin Flycatcher. Little Kingfisher has returned to the pond of Red Mill House as a regular visitor, along with the Azure Kingfisher
The last of the juvenile Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers seem to have left the Daintree Valley for New Guinea (where they have never been before, and have no guidance to as the adults left a couple of weeks ago! The joy of nature.)
The Orange-footed Scrubfowl, a very successful species of mound builders, seem to be particularly busy at present tending heir mounds and enjoying the drier conditions.

Rain, rain and more rain

Daintree has received over 1 metre of rain in the past 12 days! 318 ml on Saturday alone. It's tough - so sloshy underfoot, mould growing on everything, nothing dries, the river, creeks and roads are flooded, people get stranded, landslides and trees coming over because the soil is so waterlogged. Nothing major really, but we feel like we are ready for a break!
The poor old birds are feeling it as well as the nectar and fruit supplies are so much less available. Two of most endearing local birds are also two of the most enduring, despite the conditions.
Any moment the Olive-backed Sunbird sees a break in the weather, they are straight into the ginger flowers for nectar.  The male is particularly beautiful.

The Rainbow Lorikeet is another fabulously busy bird who will eat fruit or nectar (they have specially developed brush like tongues) and adapt well to any conditions.

Big groups of Channel-billed Cuckoos about in Daintree at present, sharing the tops of the trees with the large numbers of Spectacled Flying Foxes that seem to surviving 'the wet' as well.