Junior Cassowary steps out with dad

Junior steps out in lock step with big daddy Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) today near Wallaman Falls, west of Ingham. Males do all the upbringing, usually of three juveniles. More sometimes, by theft of other young. After laying several huge green eggs, the bigger - and bossier - females evidently feel they've done more than enough in the short relationship.

Found the pair of birds at edge of ridge road about 8km before the falls. Missed pictures as I braked car. Both vanished into the thick rainforest, but I found a pile of fresh poo a 'wee' way up the road. Stuck around to do some seed counting (some trees depend on passage through the Cassowary): more than 150 seeds ranging in size between little fingernail and two thumb nails. Reward for effort was reappearance of birds long enough for shaky shots.

And here's a Tony-the-tourist picture of Australia's mightiest one-drop falls, with all-important rainbow colours at base of plunge pool. Picture doesn't show bodies of the many horse flies killed while taking a handful of shots. Also lacks X marks spot for loony BASE jumpers. Somewhere under the rainbow - if they get it wrong. And they have done.     

Cassowary just a big head

Getting up close for photography is the ambition. But too much of a good thing becomes quickly obvious when a Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) marches into view. Heading up to Wallaman Falls today, I met Mr Big sauntering down the road. I idled to a stop, grabbed the camera, and cranked the car window down a bit (not fully open, since the birds can be menacing beggars - if idiots have previously fed them). Anyway, low light, dodgy, shaky head-only shots, then bird crunched off into the forest. A frustrating forerunner.

Next up, in a transmission tower clearing in the rainforest, quick grabs at a few locals. First, Yellow-breasted Boatbill (Machaerirhynchus flaviventer), flittering about in a wee island of small trees growing from a pile of old pine logs (self-sown and definitely unwanted). The reason for the bird's name is apparent below.

Also making itself busy on the piled logs, an Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus). Proved excellent at posing for a split second and then whipping out of frame. And wasn't in the mood to get cracking on the vocals.

Plenty of noise from the Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki) hordes moving purposefully here, there and everywhere in the tall trees. This one bird of hundreds heard through the morning descended close enough to chase after.

And that was probably because is was attracted to this Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis), which was fascinated by something on the ground, but maddeningly quit the chase as I got close. Nor would it indulge in any sideways perching.

Among others spotted: Noisy Pitta, Lewins Honeyeater, Grey Whistler, Topknot Pigeon, Red-winged Parrot, Brush Turkey, Laughing Kookaburra, Brown Treecreeper, Bowers Shrike-Thrush.