SUMMER (WET SEASON) December/January/February/March
The wet season traditionally begins with late spring or early summer storms followed by heavy rains usually beginning in January or so. Daintree can receive 3-3.5metres of rain a year and most of that will fall in the first three months of the year. It is not unusual to have 250mm of rain in a night. Everything grows a layer of mould and it can be somewhat frustrating at times. Fortunately there are fans and clothes dryers!
Wildlife can be at it’s best during the wet season with many of the rainforest trees fruiting, providing food for fruit bats and birds. The Spectacled Flying Foxes have a feast during mango season and can be found in most gardens at this time of year. Pied Imperial Pigeons and Figbirds feast on the Terminalia, and other fruits and the Rainbow Lorikeets are about in scores enjoying the flowers of Blue Quandongs, Eucalypts, Brachychiton and others, plus the fruits of Schefflera and many of the native palms. Double-eyed Fig Parrots also feast on the various Ficus species and others.
All the summer breeding migrants are present throughout the season with Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Black Bittern, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Metallic Starling being among the most important. All these birds can be seen about Daintree. Also found throughout the summer are, Azure Kingfisher, Bush Hen, Red-necked Crake, Papuan Frogmouth, Magpie Geese, Emerald Dove, Common Koel, Fork-tailed Swift, Shining Flycatcher, Cicadabird and Mistletoebird. The Little Kingfisher can be elusive as it nests amongst the mangroves.
Butterflies are prolific with hatching occurring after good rains. Cairns Birdwing, Ulysses, Oak Blues, Blue and Green Triangle, Swallowtails, Lemon Migrants and many more can be seen in gardens and around Daintree. The Euodia trees, a food plant for the Ulysses Butterfly, are flowering along the creek banks.
Platypus has been reported in dams and creeks in the valley.
Crocodiles can be more difficult to spot during the warmer months when the water is warm, but will often be seen swimming along the Daintree River. Amethystine Pythons are not uncommon, particularly in trees where they know the Fruit Bats will be feeding. The Saw-shelled Tortoise will often be sunning on logs above the water. Boyd’s Forest Dragon are also common in the rainforest and can be spotted sitting very quietly on the trunks of trees as you pass by.
back to Daintree Birdwatching