Cattana Wetlands — David Taylor - Master Jeweller

updated 18th November 2020

If you head out to the northern beaches of Cairns and turn into Yorkeys Knob, before you get to Yorkeys you will see a turn off on the lefthand side to Cattana Wetlands.

Bouncing around the water there on the lily pads you will see the quite lively Comb Crested Jacana with their distinct red crests.

You can see in this young Jacana the Red crest starting to form on the head. Make sure you take insect repellant, the mosquitoes are savage near the waters edge as you watch the birds.

These birds look quite cute but they are extremely aggressive towards each other at times. Not sure what these birds were fighting over but the sequence of images finishes with one bird on top of the other pecking away at it.

Back in late 2019 on another visit some Jabiru flew into one of the lakes just as I arrived. Actually I believe these are juvenile Black Necked Storks below otherwise known as Jabiru. Let me know if I am wrong.

According to the internet or some other source I cannot remember and may or may not be correct, as they become adults the brownish colour is replaced with black. From photos I have seen the legs also turn an orange colour. I could be wrong and if I am let me know.

These birds were quite shy so I had to sneak around in the trees to get as close as I could. In the end I scared them off with my noise.

Fast forward to November 2020 and on another visit I photographed this bird which I believe is an adult or a juvenile getting its colour.

Like everywhere else in Cairns that has birdlife you will see White Ibis at the wetlands as well.

Royal Spoonbill can also be seen there. This bird flying into the wetlands was the only Spoonbill there that day but there are usually more.

There are lots of very small birds that fly around you amongst the trees as you walk between the lakes. You have to be either very quick or fortunate to get a photo of them.

I regularly see Little Pied Cormorants at Centenary Lakes and you will also often see them at Cattana. I spotted this one through the branches as I walked the banks on the way out one day..

Speaking of things you see on the way out, I spotted this bird that looks like a mini Kookaburra one day just before it turned dark and the mosquitoes carried me to the car. If you know what it is please let me know…….and Monica did :)

“ Sacred Kingfisher juvenile, identified by the buff band before it’s eye and buff chest fading to white as they get older.....Not to be confused with the Azure Kingfisher.
”

— Monica

As well as the birdlife and the lakes the flora is also very interesting. We do get used to a lot of green here in far north Queensland so it is so nice when you see some other colours.

Cloud passing over the Cairns Highlands.

I think from memory that the carpark is locked at about 7pm but if you are in the Wetlands late afternoon you will get treated to some lovely views of the Cairns highlands especially from the city side area

Or you might just look up to see something different like this plane vapour trail leading into the clouds that a saw as I left from a visit.

Speaking of things different, this bird frequents the carpark area often. Quite an unusual face and I have also seen this bird up the Tablelands. I believe the Helmeted Guineafowl was introduced to Australia from Africa.