What's About
Our weekly birding wrap for Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands.
What's About is our weekly birding wrap for the Cairns region and the Atherton Tablelands, published every Thursday. Each edition covers the week just gone and the week ahead, drawn from public checklist activity across the Wet Tropics.
We don't name observers or pinpoint sensitive sites in our summaries. Photographers, and the finders of a notable rarity, are credited on images where they're happy to be named.
Earlier editions
news15/10/2026 (Thu) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 8 - 14 October 2026
The Satin Flycatcher influx builds into the story of the week, a twitchable Little Curlew on the France Road turf farms, and a Long-toed Stint up at Hasties.
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news08/10/2026 (Thu) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 1 - 7 October 2026
A quieter week after the Kelp Gull era, with a Satin Flycatcher influx the theme and spring migration still delivering fresh arrivals.
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news01/10/2026 (Thu) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 24 - 30 September 2026
A huge birding week on the Tablelands, a cracking Russet-tailed Thrush at Mount Hypipamee, and a fond farewell to the record-breaking Kelp Gull.
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news24/09/2026 (Thu) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 17 - 23 September 2026
The Kelp Gull is now a three-week fixture on the Cairns Esplanade, pulling birders from outside the region, as spring migration keeps delivering.
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news16/09/2026 (Thu) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 10 - 16 September 2026
The Kelp Gull has become a fixture on the Cairns Esplanade, the Redshank bows out for good, and spring migration is pouring in.
Read More →news09/09/2026 (Thu) · 4 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 31 August - 9 September 2026
An extended edition: the Cairns Birders Festival, a Kelp Gull on the Esplanade to cap it, spring migration in full swing, and the Redshank bowing out.
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news30/08/2026 (Mon) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 24 - 30 August 2026
The Redshank eases as spring migration arrives in force: waders, monarchs, seabirds and a swag of new arrivals across Cairns and the Tablelands.
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news23/08/2026 (Mon) · 6 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 17 - 23 August 2026
The Common Redshank that would not leave: eight days on the Cairns Esplanade and still drawing crowds, as the shorebird season hits its peak.
Read More →news16/08/2026 (Sun) · 4 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 10 - 16 August 2026
The week the Common Redshank arrived: a genuine rarity drew birders to the Cairns Esplanade all day, plus a yellow figbird influx and more flagged records.
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news10/08/2026 (Mon) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 3 - 9 August 2026
A better week for quality around Cairns and the Tablelands: a rich run of Tablelands rarities, fresh arrivals, and six species flagged as unusual by eBird.
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news03/08/2026 (Mon) · 2 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 27 July - 2 August 2026
A quieter, wetter week around Cairns and the Tablelands: more spring migrants arriving, and five records flagged as unusual by eBird.
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news27/07/2026 (Mon) · 3 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 20 - 26 July 2026
The week around Cairns and the Tablelands: the first returning migrants, a shorebird build-up on the Esplanade, and a few flagged rarities worth watching.
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news20/07/2026 (Mon) · 4 min read
What's About: Cairns & Tablelands Birding, 13 - 19 July 2026
The first of our weekly Cairns and Tablelands birding wraps: early cuckoo arrivals, dry-country birds on the move, and a rare seabird off the reef.
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