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JANUARY
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FEBRUARY
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MARCH
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APRIL
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- Iron Range cut off for the duration of the wet season.
- The Spectacled flying-fox is sexually active. Females will give birth to one young a year around October to December.
- The small ground dwelling Sundew plant, catches and consumes insects for nourishment in the nutrient deficient sedgelands of the heath community.
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- Fishing is at its best in the Lockhart River system and calm open seas, Barramundi are feeding at the creeks and runoff gutters of the tidal mangrove salt plains.
- Rivers in full flood and the ground is saturated.
- The pink/ purple succulent flowers of the annual species of Curcuma australasica, have emerged from the soil and are in full bloom.
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- Metallic Starlings begin to migrate back to PNG for the winter.
- March-April Red-bellied Pitta migrates back to Southern New Guinea for the dry season.
- Exceptional reef fishing, with calm days caused by the monsoonal low, allowing anglers to access the outer reef systems for such species as red emperor, Sweetlip, Nannygai, Coral trout and big mackeral
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- Dragonflies present signifying beginning of dry season.
- Red flowers of the broad-leafed Melaleuca in blossom
- Pied-Imperial pigeon still feeding upon rainforest fruits before flying northbound on its migratory path.
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MAY
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JUNE
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JULY
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AUGUST
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- Most rivers subsided allowing road access to Iron Range.
- White flowers of the Gardenia in blossom.
- The Cape Fig Ficus nodosa provides succulent fruit to a variety of bat and bird species.
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- June-Oct – Beginning of Southern Cassowary nesting season
- The Amethystine python is a common species found along the rainforest roadsides at Iron Range. They are active hunters, and have an average length of at least 2.5 – 3m.
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- July-January
Eclectus parrot nesting season begins. Male is green. Female is red. Parrots fight for dominance of nesting tree hollows with the White Cockatoos.
- The Cape York rat is an insectivore, foraging in leaf litter and debris on the forest floor.
- The Blue Albatross butterfly is a very rare species which has been found in Iron Range. It is not known if a permanent population exists.
- Park visitation is the greatest marking the peak of the tourist season.
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- Metallic Starlings begin to arrive from PNG to breed. Large colonies form which can number in there thousands. A flock of thousands swarms Chili Beach in the afternoons to retire to a small inshore island.
- The White-lipped tree frog is a very common species along the coasts of NQ. It’s distinct white lip and large size immediately identifies this species. It is common in the rainforests and human dwellings at I.R.
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SEPTEMBER
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OCTOBER
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NOVEMBER
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DECEMBER
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- Sept-Feb. – Magnificent Riflebird begins to nest.
- Rainbow lorikeets feed on the nectar of the orange flowers of the Silver-leafed Grevillia.
- The White-tailed rat is one of Australia’s largest rodents. It’s extremely powerful jaws have been known to be capable of opening tin cans. Their breeding season begins.
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- Oct-nov – Palm cockatoo nesting season starts. Nest in tree hollows. Lay 1 egg.
- Warmer daytime temperatures see the Coastal Taipan becoming more active in its hunting. Taipans at Iron Range can grow in excess of 2.5m.
- The Greater Peacock Awl butterfly is an endemic to Iron range.It is found nowhere else in the world! The males fly in the tree canopy 10-15m above ground level. It’s dorsal wing colouration is a vibrant iridescent blue and green with outer black surrounds.
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- Saltwater Crocodiles begin there nesting . finish at the end of the wetseason.
- Humid temperatures provide excellent hunting conditions for the Green python.
- The bright red inflorescences of the Umbrella Tree provide sustenance to many different Honeyeaters and Lorrikeets
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- Early wet season storms. Last of the tourists visit the cape.
- The Spotted Cuscus have birthed children, with the young clutching onto the back of the mothers fur for transport.
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