Eyes on Wildlife - Birding & Wildlife Tours Australia

General Wildlife FOCUS

This night tour is run in the Atherton area and is non-exclusive with a maximum of 7 persons. This tour is the best option for families with children under 12 years of age hoping to see some our local nocturnal wildlife. If you are interested in getting professional standard images of the animals, it is best to book a private session. See below.

This night tour will get you 3-5 possum species, with Green Ring-tailed Possum, Herbert River Ring-tailed Possum and Lemuroid Ring-tailed Possum - all three endemic to the Wet Tropics Bioregion - nearly always seen on this tour. Common Brush-tailed Possum is also one of the regulars. Sometimes we get Torresian Striped Possum and if we are very lucky, we might also get Long-tailed Pygmy Possum. We often get Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo, Giant White-tailed Rat and sometimes Fawn-footed Melomys, Northern Long-nosed Bandicoot and maybe a Spectacled Flying-fox or some other bats. 

Of course, we also get owls on tour. Eastern Barn Owl is regularly seen perched on fence posts. Lesser Sooty Owl, Rufous Owl and Little Red Boobook are sometimes seen as well although not specifically targeted. Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko and Chameleon Gecko - both Wet Tropics Bioregion endemics - are also regulars on this tour. Now and then, we get a snake on tour.

In summer, when it is wetter, we get frogs as well: Serrated Tree Frog (also known as Green-eyed Tree Frog), Northern Barred Frog, Northern Stony Creek Frog, Robust Whistling Frog, Southern Ornate Nursery Frog, and more. You can book a private tour to focus on frogs only.

Bioluminescence is a phenomenon that can often be observed on our nocturnal tours. Fungi, fireflies and glow-worm can all be observed on this tour.

An extended version of this tour, the Nocturnal Exploration Tour in the Atherton area will also get you 1-4 gliding possums, also commonly known as gliders, Rufous Bettong and other wildlife. 

Specific target/photography FOCUS

If you are interested in getting professional standard images of the animals mentioned above, or you only want to focus on one, or some of these animals, it is best to book a private session. Any animals mentioned in the general wildlife focus version can be targeted specifically. You can focus on owls only, frogs only, some of the gliders, etc. When conducting private tours, or when focusing on specific species, we can go anywhere within reach with the time available. 

Because the tour is private, Patrick can focus on your needs only and help you with your photography gear or setup to get the best shots, or best views. A private tour will also increase your chances of seeing a certain animal as more time is spent searching for it. How many species can be targeted will depend on the actual species. Added species might require a different kind of habitat. 

Glow-worm