sunshinecoastbirds

Saltwater Crocodile

Moving on from the town of Pine Creek (see following post) we entered Kakadu National Park after paying the $25-each entry fee now charged. As we headed north-east along the Kakadu Highway, we saw lots of impressive termite mounts in the savannah woodland. A Black-breasted Buzzard was seen 25km from the Mary River Roadhouse.

Termite mounds - Kakadu

We camped for two nights at the pleasant Mardugal park camping ground, where deep shade under trees lining a billabong offered pleasant relief from the unexpectedly warm conditions we had experienced in the Top End to date.

Our campsite at Mardugal

We were camped 50 metres or so from a billabong that is part of the fabled Yellow Waters - a vast area of rivers, swamps and billabongs in the vicinity of the junction of the South Alligator River and Jim Jim Creek. I was last at Yellow Waters as a hitch-hiking teenager in 1972, when Dave Lindner - something of a legend in the Top End - and still fighting fit by all accounts - and a park ranger at the time, took me under his wing.

Yellow Waters

Things have changed. Yellow Waters is now a thriving tourist centre based around the village of Cooinda, a few kilometres from the Mardugal camp.

Yellow Waters billagong

We opted to take one of the commercial cruises ($90 per person) to optimise our experience with the wetlands, regarded as some of the most impressive anywhere.

Rufous-banded Honeyeater

Rufous-banded Honeyeater was nice to see while we waited for the boat. We also saw a couple of Saltwater Crocodiles swimming past.

4-metre Saltwater Crocodile male

A family of shelducks walks past the crocodile

Saltwater Crocodile 2.5m female

Saltwater Crocodiles are the star attraction here and we were not disappointed. A huge 4-metre male impressed; like lions with vehicles in African national parks, they are so accustomed to boats that they allow close approach.

3m Saltwater Crocodile swimming

Another 5 or 6 smaller crocodiles were equally approachable as they basked in the sun. Just a couple of weeks ago, upstream from here along the South Alligator River, a man was killed by a Saltwater Crocodile which dragged him from his fishing dinghy. There have been several fatalities in Kakadu.

Radjah Shelduck

Green Pygmy-Goose

Nankeen Night-Heron

Pied Heron

Waterfowl were in abundance. Radjah Shelducks were pleasantly common, with one family of ducklings passing close by a nonchalantly uninterested crocodile. Others included Green Pygmy-Goose, Magpie Goose (very common) and Wandering and Plumed Whistling-Ducks in huge mixed flocks. Other waterbirds included Nankeen Night-Heron, Pied Heron and Glossy Ibis.

Little Kingfisher

A highlight of a walk along the camping ground billabong was a Little Kingfisher in a waterside freshwater mangrove..

Arafura Fantail

Blue-winged Kookaburra

Shining Flycatcher

In the paperbark and pandanus forest near the water around the camping-ground, nice birds included Arafura Fantail, Pied Imperial-Pigeon, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Shining Flycatcher (very common, and much less secretive than in their mangrove haunts in south-east Queensland), Paperbark Flycatcher and Large-tailed Nightjar. We heard Rufous Owl calling - a species we encountered at Mataranka (see here).

Black-tailed Treecreeper

Good birds in savannah woodland nearby include Black-tailed Treecreeper and Partridge Pigeon, while a Dingo was seen early one morning.

Rufous Owl

Rufous Owl is always a difficult bird to connect with so I was pretty pleased to see them so well at Mataranka (see here) just a few days ago. Now I have had an even better encounter, last night here at the Mardagul camping ground in Kakadu National Park (see next post for more information about this lovely spot.)

Rufous Owl

The bird was heard calling at dusk across the billabong, a tributary of the South Alligator River, where we are camped by. A little trawling with the tape and it was here in a minute.

Rufous Owl

The bird continued calling vociferously for another hour or so. The image below is part of the paperbark-lined billabong where the bird was found.

Barking Owl

After leaving Mardugal (see next post), we moved on to Muirella Park for our last two nights in Kakadu National Park. Again a nice camping ground - this one adjacent to the pandanus-fringed Djarradjin Billabong.

Green Pygmy Goose

An afternoon walk along the so-called Bubbu Trail was interesting, with loads of Green Pygmy-Geese among the waterfowl.

Masked Finch

Other interesting birds included three Brown Songlarks (3) in grassland, Zitting and Golden-headed Cisticolas, and the regional race of Cicadabird, while Masked Finch showed well in an area of dry grasses.

Nourlangie Rock above Bubbo Lagoon

Nourlangie Rock looked magnificent as it towered over the wetlands in the late afternoon. However, there is much to be desired about the management of this and other areas of Kakadu National Park. The Bubbu Trail was allegedly closed due to seasonal conditions, but it has simply not been maintained for several years; we had to turn back half-way because we were getting lost. We saw similar things elsewhere in the park: outstanding walking trails were unattended and are overgrown.

Nourlangie Rock

One morning we drove to Nourlangie Rock where we did the short hiking circuit as well as a detour up one of the better vegetated gullies.

Arnhem Land escarpment from Nourlangie

Aboriginal rock art, Nourlangie

Plenty of Aboriginal rock art and lovely views over the sandstone escarpment of Arnhem Land at this popular tourist spot; Nourlangie is actually an outlier of the main sandstone plateau.

Helmeted (Sandstone) Friarbird

White-lined Honeyeater

White-lined Honeyeater and the endemic race of Helmeted (Sandstone) Friarbird were seen, along with a lovely Black Wallaroo. I was last at Nourlangie Rock in 1972, when I camped for a week by myself in a cave, with Aboriginal bones laid many years ago on rock ledges near the roof of the cave. So having seen all the regional endemic birds on that and other trips to Kakadu, this visit was more relaxed.

Nourlangie Rock above Andangbang Billabong

We visited Nourlandja Lookout on another, smaller sandstone outlier, before walking around Andangbang Billabong. Again, Nourlangie was an impressive backdrop to wetlands.

Barking Owl

Late in the afternoon, back at Muirella, I called in a highly excited pair of Barking Owls in broad daylight with a little playback. We heard them often at night, along with Bush Stone-Curlew, Dingo, and a roaring Saltwater Crocodile in the billabong.

Yellow Oriole

Paperbark Flycatcher

Yellow Oriole and Paperbark Flycatcher proved to be common on a final morning stroll on the Bubbu Trail.

Broad-billed Flycatcher

On our last day in the park we visited Mamakala Bird Hide, finding Broad-billed Flycatcher in the paperpark forest near the billabong. This species and Shining Flycatcher are restricted to mangroves in eastern Queensland; here they are widespread in woodlands near fresh water. We passed a huge snake roadside - almost certainly a Taipan - which had been disturbed by passing vehicles and reared up to strike our car as we slowed down.... unfortunately it slithered away before the camera was out.

5m saltwater crocodile on south alligator river

South Alligator River

We stopped by the South Alligator River before departing Kakadu National Park via the Arnhem Highway. We saw 5 Saltwater Crocodiles on the muddy bank along the river, which seemed to have large crocodile skid marks in the mud every few metres. One crocodile we saw was huge: an estimated five metres in length.

Rainbow Pitta

After leaving Kakadu National Park (see next post) we moved on to Fogg Dam, a well-known birding destination south-east of Darwin. We walked the rainforest trail and saw 3 or 4 Rainbow Pittas, hearing several more.

Grey (Brown) Whistler

Another species in good numbers was the Grey (Brown) Whistler, a potential split from the species that is widespread in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia.

Red-headed Honeyeater

Red-headed Honeyeater was lovely to see again. Other birds included Emerald Dove, Green-backed Gerygone and Broad-billed Flycatcher.

Monsoon rainforest - Fogg Dam

The monsoon rainforest in the Top End of the Northern Territory occurs in surprisingly small, well-defined patches in what is otherwise a huge expanse of tropical savannah woodland.

Brolga

Among the many waterbirds present were a pair of Brolga with a recently fledged young. Less engrossing was the total absence of Freshwater Crocodiles: when I lived in Darwin in the early-1980s, many could be seen during a walk along the Fogg Dam causeway. Victims of cane toads, it seems. Yet a large trap had been set by NT authorities to catch a Saltwater Crocodile in the vicinity. Why bother?

Orange-footed Scrubfowl

Orange-footed Scrubfowl were common at Fogg Dam, and after we moved on to Darwin, we found they were numerous and tame everywhere. Odd that they aren't like that in north Queensland.
After Fogg Dam, we moved to the Lee Point Resort and Caravan Park - our over-priced home for the next week, though nicely located a fair distance from the CBD and close to the beaches. We're comfortably situated in a spot near an adjoining bushland reserve. Barking Owls and Bush Stone-Curlews are ever present.

Buffalo Creek

So nice to be back in Darwin, a city I lived in once (early-1980s) and spent a good deal of time in on other occasions. Favourite spots revisited now include Buffalo Creek and Casuarina Beach.

Casuarina Beach

Large-billed Gerygone

A spot of birding this morning on Buffalo Creek with Greg, a fellow from Broome who is staying at our caravan park and is a keen bird photographer. We spent some time grappling with two Gerygones in the mangroves and monsoon forest - Large-billed and Green-backed. Other birds we saw included Grey Whistler, Yellow White-eye and Red-headed Honeyeater, with Black Butcherbird heard.

Green-backed Gerygone

World War II underground tunnels - Darwin

We did a walking historic tour of the Darwin CBD this morning. Among the more interesting sites were underground tunnels built after the Japanese bombing of Darwin during World War II to protect oil supplies from the bombers. I could not believe how much the Darwin CBD had changed since I lived in a city that I had been very fond of. I recognised some major landmarks, like the Victoria Hotel and the Tree of Knowledge, but so much was different.

Common Greenshank

We called in at the Port of Darwin. An overwintering Common Greenshank was on the mudflats along with Eastern Reef-Egret and Eastern Curlew.

Black Butcherbird

After arriving in Darwin and visiting a few favoured old haunts (see following post) we called in on the city's nicely laid out Botanic Gardens. A highlight here was a Black Butcherbird catching a fair-sized dragon in the tree tops and struggling to subdue it, though ultimately prevailing.

Black Butcherbird with dragon

Darwin CBD

We did a bit more touristy stuff around Mindil Beach, Fannie Bay and the CBD Esplanade area. I remain gobsmacked at the huge transition in the city since I lived here, or even since I last visited.

Mindil Beach

Radjah Shelduck

Radjah Shelduck is all over the place, even at sea.

Sunset Lee Point

I've always been fond of Darwin sunsets. We enjoyed this one at Lee Point, just up the road from where we are camping.

Sunset Lee Point

I called in on another favourite old haunt - Holmes Jungle, a nice mixture of grassland, savannah and monsoon rainforest.

Golden-headed Cisticola

I saw in the grassland Horsfield's Bushlark, Zitting Cisticola and Golden-headed Cisticola.

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Plenty of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos about, always a joy.

Crimson Finch male

Lovely also to have plenty of Crimson Finches up close.

Crimson Finch female

After checking out old haunts such as Holmes Jungle around Darwin (see next post), we visited East Point, a leafy Darwin suburb with a scenic shoreline and plenty of relics from the World War II bombing of the city. A group of Yellow White-eyes and a Mangrove Golden Whistler were seen on the mangrove board-walk.

Yellow White-eye

Other birds at East Point included Eastern Reef-Egret, five tern species - Crested, Lesser Crested (outnumbering the latter species 5:1), Whiskered, Little and Gull-billed - along with a gathering of overwintering waders - Pacific Golden Plover, Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Mongolian Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Red-necked Stint.

Lee Point

Evening relaxation

A favourite time of day is early evening, when an ale or two are called for.

Azure Kingfisher

I visited Buffalo Creek where I had seen Chesnut Rail many moons ago but not this time. A cracker of an Azure Kingfisher showed, however. Other birds about included Black Butcherbird, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Mangrove Gerygone, Large-billed Gerygone, Striated Heron and Eastern Reef-Egret.

Orange-footed Scrubfowl

Orange-footed Scrub-fowl are ever present around Darwin - always a delight. Less delightful is the fact that last night was the culmination of celebrations for Territory Day. Fireworks all night long, all around the city's tinder-dry outer suburbs in the middle of the dry season. Needless to say, there were fires all over the place this morning; they continue burning tonight. (The NT is the only jurisdiction that allows unlimited use of recreational fireworks.)

Victoria River

Following our week in Darwin (see the next three posts) we drove south-west along the Victoria Highway for an overnight stay at the Victoria River Roadhouse camping area.

Along Victoria Highway

This is a pleasant enough place with a bar and good burgers. More importantly, it is located amid some splendid scenery, with sandstone cliffs glowing in the late afternoon sun lining the Victoria River. Barking Owls again serenaded us during the night.

Purple-crowned Fairy-wren

Early the next morning, I checked out dense cane grass in the vicinity of the boat ramp, just west of the camping ground, and located several parties of Purple-crowned Fairy-wren, managing a snap of sorts of a male in dim light.

Victoria River

We continued west through some fine-looking countryside, with steep sandstone ridges rising above the sprawling savannah plains. Birds along the way included Masked Finch and plenty of Diamond Doves. At the Western Australian border, we were forced by border control to part with our supply of fruit and vegetables; WA apparently is trying to remain fruit fly-free.

Lake Kununurra

Freshwater Crocodile

We arrived at Kununurra for a three-night stay at the Lakeside Tourist Park. Our camp overlooks the lovely Lake Kununurra with a smattering of Freshwater Crocodiles of various size close by.\

Yellow-tinted Honeyeater

Honeyeaters about the camping ground include Yellow-tinted, Rufous-throated and White-gaped. Again, a pair of Barking Owls is in attendance

The door to the amenities block is adorned with a sign warning the door to be shut to keep cane toads - recent arrivals in the town - out of the showers. The Western Australians will eventually get used to these pests (and I expect it will not be long before the crocodiles are all gone).

Star Finch

Our first morning saw us out on the Ivenhoe Road, just west of town. There was plenty of dense grass by the roadside and in the vicinity of irrigation ditches, where Star Finch proved to be common.

Crimson Finch

Long-tailed Finch

Long-tailed, Crimson and Double-banded Finches were also about.

Black-faced Woodswallow

Brown Falcon

Other more common species included White-winged Triller, Brown Falcon and Black-faced Woodswallow.

Australian Bustard

A pair of Bustards was feeding in an irrigated field, while Red-backed Kingfishers perched on overhead wires.

Buff-sided Robin

Near the Discovery Tourist Park on the shore of Lake Kununurra, I called up a nice Buff-sided Robin in a small patch of dense monsoon scrub.

Sandstone Shrike-thrush

After pottering around Lake Kununurra (see following post) we visited Mirima National Park, an area of delightful sandstone gorges on the outskirts of town.

Mirima National Park

Chesnut-breasted Mannikin juvenile

I spent a good deal of time checking out the mannikins around Lake Kununurra. I believe I found just one pair of Yellow-rumped Mannikins among many hundreds of Chesnut-breasted Mannikins, mostly juvenile, like the bird above.

Yellow-rumped Mannikin

Nice birds around Lily Pond Lagoon, the offshoot of Lake Kununurra where we camped, included White-browed Crake, and more Green Pygmy Geese.

White-browed Crake

Green Pygmy-Goose

Before leaving Kununurra, I again checked out the irrigation channels along Ivanhoe Road in the early morning, seeing plenty of Star and Crimson Finches, and quite a few Red-backed Kingfishers on the overhead wires.

Star Finch

Crimson Finch

Red-backed Kingfisher

After leaving Kununurra, we headed for Wyndham, the northern-most metropolis in Western Australia.

Savannah between Kununurra & Wyndham

We called in to the Grotto, a nicely carved waterhole in the otherwise rugged sandstone terrain. Some nice savannah on the drive between Kununurra and Wyndham.

The Grotto

Gouldian Finch

Following our visit to Kununurra (see next two posts) we headed off through the savannah to Wyndham, Western Australia’s northern-most town, for a two-night stay in Wyndham Caravan Park.

Croc footprint - Wyndham mangroves

The first afternoon, I searched mangroves near the town wharf. It was high tide and I was walking 3-5 metres inside the mangroves when suddenly I saw a very large Saltwater Crocodile on the mangrove edge just 10 metres in front of me. Before I had a chance to get my camera act together, it disappeared into the water with a huge splash. I’m not sure what would have happened if it had other intentions. Plenty of fresh slide marks and crocodile foot prints in the mud.

White-breasted Whistler

I found a female White-breasted Whistler, which I have not seen for a very long time.

Mangrove Fantail

Other birds in the mangroves included Mangrove Fantail, Mangrove Gerygone and Yellow White-eye.

Gouldian Finch

The caravan park backs on to some nice rocky savannah and has a couple of rock pools behind it. Visitors here included Gouldian Finch on several occasions, along with Double-barred, Long-tailed and Masked Finches.

Red-browed Pardalote

Other birds about the park included Red-browed Pardalote and Plumed Pigeon.

View east from Five Rivers Lookout, Wyndham

Sunset at Five Rivers Lookout, Wyndham

We visited Five Rivers Lookout, which offers stunning views in all directions over the vast salt flats surrounding Cambridge Gulf to the distant mountain ranges of the Kimberly; truly breath-taking stuff. We returned to the lookout for beers at sunset.

Cambridge Gulf, from Wyndham

A repeat visit to the mangroves produced several more White-breasted Whistlers, all females or juveniles, along with a couple of Mangrove Golden Whistlers.

Mangrove Golden Whistler female

Wyndham mangroves

Fresh crocodile foot prints were seen in mud under the town jetty, not far from where I saw my reptile; I learned from locals that a 5m male crocodile has made its territory along that stretch of mangrove (above).

Gouldian Finch

We visited the town’s interesting historic museum and pioneer cemetery. Late in the afternoon, another nice procession of Gouldian and other finches came in to drink at the camping ground pools.

Freshwater Crocodile

Short-eared Rock-Wallaby

Early on our last morning in Wyndham I again visited Five Rivers Lookout, enjoying close-up views of several Short-eared Rock Wallabies at the summit.

Short-eared Rock-Wallaby

Silver-backed Butcherbird

Also about were a few Silver-backed Butcherbirds and, feeding on puddles outside the shire council office, several Gouldian Finches.

Visitor at camp, Wyndham

An ancient mule was a quaint visitor to our camp in Wyndham.

We headed south to the Spring Creek Camping Ground, intending to stay there and do the Bungle Bungles on a day visit. However, staff told us we needed 4-wheel drive and could be fined if we went in with the Subaru. Apparently this is simply untrue. The camping ground is part of the huge commercialisation of the national park that includes helicopter flights and 4-wheel-drive tours. We were lied to in the hope we would join one of their tours. We left in disgust instead – the dusty, crowded camping ground alone was a total turn-off.

Mary River west of Halls Creek

Between Halls Creek & Fitzroy Crossing

We ended up staying at a free camping ground on the Mary River, 100km east of Halls Creek. There was some nice country around here including plenty of spinifex. I saw Spinifexbird, Red-browed Pardalote, Variegated Fairy-wren, Grey-fronted Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Little Crow and Plumed Pigeon.

Pallid Cuckoo

We moved on to Fitzroy Crossing for a two-night stay at the Fitzroy River Crossing Resort camp ground. Birds around here include Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater and Pallid Cuckoo.

Geikei Gorge

We visited Geikei Gorge near Fitzroy Crossing, where the Fitzroy River runs through some stunning limestone and sandstone gorges, and Freshwater Crocodiles are ever present. We did the park walking trails as well - Little Woodswallow and Red-browed Pardalote were among the birds present.

Freshwater Crocodile

Geikei Gorge

Tunnel Creek Cave

After leaving Fitzroy Crossing (see next post) we left the bitumen Savannah Way to head north on the supposedly 4-wheel-drive-only Leopold Road that links the highway to the Gibb River Road. We did this because we wanted to see two of the Kimberley’s main natural attractions – Tunnel Creek National Park and Windjana Gorge National Park.

Tunnel Creek Cave entrance

The road was pretty rough and at one point we had to drive through quite a deep creek crossing. Tunnel Creek was the hideout of famed Aboriginal resistance leader Jandamarra before he was tracked down and shot at the entrance to the cave tunnel (above).

Tunnel Creek Cave

This is a wonderful site. You walk for a kilometre or so through a tall cave that has been carved through the limestone King Leopold Ranges. You need a torch and to be prepared to wade through lots of cold water. The effect is quite stunning.

I saw bats but they were high up on the cave ceiling so light and photographic limitations prevented decent shots. I nonetheless think I identified at least two species.

Trilobite

Ghost Bat

Common Sheathtail Bat

We moved on to Windjana Gorge, which I last visited in the late 1970s, for a two-night stay in the overcrowded but pleasant enough national park camping ground.

King Leopold Range, Windjana Gorge

Windjana Gorge

Here, a spectacular gorge has been cut through the rugged limestone mountain ranges which rise abruptly from the surrounding savannah.

Great Bowerbird

Wedge-tailed Eagle

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike

Birds around the camp included White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Great Bowerbird at its bower. In the gorge were several Sandstone Shrike-thrushes and plenty of Little Woodswallows.

Freshwater Crocodiles

Freshwater crocodiles were common; we saw perhaps 50, including 20 in one waterhole. They will be gone when the cane toads eventually reach here.

Of interest were fossils of ancient Trilobites (crustacea sort of things) embedded in sandstone caves along the base of the gorge.

Aboriginal artists - Derby

After Windjana Gorge (see next post), we headed north-west to the town of Derby for a one-night stay at the ordinary and overpriced (like just about everything up this way) Kimberley Lodge Caravan Park.

Role call of indigenous prisoners

Old Derby Gaol

We visited some cultural sites and were impressed particularly by the old prison, where hundreds of Aborigines were kept in chains for years in shocking conditions for the most trivial offences in times not so long gone. And the huge, ancient boab tree that also operated as a makeshift prison, often for Aborigines who were rounded for slave labor in the pearling industry further south at Broome.

Derby Boab Gaol Tree

More pleasing was the Aboriginal art gallery and museum, where indigenous people of all ages are scattered about, working on their distinctive dot art paintings and some nice landscape captures; they are seemingly not bothered by gawking tourists.

King Sound Mangroves

I checked out the mangroves near the Derby wharf on King Sound, seeing the Kimberley (“Brown-tailed”) race of Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Dusky Gerygone, Yellow White-eye, White-breasted Whistler and Mangrove Golden Whistler.

White-breasted Whistler male

White-breasted Whistler

The next morning I returned to the mangroves, seeing in addition to the above, Broad-billed Flycatcher and a distant Great-billed Heron feeding on the tide-line.

Great-billed Heron

Mangrove Golden Whistler female

Dusky Gerygone

After visiting Derby (see next post) we moved on to Broome, one of my favourite towns, for a five-day stay, booking in to the overcrowded Tarangau Caravan Park. Contrary to expectations, we have had no trouble so far finding a spot everywhere we have wanted to stay, although we booked ahead for Broome.

We met up with friends from Brisbane, Jeff and Joe, and visited some of the sites around town, including the lively CBD area and Chinatown, and awesome coastal scenery around Gantheaume Point and the port. Good numbers of Brown Boobies were seen offshore.

Gantheaume Point

Looking north towards Cable Beach

At the town sewerage ponds, birds included a few Pink-eared Ducks among many thousands of Plumed Whistling-Ducks, a Common Sandpiper and a few Whiskered Terns.

Pink-eared Duck

Whiskered Tern

In mangroves behind the Broome CBD, birds seen included White-breasted Whistler, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Red-headed Honeyeater, Yellow White-eye, Broad-billed Flycatcher, Mangrove Fantail and Dusky Gerygone.

Broad-billed Flycatcher

Dusky Gerygone

White-breasted Whistler

Cable Beach was delightful as always, including the camels on the beach late in the afternoon, but the area is becoming busier each time I see it. In the image below the camels are passing the beachfront mansion owned by Perth businessman Kerry Stokes.

Camels on Cable Beach, Broome

I found an Olive-brown Sea Snake stranded on the beach, caught it and released it back into the sea. The snakes are highly venemous but essentially harmless as their fangs are set back and small.

Me with Olive-brown Sea-snake

We visited the Broome Bird Observatory, a 30-minute drive from town. The tide times were wrong for waders but I was able to clearly pick out two of the small Asian race of Gull-billed Tern - smaller size, greyer upperparts, whiter heads - among a larger flock of Australian race Gull-billed Terns and Caspian Terns. Common birds about the observatory included Singing Honeyeater and Double-barred Finch.

Roebuck Bay, Broome Bird Observatory

Double-barred Finch

It was a delight to watch hundreds of mud skippers of all sizes in the mud behind the mangroves at low tide. Also in the mangroves were White-breasted Whistler, Dusky Gerygone and Mangrove Fantail.

Mudskipper

On the way out of the observatory we had nice views of a Black-breasted Buzzard.

Black-breasted Buzzard

White-breasted Whistler

After leaving Broome (see next post) and the Kimberley, we headed south through the East Pilbara for a two-night stay at Cape Keraudren, a costal reserve at the southern end of Eighty-Mile Beach where a beachside camping ground is run by the local council. Leaving this region was farewelling the small, red-bellied race of Grey-crowned Babbler, which was numerous in the north.

Grey-crowned Babbler

Cape Keraudren, looking north

From our camper van, we had sweeping views north across reef flats to a sandy beach stretching to the distant horizon.

Cape Keraudren, looking south

To the south was a rugged, jagged coastline of ancient coral and limestone. The overall effect was quite stunning. This is an extraordinary spot with great beauty. From our camper van, our view was nothing to complain about.

Campsite Cape Keraudren

White-breasted Whistler

In the mangroves, White-breasted Whistler and Mangrove Golden Whistler appeared to be quite numerous, along with Yellow White-eye and Mangrove Fantail. The mangrove birds were seen on occasion to leave the mangroves to forage in more open habitat. Horsfield’s Bushlark was common in the grassland, where a Swamp Harrier was also seen.

Mangrove Golden Whistler

On the coral cliffs was a mixed nesting colony of Lesser Crested Terns and Crested Terns, with both species appearing to have recently fledged young.

Crested Tern at rookery

Lesser Crested Tern at rookery

Lesser Crested & Crested Tern

The two tern species were often at roost together. Plenty of waders were about, including resident Beach Stone-Curlew and Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers.

Beach Stone-Curlew

Sooty Oystercatcher

Other birds included both phases of Eastern Reef-Egret,and Striated Herons that appeared to be unusually orange in colour.

Striated Heron

Migratory waders included Large Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Red-necked Stint, Grey-tailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone and Whimbrel.

Large Sand-Plover

Long term residents of the camping ground and built nesting boxes for the Zebra Finches.

Zebra Finch at next-box

Extensive areas of mudflats are exposed at low tide. We watched a couple of Black-necked Storks try their luck at fishing.

Black-necked Stork

There were some macropods about, which looked a little odd but I assume were Red Kangaroo.

Antelopine Kangaroo

There were a couple of macropods about that I thought may have been Reds but by the looks of it they are Antelopines.

Karajina National Park

After leaving Cape Keraudren (see following post) we travelled south to the De Grey River, where we intended overnighting, but unseasonally heavy rain had turned the place into a quagmire. A brief excursion turned up the distinctive buff-breasted Pilbara race of Blue-winged Kookaburra but not that of the Black-tailed Treecreeper.

Blue-winged Kookaburra - Pilbara race

We moved on to Karijina National Park - regarded as one of Australia’s finest reserves - in the Hamersley Range, for a three-night stay. We put up with a generator the first night as the only spot left was in a generator zone (this place is popular) but moved camp the next day to a generator-free area. There are a series of camping areas, very nicely arranged and maintained.

Dale Gorge - Fortescue Falls

The change in weather over just 24 hours as we moved south and inland was quite radical. The balmy winter days of the tropics are over. We have returned to decidedly cold nights.

After the rains, the desert woodland here, a mix of eucalypt and mulga with plenty of spinifex and tussock grass, is looking lush and vibrant - a stark contrast with the drought-stricken woodlands of western Queensland.

Karijina - good-looking woodlands

Dale Gorge, near the camping ground, is typical of the marvellous gorges and escarpments that have given this national park its reputation. They are awe-inspiring; the pictures tell the story. We walked both the rim and bottom of the gorge.

Dale Gorge

Dale Gorge - pool reflections

Dale Gorge - Circular Pool

Dale Gorge

Dale Gorge - Fern Pool

A small colony of Little Red Flying-Foxes was roosting in the gorge at the Fern Pool. Among them were a couple of Black Flying-Foxes.

Black Flying-Fox

With so many shrubs in flower, it is surprising there are not more nomadic desert honeyeaters about; just plenty of Singing, Spiny-cheeked and Brown Honeyeaters, and Yellow-throated Miners.

Singing Honeyeater

It was nice to find a group of Painted Finches on the Dale Gorge path. The red-bellied form of the Plumed Pigeon was also here.

Painted Finch

Plumed Pigeon (red-bellied race)

Other birds about include Western Gerygone, Western Bowerbird, Variegated Fairy-wren, Inland Thornbill and Red-capped Robin.

Red-capped Robin

A small dragon was found in the spinifex, to be identified at a later date.

dragon...spp

A bit of night-time dinner-making in the night bush.

Pilbara Grasswren

After leaving the delightful Karijini National Park (see next post) we moved on to the bustling Pilbara town of Newman. Like the rest of the Pilbara we have travelled through, this place is alive with an abundance of personnel, vehicles and equipment from the mining industry.

We stayed in the Newman Caravan Park on the southern edge of town. This is the site that has been reliable for the past decade or so for the Pilbara Grasswren, split recently from the Striated Grasswren.

Grasswren site, Newman

As per previous reports, head for the far north-east corner of the caravan park. Proceed along the track (quite okay to drive if your vehicle has clearance) that continues in that direction for about 1km, to a distinctive point where five tracks converge.

Pilbara Grasswren

Take the right track that follows a fence line. This track is between two ridges. I found the grasswrens on the ridge slope to the left of this track, about half-way up the slope, and about 150m from the five-track junction.

I searched fruitlessly for the birds over three hours on my first afternoon here. I checked out various ridges and slopes but the one above looked by far the best habitat, so that is where my focus was the next morning. I found the birds soon after sunrise, in a gully on the ridge slope.

The grasswrens were responsive to a tape of Striated Grasswren. I had three birds hopping about me; in time they were joined by a party of Variegated Fairy-wrens.

Other good birds were about. I saw an Australian Little Eagle and at least two Spinifexbirds.

Spinifexbird

Plumed Pigeons were also about along with good numbers of Painted Finch.

Painted Finch

Grey-headed Honeyeater was also quite common.

Grey-headed Honeyeater

Ground Cuckoo-shrike

After leaving the mining town of Newman (see following post) we travelled south and out of the Pilbara. We were moving into the vast mulga of central Western Australia, extending on this trip from south of Newman to beyond Yalgoo.

The first bird of interest was a male (recently split) Western Quail-Thrush by the road 50km north of Kumarina Roadhouse. I watched it briefly before the bird disappeared in gusty wind conditions; I was not to see the species again, despite trying several known sites.

Then, south of the roadhouse, we encountered a nice group of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes by the road.

Ground Cuckoo-shrike

We ended up camping in the bush by Nallan Lake, a beautiful spot 20km north of Cue, where we had our first camp fire of the trip. We also had our first Australian Shelducks of the trip, while Crested Bellbirds and Mulga Parrots were present.

Australian Shelduck

Camping at Lake Nallan

The next morning we checked out the road between Nallan Lake and Mount Magnet, stopping frequently at nice-looking spots. It was apparent there had been good rains recently as wildflowers in various shapes and forms were everywhere, looking fabulous.

Mulga in flower

At Lake Austin, 22km south of Cue, we had our first Peregrine Falcon of the trip. A couple of pairs of Black Honeyeaters were seeing flying into the distance, as was a party of 3 Orange Chats; I have been surprised at how flighty the birds are out here. Other birds in the mulga included Hooded Robin; White-browed and Grey-crowned Babblers; and a White-fronted Honeyeater, also somewhat distant.

White-browed Babbler

At The Granites, an attractive spot 7km south of Mount Magnet, we had a party of about 10 Pied Honeyeaters.

Pied Honeyeater male

Pied Honeyeater female

In the mulga 10km south-west of Mount Magnet on the Geraldton road, no luck in finding Western Quail-Thrush at a spot supposedly good for them, but Chesnut-rumped Thornbills were nice.

Chesnut-rumped Thornbill

We stopped for the night in the caravan park in the township of Yalgoo. Nearby were more Pied Honeyeaters and a few Crimson Chats.

Crimson Chat

The next morning I checked out the mulga, with flowering shrubs in abundance, a short distance to the west of Yalgoo. White-fronted Honeyeater and Pied Honeyeater were very common. Both species were also found later further along the highway towards Geraldton.

White-fronted Honeyeater

Other birds here included Chiming Wedgebill, Crimson Chat again, Crested Bellbird, Variegated Fairy-wren and Rufous Songlark, also very common. A little further west were Inland Thornbill, Mulga Parrot, Red-capped Robin and Western Gerygone.

Crested Bellbird

Inland Thornbill

Red-capped Robin female

Sunset Geraldton

After leaving the bird-rich mulga lands of central Western Australia (see next post) we arrived in the coastal city of Geraldton for a four-night stay at the Sunset Holiday Park, right on the beach. We enjoyed some nice sunsets from here, and a chance to relax after the long drives. The change of habitat from mulga to the thick coastal scrub so typical of much of the south-west was quite rapid.

It didn’t take long to come to grips with birds like Pacific Gull and Red Wattlebird – that we do not have at home - for the first time on the trip, now at its half-way mark.

Pacific Gull

Red Wattlebird

Lovely beaches extending north of Geraldton, with huge quantities of kelp washed ashore.

Beach north of Geraldton

A couple of Common Sandpipers were overwintering at the mouth of the Chapman River.

Common Sandpiper

After Geraldton, we travelled south along the Turquoise Coast, popping in on some decrepit fishing villages along the way. We ended up in the Pinnacles Caravan Park in the town of Cervantes for a three-night stay. Western Gerygone was common about the town and a few Banded Lapwings were present on the sports oval.

Banded Lapwing

Near Cervantes is the ancient Lake Thetis, home to the odd stromatolites, a weird underwater life form that are descendants of some of the world's oldest living things. The surrounding Nambung National Park is flush with wildflowers of various kinds.

Stromatolites, Lake Thetis

Lake Thetis

Nambung National Park

I saw several Rufous Fieldwrens of the grey form, Western Fieldwren, which is a possible split, along with my first SW WA endemic - Blue-breasted Fairy-wren. It was nice to be visited by Chris Sanderson and Kat Cuskelly, who are living in Perth; they dropped in while on their way north for a bit of a holiday.

With Chris Sanderson

From Cervantes, we visited the wonderful Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. Thousands of limestone pillars up to 4m rise up in a desert-like area of sand amidst the otherwise lush vegetation of the surrounding coastal heathlands. They are quite something.

Looking across the Pinnacles and Nambung National Park to the ocean

Pinnacles, Glenn on right for size comparison

Pinnacles

A pair of charming White-backed Swallows appeared to be in residence, with the birds inspecting holes in limestone cliffs.

White-backed Swallow

White-backed Swallow nesting holes

White-backed Swallow

Carnaby's Cockatoo

After leaving the town of Cervantes on the Turquoise Coast (see following post) we headed south-east, seeing a few small groups of Western Corella fleetingly west of Moora. We visited the historic town of New Norcia, then moved on to the Avon Valley and Toodyay, where a group of Carnaby's Cockatoos was feeding on marri nets roadside. The birds were tearing off the ends of the marri nuts to eat. A closely related species, Baudin's Cockatoo, uses its longer bill to extract the contents of the nuts.

Carnaby's Cockatoo

New Norcia

We spent the night in Northam before heading down to Perth for a five-night stay in the nicely located Central Caravan Park. There is a huge change in temperature between the coast and even a short distance inland - Northam, for instance, is 80km from Perth but it was zero there in the early morning; much warmer here in Perth.

A pleasant walk from the caravan park took us along the banks of the Swan River through some nice parkland and bushland. I lived in Perth for three years and have been back several times since.

Australasian Shoveler

Australasian Shoveler was among the birds seen; some of the ducks in the many wetlands in Perth are much rarer and shyer in south-east Queensland.

We visited Lake Herdsman, where several male Musk Ducks were in full display mode, although the female was a tad less exciting.

Musk Duck male

Musk Duck female

Herdsman and nearby Lake Monger are just two of many fine wetlands in the Perth metropolitan area; both are close to the CBD. When I lived in Perth, I frequently visited these lakes and surveyed Herdsman for several months. On this visit, Blue-billed Ducks were numerous on both lakes.

Herdsman Lake

Lake Monger & Perth CBD

Blue-billed Duck

Pacific Black Duck family

Australian Shelduck

More common waterfowl, such as Pacific Black Duck and Australian Shelduck, were about, and there were good numbers of Hoary-headed, Australasian and Great Crested Grebes.

Hoary-headed Grebe

While cruising around Perth it was nice to revisit old haunts such as Pelican Point at Nedlands and Swanbourne Beach. However, the downside was to see how the inner suburbs of Perth have been swamped by expensive parking meters.
Another interesting bird sighting was a flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos in the Signal Hill Reserve in the Perth suburb of Cloverdale.

Pelican Point

We visited Kings Park, an extensive bushland reserve on the edge of the CBD. The wildflowers were looking good, as they have been on this trip all the way from the Pilbara.

Kings Park

A nice show in the park was a Western Spinebill, another SW WA endemic.

Western Spinebill

Rufous Treecreeper

After a pleasant five-day stay in Perth (see following post) we travelled south-east through the Darling Range – seeing our first Grey Currawongs for the trip – to Dryandra Woodland, a wonderful swathe of wandoo woodland famed for its wildflowers, birds and mammals - especially the iconic Numbat.

Grey Currawong

Dryandra Woodland

Dryandra is the largest tract of native vegetation remaining in the the WA western wheatbelt. We settled in for a 3-night stay at the pleasant Congelin Camping Ground: a beautiful, peaceful place - such a contrast with the bustle and hustle of Perth. Soon, some smart Scarlet Robins were strutting their stuff. Our last night here was the first on the trip where we had a whole camping ground to ourselves.

Scarlet Robin

We did a 22-km drive on our first afternoon along various tracks, travelling 8-15km/ph. I had seen Numbat here in the early 1990s but we wanted another - and a view better than my last, and of course we looked for birds and other goodies. I's a bit like going on safari in Africa, but numbats - not cheetahs or leopards - are the target.

Elegant Parrot

Rufous Treecreeper, apparently with something edible

No Numbat this first afternoon but nice birds in the wonderful woodlands of Dryandra included Rufous Treecreeper, (Western) White-naped Honeyeater, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater and Elegant Parrot.

Western White-naped Honeyeater

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater

We ran into a local enthusiast from the Numbat Society, Sean Van Alphen; apparently, driving around and looking for this marvellous mammal on their days off is something of a past-time for Sean and some other tuned-in folk.

On our second day at Dryandra, we visited the Dryandra Village and did 58km of driving various tracks; no numbats still but good birds included a pair of Painted Button-quail on the Ochre Trail, Western Thornbill, Red-capped Parrot and better views of Blue-breasted Fairy-wren than we had earlier near Cervantes (see here).

Blue-breasted Fairy-wren: male coming into breeding plumage

Western Thornbill

Other birds about included Brown-headed Honeyeater, Bush Stone-Curlew, Southern Boobook, Grey Currawong, Red-capped Robin, Jacky Winter, Restless Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Inland Thornbill, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo, Dusky Woodswallow, Fantailed Cuckoo, Grey Shrike-thrush, Carnaby’s Cockatoo, White-browed Babbler, White-browed Scrub-wren and Weebill.

On our second full day in Dryandra, we spent the morning doing a 9-km hike along some of the reserve’s southern tracks. A Regent Parrot flew over the camp early in the morning before we headed off. We added Varied (Black-capped) Sittella and Western Yellow Robin. We had great but brief views again of Red-capped Parrot, a conspicuously shy bird.

Western Yellow Robin

Dusky Woodswallow

Rupert Murdoch apparently once owned Dryandra. He planned to turn it into a bauxite mine until Perth naturalist Vincent Serventy convinced him that the place should be protected.

In the afternoon of our second day I added Western Rosella after driving another 40km along Dryandra's roads, some of which were becoming quite familiar to me.

Western Rosella

Mammals about included a few Western Brush-Wallaby and Western Grey Kangaroo. We were a bit early for the wildflowers – some nice flowers about but not the profusion we had hoped for.

Western Grey Kangaroo

Some tracks skirted colourful canola fields on private farms. The Numbat had been on the verge of extinction - Dryandra once being its only refuge - when a concerted attempt to contain fox numbers bore fruit, and the animal came back from the brink. In the early-1990s, when I saw my Numbat, one Numbat was seen on average during every 10km of driving; by 2012, that had dropped to one every 90km. Apparently feral cat numbers rose after the foxes were put in their place.

Dryandra Woodland

Canola fields adjoining Dryandra

Now, more attention is placed on knocking off cats, and the Numbat appears to again be increasing its population. Still, our total of 120km of driving produced zero Numbats, although I saw two Echidnas – one of my favourites.

Echidna

By the way, Rupert Murdoch once owned Dryandra and was going to turn it into a bauxite mine, but was persuaded by Perth conservationist Vincent Serventy that the woodland should be protected for posterity. A good thing too.

Around Oz Part 7 - KakaduTermit: Yellow Waters & Mardugal

Around Oz PART 8 - Rufous Owl Encore

Around Oz Part 9 - Kakadu: Nourlangie & Muirella

Around Oz Part 10: Darwin - Fogg Dam, Buffalo Creek, Casuarina

Around Oz Part 11 : Darwin - Botanic Gardens, Holmes Jungle

Around Oz Part 12: Farewell to Darwin and a look at East Point

Around Oz Part 13: Kununurra & Victoria River

Around Oz Part 14: Mirima and Lilypond Lagoon, Kununurra

Around Oz Part 15: Wyndham

Around Oz Part 16: Farewell to Wyndham, on to Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing

Around Oz Part 17 - Tunnel Creek, Windjana Gorge

Around Oz Part 18 - Derby: Mangrove Birds and Aboriginal Heritage

Around Oz Part 19: Broome - Mud Skippers and Sea Snakes to Asian Gull-billed Terns

Around Oz Part 20 – East Pilbara: Cape Keraudren

Around Oz Part 21 – Karajina National Park, Pilbara

Around Oz Part 22 – Pilbara Grasswren at Newman

Around Oz Part 23 – WA Mulga Lands Ablaze with Wildflowers and Birds

Around Oz Part 24 - Geraldton to Cervantes & the Pinnacles

Around Oz Part 25 - Perth and Surrounds - A City of Ducks and Flowers

Around Oz Part 26 - Dryandra Woodland