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Top End/Kimberely Trip Report

To: "birding aus" <>
Subject: Top End/Kimberely Trip Report
From: "Lois j Piroch" <>
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 10:58:47 +1100
Hi Birders,
 
Have just returned from a 21/2months [8/8-23/10] carananning tour taking in the following route :
Melbourne/Alice Springs/Kakadu/Darwin/Kununurra/Wyndham/Derby/Mitchell Plateau/Broome/Darwin/MtIsa/Melbourne.
Many thanks to Mike Carter, Tony Russell, Frank O'Connor,Niven McCrie, Pam Masters & Bob Forsyth for providing me with great assistance & advise on many of those elusive birds.
Special thanks to fellow travelling birder Michael Harrip whose route criss-crossed mine & with whom I shared many birding highlights.
The following is a brief summary of the places visited & the more interesting birds sought or seen :
KUNOTH WELL - Dipped on the grey Honeyeater- Eremophila not flowering, birds quiet.
GUNLOM FALLS - White-throated Grasswren & Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon as per T&T.
STAG CREEK - Banded Fruit-dove & White-lined Honeyeater as per T&T.
GUNLOM ROAD - Partridge Pigeon.
COOINDA/YELLOW WATERS WALK - Rufous-banded Honeyeater,Little Bronze-cuckoo,
 White-browed Robin, Barking Owl & of course  the full array of waterbirds.
BARDEDJILIDJI WALK-Sandstone Shrike-thrush & almost tame Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon.
ADELAIDE RIVER CROSSING - Mangrove Golden Whistler regularly seen between the bridge & the "Jumping Crocodile Cruises" kiosk.
HOWARD SPRINGS - Rainbow Pitta, Little Shrike-thrush, Grey Whistler, Emerald Dove.
BUFFALO CREEK - Chestnut Rail, Green-backed Gerygone, Red-headed Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone & Rainbow Pitta.
HOLMES JUNGLE - Red-backed Button-quail & Rainbow Pitta.
FOGG DAM - White-browed Crake, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Rainbow Pitta .
UMBRAWARRA GORGE ROAD - Chestnut-backed Button-quail.
GREGORY N.P.--Escarpment Walk - White-quilled Rock-pigeon.
VICTORIA RIVER CROSSING - Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.
TIMBER CREEK CARAVAN PARK - Black Bittern.
KUNUNURRA - Yellow-rumped Mannikin along Riverfarm Road as per F O'C.
WYNDHAM - Gouldian Finch [100+]  Now regularly drink in the town at dawn at the Civic Centre, Swimming Pool & I am told at the "Dreamtime Statues" park.
Collared Kingfisher & Mangrove Grey-fantail at the Wharf.
Zitting Cisticola on Parry Lagoon TRACK within 1km of the Highway.
DERBY - Sewage Outfall - Yellow Chat, Long-toed Stint, Little Curlew & other waders.
Unfortunately this terrific birding spot is to be significantly reduced due to the mosquito problem.
Great-billed Heron at the wharf.
MITCHELL FALLS - The road was bloody awful- very corrigated & dusty.  Rewarded with Black Grasswren- which we located at the top of Little Merten Falls 200m across the creek.
White-quilled Rock-pigeons were common in this area.
The Kimberley form of Partridge Pigeon regularly visit the campground.
BROOME - JETTY -Brown Booby.
                  OBSERVATORY - Asian Dowitcher, Oriental Plover, Lesser Crested Tern, Sooty Oystercatcher. At Crab Creek at low tide - Common Redshank & Beach Stone-curlew & in the surrounding mangroves -Dusky Gerygone, White-breasted Whistler, Mangrove Grey-fantail & Broad-billed Flycatcher. Thanks to Chris. Hassell for Grass Owl.
 
Then on the return journey finally located Hooded Parrot at Fergusson River.
Here we had previously seen many honeyeaters including Banded Honeyeater.
DARWIN SEWAGE WORKS - Flock Bronzewing
DARWIN BOTANNICAL GARDENS - Rufous Owl.
PALMERSTON SEWAGE WORKS - Mangrove Robin, Broad-billed  & Shining Flycatcher
TABLELANDS HIGHWAY - near Alroy Downs as per T&T.   No luck with Letter-winged Kites but found Red-chested Button-quail & on route Ground Cuckoo-shrike
MT ISA - No luck with Snipe at Lake Moondara.
BLADENS BURG N.P. - Rufous-crowned Emu-wren still at the same location as I reported them last year although my markers have gone.The park was very dry so the birding was generally quieter than  May 2000.
 
Travelled 18000km to see 308species including 37 lifers.
 
WHAT A GREAT COUNTRY  !!!

GEOFF. WALKER
03 9568 2909
0418 572 922
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