I've just returned to Darwin exhausted but happy after being away almost
continually for the last two months (firstly in PNG and then to Sydney
and then with birdwatchers around the Top End).
My companions on 11 Sept. were Teresa and Marsha, American women
firefighters. We went to Fogg Dam where we saw lots of good birds
including Little and Horsfield's bronze-cuckoos, and Brush Cuckoo - all
three were on or near the ground catching caterpillars. Baillon's and
White-browed crakes, and Comb-crested Jacana were happily searching the
aquatic vegetation for invertebrates while brilliant Crimson Finches, and
duller-plumaged Golden-headed Cisticolas and Clamorous Reed-warblers
perched on top of the spike-rush (Eleocaris sp).
At night we spotted reptiles. We had great views of a harmless Keelback
(Stegonotis sp - a colubrid snake) and also a Water Python. A Sand
Goanna (Varanes panoptes) stalked beneath the hide at the end of the
causeway.
The next day we left for Pine Creek 220 kms south of Darwin. On trips
around the sewage ponds and elsewhere we found several species, but not
Hooded Parrot nor Gouldian Finch. We then drove further south to Edith
Falls. However being midday the birds were rather quiet, although the
women had good views of three young Blue-winged kookaburras, one with a
small male snake in its beak (I could tell it was male because its
hemipenes were extruded). After reaching Katherine 310 kms south of
Darwin we rested during the heat of the day then drove a little way west
down the Victoria Highway. But there was little to be seen there or at
the Katherine sewage ponds (it wasn't helpful that the birdwatchers'
turnstile was locked).
I brought up the locked gate with Christine Kelly of Knotts Crossing that
night at dinner, also mentioning what appeared to be a general lack of
interest in birdwatching tourism. I told her that on a previous trip
staff at the shop in Nitmiluk Gorge were not interested in bird books,
but in 'stuff sold by souvenir people', an attitude common throughout
much of the Top End. Christine appeared quite frustrated - she has been
trying for some time to encourage birdwatching in the area.
A 4 km walk over the escarpment at Nitmiluk Gorge the next morning was
not particularly productive. The area had been badly burnt not long
before, and our only new birds were Common Bronzewing and Red-backed
Kingfisher. But the superb views we had of the obliging bronzewing made
up for a lot. We sat for twenty minutes at the first lookout gazing out
over the beautiful gorge towering over the quiet river, the ancient
sandstone walls laced with the fine divided leaves of Grevillea
heliosperma. Scattered pockets of dark verdant monsoon forest
interspersed with the soft grey-green of paperbarks lined the water's
edge.
Back at Pine Creek that afternoon (Sept 14) I met up with the students
from my birdwatching course. A great bunch of people, and we have such
camaraderie.
Our first stop was at the water gardens where I'd earlier seen half a
dozen birds. Not a great number but this was a bonus for it enabled the
students to focus on the features of one bird at a time.
The next morning we went to the Fergusson River fifty kms further south.
This is a favourite spot, and as far as I'm concerned ought to be a
national park. On a bend in the river overshadowed by cliffs and hills
we sat in white sand and brewed coffee while a squillion parrots flew low
overhead - including Varied Lorikeet and about seventy Hooded Parrots,
all coming into feed on the flowering paperbarks. The gorgeous rich
turquoise male Hooded Parrots have a bright yellow wingflash which stood
out against the grey-green foliage of the low paperbarks like scattered
gold nuggets. One of the students Fergal, also stood out in his bright
red polo shirt. Amid much laughter he was asked to remove it!
However we were not so happy to see that across the Stuart Highway the
railway easement appeared to have taken out some of the habitat of an
extremely rare plant, the beautiful pink and black flowered Grevillea
benthamiana. I'd been concerned about this stand of plants for some
time and was gratified to find that Noreen one of my students and the
widow of Lord Mayor George Brown who died recently shared my feelings -
her husband had fought hard to have this grevillea protected. We had
hoped that because Greening Australia was involved the plant will be
saved but the latest information I've had is that virtually all the
plants have been removed.
On the way back to Darwin we called into Hayes Creek, a little truckstop
set in a small range of steep hills. There are clear bubbling springs
surrounded by wonderful gallery forest and old mango trees planted by
soldiers during the 2nd World War, all set among this wonderful rugged
escarpment. The students had great views particularly of Buff-sided
Robin and Little Bronze-Cuckoo. Here one student, Stuart informed us he
had decided to stay there - we others had to exert some considerable
pressure to get him to climb on the bus. We are going back there later in
the year, but they've also decided they want to go to Arnhem Land and
Borroloola next year, and the year after that to eastern PNG! Then at
what was supposed to be our farewell dinner three days later the students
decided they simply must go to Antarctica as well!
Sept 20 I went out with two more birdwatchers this time an American, a
professor of oriental studies, and a British antiques stamp expert.
Having studied world literature and politics I expected some lively
discussions, and wasn't disappointed.
First we went to Shoal Bay 30 kms southeast of Darwin where we were to
look for mangrove birds, and to fish with my friend Tony. The tide was
way out and so for half an hour we watched wading-birds. We picked up a
few common mangrove birds but the buzz for me was sighting dozens of
Delia mysis, beautiful red, yellow, black and white butterflies, feeding
on the flowers of White-flowering Mangrove, Lumnitzera racemosa.
Although we all hooked up, none of us landed the barramundi we envisaged
having for dinner. Luckily Tony and Dixie his brother took pity on us
and donated a fish for our dinner! David and I slept on air mattresses
on the tiled floor of Tony's office (he is presently completing
accommodation) while Brian claimed a mattress in the shed. We arose at
5.20 to make our way to Fogg Dam.
For 17 years David had been searching for Baillons Crake. However once
on the causeway he became distracted by other, more common species eg
Restless Flycatcher and Rufous-banded Honeyeater. Brian and I had to
almost frogmarch him to the bird hide. Within a few minutes they had
seen both Baillons and White-browed Crake, plus Green Pygmy-goose,
Comb-crested Jacana, and a few other species. A trip into the nearby
monsoon vine-forest gave them good views of Rainbow Pitta. Tawny
Grassbird was obvious in the grass on the forest edge.
Later that morning we called into Mary River Park to look for Rufous Owl.
But the birds which had a fledgling proved elusive and the men only got
a glimpse. Concerned about pursuing a bird with young I suggested we
leave them alone. However the men did see Buff-sided Robin and Rufous
Fantail. Most of the cormorants opn the Mary were Pied - usually Little
Pied and Little Black cormorants are more common. I wonder if this is
something to do with the paucity of rainfall this year.
We then went on to Kakadu where we stayed at the Kakadu Lodge. In the
grounds we saw Partridge Pigeon and Grey-crowned Babbler and several
other species we'd already seen. Unfortunately as happened in Katherine
the staff were rather disinterested in birds. "We don't get birdwatchers
here," the manageress told me. "How do you know?" I said, "We don't wear
signs!"
That night we retraced our steps to Mamukala to look for more birds.
There were thousands of waterfowl there including a couple of new birds
for David and Brian.
Pulling into Kakadu Holiday Village where we were to dine I was greeted
by two Aboriginal people - one of my Kunwinjku grandchildren, her husband
and daughter. I couldn't talk to the little girl as she was my 'poison
cousin', greatgrand-daughter through my son, a term I explained to David
and Brian over dinner.
We shared a one-roomed cabin at Kakadu Lodge - David thought he'd booked
one with two rooms but this wasn't the case. Luckily I got the double
bed and they got the bunks, and they didn't snore!
Birdwatchers and I occasionally share accommodation, and think nothing of
it. Not like the interstate tour operator I once worked for. Hosting a
group of prominent business people in a remote area she found herself a
tent short, and told me I'd have to sleep in the open. I'm not
completely against this but we were camped in damp monsoon forest, and
leeches and mosquitoes were present in plague proportions. Bill, one of
the businessmen was most concerned and told her I could share his tent,
but the tour operator refused saying this would be 'unprofessional'! Her
clients weren't impressed with her show of 'professionalism'.
Back to the trip. At Nourlangie Rock three Black-tailed treecreepers
were feeding youngsters from a Red-flowering Kurrajong Brachychiton
megaphylla so close that I couldn't use my binoculars. I thought they
might be feeding them either nectar or the ants which also utilise these
flowers, such as the beautiful golden Polyrachis sp..
White-lined Honeyeaters were calling persistently and it wasn't long
before we had good views of them in the tops of the trees. Around the
back of the rock shelters we spotted two Banded Fruit-Doves feeding on
the small green fruits of what I thought was a fig, and then almost
immediately two Sandstone Shrike-thrushes popped into view on a nearby
rock. Unfortunately we had no more time to look for Chestnut-quilled
Rock-pigeon or to go after White-throated Grass-wren and set off for Pine
Creek 170 km away. (The 'fig' which at the time was leafless turned out
to be Emu Apple, Owenia vernicosa. I assume the fruits are poisonous as
Esther Maralngurra, my Kunwinjku sister says the tree is used for making
'strong medicine', which is only to be used externally).
At Pine Creek we stayed as I usually do, at Digger's Rest where Pat Smith
the proprietor as she usually does, fetched us a welcome cold beer.
We rested until 4 pm when we went to the cemetery. In the bush out the
back I spotted two Black-breasted buzzards, which we followed. Then back
at the sewage pond the men saw Red-backed Fairy-wren (a common bird, but
one we'd missed till then). And they had good views of Black-fronted and
Red-kneed Dotterel which were running around the concrete banks of the
ponds, also Radjah Shelduck, Grey Teal, Black Duck and Eurasian Coot.
Hoary-headed Grebe was the most common grebe at the ponds to my surprise
(Australasian is usuall much more common). We then drove to a lake just
outside of Pine Creek where we saw three Cockatiels - they perched most
obligingly for several minutes.
At the water gardens just before sunset I spotted two rather interesting
long-tailed finches on the power lines. The light was bad but I could
see they weren't Long-tailed or Masked finches. Indeed they were
Gouldians. We followed them into a tree next to a house across the road,
but couldn't get better views. Back at Digger's Rest I sat talking with
Pat and David while Brian cooked dinner, a very passable pasta and meat
sauce dish.
At Fergusson River the next morning the men saw Hooded Parrots - fewer
than I saw with my students earlier in the month, but they were
relatively approachable and David and Brian had good views of the
gorgeous birds as they perched in dead trees above the watercourse.
We returned to Darwin about midday, 23rd Sept, the two men having seen
most of the hundred birds they'd targetted.
Two hours later Mary and her two friends arrived. These rather genteel
women all in their seventies turned out to be wonderful companions and
sharp-eyed birdwatchers as well. Bunty, aged 77 was driving. She had
wondered whether she'd be able to hire a car at her age but there wasn't
a problem. And she drove as well as anyone I knew.
At Fogg Dam Mary and Sheila,were very pleased to see the thousands of
Little Corellas, but Bunty who had farmed in Victoria grumbled about the
damage the "blighters" did to crops. Apart from the usual waterbirds we
saw two adult-plumaged Marsh harriers, and three Barking owls. At sunset
we retired to the nearby Humpty Doo pub for dinner.
On arriving I warned my companions that there might be 'rough sorts'
hanging around, mentioning that a man I'd once shot buffalo with had been
known to drink a little too much here and then fire shots in the roof!
And then there was Norman the Brahmin bull that used to drink in the bar
with his human companions. The women were undeterred. Indeed on sitting
down Mary, looking around and seeing no one fitting the description, told
me she'd been rather looking forward to seeing a 'rough sort'!
The food and service were excellent, the only drawback being the huge
carafe of red which we couldn't finish! I drove the hire car back to
Fogg Dam as Bunty's cataract affected her eyesight at night.
The next morning we went back to Fogg Dam where they were thrilled to see
Baillon's and White-browed Crake performing on cue ie leaving their
hiding places among the spike-rush to feed among the lilly pads and lotus
leaves. We also flushed a larger, darker crake with a white undertail -
Australian Spotted Crake (a week later I flushed another). Then while
sitting in the hide eating the delicious breakfast provided by Heather, a
rather rakish, dark bird of prey skimmed past only metres away - a Black
Falcon.
As the morning was growing hot I suggested then that we walk through the
mixed paperbark and monsoon vine-forest nearby to look for Rainbow Pitta
and other birds. Unfortunately we couldn't find the pitta, but we did
have very good views of Broad-billed Flycatcher and a number of other
birds.
Late that afternoon we visited Howard Springs again in search for the
pitta. There we were greeted by a young woman who was sitting with a
bunch of bikies. They appeared a little drunk but quite friendly. The
girl called me over and asked for a hug which of course I gave her. I
explained to Mary, Sheila and Bunty that any kid who asks for a hug. no
matter if she's tattooed, wearing a ton of makeup, sitting with bikies
and drunk, should get it. Mary, Bunty and Sheila all agreed.
Befriending teenagers without judgment is a policy I adopted with my
teenage son Rowan's friends. It has had its own rewards - when I was
away in hospital earlier this year, the local gangleader, an Aboriginal
lad, came around every day to make sure the house was safe.
Returning to the trip, I suggested to Mary and Sheila that they restrain
Bunty a keen fisherwoman; else she might throw herself over the causeway
after the huge barramundi that swim in the pool there!
The women had good views of Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Emerald Dove, Little
Shrike-thrush, Shining Flycatcher, etc. Little Shrike-thrush came
within a few metres of the ground giving us a good look at its pale face,
streaked throat and buff underparts.
But it wasn't until we had neared the end of the walk that the Rainbow
Pitta made an appearance. It hopped obligingly around in front of us,
its prominent pale blue wing flash like a beacon in the dark forest.
Captivated the women watched it for several minutes. And that was it -
the grand finale. We have promised to keep in touch. After all there
are many birds they haven't seen in the Top End yet! I paid them a
compliment by calling them 'old ladies' at which they bristled until I
explained that that's what Kunwinjku entitle women they respect.
It's a change of scenery this week - I'm enjoying myself mightily with an
Australian family whose teenage sons are into fishing and reptiles! How
nice it is to be with someone who is excited at spotting a dtella (gecko
- Gehyra sp.)!
Denise
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