Dear Birders,
What a wonderful birding place Darwin is! I went up for a day and a half on
Friday and Saturday (3 and 4 October 2008) to try for the Little Grebe and was
rewarded with 100 birds seen (plus a couple heard but not seen) including the
grebe and Arafura Fantail that had eluded me in the Gulf earlier in the year.
I was very fortunate to have Darryel Binns take me into the Leanyer STW to look
for the grebe. It in fact looks chunkier and larger headed than the Aussie
grebes in the next pond. Little Ringed Plover were alsopresent but neither the
Long-toed Stint not the Oriental Plover showed while we were there though I
gather that others saw both on the same day.
The Arafura Fantail provided wonderful views at Lee Point at the eastern end of
the parklands beyond the toilet block. Someone famously described it as like a
washed out Rufous Fantail which does not do it justice. It is a very "pretty"
bird; rather fairy like in its delicate though pale colouring and flighty
behaviour.
Needless to say that considerable time was spent on Friday night driving to all
the suggested spots fin an unrequited search for the non-existent Notted
Spitejar!
Many thanks to Niven for his original report and to Biggles for his assistance
in finding the grebe.
Regards
Peter Marsh
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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