I've just returned from a very pleasant birding trip to the Top End.
The weather was fantastic - mostly cloudy, with refreshing breezes,
the odd cooling shower, virtually no flies, few and not very troubling
mossies. All in all I saw 154 species, 52 new for the year,12 lifers
and an Aussie tick (Little Ringed Plover) making for a top notch trip.
Accommodation was cheap on the Esplanade; I rented a Rav 4 equivalent
for $320 for 5 days +mileage. It was easy to access frequent flyer
flights so this made for a very economical break. I would highly
recommend a visit in the wet. I'll need to return in the dry season
especially for the Rufous Owl (last note in the Botanic Gardens Owl
book was 24-Nov) and other night birds which I suspect might be easier
to see in the dry season.
Among the places I visited were:
Darwin Botanic Gardens:
- no owls but did see a Bar-breasted Honeyeater along with Dusky, the
ubiquitous White-gaped, Brown and Rufous Banded Honeyeaters, a nesting
Northern Fantail and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher.
East Point Reserve:
Great views of Rainbow Pittas; also Shining and Lemon-bellied
Flycatchers, Grey Whistler, Emerald Dove in the monsoon woodland;
Red-headed Honeyeater, Black Butcherbird & and Broad-billed Flycatcher
in the mangroves;
Bush Stone-curlew, Silver-crowned Friarbird, Crimson, Double-barred
and Long-tailed Finches in the clearings;
And a good range of waders on the high tide roost at the point.
Buffalo Creek:
Gulls, terns, waders, herons + Koel, Drongo, Green-backed Gerygone,
Friarbirds but no Chestnut Rail.
Mangroves off Tiger Brennan Drive:
There is a path into the mangroves to access some power poles a few
hundred m south of Stoddart Drive. Chestnut Rails - 2 or 3 were seen
together in the middle of a downpour. I watched the rails from about
20 m as they cackled and probed around a little stream formed by the
rainwater runoff diverted around the mound on which the poles were
built. Mangrove Robins, Collared Kingfisher, Yellow White-eyes and
Red-headed Honeyeaters were also there.
Charles Darwin NP:
Northern Rosellas, Little Shrikethrush (in the mangroves), heard
Chestnut Rails there also but did not pursue them. Also heard but did
not see Pale-vented Bush-hen in long grass formed by a stream entering
the mangroves below the carpark.
Leanyer STP
A kind and friendly local :- ) offered to take me to Leanyer STP if I
promised not to get out of the car, go swimming in the ponds or be
eaten by a crocodile. Constrained by these unreasonable conditions, I
did get to see 3 Little Ringed Plovers, one clearly a juvenile, one an
adult and one possibly in between. Lots of Common Sandpipers, a few
Hardheads and Australasian Grebes and many Pied Herons, WW Terns,
Wandering Whistling Ducks, Rajah Shelducks and even a couple of Green
Pygmy Geese.
Homes Jungle:
Good for Brown Quail, lots of Forest Kingfishers as well as Sacred and
Blue-winged Kookaburra, a solitary Black Bittern in the "jungle",
numerous Golden-headed but no Zitting Cisticolas, Leaden Flycatchers,
Finches, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins and Pheasant Coucals.
Howard Springs:
Nankeen Night Heron, Azure Kingfisher and a probable Little Kingfisher
zipped passed before I could bin it. Excellent views of a very
approachable Rainbow Pitta. Also Little Shrikethush, Shining and
Leaden Flycatcher, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.
Fogg Dam:
Barking Owl, 8 Barn Owls on the road out, numerous Jacanas, and
excellent viewing of the three white egret species from the viewing
platform. This also provided excellent views of White-browed Crakes on
all three evening I visited it. They seemed to start calling about an
hour before sunset and then come out shortly after that to preen,
bathe, walk around and generally get themselves observed. There must
be 3 or 4 parties/family groups that can be heard/seen from the
platform.
On the road from Stuart Highway I saw a Peregrine, Black-shouldered
Kite, Kestrel and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos
Pine Creek:
Highlight of the trip would have to be turning off the main road for
Pine Creek and the first bird I saw was a female Hooded Parrot on the
powerlines. Jumping out of the car I was confronted with Varied
Lorikeet infested flowering gums. While trying to get a clear view of
the lorikeets, Banded Honeyeaters kept getting in the way. So 3 of the
first 4 species I saw there were lifers! Masked Finches added to the
previous finch species and Brush Cuckoo, Rufous-throated Honeyeater at
the cemetary..
Thanks to those who responded to my RFI. Apologies to those I did not
manage to catch up with. Thanks to Tim Bawden who leant me his
annotated version of McCrie and Watson's excellent Finding Birds in
Darwin, Kakadu and the Top End. And a special mention to Denise for
taking time out from her may other commitments to show me around
Leanyer STP and preventing from being eaten by a croc.
Annotated Trip List:
Australasian Grebe STP's at Leanyer, Palmerston & Pine Creek
Australian Pelican Buffalo Creek
Little Black Cormorant Copperfield Dam, Pine Creek
Great Cormorant Knuckley Lagoon
Little Pied Cormorant Pine Creek STP
Australian Darter Most wetlands
Great Egret Fogg Dam
Pied Heron Most wetlands
Intermediate Egret Most wetlands
White-faced Heron Pine Creek STP
Little Egret Coast and wetlands
Eastern Reef-egret East Point
Cattle Egret Near Fogg Dam
Green-backed Heron Most coastal sites
Rufous Night-Heron Howard Springs
Black Bittern Homes Jungle
Black-necked Stork Various wetlands
Australian White Ibis Very common
Straw-necked Ibis Fogg Dam only
Royal Spoonbill Widespread
Magpie Goose Widespread
Wandering Whistling-duc Widespread; all STPs
Radjah Shelduck Widespread
Green Pygmy-goose Widespread
Hardhead Leanyer STP
Osprey East Point
Black-shouldered Kite Near Fogg Dam
Black Kite Not very common
Whistling Kite Very common
Brahminy Kite Over mangroves
White-bellied Fish-Eagle One over Darwin
Australian Goshawk One on trip to Pine Creek
Collared Sparrowhawk One near Copperfield Dam
Wedge-tailed Eagle 3 occassions
Australian Kestrel Near Fogg Dam
Peregrine Falcon Near Fogg Dam
Orange-footed Scrubfow Very common esp Botanic Gardens and East Point
Brown Quail Homes Jungle
Brolga South of Adealide River
White-browed Crake Fogg Dam
Chestnut Rail Darwin mangroves
Pale-vented Bush-hen Heard at Charles Darwin NP in long grass
formed by a stream entering the mangroves below the carpark.
Purple Swamphen One at Pine Creek STP
Comb-crested Jacana Abundant at Fogg Dam
Australian Pied Oystercatcher East Point & Buffalo Creek
Bush Thick-knee Many places
Masked Lapwing Abundant; many nesting at Leanyer STP
Pacific Golden-Plover East Point & Buffalo Creek
Grey Plover East Point & Buffalo Creek
Little Ringed Plover 3 at Leanyer STP
Red-capped Plover Various coastal sites
Lesser Sand Plover East Point
Greater Sand Plover East Point
Black-fronted Dotterel Pine Creek STP
Bar-tailed Godwit East Point & Buffalo Creek
Whimbrel East Point and elsewhere
Far Eastern Curlew East Point
Marsh Sandpiper Fogg dam
Common Greenshank Knuckley Lagoon
Terek sandpiper East Point
Common Sandpiper East Point & STPs
Grey-tailed Tattler East Point
Ruddy Turnstone East Point & Buffalo Creek
Great Knot East Point & Buffalo Creek
Sanderling Buffalo Creek
Red-necked Stint East Point
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Pine Creek STP
Silver Gull Not very common
Caspian Tern Buffalo Creek
Great Crested Tern Buffalo Creek (Lesser Crested probably
present but not followed up)
White-winged Tern Fogg Dam and STP's
Emerald Dove East Point
Crested Pigeon Pine Creek township
Peaceful Dove Very common
Bar-shouldered Dove Abundant everywhere
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove East Point & Fogg Dam
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon Abundant around Darwin
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Flock near Fogg Dam
Galah Widespread
Little Corella Abundant
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Common around Darwin
Red-collared Lorikeet Very common. (Is this splitable from
Rainbow Lorikeet? Sounds and looks different.)
Varied Lorikeet Very common around Pine creek
Northern Rosella Common at Pine Creek, less so around
Darwin, Charles Darwin NP
Hooded Parrot 20+ on road into Pine Creek
Red-winged Parrot Common
Brush Cuckoo Heard many places, seen well at Pine Creek
Common Koel Heard many places, seen at Buffalo Creek
Pheasant Coucal Common at Homes Jungle, and near Fogg Dam
Pallid Cuckoo Heard Howard Sporings, seen Fogg dam
Barn Owl Many along Anzac Rd to Fogg dam
Barking Owl Heard from Fogg Dam viewing platform,
seen on Dam wall
Blue-winged Kookaburra Common
Forest Kingfisher Very Common
Collared Kingfisher Seen/heard at most mangroves
Sacred Kingfisher About 10% of Forest Kingfishers
Azure Kingfisher Pine Creek & Howard Springs
Little Kingfisher Glimpse at Howard Springs
Rainbow Bee-eater Very common
Dollarbird Very Common
Rainbow Pitta Very common at East Point; also
Adealide River and Howard Springs
Australian Bushlark Many grasslands eg Homes Jungle
Black-faced Cuckooshrike Only around Pine Creek
White-bellied Cuckooshrike Very common, including at Pine Creek
Varied Triller Very common including in mangroves
Northern Fantail Reasonably common around Darwin
Willie Wagtail Widespread but not very common
Leaden Flycatcher Widespread and common
Broad-billed Flycatcher East Point mangroves
Shining Flycatcher Widespread
Restless Flycatcher Widespread
Golden-headed Cisticola Very common in rank grass; no Zitting
Cisticolas seen.
Grey-crowned Babbler Widespread
Grey Whistler Common especially East Point
Rufous Whistler Away from Darwin
Little Shrike-thrush Mangroves and forest near Darwin
Grey Shrike-thrush Sporadic
Mangrove Robin Seen at mangroves near Darwin
Lemon-bellied Flyrobin Widespread and common
Jacky-winter Pine Creek area
Red-backed Fairy-wren Widespread
Weebill Only at Pine Creek; much more
yellow than southern birds.
Large-billed Gerygone Palmerston STP
Green-backed Gerygone Buffalo Creek and STPs
Mistletoebird Darwin BG
Striated Pardalote Pine Creek
Australian Yellow White-eye Most mangroves
White-gaped Honeyeater Very common
Yellow-throated Miner Palmerston
Bar-breasted Honeyeater One at Botanic Gardens
Rufous-banded Honeyeater Very common
Rufous-throated Honeyeater Pair at Pine Creek cemetary
Dusky Myzomela Botanic Gardens
Red-headed Myzomela Botanic Gardens & mangroves near Darwin
Banded Honeyeater Commonest honeyeater in Pine Creek
Brown Honeyeater Abundant
White-throated Honeyeater Pairs at many locations
Blue-faced honeyeater Especially common around Palmerston
Helmeted Friarbird Reasonably common
Silver-crowned Friarbird Very common around Darwin
Little Friarbird Positive ID at pine Creek but
suspected elsewhere
Australasian Figbird Very common around Darwin
Green Oriole Virtually all wooded locations
Spangled Drongo Buffalo Creek and Howard Springs
Magpielark Ubiquitous
White-breasted Woodswallow Very widespread
Black-faced Woodswallow Common away from Darwin, eg Fogg Dam, Pine Creek
Black Butcherbird Charles Darwin NP & East Point mangroves
Pied Butcherbird Widespread
Great Bowerbird Widespread
Torresian Crow Widespread
Crimson Finch Commonest finch
Double-barred Finch Common, often with Crimson Finches
Masked Finch Homes Jungle, Adelaide River and Pine Creek
Long-tailed Finch Reasonably common
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Common, often with Crimson Finches
--
Mark Stanley
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