Report on a trip to Borroloola, NT, 22-1.5.00
I spent a week at Borroloola (and a few days getting there and back) over
Easter. The biggest wet in decades was coming to an end, and there was
water and green everywhere, all the way from Darwin to Alice Springs.
The Borroloola area is relatively little visited by birders, though it has
well-known sites for Carpentarian Grasswren and Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.
It's about 60km from the Carpentarian Gulf, and something over 200km from
the Queensland border. The main habitat is woodland (roughly speaking),
with some sandstone escarpments, riverine habitat, and the coastal habitat
of the Gulf. 154 species in total were seen, with just over 100 in the
Borroloola area itself (between Cape Crawford and Bing Bong). Here are some
of the high- (and low-)lights.
The biggest disappointment was dipping on Carpentarian Grasswren, despite a
three and a six hour search over two days in prime habitat, the sandstone
escarpments of Carabirini. There wasn't even the slightest hint of a shadow
of the birds, despite my trying every technique I know. Their usual
breeding season is usually the late wet, so perhaps they're particularly
hard to find after breeding? In this habitat a Sandstone Shrike-thrush and
Spinifex Pigeons were some compensation, as well as Banded Honeyeaters in
the Woolybutts, and a couple of Grey-fronted Honeyeaters, which here are
pretty much at the northern end of their range.
Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, on the other hand, performed beautifully. On
the first day, in the long grasses at the main boat ramp in Borroloola
itself, a male sat singing in its full glory perched on top of the grasses.
Nearby was a very loud White-browed (Buff-sided) Robin, which took a lot of
squeaking to entice it into view. An even better encounter with the
fairy-wrens was a family group at the Carabirini waterhole: a male, a
female and four immature-type birds. We could hear them approaching through
the grasses by the water, and then all came into view, to about eight feet,
as we sat quietly on the bridge. The waterhole was a quite stunning spot,
still attracting a heap of birds, despite there being water all through the
country. The fairy-wrens starred, but there were also Bar-breasted
Honeyeaters flying over the water to the feed on the lilies, in the trees
around the waterhole were some familiar birds from down south, such as
Leaden Flycatchers, Jacky Winters, Little Cuckoo-shrikes, as well as Top
End specials, such as Red-throated Honeyeater, Restless (Paperbark, or as I
kept saying Paperback) Flycatchers, Northern Fantail. In the long grass,
apart from the fairy-wrens, were Crimson, Double-barred and Long-tailed
Finches, and in the woods a little away from the water Banded,
Yellow-tinted and White-gaped Honeyeaters, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Red-backed
Fairy-wrens, and in the rocky gorge, a Barking Owl. Overhead fourteen
Little Woodswallows circled.
The best woodland spots were wherever the eucalypts were in flower, with a
good variety of Top End honeyeaters and other common birds, and on one
occasion a Black-tailed Treecreeper. Raptors were evident throughout,
predominantly Black and Whistling Kites, but there were also Collared
Sparrowhawks, Brown Goshawk, Brown (and probable Black) Falcons, Hobby,
Peregrine, Kestrel, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Spotted Harrier, Wedge-tailed
Eagle, and breeding Osprey at Bing Bong. Other big birds encountered in
this habitat were Brolgas, Jabirus and Australian Bustards.
Bing Bong, at the coast, was tough birding. The local mining company owns
the land around the port area, and does its best to stop people getting
down to the water - apparently they'd be liable for compensation if anyone
got hurt. We did, though, manage to make it to a lagoon a couple of
kilometres north of the port area, and were rewarded with Beach
Stone-curlew, a few latish migrant waders, and a flock of 50 Caspian Terns,
the most I've ever seen together. We didn't get to a creek (name forgotten)
about twenty kilometres to the south of the port area, as the track was too
wet, but from information we got from locals, this might be a good spot for
mangrove species.
As there was still a lot of water around, it was still difficult to get to
several other areas without a 4-wheel drive, so we didn't manage the
mangrove areas at all, which are apparently easiest east of King Ash Bay.
We managed to get there on the last day, but couldn't make it down to the
end of the road. We could, frustratingly, see mangroves on the other side
of the very wide Macarthur River.
Some of the best birds of the trip were seen on the drive to Borroloola
(from Darwin via the Stuart and Carpentarian Highways) and the 'return' to
Alice (via the Tablelands, Barkly and Stuart Highways). I had a few hours
to spare in Darwin, and targeted Chestnut Rail, so I went to Buffalo Creek,
saw a good range of Top End specials, but failed on the rail. Then to the
spot north of the CBD (forget the name of the road) - no joy. I then almost
didn't go to Channel Island, a third spot, as it was getting late, and I
wanted to get down to Katherine that night. But I did go, and just before
the bridge to the island, not a published spot for the species, there was a
loud calling, and got brief but very gratifying views of a Chestnut Rail.
Next day, about 20km south of Mataranka, as I was driving the Stuart
Highway at NT speeds, I whizzed by a button-quail at the side of the road,
screeched to a halt, spun round, and drove slowly back in time to see a
Chestnut-backed Button-quail slowly cross the road, bobbing its head as it
went. The Carpentarian Highway highlight was a pair of Black-breasted
Buzzards sitting in a low tree right next to the road, and allowing
approach to within a few metres without flying off, and three Ground
Cuckoo-shrikes near Cape Crawford.
The return to Alice Springs involved a drive across the Barkly Tablelands.
I was hoping for Flock Bronzewing, but had seen none by the time the sun
was getting low, when six low-flying pigeons flew by to the west of the
road - black silhouettes against the sun. As the light got worse, I was
beginning to fear another dip, but finally two flew low across from west to
east, and this time there was no doubt as the light caught them. I then
drove on very slowly in the fading light, having to stop regularly for
cattle, and hoping, of course, to see as many Letter-winged Kites as Thomas
and Thomas saw a few years ago (more than forty, I think), but despite
frequent scanning of the wide landscape, there were none, though three
distant, tumbling Kestrels in the dusk fooled me for a few minutes. The
road, though, attracted a heap of Australian Pratincoles, in ones and twos
and threes, which landed on the road as it was getting dark, perhaps
because of the warmth, or perhaps it was the insects. The next day, on the
drive from the Barkly Roadhouse to Alice Springs, the raptor count included
a Spotted Harrier just south of Tennant Creek, and four Black-breasted
Buzzards. A very nice end to the trip was a Grey Falcon spotted high
amongst the ubiquitous Black Kites circling over the water treatment works
at Alice Springs. In two visits to Alice, I have seen the Todd River
flowing both times. How many people can claim that? And two visits have
produced Oriental Plover, Freckled Duck (on the previous trip), and this
Grey Falcon.
Other good birds were recorded, and I am currently preparing an annotated
list of all the birds seen on the trip. If anyone would like a copy, they
should email me. Also, I did about 20 2ha atlas surveys. Niven, if you read
this, could you send some forms to the address below? I've run out.
Rod Gardner
4/40 Bond Street
Maroubra
NSW 2035
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