From: "Allan Morris" <>
Subject: Trip Report Darwin, Kakadu, Arnhemland and Katherine 1-15 July 2000
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 14:41:18 +1000
My wife and I spent two weeks in the Top End visiting family and
friends, looking at the birds, learning about the aboriginal culture
and enjoying the scenery and the swimming holes. This was my fourth
visit to the Region although on this occasion I had the benefit of
two books about birdwatching which had not been published at the time
of my last visit in 1994. They were Finding Birds in Australia's
Northern Territory 1997 P.Donato et al and Birds of Darwin, mangroves
& mudflats 1996 Denise Goodfellow. Both books were quite helpful,
however the former gave better advice about what birds could be found
at what reserve or site. The new Charles Darwin National park, just
to the east of Darwin City is not mentioned in either book.
There were some problems though, the mangrove boardwalk at East
Point, a recommended site to visit, has been closed for some time
while repairs are being carried out (?), while the mangrove boardwalk
at Channel Island near Darwin, so well described by Donato et al is
permanently closed to the public, although we managed to get in! Most
of the time we were on our own but one day was spent birdwatching
with my nephew Steven Popple, a Landcare Co-ordinator in Darwin and
subscriber to birding-aus, and another day with my Central Coast
colleague, Robin Benson, up in Darwin for the Hockey Carnival.
Altogether 161 species were seen in the 14 days and 34 atlas sheets
will be submitted in due time!
As for Stephen Mugford (Northern Territory Trip Report 17/7/00) one
of the first birds seen were the 10 or so Australian Pratincoles on
the airport as our Cessna 210 was taxi-ing up for take-off to Mt
Borradaile Wilderness Camp, in West Arnhemland where we spent the
first 3 days of our trip. We saw 90 species here which included
wonderful views of waterbirds on the Coopers Lagoon at sunset on the
first day. My conseravtive estimate was 20,000 Magpie Geese, 3000
Plumed Tree-Duck, 3000 Pied Heron & 1000 Glossy Ibis along that
lagoon. Nesting Sea-Eagles & Whistling Kite, 2 Brahminy Kite, 100s
Night-herons This was in addition to all the Egrets, 3 Brolga, 11
Black-necked Stork, Radjah Shelduck with ducklings, Collared
Sparrowhawk & Hobby, Sacred, Forest, Red-backed & Azure Kingfisher
(but no Little Kingfisher!), Wandering Tree-Ducks, many Jacanas with
chicks at all stages, Whiskered Terns and a lone Caspian Tern and a
few Green Pygmy-Geese. It was a great sight and was repeated again
the following day as we travelled to the base of Mt Borradaile by
boat before being taken up to the various rock art sites. At the
Rainbow Serpent Rock art sites there was a pair of Sandstone
Shrike-Thrushes and a White-lined Honeyeater, 4 Black-banded Pigeons,
Helmeted Friarbirds & Brush Cuckoos calling incessantly. Dusky
Honeyeaters were seen near here and then only once again at Howard
Springs, 10 days later.
Back around the Camp, the common birds were Little Friarbirds and
Red-collared Lorikeets feeding in the flowering Woolybutts, Bush
Stone-curlews in the camp at night, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos
feeding on the Pandanus Cones, Grey-crowned Babblers & plenty of
Red-winged Parrots. In the undergrowth along the flowing streams we
saw Black Bittern, Northern Fantail, Shining Flycatchers, Red-backed
Fairy-wrens, Broad-billed & Leaden Flycatchers & Masked Finches.
Around the rock art sites on Mt Borradaile were the expected Great
Bowerbirds, 6 Black-banded Pigeons & Blue-winged Kookaburras.
On a trip to the "Great Art" site, another large sandstone outcrop to
the south, we saw Wedge-tailed Eagles, a pair of Black-breasted
Buzzard, Little Woodswallows, Rufous Whistler and another
Sparrowhawk. In the paperbarks here we saw a number of calling Brush
Cuckoos and the usual Yellow Orioles, White-gaped & White-throated
Honeyeaters, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes, Rufous-breasted &
Rufous-throated Honeyaters etc.
We returned to Darwin staying at the City Gardens apartments, not far
from the Botanic Gardens and checked on all the birds, looking for
Rufous Owls without success. Reef Egret, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher and
TreeMartins were the only new birds picked up at East Point Reserve,
but the following morning along the back of Casuarina Beach and
utilising the boardwalks through the mangroves there (new since my
last visit), found Coucal, Drongo, Grey Whistlers, Red-headed
Honeyeater, Scrubfowl, Large-billed Gerygone, Emerald Dove,
Long-tailed Finch & many birds previously sighted. A quick visit to
Charles Darwin National Park added Olive-backed Oriole, Weebill &
Silver-crowned Friarbird to the list.
A morning was spent a Fogg Dam where a number of Magpie Geese still
had half grown or even smaller goslings, Intermediate Egrets appeared
to be nesting in paperebarks to the east of the Causeway, while
Crimson Finches, Reedwarblers and Little Grassbirds were commonly
seen & heard. Then onto Wildman River Wilderness Lodge (not too much
wilderness, more over-grown, weed infested and buffaloe damaged
floodplain) where Barking Owls called throughout the night, Pipits
were on the airstrip, and Little Corellas & Restless Flycatchers were
abundant. The following morning we undertook a boat cruise on the
Mary River near Rocky point, one large croc eating a large pig was
interesting and there were plenty of waterbirds to see including
nesting Sea-Eagles, plenty of Black-necked Storks and Plumed
Tree-ducks, a Brown Falcon, Shelducks & Magpie Geese with young, and
the only pair of Black-fronted Plovers for the trip!
We spent two days in Kakadu, revisiting favourite haunts. We found
Chestnut-breasted Mannikins on the banks of the South Aligator River,
Jacana & Rufous-breasted Honeyater feeding young at Mamukala Lagoon
bird hide, and a White-browed Robin near the observation block,
Barking Owls & Bush Stone-curlews at Kakadu Resort, Rose-crowned
Fruit-Dove calling at Bardedjilidgi Walking Track along the east
Alligator River in the monsoon forest, another Black-breasted Buzzard
at Cooloborie Brook crossing, west of Jabiru, Mistletoebirds at
every stop, a Gull-billed Tern & Black Bittern at Mamujala wetland,
Sandstone Shrike-thrush again at Noulangie Rock and another
Sparrowhawk at Ambalangly Lagoon. Altogether 80 species in Kakadu.
Travelling via the Mary River Road House and Pine Creek, we made for
Katherine on 9 July, stopping at some waterholes on the Edith Falls
Road looking for finches. Found only Masked, Double-barred and
Long-tails, the latter nesting in the pandanus, but here the Jacky
Winters put in anappearance as did Little Woodswallows. Played the
real tourist in Katherine and enjoyed the new Visitors Centre at
Katherine Gorge NP, the only place where we got Apostlebirds during
the trip. Two early morning trips were made to Chinaman's Crek, 12 km
west of Katherine on the Victoria Highway, once a Gouldian Finch and
Hooded Parrot site. Obviously we dipped on the Gouldians, but did
find 2 Hooded Parrots, along with Cockatiels, nesting Fairy Martins,
Pallid Cuckoo, Grey Shrike-thrush, the usual doves & finches, and
a lone Wedge-tailed Eagle. On the morning of 11 July, 5 km west of
katherine, 2 Ground Cuckoo-shrikes were seen on the edge of the road
and Pied & Grey Butcherbirds were common.
Off to Lichfield, the usual stop on the Edith Falls road produced by
only view of Sitellas, the very pied form, for the trip, along with
many Red-tailed Black Cockatoos & Masked Finches. A Black Falcon was
seen near Adelaide River, Lunch at Coomalie Creek rest area found us
watching an Azure Kingfisher & fighting off the Blue-faced
Honeyeaters from our food. Finally Northern Rosellas were located in
Lichfield NP near the Florence Falls turnoff, at several sites over
two days where there were also nesting Grey-crowned Babblers. Flocks
of Little, Helmeted and a few Silver-crowned Friarbirds were feeding
in the flowerinfg Woolybutts, while Brown Quail were flushed from the
long grass. In nearby Batchelor 2 Varied Lorikeets were with the
Red-collared Lorikeets, these being much less common than on previous
trips. At Wangi Falls, Bee-eaters, Northern Fantails & Drongos could
be watched while swimming, and Greenant Picnic area, LNP finally a
Black Butcherbird! 40 species seen in Lichfield NP
We returned to Darwin, staying this time at the Botanic Garden
Apartments where in my morning visit to the gardens, I found the
highlight of our trip, a pair of Rufous Owls with their almost white
newly (?) fledged young - about 50m from where I had looked
previously! The location is about 100 m from the top car park near
the childrens climbing playground equipment and directly above a
small board walk.The Scrubfowl are a delight in the gardens and very
active both in the morning & the evening. A trip to Darwin Dam found
more Shelduck ducklings, a Pied Cormorant, Black-tailed Treecreeper,
Whistling Kite on nest, just an ordinary Cisticola, and many
bushbirds - a very good early morning site. A trip to the Channel
Island mangroves enabled us to see Yellow Whiteye, several Rainbow
Pittas, more Black Butcherbirds & Red-headed Honeyeaters, Mangrove &
Large-billed Gerygones. Good views here of an Osprey nesting on a
power staunchion. Today Steve & I lunched at Howard Springs and then
did the monsoon forest walk, lots of Scrubfowls, Rainbow Pittas, Grey
Whistler feeding young, Drongo, Shining Flycatchers and a Little
Shrike-thrush. We came home via Knuckeys Lagoon Reserve where there
were about 30 Pratincoles, many Green Pygmy-Goose and a White-browed
Crake. There were ofcourse Magpie Geese, Whiskered Terns Wandering
Tree-Ducks, and a wonderful 5 minute view of a Black-breasted Buzzard
flying low and then circling over the Lagoon. Our last stop this day
was at Matara HockeyField car park, where at the edge of the carpark,
feeding and watering in a drain were many Chestnut-breasted
Mannikins, Crimson & Double-barred Finches. We spent some time trying
to turn some of the immature mannikins into Yellow-rumped Mannikins
without success!
The following morning, after I had shown Robin Benson the Rufous
Owls, we headed off first to the back of Casuarina Beach where we saw
about 35 species in a short time, including Yellow White-eyes,
Drongos, Black Butcherbirds, Shining Flycatchers & 3 Little
Bronze-Cuckoos together is some sort of dispaly. Then onto Buffalo
Creek where the tide was well out - 12 species of waders on the sand
flats included Red-capped, Mongolian & Greater Sand Plovers, Great
Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed
Tattler, Red-necked Stint, Grey Plover & Sanderling! 40+ Collared &
Sacred Kingfishers, many Gull-billed Terns plus 3 other species, Reef
Egrets & many more. The Chestnut Rail could be heard calling in the
mangroves but did not appear although it was seen the morning before
opposite the boat ramp the morning before & by me on previous trips.
A walk through the mangroves found Mangrove Golden Whistler male but
not the Mangrove Fantail & Mangrove Robin seen by Robin the morning
before.
The final places visited were Holmes Jungle in the middle of the hot
afternoon, only a Brown Falcon & many Crimson Finches were of special
interest, and back to Knuckeys Lagoon. Here we found only
Golden-headed Cisticolas (no Zitting) but had great views of
Sea-Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Brown Goshawk and two Black-necked Storks
circling over the lagoon.
Our trip was great - good company, good food & good adventures! A
full bird list will be available on request.
Alan Morris
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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