Borroloola report

[Rod Gardner <>]

I recently spent a few weeks in the Borroloola area in the Gulf region of the Northern Territory. Many spots were visited during the nine weeks we spent in the area, mostly between Caranbirini in the west and the Gulf coast at Bing Bong in the east. Four spots not in Thomas and Thomas or the Donato et al guides stand out as being particularly good: the Bing Bong area, with the beach to the north and the beach and mangrove areas to the south of the mining company's ship terminal; the sewage ponds at the southern extremity of Borroloola township, and two permanent waterholes: Goose (Kalwani) Lagoon and the Inganda Billabong, south of Borroloola. Other less productive areas, though nevertheless interesting, were Batten Point and the King Ash Bay area to the north of Borroloola, and Batten Creek along the Bing Bong road. We also spent a few days at Robinson River, in Garrwa country, about an hour and a half drive south east of Borroloola along the Wollogorang Road (Highway 1). This settlement can only be visited with permission from the traditional owners.

185 species were recorded during the stay. The most interesting species seen were: Sarus Crane, Red-chested Button-quail, Little Curlew, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Beach Stone Curlew, Oriental Plover, Flock Bronzewing, Northern Rosella, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Purple-crowned Fairy-wren, Black-chinned (Golden-backed) Honeyeater, Mangrove Golden Whistler, Sandstone Shrike-thrush, Ground Cuckoo-shrike and Pictorella Mannikin. I didn't manage to track down Carpentarian Grasswren, nor the other rare finches that have been reported from the area, Gouldian Finch or Star Finch.

I have prepared a report and an annotated list (large file) of the visit. If you want one or both of these reports, let me know. Please say which you want.

Rod Gardner

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Dr Rod Gardner
Senior Lecturer
Department of Linguistics
School of Modern Language Studies
University of New South Wales
NSW 2052
Australia

Tel: ±61 2 9385 1454
Fax: ±61 2 9385 1190

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