Many thanks to Darreyl "Biggles" Binns for his company last weekend and to
Niven Mcrie for his wonderful book "Birding in the Top End". I arrived in
Darwin on the afternoon of Friday 11 February in time for a trip to Howard
Springs and the first of a few failed attempts to see Chestnut Rail over the
course of the three days. Friday night I headed south on the Stuart Highway to
Pine Creek for the night, birding Plum Tree Creek in southern Kakadu at dawn on
Saturday. I then headed back past Pine Creek to Copperfield Dam for the hottest
time of day, which turned out to be some of the best birding I've had in
Australia. After that, I drove two hours north to Nourlangie and then through
to South Alligator river on the Arnhem Highway for the night. This gave me
about an hour in the morning to check out the floodplain before the heavens
opened and the rest of Sunday was spent in between monsoon downpours and some
disappointingly but not surprisingly slow birding.
FRIDAY 8 FEB
******************
HOWARD SPRINGS
A short walk around Howard Springs was sufficent to find RAINBOW PITTA calling
and soon get great views of a bird in the understorey. We also saw NORTHERN
ROSELLA, the simplex race of GREY WHISTLER, WHITE-THROATED HONEYEATER, SHINING
FLYCATCHER, LITTLE BRONZE CUCKOO and heard ROSE-CROWNED FRUIT DOVE. After this
we headed towards the mangroves on Channel Island Road south of Palmerstone for
an attempt at Chestnut Rail but although we heard them deep in the mangrove,
failed to get views. We also tried at the northeast corner of the Palmerstone
Sewage works to no avail but picked up BLACK BUTCHERBIRD and MANGROVE GERYGONE
here.
SATURDAY 9 FEB
**********************
A BARKING OWL was calling as I left Pine Creek at about 5:30am to head north
into Kakadu.
PLUM TREE CREEK - note, even as early as February, the South Alligator river
floods so Waterfall Creek at Gunlom is inaccessible. Unfortunately, this is the
last remaining known site for White-throated Grasswren. Sadly the
White-throated Grasswrens that have occupied Plum Tree Creek in the past have
not been seen for some time and despite intensive searching I also failed to
locate them this time.
The morning started quite cool as showers from the previous night had cleared.
Climbing the escarpment I found a vantage point and soon had CHESTNUT-QUILLED
ROCK PIGEON. Any fears of missing this bird subsided as I flushed them every
few minutes throughout the morning, seeing perhaps 30+ individuals and getting
some down to just a few metres. The most exciting non-bird sighting of the trip
was a pair of BLACK WALLAROOS perched on top of a boulder in full view for
several minutes before hopping off into the escarpment. SHORT-EARED ROCK
WALLABY were relatively common throughout the area as were the highly vocal
SANDSTONE SHRIKE THRUSH, which afforded good views eventually, unlike
WHITE-LINED HONEYEATERS which I could hear but remained high in the escarpment.
I did however come across the dulcis or Lavender-flanked race of VARIEGATED
FAIRY-WREN and got great daylight views of the northern phalenoides subspecies
of TAWNY FROGMOUTH (smaller, more rufous and heavily spotted than our birds in
the south).
Heading out from Plum Tree Creek back towards the Kakadu Highway I had a
PARTRIDGE PIGEON run across the road and settle in full view. A bit later and I
flushed a pair of HOODED PARROTS off the road side. They alighted in a tree
then as I passed, came back onto the road to be scoped from the car. Truly
amazing looking birds!
COPPERFIELD DAM - This has to be the best birding I have yet done in Australia.
Above the dam itself following the power lines towards a water butt on the hill
top, a line of BLACK-FACED WOODSWALLOWS sat. At this point, I had failed to
locate any finches in and around the dam so recalling some advice George Swann
(Kimblerley Birdwatching Tours) gave me, I presumed that the woodswallows may
be indicative of a broader feeding flock and so I headed their way. First off,
a pair of LITTLE WOODSWALLOWS were perched with them. Almost immediately
thereafter, I saw my first BANDED HONEYEATERS feeding on flowering Grevillea.
These birds were throughout the immediate area, probably numering a few pairs
or so. VARIED SITELLAS were present with WILLIE WAGTAILS and STRIATED
PARDALOTES. To my surprise, the first finches I saw were a dozen or so GOULDIAN
FINCHES including red and black faced males. These were promptly joined by male
and female HOODED PARROTS, sometimes all in the same tree and binocular view
together! For the next hour or so the list of birds increased, adding MASKED
FINCH, CRIMSON FINCH, GREY SHRIKE-THRISH, RUFOUS WHISTLER, WHITE-BELLIED
CUCKOOSHRIKE, GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLA and RED-WINGED FAIRYWREN.
I drove non-stop for a couple of hours up the Kakadu Highway to Nourlangie
arriving at about 4pm and climbed past the monsoon forest to the lookout, where
I could get a good view of the tree tops. A Peregrine Falcon was doing the same
as me, from the other side of the gorge, looking for passing pigeons and doves
(I understand this is why there are few if any Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeons
left at this site). About half an hour before sunset I almost gave up and
decided to walk back past the rock art. By this time most visitors had
disappeared and just rounding the corner here, I came across four BANDED FRUIT
DOVES in the lower canopy, providing great views. One last ditch attempt at
luring in WHITE-LINED HONEYEATER by pishing also worked. Until this point, I
was mainly hearing them call from the canopy of trees half way up the
escarpment.
SUNDAY 10 FEB
*********************
I started just before dawn from South Alligator resort, heading back east
towards the floodplain (on the way in the night before I had great views of a
WATER PYTHON on the road here). Now I was looking for ZITTING CISTICOLA, which
I found just in the nick of time. The monsoon front forecast for that day you
could see as a dark veil extending from horizon to horizon. It approached with
amazing speed and for the next hour, I drove towards Mary River Park in the
hope of seeing Buff-flanked Robin (newly split from White-browed). This was a
lost cause but not because of the rain. I got there about 8am and noticed the
park was closed for the wet season. Despite my attempt to politely request
access to the bamboo walk an extremely rude and breakfast-drunk man told me I
was trespassing and to f*^# off! So I did...that bird can wait until next time
- but I won't be thinking of staying at Mary River Park. I then arrived at the
Marrakai track, still in a torrential downpour. Any hope of seeing
Chestnut-backed Buttonquail at this site was dashed by the rain, though I did
get BLACK-TAILED TREECREEPER and a KEELBACK SNAKE - one of the few local
reptiles resilient to Cane Toad venom. After an hour of walking back and forth
through the vegetation with an umbrella I decided it was time to move on again
but this time I got lucky and the rain stopped for just long enough to bird the
Adelaide River Bridge area. Here I saw MANGROVE GOLDEN WHISTLER, MANGROVE
GOLDEN WHISTLER, GREEN-BACKED GERYGONE, RED-HEADED HONEYEATER, RUFOUS-BANDED
HONEYEATER and WHITE-GAPED HONEYEATER.
Next stop, Fogg Dam, where I met up again with Darryel. Soon after he arrived,
we saw WHITE-BROWED CRAKE. We then headed off to again look for CHESTNUT RAIL.
I ended up standing in the wrong spot, missing the bird whilst Darryel got good
views...we both got absolutely soaked and finally after much effort decided to
finish the day off with some more straightforward car-based birding. The day
before I arrived Rufous Owls were seen roosting near the nesting tree in the
botanic gardens but we dipped so proceeded to the Leannyer Sewage farm, picking
up LONG-TAILED FINCH along the way. In a flooded paddock nearby there were
about 25 PIED HERONS and a WOOD SANDPIPER. In the sewage farm, highlights
included the LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER (now in full adult plumage) LESSER SAND
PLOVER, a pair of GREY GOSHAWKS and about 20 YELLOW WAGTAILS. One of these was
of the macronyx / thunbergi race and will be subject to a submission to BARC. A
LITTLE EGRET present is also of the western race Egretta garzetta garzetta, as
indicated by the greeny-yellow flesh around the lores and the yellow feet and
lower legs. Probably a good bird to pick up if you happen to be in the area.
****
All in all a good trip though fleeting birding trip on the way back from a job.
About 135 species recorded and several new for me, placing me in the '600 club'
for Australian birding. Now I have the uninspiring job of readdressing my list
with the new taxonomy....
Regards,
Simon Mustoe.
TRIP LIST
1 Orange-footed Scrubfowl
2 Magpie Goose
3 Wandering Whistling-Duck
4 Radjah Shelduck
5 Pacific Black Duck
6 Hardhead 3 at Leanyer Sewage ponds
7 Darter 1 Copperfield Dam nr Pine Creek
8 Little Egret Several Leannyer Sewage farm, including 1 Eurasian race A.
garzetta garzetta.
9 Pied Heron
10 Great Egret
11 Intermediate Egret
12 Striated Heron
13 Australian White Ibis
14 Royal Spoonbill
15 Black-necked Stork
16 Black Kite
17 Whistling Kite
18 Brahminy Kite
19 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
20 Grey Goshawk Pair at Leanyer Sewage Farm
21 Wedge-tailed Eagle
22 Brown Falcon
23 Peregrine Falcon 1 at Nourlangie
24 White-browed Crake Several calling and one seen at Fogg Dam
25 Chestnut Rail [not seen but heard at three sites in Darwin, including
Buffalo Creek]
26 Red-backed Button-quail [probable flushed from roadside just south of
Darwin]
27 Whimbrel Leannyer sewage ponds
28 Eastern Curlew Leannyer sewage ponds
29 Common Greenshank 3, Leannyer sewage ponds
30 Wood Sandpiper 1 on flooded field outside Leannyer sewage ponds
31 Common Sandpiper
32 Red Knot Flock on beach at Buffalo Creek
33 Comb-crested Jacana Fogg Dam
34 Bush Stone-curlew
35 Pied Oystercatcher
36 Black-winged Stilt
37 Pacific Golden Plover
38 Grey Plover
39 Little Ringed Plover 1 adult breeding plumage, Leannyer sewage ponds
40 Red-capped Plover
41 Lesser Sand Plover Leannyer sewage ponds
42 Masked Lapwing
43 Silver Gull
44 Lesser Crested Tern
45 Whiskered Tern
46 White-winged Black Tern
47 Common Bronzewing 1 at Plum Tree Creek; several calling
48 Partridge Pigeon 1 on road west of Plum Tree Creek; 1 Copperfield Dam; 1 on
Kakadu Highway.
49 Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon 35+ in sandstone escarpment at Plum Tree Creek
50 Peaceful Dove
51 Bar-shouldered Dove
52 Banded Fruit-Dove Several, Nourlangie
53 Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove 1 Howard Springs
54 Pied Imperial-Pigeon
55 Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
56 Little Corella
57 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
58 Rainbow Lorikeet
59 Varied Lorikeet
60 Red-winged Parrot
61 Northern Rosella
62 Hooded Parrot Pair just west Plum Tree Creek; 10+ Copperfield Dam
63 Brush Cuckoo
64 Little Bronze-Cuckoo 1 Howard Springs
65 Pheasant Coucal
66 Barking Owl 1 calling early morning at Pine Creek
67 Tawny Frogmouth
68 Azure Kingfisher
69 Blue-winged Kookaburra
70 Forest Kingfisher
71 Sacred Kingfisher
72 Rainbow Bee-eater
73 Dollarbird
74 Rainbow Pitta 2-3 Howard Springs
75 Black-tailed Treecreeper
76 Variegated Fairy-wren
77 Red-winged Fairy-wren
78 Striated Pardalote
79 Weebill
80 Mangrove Gerygone
81 White-throated Gerygone 1 Copperfield Dam
82 Helmeted Friarbird
83 Silver-crowned Friarbird
84 Little Friarbird
85 Blue-faced Honeyeater
86 White-lined Honeyeater
87 White-gaped Honeyeater
88 White-throated Honeyeater
89 Brown Honeyeater
90 Rufous-banded Honeyeater
91 Rufous-throated Honeyeater
92 Banded Honeyeater
93 Dusky Honeyeater
94 Red-headed Honeyeater 1 Adelaide River
95 Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
96 Mangrove Robin
97 Varied Sittella
98 Mangrove Golden Whistler 1 Adelaide River
99 Grey Whistler 1 Howard Springs
100 Rufous Whistler
101 Sandstone Shrike-thrush Several, Plum Tree Creek
102 Grey Shrike-thrush
103 Broad-billed Flycatcher
104 Leaden Flycatcher
105 Shining Flycatcher
106 Restless Flycatcher
107 Magpie-Lark
108 Mangrove Grey Fantail
109 Willie Wagtail
110 Spangled Drongo
111 Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
112 White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike
113 Olive-backed Oriole 1 Howard Springs
114 Figbird
115 White-breasted Woodswallow
116 Black-faced Woodswallow
117 Little Woodswallow 2 Copperfield Dam
118 Black Butcherbird
119 Pied Butcherbird
120 Torresian Crow
121 Spotted Bowerbird
122 Great Bowerbird
123 Richard's Pipit
124 Yellow Wagtail
125 Double-barred Finch
126 Long-tailed Finch
127 Crimson Finch
128 Painted Finch
129 Gouldian Finch
130 Mistletoebird
131 Fairy Martin
132 Tawny Grassbird
133 Zitting Cisticola
134 Golden-headed Cisticola
135 Yellow White-eye
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