Hi All
Have just returned from nine week trip to the Kimberley (mostly) and Top
End. Went from Kangaroo Island N up the Stuart Highway to Mataranka,
Katherine Gorge and into S Kakadu (Gunlom Falls) and then W to Timber Creek,
Kununurra and all of the Kimberley area including Gibb River Road, Mitchell
Plateau, Broome and Broome Bird Observatory. Saw a whole swag of species (c.
250 or so) of which 54 were new to my life list. All were observed during
period May and June 2010. I have listed the most exciting ones here (lifers
for me) with locality and numbers etc.
White-throated Grasswren (1 female seen clearly) after 2 day slog to El
Sherana area of Gunlom Falls of S Kakadu; Red Goshawk (1 female) at
Mataranka area; Black Grasswren (5) at Mitchell Plateau (bragging rights
here as got them within 2 hours of first morning); Partridge Pigeon (1 -
yellow-faced race blaauwi) Mitchell Plateau; Kimberley Honeyeater (1)
Mitchell Plateau; White-quilled Rock Pigeon (c 12) Mitchell Plateau E to
Kununurra and W NT - including race boothii); Yellow Chat (20+) at Roebuck
Plains; Semi-palmated Plover (1) Broome Sewage Ponds; Asian Dowitcher (3)
BBO; Broad-billed Sandpiper (7) BBO; Terek Sandpiper (many) BBO; Gouldian
Finch (c20) Victoria River, NT and Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary;
Yellow-rumped Mannikin (3) Victoria River NT; Hooded Parrot (c20) at Pine
Creek area, NT; White-lined Honeyeater (1) Gunlom Falls area, Kakadu NP;
Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon (3) Gunlom Falls area of Kakadu NP; Banded
Honeyeater (6) Kimberley and Gunlom Falls area of Arnhem Plateau of Kakadu
NP; Red-headed Honeyeater (6) Broome Mangroves; Purple-crowned Fairy-wren
(numerous) from Victoria River, NT W to Kimberley, WA; Star Finch (c50)
Victoria River NT W to Kimberley; Buff-sided Robin (3 pairs) Timber Creek
and in Kimberley; Rainbow Pitta (2) Howard Springs Nature Park, NT;
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (several) Kununurra; White-browed Crake (1) Lake
Kununurra, WA; White-breasted Whistler (pair) BBO mangroves; Lesser
Frigatebird (1) BBO; Little Kingfisher (1) Fogg Dam Monsoon Forest, NT;
Great-billed Heron (1) Roper River, NT; Broad-billed Flycatcher (sev pairs)
BBO and Kimberleys; Leaden Flycatcher (2 pairs) Edith Falls, NT and
Katherine Gorge, NT; Varied Triller (2) Fogg Dam and Hayes Creek, NT;
Cicadabird (1 male) Fogg Dam, NT; Chestnut Rail (1) Darwin; Pacific Baza (1)
Mitchell Plateau; Rose-crowned Fruit Dove (2) eating ripe fruits of
Carpentarian Palm at Howard Springs Nature Park, NT; Mangrove Robin and
Mangrove Gerygone at Derby, WA; Varied Lorikeet (many in S and Central
Kimberley area); Long-tailed Finch (many throughout Timber Creek W to
Kimberleys).
Dipped on Pictorella Mannikin, Black Bittern; Little Bittern; several
species of Button-quail; Bush Hen and several other summer migrants.
Surprisingly I could not nail down a Black-tailed Treecreeper! Hope you find
these sightings as interesting as I did. It was a great trip of full on
birding from go to whoa. A dream come true. A most interesting and exciting
part of Oz.
Cheers
Chris Baxter
Kangaroo Island
South Australia
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