Central Australia

Great trip to Central Australia in June 2013 including Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park, Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon) and West MacDonnell National Park (Glen Helen Gorge).

Uluru (Ayres Rock)

Black-Breasted Buzzard

Kata Tjuta (Olgas)

Kings Canyon

Gosse Bluff

Glen Helen Gorge

Black-Shouldered Kite

Rock Wallaby (Standley Chasm)

Kangaroo Island Scenery

Visited Kangaroo Island in November 2012 and marveled at the magnificent scenery, especially along the coastline. Here are just some of the many images taken.

Cape Hart

Cape du Couedic Light House

Remarkable Rocks

Scott Cove

Fogg Dam - Birds

During our trip to the Northern Territory in August we drove from Darwin to the Mary River National Park. On the way stopped off at Fogg Dam which turned out to be a wonderful place for birdlife. Such a pretty place as well and can only imagine what it must be like in the wet season.

Fogg Dam

During the three hour stopover the following is a list of the birds photographed and some of those photos.

Australian Darter

Australian Pelican

Australian Pratincole

Black-necked Stork

Broad-billed Flycatcher

Comb-crested Jacana

Forest Kingfisher

Intermediate Egret

Magpie Goose

Orange-footed scrub Fowl

Plumed Whistling-duck

Rajah Shelduck

Rainbow Bee-eater

Shining Flycatcher

Varied Triller

White-throated Honeyeater

Australian Pratincole

Various species

Comb-crested Jacana

Darter

Shining Fly-catcher

Birds of Munghorn Gap NR

 Spent three days camping at the Honeyeater flats camping area. This camping area is administered by the National Parks service based in Mudgee and a booking must be obtained to use the site. Proved to be an abundance of birds in the surrounding area, particularly near the junction of Moolarben Road and Wollar Road.

The following are some of the birds photographed from the area.

Crested Shrike-Tit (Falcunculus frontatus)

Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)

 Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)

 Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)

 Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)

Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)

White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus)

Birds of Wilsons Promontory

A three day stay on Wilsons Promontory on Victoria’s South East coast  in March 2012 proved to be rewarding in terms of birds sighted and photographed. We stayed just outside the national park at Limosa Rise, http://limosarise.com.au/, that turned out to be a great choice. They have three, excellent, self-catering cottages surrounded by native plantings that attracted many of the local bird species.

The national park is well known for its scenery, walking trails, rugged coastline, native animals and birds. Many of the walking tracks were just about to be re-opened following the floods of early 2011

The following are some of the birds photographed from the area.

Brown Thornbill

Grey Fantail

New Holland Honeyeater

Pacific Gull (Juvenile)

Silvereye

White-eared Honeyeater

Yellow Faced Honeyeater

Gipsy point

Visited Gipsy Point which is on the Genoa River not far from Mallacoota. Stayed at the Gipsy Point Lakeside www.gipsy.com.au. which proved to be excellent accommodation and a good location for birding. They have a feeding twice a day which attracts large numbers of Rainbow Lorikeets, King Parrots, Galahs, Red-Browed Finches etc. Much of the surrounding flora has been planted so as to attract a lot of birds, small birds in particular. Spotted Superb Fairy Wrens, New Holland Honeyeaters, Bell Miners, Eastern Yellow Robins, Satin Bower Birds etc.

Besides birds there is a large resident population of kangaroos as well as other smaller marsupials.

We were there during the heavy rains in early March so the river was in flood hence no sign of the White-Bellied Sea Eagles which reportedly fish in the river. Did see a Whistling Kite which resides in the area.

Eastern Spinebill

Kangaroo

New Holland Honeyeater

Rainbow Lorikeets Feeding

Superb Fairy-Wren (Male)

Birds of the Mareeba Wetland

During June we took a trip to Nth Queensland and one of our chosen locations to visit was the Mareeba Wetlands. The birding in this area we found to be excellent, particularly the savanna birds. There were a good number of wetland birds as well but not in the numbers and varieties as apparently are around later in the year (wetlands are normally closed during the summer months).  

The birding experience was significantly enhanced by spending a morning with David “Chook” Crawford of Close-Up Birding Adventures (www.closeupbirding.com.au). Dave has intimate knowledge of the Mareeba Wetlands and birding in North Queensland in general. With his help I managed to get some decent photos especially of species specific to the area.

Some of the highlights:

Black-Throated Finch (Poephila cincta)

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus - race melancephalus)

Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta - race peninsulae)

White-Throated Gerygone (Gerygone olivacea)